Best Perfumes of 2023

With 2023 rolling to a close, it’s time to put the microscope over this year’s perfume landscape with my best-of-list. The sheer number of releases, 1000s each year, makes it impossible to keep up with every new perfume. Therefore, there’s a little overlap with some 2022 releases (I only got around to trying in 2023) making the list.

Indeed, there are some high-profile 2023 releases I didn’t get a chance to sample sufficiently (everything on this list I’ve worn at least 4/5 times) to warrant a place on the list. For example, the new Guerlain’s, Shalimar Iris, and Tobacco Honey won’t be here as I tried them only once. However, both seemed too sweet for my palate, and probably would not have made it anyway. Another notable release came from Serge Lutens, Écrin de Fumée. Again, I tried it only once, in a rushed manner in-store while wearing many other scents. And although it did seem like a return to form for the brand, without subsequent wearings, I won’t include it here.

The most perplexing release for the year was undoubtedly Frederic Malle’s Heaven Can Wait. It looked like a sure-fire winner. But I couldn’t come to grips with it. None of the interesting nuances that others enjoyed were apparent on my skin. And I was left with a scent that smelled mainly of cloves for hours. It smelled a lot better on other people’s skin. Anyway, with those concessions out of the way, let’s get into the list proper. This year, I’ve broken it up into several categories.

Introspective and Quiet Perfumes

There was a shift from several brands to move away from loud perfumes and focus on toned-down, quieter compositions. Many houses released fragrances spotlighting notes of rice and paper, as well as other softer notes. I liked quite a few.

Diptyque’s L’Eau Papier might have been among the first to start the “quiet” trend. Fabrice Pellegrin’s abstract rendering of the smell of paper smelled suitably white and transparent. The melding of mimosa with a boiled rice/sesame accord created the feeling of grainy parchment paper. Fuzzy, hazy musks and Ambroxan closed the perfume, conjuring images of clean, dry, unused paper waiting for the ink to hit. I wouldn’t be surprised if some iris materials bound things together, as I thought of Diptyque’s iris-centric Fleur de Peau whenever I wore L’Eau Papier.

Robert Piguet’s Zazen built on some of the ideas of L’Eau Papier. Aurélien Guichard took the nutty, steamy boiled rice aspects of L’Eau Papier and configured them around a quirkier, greener backdrop. Crisp green apple and tonka pushed it to the precipice of gourmand territory – albeit with unsweetened and savoury leanings. A “green” accord, evocative of forests filled with bamboo and watery leaves, eventually took hold. It felt almost vegetal. Powdery, leathery violets/violet leaf, and saffron gave Zazen another layer of intrigue before the sheer musks in the base closed things out on an appropriately meditative note.

Equally contemplative was Duchaufour’s Aymara for under-the-radar French House, Miller et Bertaux. Smoky and woody, as per his characteristic style, Aymara opened dry and citric. Before long, the woody, sweet burn of incense and balsamic palo santo permeated the air. After 30 minutes, those woodier facets (including something pine-like) receded on my skin to reveal spicy cumin and caraway. However, Aymara’s star player was Cardamom. And it left a green, peppery, aromatic cooling footprint over the composition. Released in 2022, I tried Aymara late in 2023, so it makes my list for this year.

Fruits, Fruits, and more Fruits.

The general perception seems to be Nagel’s work at Hermes has been subpar. Certainly, it’s not a notion I share. Her Twilly (an excellent tuberose) has spawned several flankers, including this year’s Tutti Twilly. True to its silly but fun name, it fizzed right out of the bottle courtesy of ginger and a superb thirst-quenching lychee note. The musky base wasn’t heavy-handed or shampoo-like. Indeed, I’d wager that some of the original Twilly’s tuberose framework is propping up the mid-section. Tutti Twilly was my pick of the mass-market scents aimed at women. It just edged out Olivier Cresp’s Devotion for Dolce & Gabbana.

L’Artisan continued their love affair with fruity-themed perfumes. Their banana and fig scents are still some of my favourite compositions. Antoine Maisondieu’s creamy, fuzzy rendition of a peach, À Fleur de Pêche, won me over from the start. It wasn’t tooth-achingly sweet nor juvenile. Instead, its chypre-like structure of bergamot, rose, patchouli, and mosses retained a level of sophisticated elegance. The tea-like bergamot, fresh, lively rose and jasmine, and the silken peach note were more evocative of the soft skin of the peach than the sweetness of the fruit—an excellent return to form for the brand. 

