This year’s top scents – plus one to swerve …
FULL-ON FRUIT
Tom Ford fragrances offer their take on another fruit in the new year. Everyone fell hard for the brand’s luxurious, sexy take on other fruit notes, from peach to cherry, even though they are priced very highly. Figue Érotique “captures exhilarating green freshness” and champions the juicy, resinous nectar of a “plush, ripe” fig. As always, the TF scent plays on addiction. Perfumer Shyamala Maisondieu says she was initially attracted to the honey-sweet Kadota fig “because of the mysteriousness of its colour. This fig … is floral and fleshy. I love that figs only come once a year … you must wait for them.” The colour extends to the rich purple bottle. It launches at Selfridges on January 2 and will be available nationwide from February 1.
PHARMACY FAVOURITE
Rather more accessible is this body lotion from Roger & Gallet in the sunny, soft Vanille Soleil fragrance, at pharmacies nationwide from January 26. With Madagascan vanilla, tonka bean and ylang ylang, it’s divinely sunny. For now, Vanille Soleil is available in a soap, hand cream and eau de toilette (or “fragrant water”), a lovely light way to wear vanilla for less.
SUNNY SCENT UP
We’re excited for perfumer Bruno Jovanovic’s take on neroli for the Montblanc fragrance collection (his masterpieces include Monsieur and Dries Van Noten par Frederic Malle). Neroli Letters, with bergamot, patchouli and woody amber alongside orange blossom, is available from February 2.
CITY CHIC
Le Labo has flourished in the past 15 years or so, making a huge jump from being a niche line into a well-known favourite that’s stocked pretty widely. Its latest opening is at Brown Thomas Dundrum in Dublin. Explore beyond its bestselling Santal – their Jasmin is a forever favourite, and I’m currently very into Eucalyptus, which is strangely green and beguiling, earthy almost, with a faintly medicinal, woody air that’s wintery, in the best way. Frankincense, labdanum and cedarwood notes make for a fresh, wind-chilled outdoors scent that’s grounded and chic.
Check at the airport as you’ll sometimes find favourites at lower prices: for example, Thé Noir and Eucalyptus.
AND ONE TO SWERVE …
Personally, I can’t get behind the Balmain scent line. It launched last year as a supposed passion project of the designer Olivier Rousteing. Much was made of the fact that he’d been to “fragrance school”, and no perfumers were mentioned. This felt like an outdated approach: I don’t think we still buy the concept that, say, Tom Ford himself was in the lab, wearing a white coat and mixing chemicals. Maybe I’m too cynical. But it’s more common now for brands to give credit where it’s due: Frederic Malle popularised the idea, putting the perfumer’s name front and central. And now that Rousteing has left the brand, this approach leaves the line in something of a quandary. For me, these scents are generally underwhelming, and don’t give much bang for your (considerable) buck.
Instead, explore Essential Parfums at Brown Thomas – a (refillable) iris eau de parfum by the great Dominique Ropion for less than €90? Yes please. This whole collection is so intriguing, and more fairly priced.
We’re also excited about the Solferino collection (due to launch at Brown Thomas) featuring the work of top perfumers, such as the brilliant Yann Vasnier, beautifully presented.
While we’re all suckers for a designer name at times (and perfume is the most subjective thing), the proof is in the wearing, not the label on the bottle.
SEE MORE: The Best Beauty Of 2025
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