By DENISE MANAHAN
Collage Art by SANDY ARANAS
2022 came out with a long list of fragrance launches. Fragrances are such rich, amazing experiences in themselves, and we did our best translating what we’ve sniffed, devoured, and worn into this lineup of winners. Read through our roundup of the best of the best scents in the categories of fresh and sexy that are up to fit every mood and personalities of all kinds.
A simple composition of three notes but is as multifaceted as you can get. A smooth fougere of chinese tea reveals a fresh and clean bergamot middle note before landing on a bed of delicate iris. Although each note journeys from gentle to robust the longer it is worn, all three notes remain leveled and are in harmony. Office-friendly, this is lovely to wear to bed or after your morning shower.
If you have yet to experience the spring season, this might just give you a good idea on what it’s probably like. It starts with realistic pear and melon notes that lean more watery than overtly sweet, unlike the body sprays we’ve splashed on ourselves in our college days. The opening is followed by a beautiful combination of fresh fragranced floral notes of freesia and rose, with the latter being a little more front and center. The musk-amber drydown is soft with a tiny hint of sour green bitters from the rhubarb. This is a romantic and feel-good daytime wear for almost any occasion.
Here’s a modern clean soapy floral that you’d find in a jetsetter’s vanity, way up high in her fancy residence. The opening is rich with aldehydes (a note that mimics the scent of fresh laundry), waltzing in with a sparkling citrus note of bergamot. Instead of the usual mature and indolic nature, the jasmine note is airy and pretty when you get to the heart, toning down the “detergent”-like character that aldehydes can give. But the clean sophistication carries on with white musk and sandalwood in the dry down. Apply liberally when you want to feel on top of your game.
The freshest musky rose you’ll ever come across! Citrus and aromatic notes of bergamot and lavender are in beautiful harmony of spicy cardamom at the top, before revealing a garden selection of fresh and slightly green florals of lily of the valley, turkish rose, gentle sweet pea, and soft white cedar. It settles down to a feather-light touch of musk and amber at the base. This is a unisex fragrance that’s a little more on the feminine side. If florals aren’t usually your first choice, Bon Parfumeur 101 just might change your mind.
Naturally sweet and juicy figs and peaches in a bowl of coconut water, this a fruity fresh scent that will remind you of summer the whole year round. While it has woody listed in its accord, ozonic notes and crisp green citruses of petitgrain and bergamot brightens and cools the opening. Orange blossom and rose in the heart lean more watery than deep, making Balade Sauvage enjoyable to wear. It’s a fun, flirty, and aquatic fragrance for the island girl at heart.
Here’s a linear perfume made up of simple notes that work together gorgeously: clean vetiver, green citrus neroli flower, aromatic basil and buttery fig. The latter two unfold a moderate sweetness, the longer it stays on your skin. Although it isn’t listed in the composition, there is a light and dusty musk appearing in the drydown. Wear it any time of the day and year and the scent will still fit right in. Nerolia Vetiver is a fragrance for the peacemaker. The good cop. It is the scent of a fresh start, a recalibration of a so-so day for an amazing one.
Just like what your first cup of joe in the morning would do, Coffee Break from Maison Margiela’s Replica line is a pocket full of surprises. Have you ever wondered what a fragrance would be like if it had patchouli as a top note? Pair it together with pepper for a little kick, and orange blossom for a floral touch while you’re at it. This jolt of an opening leads to the perfume’s centerpiece of lavender and milky coffee, before winding down to a delicious drydown catalyzed by cedar, vanilla, and vetiver. Lavender latte, anyone? Sounds pretty cozy to us.
An everyday, unisex fragrance new from fashion house MCM is the Eau de Parfum by Clement Gavarry. A scent made for adventurous minds and creative spirits—musicians, artists, explorers, and the stylish set alike, the Eau de Parfum has vibrant fruity notes of raspberry and apricot; floral notes of hand-picked jasmine, white peony, and violet leaf; and a base of vanilla and sandalwood. It’s a fragrance as much as an accessory, fashionably housed in a bottle that mimics one of MCM’s backpacks.