Delta of Venus was the most tropical and long-lasting fruity scent I tried this year. The perfume induced an almost palpable feeling of a walk through a tropical garden, the air saturated with stifling humidity – perhaps generated by the aquatic element of violet leaf? The sunkissed citrus accord, comprised of grapefruit, bergamot, and the cornerstone note of guava, juicy and bracing – a refreshing cocktail to beat the heat. However, there was the sense that these fruits had sweated in the sun too long. The floral lushness of jasmine and the bitter green crunch of galbanum and vetiver gave Delta of Venus a solid verdant support base.

Aromatic

It’s Nagel again! Hermès again, and it’s a 2022 release again! Last year, Eau de Basilic Pourpre became the latest bowler hat freshie to join their cologne line. Previously, in this range, Nagel gave us an excellent rhubarb perfume. Her purple basil (in a green bottle) was aromatic and straightforward but not lacking in charisma. It was an herbal cologne with geranium, basil, and a spicy, clean patchouli base where the spices reminded me of cloves. Its herbal tendencies recalled Gucci’s Memoire d’une Odeur and Bastille’s Rayon Vert. However, it’s a more amiable, stripped-back, peppery version of both those scents. It won the best unisex perfume at this year’s Fragrance Foundation awards and, far more importantly, a coveted place on my list (he says with tongue firmly planted in cheek).

I’ve always thought that NYC outfit D.S. & Durga give off an almost too-cool-for-school vibe a la Byredo. For that reason, I’ve steered clear of many of their releases. Indeed, in keeping with the Byredo approach, there’s been no shortage of new fragrances from the brand in the last year.

But, after trying their 2022 release, Bistro Waters, in August of this year (it takes ages for this brand’s wares to hit stores here), I might have to check in with the house more often. Intended to mimic a 1990s New York eatery, Bistro Waters made me think more of the great outdoors than an indoor environment. 

It’s such a well-composed vegetal, aromatic, with a superb green pepper (bell pepper, capsicum) note at its heart – spicy, crunchy, and bitter. Alongside the green pepper, D.S & Durga served up honeyed linden blossom, fruity pear, and an earthy spice mix of coriander and nutmeg. Peppery basil appeared in the base, augmenting the piquancy of the top notes. The warm kick of oakmoss precipitated a leathery tobacco conclusion. Al Fresco dining at its finest!

One of the most controversial choices on my list might be Tauer’s Nexin. Contentious due to its price and exclusivity (only 1000 bottles were made). However, it deserved its place, if not its exorbitant price tag. Contrary to some reviews, I saw it as less of a simple cologne and more of a multifaceted, soapy vetiver with a beautiful powdery orris intervention. Within the Tauer range of perfumes, it reminded me of the steamy lemon freshness of L’Eau. But, it felt more nuanced and complex than L’Eau. 

A lemon blossom note (producing warmth reminiscent of a steam iron) endures for much of Nexin’s development. Its interplay with an aromatic woody, mossy vetiver and a smooth, buttery orris gave Nexin its complexity. I picked up Andy’s familiar Tauerade in the base, albeit fainter than usual. Indeed, there’s enough intricacy to warrant a place on my rundown but not enough to command such a high price tag. Some aspects of Nexin reminded me of Prada’s Amber Pour Homme mixed with Infusion d’Iris. I was glad it was so expensive, as it made it easier not to buy. Still, Nexin became one of my favourite Tauer’s in years.

Leather

I always sneak a leather scent or two into my selections, and this year is no different. Indeed, I always slip a Guerlain into my list, too. This year, there were plenty of Guerlain releases to choose from. In fact, far too many. One stood head and shoulders above the rest, Habit Rouge Rouge Privé. This flanker did away with the familiar sherbety citruses and the floral woody bouquet of sandalwood, rose, and carnation from Habit Rouge. Delphine Jelk ratcheted up the leather accord and smoothed out the top notes, inserting a spicy ginger accord, giving the whole a more modern aesthetic. Powdery iris filled the floral gap in the middle phase. A more assertive patchouli note complemented the smoky vanilla in the base. Very suave. 

