As is my tradition, my last post of the year features a roundup of my favourite perfumes from the past 12 months. In 2025, I didn’t purchase many bottles, acquiring only one older release: Eau de Basilic Pourpre by Hermès, from 2022. However, I had the opportunity to sample quite a few new releases and bought several discovery sets, some of which I believe are worth mentioning in this post. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, as I can’t try every new release. Here are my picks for the year, beginning with a few mainstream fragrances.
Mainstream
I previously discussed Devotion Pour Homme by Dolce & Gabbana and Rosa Verde by Guerlain earlier this year; I will link to those posts below.
Dolce & Gabbana – Devotion Pour Homme – Aromatic Coffee & Guerlain – Rosa Verde – A Chic Summer Garden Party
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Shalimar on its 100th birthday. To celebrate this milestone, Guerlain released yet another flanker, which I’ve heard described as a rerelease of the 2021 scent, Shalimar Millésime Vanilla Planifolia. Guerlain themselves have admitted it’s a revival of the old formula. I’ve seen some reviews that find the two quite different, though. Since I haven’t tried the 2021 release, I can’t make a direct comparison. It might be best to get your own nose on it and form your own opinion.
L’Eseence strips away quite a bit of the original Shalimar. There’s no prominent bergamot opening or the distinctive animalic leather base notes. However, the waxy iris and beautifully rendered vanilla note that form the core of the fragrance feel warm and elegant, like a familiar, fragrant blanket. Even those who are usually averse to Shalimar might find this sweeter flanker appealing. It’s comfortably the best women’s marketed scent of the year.
Other than these three, I found very few mainstream highlights. Did you?
Discovery Set Highlights
Discovery sets can be somewhat hit-or-miss. From one set, we might find only one perfume we actually like. However, they are an excellent way to explore a brand’s offerings at your own pace and in the comfort of your home. The six sets listed below have demonstrated at least a 50 percent success rate in finding appealing scents.
I’ve discussed the homewares/home decor brand L’Objet previously; here’s the link.
L’Objet – A Solid Set Of Six Scents
Other discovery set highlights include ānti, Dr. Vranjes Firenze, Jil Sander, Nissaba, and Reservation.
ānti
ānti works with Marc-Antoine Corticchiato, Sidonie Lancesseur, and Karine Vinchon Spehner. The brand has seven perfumes in its portfolio. I particularly enjoy Nashi Toro (Karine Vinchon Spehner), an unusual blend of rice, hinoki, incense, moss, and nashi pear. This combination reminds me of Diptyque’s L’Eau Papier and Robert Piguet’s Zazen. The pear note that appears in the opening doesn’t come off as too sweet, as can often be the case with pear notes.
Rosa Antiqua also impressed me. Sidonie Lancesseur merges fresh rose with a convincing olive oil accord and the tangy sulphuric nuance of blackcurrant. With its grassy and herbal qualities, I picture myself on a country estate in the south of France, enjoying the finer things in life.
My favourite from the line is Le Jardinier. In fact, it’s my favourite scent from Marc-Antoine Corticchiato this year. I found his vanilla for Parfum d’Empire somewhat underwhelming. It leaned more towards rum than vanilla and felt a little soft. Similarly, his floral/olive oil scent, Osmanthus Noir for Parfumeurs du Monde, didn’t do much for me. Le Jardinier, on the other hand, smells intensely green and vegetal with notes of galbanum, nettle, and grass. The waxy white florals, including honeysuckle, magnolia, and lily stems, bring in a verdant radiance. I’m reminded of Malle’s Synthetic Jungle, Lys Méditerranée, and Corticchiato’s own Mal-Aimé.
Dr. Vranjes Firenze
The Dr. Vranjes line came as a surprise. I’d seen their home scents and candles before, but never gave their fragrances a second look. This year, they launched a new line inspired by Florence. Their discovery set comprises eight fragrances. While I found all of them interesting in a way, I’ll highlight Meriggiare, a beautiful linden blossom and lilac scent with a cereal accord that reminds me of the gentle, dewy En Passant. Even their cherry scent, Nottetempo felt elegant with its decadent, alluring, ambery liqueur, drydown.