A sweet unisex fragrance that’s dark, intense, and smooth, perfect for black tie dinners and the colder months, Tobacco Vanille is a dark gourmand with an exquisite formulation. Think very expensive root beer, spiced chai tea, or artisanal licorice. Instantly you’ll get a blast of tobacco, a spark of spice, and dried fruits, even if the latter note is listed all the way at the base. All on a bed of raw vanilla, with nuances of tonka bean and cacao in between. Share this fragrance with your man and smell luxuriously delicious together.
Plump mangoes and zesty bergamot make a fresh opening before making way to the sweet white floral note of jasmine, and fruity resinous olibanum of this fragrance. There is a powdery-like quality that has a mild blend of woodiness from the sandalwood and vanilla drydown. The verdict? Fame is a sweet tropical fragrance that takes a break from the usual rich and candy-like scent. Safe for those who favor this kind of scent profile without smelling like a teenager.
A girly girl from end to end, it’s the fragrance for demure ladies that love old-fashioned courtship and pretty floral patterns on everything they own. Gardenia is the note that takes center stage in this fragrance, adorned by fruity notes of berries and mandarins, sweet white and yellow florals of pear blossom, jasmine and frangipani, and a boozy vanilla-patchouli drydown. No need to sign up for charm school here. Just get yourself a bottle!
Rich, warm, and most of all, flirtatious just like its name, Baciami (an Italian word for “kiss me”), would suggest. It carries a simple composition of gardenia, buttery vanilla, and amber, all captured in a gorgeous scarlet red bottle reminiscent of classic Roman architecture. If you’re the kind that favors sweet gourmands but wants to stay more chic than juvenile, Baciami is something you’d be glad to own. Performance is excellent and trails fairly well, it’s your perfect pair for the holidays.
When you have a night out with the girls and you’re planning to make a statement, you’ll want to wear a fragrance that’s ultrafeminine, fun, and head-turning like Carolina Herrera Very Good Girl. It starts with a playful duet of tropical fruity notes of litchi and red currant, followed by a girly floral note of rose at the heart, playing an interesting contrast with a base of creamy vanilla and powdery vetiver. It’s a warm and sweet fruity floral that’s powerful enough to last you the whole night through. You deserve a little fun because you’ve been a very good girl!
The Gucci Guilty Pour Homme Eau de Toilette comes in a similar bottle to its Pour Femme counterpart, only in a sleek black-toned metal. It opens with invigorating top notes of lemon and lavender, transitions to middle notes of orange flower, and settles into heart notes of cedarwood and patchouli. The scent doesn't conform to classic male fragrances, making it a great option if you want to stand out or try something different.
We can't deny that when we first saw this fragrance, we were automatically drawn to its turquoise bottle and delicate floral label. The scent reflects the fresh take of its packaging too, with top notes of mandarin Italy essence, bergamot Italy essence, and black pepper essence, heart notes of jasmine grandiflorum absolute, magnolia accord, jasmine sambac absolute, and rose damascena essence, and base notes of sandalwood Australia essence, benzoin extract, and patchouli Indonesia essence. The result is a citrusy floral scent that can be worn day and night.
This youthful scene is our go-to whenever we want to wear a fruity floral fragrance. This twist on the classic Daisy by Marc Jacobs keeps its wholesome and fresh feel while highlighting more fruity scents. It has top notes of green notes, raspberry, pear, and grapefruit, heart notes of violet, litchi, apple blossom, rose, and jasmine and base notes of musk, plum, and Virginia cedar.
The notes of this fragrance are simple: top notes of musk, heart notes of orange blossom flowers, and base notes of cashmeran. But it exudes a warm, sensual feeling that's both mature and sophisticated. We love spraying this on when the weather gets a bit cold or when we're traveling during winter.
This award-winning fragrance is bold and daring, both in look and scent. Housed in a glass bottle with a black interior, the floral woody musk fragrance has top notes of African orange flower, osmanthus, and bergamot, middle notes of musk and amber, and base notes of vetiver, vanille, and patchouli. The scent has a seductive opening that mellows to a more tame and gentle fragrance.
Launched in 1992, Issey Miyake Leau d'Issey if the fashion house's first floral aquatic fragrance for women—inspired by the scent of water on women's skin. It has top notes of rose and lotus, heart notes of lily and fresh flowers, and base notes of precious woods. It delivers a fresh and refined scent that transcends both time and fashion.
