It’s my first post of 2022, so a Happy New Year to all. Over the last couple of years, I’ve posted a perfume wishlist. I was able to accomplish most of my wishes from last year. However, my most fulfilling was successfully slowing down my buying. In 2020 I purchased 12 new fragrances, but in 2021 I was able to limit that to 5 new fragrances. Although, I guess that’s more of a resolution than a wish. Nevertheless, it was still a satisfying accomplishment. As always, sampling was the key, and blind buying was not even a consideration. So, below are my perfume wishes for the year. What are yours?
Wish 1 – One of the big breaking fragrance news items from 2021 was the changing of the guard at Dior. Francis Kurkdjian is their new in-house perfumer, replacing Francois Demachy. Here’s hoping he can inject some life into the house, which seems to have been sputtering along for the last couple of years. Will it mean the end of the Sauvage line? I doubt that, but hopefully, they have something interesting up their sleeve.
Wish 2 – Sticking with the designer world, will this be the year Chanel give us a new men’s pillar scent? I certainly hope so. Hermes gave us H24 last year, so indeed, I think it’s time for Chanel to follow suit. Bleu de Chanel from 2010 was their last. That’s a long time between drinks.
Wish 3 – Catchup time. As always, there were too many releases to keep up with last year. I am looking forward to getting my nose on a few in particular. Tauer Sundowner and Naomi Goodsir Corpus Equus are of specific interest.
Wish 4 – I’m all for exciting new brands, but yikes, so many ordinary brands have popped up over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, each one seemed to saturate the marketplace with far too many fragrances all at once, hackneyed storylines, and mediocre unoriginal blends. Go slow brands that take their time over their compositions are a trend I want to see more in 2022. But, of course, a general slowdown in all releases is always welcome.
Wish 5 – Is this the year where we can move away from the virtual and get back to face-to-face meetings as a community? Let’s hope so. The cancellation of trade shows such as Esxence has been commonplace over the last couple of years. Such events have always played an essential role in bringing us together, allowing brands the platform to display their wares and consumers the opportunity to spot trends and try new things. In its place, perfume houses have pivoted into the virtual world, introducing their new fragrances with special online events. Brands such as Masque Milano have led the way in this regard. Ominously, as I write, Esxence has been postponed from March till June.