I chose Mattutino as my highlight. I love how the good doctor weaves together the trio of cedar, guaiac, and sandalwood. None of the woody notes hit you over the head with a sledgehammer. Instead, they instil a sense of calm in the wearer. Unlike some modern woody fragrances, Mattutino has no sharp edges. Could the good Dr.Vranjes be a carpenter? He’s undoubtedly a good perfumer, with his chosen spices of ginger, cardamom, and pepper enhancing this sense of serenity. I find it reminiscent of the understated Miller et Bertaux scents. Wearing Mattutino makes for a good start to any morning.
Jil Sander
https://www.jilsander.com/en-us/fragrances/olfactory-series-1
In 2025, Jil Sander makes a comeback with a high-end collection, “Olfactory Series 1,” featuring six scents. At first glance, they may appear dull and not worth your while. However, despite their minimalist aesthetic, there are quite a few worth testing. I didn’t find any of them boring. Granted, Black Tea (Nathalie Lorson), with its ambery finish, might appeal to the top 40 mainstream crowd, and Smoke (Bérénice Watteau), with its pillowy musks, smells more like a Narciso flanker than a challenging smoky fragrance; they’re still worth testing. The other four are more interesting, however.
Leaf (Julie Massé) evokes a refreshing rush of cooling mountain air with its burst of cornmint and bitter tomato leaf. Miel (Mathilde Bijaoui) shocked me with its boldness. Its daring mix blends dripping golden honey, animalic musk, crackly woods, and florals. Coffea (Paul Guerlain) shares more than a few similarities with Iris Torréfié, with its roasted coffee and iris notes. Earth (Julie Massé) is a chypre, and my favourite. In Earth, the mossy chypre base joins with rose and patchouli, and a curious mushroom-soil accord – an olfactory call back to nature. Aldehydes link all the scents, bringing luminosity, lift, and clarity to the range.
I look forward to Olfactory Series 2!
Nissaba
The Swiss house Nissaba released Les Alpes (Fabrice Pellegrin) in 2025 as their tribute to the famous mountain range. It’s suitably cold, crisp, and refreshing, with a metallic, herbal vetiver heart, but not my pick from the brand. My personal favourites are Nicolas Bonneville’s 2022 release Sulawesi, an earthy, woody patchouli perfume, accented with spices and softened in the base by benzoin. Sebastian Cresp’s Provence won me over with its life-affirming blend of hyssop, lavender, coriander, clary sage, and mint. He’s truly captured the slow-paced, outdoor market-life ambiance of the south of France with Provence. It’s my pick of the line.
Sebastien Tissot, the brand’s founder, previously worked in Firmenich’s natural ingredients division. He incorporates many ingredients he once sourced for Firmenich in his Nissaba compositions. Indeed, the brand gives back to the community, investing 5% of its revenue in supporting young people from communities that cultivate the perfume plants used to make its fragrances. The brand also partners with local agricultural schools, emphasising sustainability with a strong focus on natural ingredients. Nissaba was the Mesopotamian goddess of writing and agriculture. Through their actions, they’re living up to their name, and I’ll be keen to see what they do next.
Reservation
https://reservation-parfums.com/
In my last post, I wrote about Chambre52, a brand whose scents were inspired by a hotel stay. There was only one fragrance from that brand worth checking out. Now, Reservation, a brand formed by Francesco Ragazzi, the founder of luxury clothing label Palm Angels, takes a similar concept and presents it through the lens of a hotel stay in California. They have seven scents, and four are worth discussing.
Riviera Californienne recalls mornings by the seaside, coffee in hand. As we sip our espresso, the salty breeze carries scents of kerbside flowers and herbs our way. Chambre Secrète is worth a sniff. It’s a dark and beguiling blend of vanilla absolute, incense, and spices.
I found it hard to split my two favourites. Bleu Piscine gave me a chuckle. Its top notes of lime, mandarin, and juniper generate a distinct chlorinated effect while also conjuring an image of a pool’s sparkling surface glistening in the sun. As the fragrance develops, a variety of herbs and aromatic elements come forward, with rosemary, in particular, contributing a piney pungency. Eventually, as the afternoon drifts on and the shadows lengthen, notes of cypress, vetiver, and patchouli emerge. The clever craftsmanship of Yann Vasnier ensures an aquatic experience without any of the typical nautical nasties.
