I’m so sorry about my recent lack of posting, everyone! I’ve been super busy preparing for the FRAGments event in L.A., to which I am flying as I write these very words on Southwest wi-fi! (The future is now, y’all.)
So Luca Turin, author of Perfumes: The Guide, recently announced that he intends to return to perfume writing. He then asked his Twitter followers for to share what they consider to be the “landmark fragrances” released in the five years since The Guide was published.
My picks are pretty uncontroversial, I think. Prada Candy is probably the most distinctive mainstream fragrance in years. Etat Libre d’Orange Afternoon of a Faun is such a creative and unusual niche perfume. The Atelier Cologne line wasn’t in the last Guide, and they definitely deserve attention. Thierry Mugler Womanity is a landmark, for better or for worse. Both of the new Le Labos, Ylang 49 and Lys 41, got great reviews on Now Smell This. Neela Vermeire’s line is one of the most high-quality new niche brands we’ve seen in a long time. Serge Lutens De Profundis is just beautiful.
Which perfumes do you consider the landmark fragrances of the last five years? What fragrances would you like to see Turin review, either to see them praised or savaged?
SCENTS OF SELF 
Oh, I agree on the status of Prada Candy.
Other recent releases I’d like to see reviewed, mostly because I’d be very interested to hear what LT thinks of them (some I like, some I don’t): VC&A Midnight in Paris, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga Paris, L’Eau de Chloe, FM Portrait of a Lady, MJ Bang, and all the new Amouages (Memoir especially).
Oh, Paris is a good one! Can’t believe I forgot about that one. My best friend loved it, but her boyfriend found it too “old-ladyish” (oy), so I just sent her some Florabotanica. If he finds THAT too old-ladyish too,
… then I guess I’ll try Love’s Baby Soft next. 😉
Seconding MiP, Bottega Veneta, and Portrait of a Lady; I’ll add Sensuous Noir, Spicebomb, Sweet Redemption, Noontide Petals … I’d love to see Sonoma Scent Studio get some attention too!
Oh! I’d like to see some of the various Mugler flankers reviewed too.
I can’t believe that they didn’t review any of the SSS scents in the original! Really one of the best lines that indie perfume has to offer.
I don’t care what Mr.Turin reviews (though I’d personally preferred him not to review anything). As to the “landmark perfumes”… I don’t know. There were many perfumes I liked but I’m not sure how significant they are on the Perfumeland landscape.
A lot of my favorites are like that- for example, I LOVE Etat Libre d’Orange Bijou Romantique, but nobody would call it a landmark.
I have to say, I really do not care for Prada Candy and I find all the love for it somewhat inexplicable. But, yes, he should try it since so many people I love and trust like it!
Womanity I think is an important perfume, and if Mugler keeps it around and allows its market to grow, who knows what could happen. Agree with Elisa about some of the Mugler flankers being pretty remarkable too. I also think Balenciaga Paris is pretty notable, and Seville a l’Aube. The Neela Vermeires are great, although I don’t think they’ve blown me away to the degree they have some other people.
Many of my favorite Tauer perfumes came out in the last 5 years (Orange Star, Incense Rose, Carillon, for example). Plus, I think the Tableau de Parfums collection is a pretty important from an artistic/conceptual stance.
I have barely tried any Amouages, but if you look at what they have released in the last five years, it’s pretty epic – it’s nearly the entire Christopher Chong era for Amouage. Epic, Memoir, Beloved, all seem to be almost universally acclaimed and they’re right in that period.
I also think the last five years saw the explosion of independent perfumery – it’s hard to sort through all the lines that have popped up! Be curious to see what Turin makes of that.
Sooo many new Tauers to be reviewed, and I am ashamed to say that Dark Passage is the only one of them that I really NEED to try. I wish that he would make more orientals, but I guess he’s sick of them after L’Air du Desert Marocain.
do you need some Dark Passage to try? I could send you a smidge. DM me on twitter!
Portrait of a Lady by Frederic Malle, Ambre Noir together with Fireside Intense and Winter Woods by Sonoma Scent Studio! I would love to read L.Turin’s review on these, and see if his taste agrees with mine.
I’m in complete agreement with your choices, Ari. I don’t know if they’re “landmarks” but they are two of my favorites: Nuit de Tubereuse and Seville a l’Aube, so I’d add them. In fact the prominence of Bertrand Duchaufour is notable since the last time Turin reviewed. I’m looking forward to reading his reviews again. Even when I disagreed I was entertained.
I know! I know! Mr. Turin, I hope you read this. You must review Ormonde Jayne Tiare. Now there’s a Landmark fragrance with a capital L! I know that you reviewed it elsewhere when it first came out, and I have to say that I think it’s the smartest thing anyone has done in a decade. It’s such a smart, modern take on Eau Sauvage or Diorella or Cristalle… I love it. It’s a thing of beauty.
Without a doubt Seville a l’Aube, though it didn’t quite work on me. I keep *thinking* that I like orange blossom, but I don’t. That’s no fault of Seville a l’Aube. It’s brilliant, and because of the development process, it’s a landmark for sure.
What a great question. I have to say I have no idea, because I don’t think five years is enough distance to get a feel for what is a landmark. I’ll have to think about this and circle back to the question.
Good picks! I’d add Ineke’s Hothouse Flower and Ylang in gold.
there’s little doubt that Turin will review Bleu de Chanel and Creed Aventus. he’ll likely trash both fragrances. but both are major releases in the masculine fragrance world.
Florabotanica is awful. Smells like dangerous plants in an unintended way. Like a stinky bug with green blood you slapped dead on your arm while thrashing through blackberry bushes.