Best of 2019 – Top 10 Niche

Everyone loves a fragrance list, and with the year coming to an end I thought I’d take the time to reflect on my favourite scents that I’ve encountered this year. Today I’ll take you through my top 10 niche scents and my next post it will be top 10 designer. By the way the perfumes are in no particular order.

Byredo – Slowdance

Slowdance opens with an opoponax note that gives the composition a sweet, balsamic honey like feel.  There’s a fruity grape like touch provided by a cognac note at the outset also. The cognac note is not officially listed, but it’s there.  It almost verges on candied fruit.  The opening of Slow Dance is one of the better openings I’ve experienced in a Byredo.  The scent is multi-layered, moving through a powdery violet/sweet amber mid before eventually settling into a smoky vanilla, patchouli base.  Very impressive.  The main note to my nose is the opoponax which remains throughout, though in a more limited capacity towards the base.  A long-lasting impressive scent from a brand I’ve struggled with over the years. Perfectly unisex.

Liquides Imaginaires – Tapis Volant

Billed by the house as a “suspended silk garden in the clouds”, “a golden oriental carpet caressed by the sky”, Tapis Volant opens airy and earthy with a vegetal carrot seed note, before the main powdery florals of jasmine and iris come into play and begin to take over the composition.  The earthy, powdery iris is the dominant note, but as the fragrance develops a silky, creamy base of sandalwood and tonka begin to appear.  I get 10 plus hours of longevity with moderate projection for the first few hours.  A dreamy, airy, earthy iris that fans of fragrances like Diptyque Fleur de Peau will surely be drawn to.  Superb work from Quentin Bisch and Nisrine Grillie.

Jo Malone – Bronze Wood and Leather

Jo Malone is another house I’ve struggled with over the years. There’s certainly been many more swings and misses than solid base hits. However, Bronze Wood and Leather was promising on first impressions early in the year, and I’ve worn it many times since during the year. A caramel smoky swirl and biker jacket leather provide panache and polished woods provide the darkness. Juniper and grapefruit add brightness that ensures Bronze Wood and Leather never gets cloying. Perhaps the leather and smoke could have been taken further for a so called ‘intense’ parfum, but that’s a small gripe as this was an enjoyable wear in all conditions.

Nishane – Ani

Ani is another winner from Turkish house Nishane. A gorgeous creamy vanilla and sandalwood are paired with fresh notes of ginger and blackcurrant. The vanilla is the dominant note, but it’s done in such an interesting and classy way that one can’t help but admire the scent. I think it suits the cooler weather better, but I’m going to test it out more during the summer to see what I get from it. Another long-lasting scent from the house, with all day performance. Men who are somewhat reluctant to try vanilla should give Ani a go as I think it is perfectly unisex.

40 Rogue – Rogue Perfumery

Everything old was new again in 2019. There were many old school retro releases that I sampled, Diptyque Eau de Minthe, Tom Ford Beau de Jour, but my favourite was Rogue Perfumery’s 40 Rogue. 40 Rogue is a resurrection of 40 Love by Jean Desprez. Bright, fresh, cooling aldehydes mix with spicy carnation, hypnotic narcissus, oakmoss and basil. I don’t get anything particularly animalic in the dreamy musky dry down. Leans masculine. An excellent scent from a rising player.

Gallivant – Los Angeles

Gallivant’s latest, pays homage to the City of Angels, and may just be my new favourite from the house. The opening is a bright, almost candied pineapple, mixed with a heady, airy, sweet-smelling eucalyptus. The candied pineapple (in no way resembling Aventus) remains very prominent on my skin throughout the life of the scent. Eventually though, a creamy tuberose and narcissus break through, and start to take over, these florals, a nod to the cities Mexican flavour, combine with a very subtle marine note, woods and a smoky tobacco like note, perhaps from the cade oil. Tuberose is a note I struggle with, but in Los Angeles it is so well balanced with the other notes it never becomes overbearing.

Teo Cabanel – Cafe Cabanel

Cinnamon latte in a perfume bottle. Beautifully blended with gourmand supporting notes of milk, coffee, butter, caramel and vanilla. Heliotrope adds an almond – vanilla like touch. Sweet and comforting, and best saved for the cooler winter days. Leans on the feminine side but men can definitely wear this. Inspired by the moment of drinking an espresso in an outdoor French cafe, Cafe Cabanel is going on my list as one of my favourite coffee scents, and one of my favourites of 2019. A beautiful gourmand composed by Cecile Zarokian.

L’Artisan Parfumeur – Bana Banana

The initial blast of Bana Banana transported me back in time. It reminded me of those candied banana sweets that we used to eat as children. This doesn’t last long as it starts to turn green and more floral as the banana leaf, jasmine and iris combine to give the impression of a ripe banana that’s ready to eat. There’s a mild sweetness at the heart of this fragrance, but it never gets cloyingly sweet. The use of amber and tonka is not overplayed and is softened by the iris and musky base, that provides a clean powdery feel to proceedings. Clever work.

Strangers Parfumerie – Cigar Rum Intense

My favourite from the Strangers Parfumerie scents I’ve sampled so far has been Cigar Rum, so I was keen to try Cigar Rum Intense which delivers exactly what the moniker on the bottle suggests and amplifies all the notes of the original while transporting you straight into the Caribbean with a heady mix of tobacco and rum. To my nose it has more rum than tobacco, but that’s ok because I think that adds to its wearability. Dried fruit, resins and oak add some depth. Worth trying for those that thought the original Cigar Rum was a little thin. This version’s been in the gym bulking up, and it’s all the better for it.

Laboratorio Olfattivo – Vetyverso

One of the 4 new scents from Laboratorio Olfattivo’s Masters Collection, Vetyverso is a brilliantly balanced vetiver that is neither too earthy. smoky or fresh. Bitter orange, nutmeg and pepper ensure this is a classy, elegant release that can be dressed up or down. It sparkles on skin, and although the world didn’t need another vetiver we mustn’t complain when it’s as good as this. Superb.

Honourable Mentions – Maison Sybarite Bed of Roses, Masque Milano Kintsugi, Eau d’Italie Easy to Love, Liquides Imaginaires Buveur de Vent, Zoologist Dodo.

What were your favourite releases?

Note: Bottle images courtesy of Fragrantica.