Best Perfumes of 2020

What a year it has been. The spectre of the Coronavirus hung over the world for most of the year. However, as we near the end of 2020, the rollout of vaccines have provided a ray of hope. In Australia, other than Melbourne, we escaped the worst of the virus. Long may that continue. In the early stages of the pandemic, it seemed superfluous to talk about perfume while suffering occurred worldwide.

Though, for many, perfume provided a solace and an escape from the outside world. Undoubtedly, a way of finding something normal in the abnormal. As the year progressed, I could venture out more and more to try new perfumes. A normality of sorts had returned, at least in my corner of the globe. A special thanks to my friend, Tete @niche_rare_fragrances, who sent me many scents throughout the year that I would otherwise have not sampled. A few of those scents appear in my best-of list. So, time to wave goodbye, and perhaps good riddance to 2020, and here’s hoping to a better 2021 for all.

Aesop – Rozu – Another quality scent to join the suite of quality fragrances from the Australian botanical brand, Aesop. Rozu was a dark rose with spicy, crisp green touches from shiso. No doubt, it bears that earthy, natural vibe that is the hallmark of Aesop. Smoky guaiac wood, patchouli, resinous myrrh, and green vetiver added intrigue and complexity, making for a unique take on the “queen of flowers.” Perhaps the only downside was the sillage and longevity, but that’s a small gripe. Every year there are countless new rose releases, and Rozu was one of the standout rose perfumes in 2020.

Atelier des Ors – Rouge Saray – A deliciously decadent gourmand that wasn’t shy about piling on the calories. Plums and cinnamon in the opening made for a spicy, boozy beginning. The clever use of dates, imparted a sugary, syrup-like blanket over proceedings and brought the Middle Eastern inspiration behind Rouge Saray to bear. There was a nutty touch from heliotrope and a smokiness from tobacco (not listed) or perhaps the listed guaiac wood. The vanilla in the base further added to the sweetness.

Dusita – Moonlight in Chiangmai – A fizzy, syrupy, juicy opening of jasmine and yuzu. The yuzu gave the scent a tropical feel. Alongside the freshness and juiciness ran a smoky accord, perhaps a combination of the myrrh, woods, and vetiver that make up the base. Benzoin imparted some balsamic and resinous depth. I’ll go out on a limb and say it is one of the more commercial offerings from the house thus far. It’s a real crowd-pleaser. A freshie with depth. Fantastic. Comparisons have been made with MFK BR540, but I don’t see or smell it.

Giorgio Armani – The Yulong – A convincing, fresh tea scent with smoky vetiver and floral nuances from jasmine. The bright, herbal opening of mandarin and petitgrain setting the scene for the authentic tea note, highly evocative of a Chinese tea room. Not overly challenging, but likeable nonetheless. Noteworthy, for the fact the tea note resists devolving into a cloud of nondescript musks. Shades of Nishane’s Wulong Cha, but I prefer this one.

Givenchy – Gentleman EDP Boisee – My favourite men’s designer release of the year. Boisee borrows much from scents like Dior Homme, Valentino Uomo, and the like. Powdery iris, velvety cacao, pleasant spicy pepper facets, and a well-judged woods and patchouli base. Proof that there are still a few gems to be found on the mainstream shelves.

Guerlain – Iris Torréfié – Delphine Jelk was the composer behind the most recent scent to join the “L’Art e la Matiere” collection. It’s a collection about which I have mixed feelings. My favourite is Rose Barbare, the Francis Kurkdjian composition, but the others are a touch heavy on the vanilla sweetness. Delphine Jelk hit this one out of the park.

The opening stages reminded me heavily of the lipstick prominent Dior Homme line. The comparisons soon shifted away from Dior Homme as the scent moved through the phases. It was much more subtle and buttery, with the milky iris combining with the roasted coffee and spiced tea to gives the perfume a unique DNA. The smoky leather tempered the vanilla sweetness in the base. Despite the inclusion of coffee and tea, this was much less of a gourmand forward scent than the discontinued Iris Ganache.

Guerlain – Patchouli Ardent – Guerlain had two excellent releases in 2020. Patchouli was the theme of Guerlain’s latest scent to join the Les Absolus D’Orient line. This line has been up and down for me. I enjoyed Cuir Intense and Musc Noble but thought the much-hyped Santal Royal was grating and rough and a colossal disappointment. Patchouli Ardent was a triumph. The jammy rose in the opening linked with fig to create a surprising but welcome green, fruity, fresh contrast, balancing out the heavier floral, earthy, smoky base notes. The leather accord in the base imparted a smoky effect on the composition.

