The fragrance year 2025 had a lot to offer olfactorily. Numerous new creations, exciting brands and a wide variety of fragrance characters have accompanied me over the past few months. And yet, as is so often the case, much of what we love at the moment of discovery fades into the background over time or is almost forgotten.
This is precisely why I would like to take a look back here on the blog and review the year 2025 in olfactory terms. In this multi-part review of the year, the fragrances and contributions of the past year will once again be given space – as a reminder, as a classification and perhaps also as an invitation to rediscover one or two fragrances.
January 2025
January 2025 began on this blog with a quiet, retrospective start to the new fragrance year. Before we turned our attention to the latest new releases, the focus was on consciously organizing and structuring. I wrote several posts about my review of 2024, which I’ve collected and linked here:
- Happy New Year!
- Review of 2024 – Part II
- May and June 2024 – Towards the summer
- July and August 2024 – It’s going to be hot!
- September and October 2024 – Autumn whispers
- November and December 2024 – Fragrant winter bliss
It was only later in the month that the focus shifted to new perfumes, individual fragrance portraits and striking niche creations. Two contributions to Atelier Materi’s new extrait collection kicked things off: Néroli Hasbaya – The New Extraits de Parfum by Atelier Materi and Burgundy Oud and Ambre Papier by Atelier Materi, which set the olfactory tone for the start of the year.
The Force Majeure Collection from BeauFort London followed almost seamlessly. With Pyroclasm, Cape Wrath and The Grudge, Scottish perfumer Euan McCall dedicated himself to the unleashed elements of nature in three powerful creations: raw, uncompromising and hauntingly expressive.
The mood changed noticeably from the end of January. The fragrances on the blog became brighter, more open and for the first time gave a hint of the warmer months to come. With aloeae by Nomenclature – The Essence of the Ending Summer, a transparent, almost floating freshness made its entrance, providing a quiet counterpoint to the previously powerful compositions.
This was followed by Arabians Musk and Dallachaï by Montale, two fragrances that showed a light and soft side of the brand. Arabians Musk impressed with its airy musk fluffiness, gentle sweetness and delicate, flowing warmth. Dallachaï took a fruity, milky, cozy direction and, with its exotic lightness, finally brought movement into the wintery fragrance opening.
Rue de la Paix by Isabey continued the light, soft fragrance mood. Creamy, floral and characterized by classic elegance, the composition combined airy transparency with subtle hints of vintage and had a consistently modern and balanced effect.
The month ended with Fox Red and Satin Cache from Bodé Studios in Switzerland and Cherry Cherry, Fig Me Up and Cinque Terre from Mancera. With their bright, spring-like, summery facets, the Mancera creations in particular marked the transition to a much lighter olfactory direction.
February 2025
February 2025 on this blog was all about individual fragrance portraits. Unlike in January, the focus was less on collections and more on individual creations, each with their own signature and mood. Hyperion by Rubini kicked things off, a multi-layered fragrance of citrusy flashes of light, incense and maritime, mineral facets that only reveals itself with time and opened the month with an intense note.
This was followed by The Language of Glaciers by Imaginary Authors, a quiet, inward-looking fragrance that radiates tranquillity rather than coldness. Coniferous freshness, herbaceous, woody nuances and floral-powdery facets combine to create a multi-layered composition that beautifully conveys the language of glaciers.
Be my Cookie and Angels’ Powder by BORNTOSTANDOUT lent February gourmet accents. Raspberry liqueur and chocolaty cookie crumbs met animal-erotic facets in the first fragrance, while the second creation was playful, sugary and colorful – shrill and extravagant, in the style of the South Korean label.
The “it” fruit of recent years was also represented in 2025: Cherry Blush by Les Sœurs de Noé combined fruity, floral and creamy nuances to create a spring-like, summery composition and added another facet to the French brand’s already very harmonious line.
Two contributions were also dedicated to the new Sensatio Paris brand, founded by brothers David and Sacha Perrin. The focus here was on culinary inspirations, not in the classic sense, but translated into finely crafted extraits de parfum. Golden Pistachio in particular impressed with a light, creamy gourmand interpretation that combined indulgence, transparency and elegance in a remarkably balanced way.
- Sensatio Paris – The brand of the Perrin brothers
- Black Sesame, Hypnotic Flower and Cumbawa Wood by Sensatio Paris
Venom – Secret of Shaman by Simone Andreoli finally introduced a darker, intoxicating note. Spiced leather, dried fruits and warm resins combined to create an intense oriental composition that hinted at spiritual depth without tipping over into extremes. The regular fragrance reviews in February concluded with Tantrism and 36 Jacob by Spiritum. Two fragrances with a strong character that oscillated between opulence and inner calm.
Finally, I shared a special event with you in February: Esxence 2025 in Milan. The international trade fair for niche fragrances not only offered space for new impressions, but also for discussions, discoveries and an in-depth look at current developments within the industry. In three articles, I have captured my personal impressions, selected brands and defining fragrance moments at Esxence:
- Esxence 2025 – Milan, here we come
- Our experiences at Esxence 2025 – Part II
- Part III of the Milan Esxence 2025
In the next part of this review, I will tell you how the fragrance year 2025 developed in the following months, starting with March and April.
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