The second leather on my list is far more animalistic, earthy, ambery, and fungal, thanks to an odd mushroom accord. Roberto Greco’s photography is worth checking out, and when I found out he was collaborating with Christopher Sheldrake on a fragrance (Rauque), I just had to seek it out. It’s very animalic in a horse stable kind of way. Indeed, it is similar in some ways to Naomi Goodsir’s Corpus Equus. It came across as more retro than the Naomi Goodsir, though, and the leather accord was less strident. 

There was a bright sourness to the blackcurrant/violet leaf opening, and then the perfume started to transgress slowly into a darker realm. An animalic, well-worn leather horse saddle accord emerged. The complexity of Rauque impressed me the most; it wasn’t a one-trick pony. It’s a layered, intriguing scent. The waxy floral notes unfurled slowly. Pine and woods gave the idea of the open air and the stable structure itself. Spongy, earthy mushroom rose from the damp soil. Sheldrake uses Ambrarome in the base to enhance the animalic leathery effect of the top notes. Sadly, it’s another limited edition, but it’s worth checking out if you liked Corpus Equus or even Guerlain’s Derby.

Heavier Scents

Paranoïaque by OHTOP was a later discovery towards the last couple of months of the year. The new brand has an interestingly named French-Korean founder, Romeo Oh. Currently, with five perfumes under their belt, Paranoïaque was far and away the best one I sampled. It’s a patchouli signed by Christian Carbonnel. The damp, spicy patchouli felt like a masculine throwback, revealing dark, bitter, and green characteristics. Its lack of sweetness drew me in. The bottle colour perfectly represented the juice inside. 

Initially, Paranoïaque exhibited freshness as tangy cassis, rose, and geranium softened the rougher fringes. But, prominent brooding elements took shape through the smoky, woody, leathery base as the patchouli oscillated between clean and dirty. Patchouli Intense from Nicolaï came to mind, but Paranoïaque was much greener, spicier, and less aromatic.

Australian skincare brand Aesop gave us their best scent since Rozu with Ouranon. It reminded me of an old-school apothecary adorned with shelves of potions and medicines. The myrrh fizzed like cola, but the hay, lavender, chamomile, and elemi notes gave it a grassy, earthy freshness recalling facets of the aromatic iris/tobacco, Volutes from Diptyque. Undoubtedly, it’s more resinous and balsamic than Volutes. And it had that unmistakable botanical vibe that many Aesop fragrances exhibit. 

Frapin’s Bonne Chauffe surprised. I shouldn’t have been so astonished; cognac perfumes should be in Frapin’s wheelhouse. And this smoky concoction smelled like the olfactory equivalent of drinking cognac by the fireplace on a cold winter evening in your log cabin in the mountains. It felt smooth, and its dried fruit backbone (plums and davana) lasted through the life of the scent. Bran gave it a grainy, nutty quality. For once, it was a Frapin that lasted. Most leave the party too early. Here, the drinks flowed through the evening thanks to the woody, malty backbone of oak, patchouli, benzoin, and cedar. I’d never heard of the perfumer behind the scent, Maehb McCurtin.

My Top Pick

I never usually pick a top scent, but as it’s the only bottle I bought out of the 15 scents on my list, I have to go with Heeley’s Cologne Officinale. The homage to vintage 70s masculines won me over immediately. It reminded me of old-school shaving foam, impeccable grooming, and scents such as Guerlain Heritage, Tom Ford’s Beau de Jour, and Exit the King from ELDO. The spicy ambery effect that bubbled under the aromatic notes of basil, lavender, galbanum, rosemary, sage, and moss gave it a contemporary feel. Classy, sophisticated, and proof that the simple things in life are often the best.

So, there we have it. I hope this list and post weren’t too bloated. Indeed, I’m staggered I enjoyed so many perfumes. I did sample a lot more than I usually do, however. Even though I only bought Cologne Officinale, judging by the number of selections, it wasn’t the worst fragrant year. Far from the best, in many regards, though. Undoubtedly, the hike in perfume prices remains an issue. Let’s hope it stabilises. And as this is my last post of the year, I’ll take the opportunity to thank everyone for their support of my blog. Best wishes to you all for the end of 2023 and a fantastic start to 2024!

What were your perfume hits and misses from 2023?

Note: All images are my own.