I would likely wear the pool fragrance more often, but my vote for their best in show goes to Feu de Rose. It’s so moody and dark, with its leather and styrax aspects filling me with a deep sense of foreboding. The rose turns dusty and then scorched. The dark, leathery, and smoky elements recall Corpus Equus from Naomi Goodsir, but with a more pronounced rose note. Nutmeg and cloves enhance this dark, gothic tone. It’s almost like a witch’s brew. Indeed, Feu de Rose wouldn’t seem out of place in a production of Macbeth—fabulous work by Yann Vasnier, the perfumer behind this whole line.
Other Highlights
Tuberose For Two
I think I’m entering my tuberose era. In 2025, I grew or attempted to grow some tuberose flowers—check out my pictures above and below. This year, I also tried out a couple of surprising tuberose perfumes that I think are worth mentioning. I won’t go into detail about Aldebaran by Marc-Antoine Barrois, as I’ve already discussed it here.
First Impressions – Marc-Antoine Barrois – Aldebaran
The Return of Neela Vermeire with Bertrand Duchaufour
Eshal brings something entirely different to the table compared to MAB’s Aldebaran. It lacks the duality of hot and cold found in that scent. In fact, Eshal doesn’t remind me overly of any of the famous tuberose fragrances. It’s far from a claw-bearing tuberose. Instead, it feels like a more joyful floral. There’s no threat or aggression; instead, the citrus burst of lime and orange gives the fragrance a zesty, bright impression. When combined with the earthy duo of turmeric and ginger, Eshal evokes a sense of good, clean, healthy living.
Eshal stands out primarily for its distinctive use of turmeric. The addition of cinnamon adds a comforting touch, while a subtle hint of sweetness from beeswax provides balance. Eshal takes a distinctly green direction, as Bertrand Duchaufour captures the feeling of being nestled away in a lush garden filled with white florals, enjoying the tranquility of being far removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Neela Vermeire doesn’t churn out perfumes by the dozen, like so many others, but when she does, they are always of extremely high quality. The only downside is the price! Beautiful perfume, though.
Other Niche in photos
Acqua di Parma – Buongiorno – Citrus Herbal Joy
Frassaï – Ajedrez – Atmospheric Chess Game – A New Favourite
Isabelle Larignon – Mandi Rhubi – Rhubarb Cologne
Perfumer H – Steam – Fog And Fume And Herbal Haze
And Finally, Sultan Pasha
The only other scent/brand I wanted to discuss was the last range I sampled this year. It’s the extrait range from Sultan Pasha, featuring three fragrances developed from his attars and one new scent. The new scent Quintessentially Amber is highly nuanced. Ambers aren’t in short supply, but they’re difficult to resist when presented in such a beautiful manner. I’d describe it as a swoonworthy, resinous, spicy amber with a salty quality, likely from ambergris.
However, it is his vetiver, Thebes, that stood out to me. It’s modelled after Guerlain’s 1927 chypre Djedi. Sultan Pasha isn’t shy about divulging his inspirations for this line, which I find refreshing. He’s not trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes, or maybe even reinvent the wheel; he’s formulated a formidable quartet that all fragrance lovers should seek out, though.
I’ve never tried Djedi, but I can draw some comparisons between Thebes and Guerlain’s classic Vetiver. Thebes feels colder, however, and possesses a light, powdery rose and orris heart. It has a gentle animalic quality with a musky mossy base. Sultan Pasha collaborated with Christian Carbonnel on the fragrance.
Summary
Thank you to everyone who read and commented on my blog throughout the year. Enjoy your end-of-year break if you’re taking one. Here’s a quick rundown of the scents I discussed, listed in alphabetical order.
- Acqua di Parma – Buongiorno
- ānti – Le Jardinier
- Dolce & Gabbana – Devotion Pour Homme
- Dr. Vranjes Firenze – Mattutino
- Frassaï – Ajedrez
- Guerlain – Rosa Verde
- Guerlain – Shalimar L’Essence
- Isabelle Larignon – Mandi Rhubi
- Jil Sander – Earth
- Marc-Antoine Barrois – Aldebaran
- Neela Vermeire – Eshal
- Perfumer H – Steam
- Reservation – Feu de Rose
- Sultan Pasha – Thebes
I will probably end up wearing the basil cologne from Hermès over the festive period. What were your perfume highlights from 2025?
Note: All images are my own. I purchased all the samples used for this post.