The patchouli might not be as prominent as some may like, as it’s discreetly blended in with the rose, fig, and leather. Still, the patchouli did its patchouli thing, earthy, boozy, and medicinal and against the backdrop of rose, fig, and leather was a joy to wear. Fantastic work by Thierry Wasser. A worthy addition to the line.

Hermes – L’Ombre des Merveilles – The opening was a delightful, fizzing, effervescent mineral-like black tea. Thanks to incense and tonka bean, it became darker and smokier, and sweeter as it progressed. Occasionally, I picked up some of the original salty, ambery vibe of the original—an intriguing piece of work from Christine Nagel.

Hiram Green – Vivacious – The latest from Hiram Green was a powdery, floral bouquet of violet, orris, and carnation that recalled classic Guerlain’s of the past, L’Heure Bleue and Apres l’Ondee. The amber and bergamot imparted a modern feel, but it retained an air of nostalgia about it. The name was apt.

Histoires de Parfums – This is Not a Blue Bottle 1.6 – One of the best freshies of the year. Bright, uplifting orange and yuzu transitioned into a floral heart of jasmine, orange blossom, and lotus flower. The vanillic, woody base was substantial and ensured it never faded into obscurity. Similar to Van Cleef & Arpels, California Reverie.

Laboratorio Olfattivo – Tonkade – The bitter neroli opening was slightly challenging, but Tonkade soon found its footing, settling into a delightful mix of spiced cardamom, vanilla, dried fruits, and tonka. The vanilla wasn’t heavy or cloying, and the tonka suitably toasty and enveloping. The use of dried fruits gave the fragrance just the right amount of sweetness. Incense revealed itself in the base and tempered the sweetness providing balance and contrast. It didn’t project out as much as one might expect from a dark fragrance, but that made Tonkade more wearable than scents of similar ilk. Very nicely done by perfumer Marie Duchene.

Narciso Rodriguez – Narciso EDP Ambree – Narciso Rodriguez’s signature musk base intact combined with a tropical opening of frangipani before linking with woods and vanilla to produce a suitably classy perfume, the likes of which we’ve come to expect from the brand.

Pierre Guillaume – Animal Mondain – Nothing animalic about it, just a beautifully composed light honeyed tobacco with hay-like nuances. The pear leaf in the top prevented anything from getting too overbearing. There was a freshness about it, making it a tobacco one could wear comfortably in the summertime. The dry down was powdery.

Serge Lutens – Fils de Joie – A loud, room-filling jasmine which announced itself to all within a 30-mile radius. Honey and musks added sweetness and an animalic touch. I might struggle to wear this one myself, but I admire those that can. Easily one of the best from the brand for some time.

Tom Ford – Beau de Jour – Ah, Tom, all is forgiven. The various missteps in the Private Blend line over recent years are in the past. Let’s look to the future, and what better way than with this glorious fougere in a rather striking, classy bottle.

Bracing notes of rosemary, mint, basil, and oakmoss lent proceedings a decidedly classy touch. Of course, lavender was prevalent in the mix and, combined with the aromatic herbal notes, gave the scent an old school shaving foam vibe. Tasteful and never in your face, amber and patchouli in the base added warmth and the amber in particular a touch of sweetness, ensuring the scent never fell into cliché “old man territory.”

Some of the Other Notables

BDK – Citrus Riviera – BDK released two freshies in 2020. Citrus Riviera by Ralf Schwieger was by far the best of them. Similar in feel to Orange Sanguine from Atelier Cologne.

Giorgio Armani – Roses Milano – A fantastic chypre with a mossy, patchouli base preceded by a fruity top of pear and juicy fresh rose.

Penhaligon’s – Brilliantly British – Quirky bottle aside, this lavender and gourmand toffee concoction was my favourite release from the brand this year.

Perris Monte Carlo – Lavande Romaine – Fantastic interplay between the thick herbal lavender and the freshness of the black currant leaf. A typically pared-back minimalist offering from Jean-Claude Ellena that used cedar and musk in the base to support the two main notes. Maybe a little too herbal for some noses, but I thought the black currant leaf cut through nicely.

Zoologist – Koala – I didn’t just include this one because I’m Australian. I really enjoyed the mix of cinnamon, eucalyptus, pine and honey. Aromatic, green, not overly medicinal, rather easy on the nose.

What were your favourites for the year?

Note: Bottle images courtesy of Google.