Best Fragrances of 2019 (Ida and Despina) + Part 3 Draw

Best Niche perfumes of 2019

Ida Meister and Despina Veneti’s Best of 2019

For the past two days you have heard from Ermano and Michelyn. Now we turn the year in review 2019 over to our Editors and Sr. Contributors, beginning with Senior Editors Ida Meister and Despina Veneti

I’m thrilled to team up with Despinakimou! Here’s to many more! Contrary to what you might think – I didn’t get to smell everything this year; I don’t believe that anyone could. Therefore, in the interests of veracity I can only truthfully vouch for what I’ve been able to sniff. Disclaimer time: I’m going out on a limb here and naming TWO DSH Perfumes in 2019 for completely different reasons, because they are night and day to one another. I’m claiming artistry over favoritism: smell for yourself and I’m certain that you will agree. To quote Tina Turner: “What’s love got to do with it?” In this circumstance, nothing. Creatively speaking (in my best Gertrude Stein voice), a coup is a coup is a coup.

Nishane Ani 2019 best niche perfume

Nishane ANI (Cécile Zarokian: Oh my word. When I smelled this at Esxence 2019, I was gobsmacked: first came the histoire and desire for rapprochement between historically fraught boundaries, then the perfume itself. Is it a gourmand shaded green, adorned with hot spice and wood, zinging with the tangy tonicity of black currant? Do we need to categorize it at all? From intention and execution arose great beauty.

Papillon Perfumes Bengale Rouge best perfume of 2019

Papillon Perfumes Bengale Rouge (Liz Moores): a brilliant blind buy, my dears. I’ll never regret it, bathed in plentiful balms and spicy rose garnished with sultry opoponax.  It’s sexy as it can be, buxom and bursting at the seams – but it doesn’t overreach the boundaries of good taste. Your scarves, sweaters, vests will retain the ghostly vestiges for days after application – without suffocation, mind. Mmmmmmm.

Senyokô Duo des fleurs review

Senyokô Duo des Fleurs (Euan McCall): move on over, Lakme. I want those animalic jasmines and mitti attar, choice sandalwood and boozy davana. It’s one of the more complex, seductive fragrances of 2019 – full of surprises (thank heavens!) and a welcome anointment at any time of the calendar.

 2019 Monda di Orio Four Thieve Alinea review

Maison Mona Di Orio Alinea Collection Four Thieves (Fredrik Dalman): yes, it’s a latecomer but very worth the wait. Fredrik Dalman was inspired by the Bubonic plague (bless his heart, a man after my own) and the famous Four Thieves vinegar receipt utilized for banishing that ugly virulent miasma during the Middle Ages. It’s delightfully herbal and naturally piquant yet smells sophisticated enough for the Herbalist Naysayers. B and I are big fans. My poor sample will not last long, that’s for certain.

Perris Monte Carlo Jasmin de Pays (Maître Jean-Claude Ellena): those I encountered at Esxence 2019 were well aware of my advanced smittenness. I adore an animalic, true jasmine – and who better to evoke it than a multi-generational Grasseois who picked them at dawn with Grandmaman? If I had to choose just one jasmine, this is it.

Hiram Green Voyage 2019 review

Hiram Green Voyage 2019 (Hiram Green): I never expected to love it this much. I never expected my B to swoon, either. This floriental lovely has stunning longevity; it simply lilts upon the skin as you dream of Lake Pichola (dream on, Ida!) and the life of luxury. Luxe travel in a flacon for those who cannot – and that’s quite a number of us…

Best Perfumes of 2019

DSH Perfumes i fiore bel canto (Dawn Spencer Hurwitz): I sent for a one ml.sample when I realized that Dawn was creating a new series, the Women Artists Series. Maria Callas is the first inspiratrix, and i fiori bel canto is described as ‘beautifully singing flowers’. Intricate and brimming with damask rose, jonquil, narcissus, tuberose, stephanotis, orange blossom, two jasmines, boronia, orris concrete, cassis bud for a start. Weave in the voices of beeswax, opoponax, benzoin, castoreum, civet, ambergris, ambrette, sandalwood, labdanum, galbanum, myrrh; bedeck it with bergamot and bigarade. Perhaps now you can envision why it’s in a class entirely its own. Nothing compares; it’s intoxicating.

DFG 1924 Il Sentiero degli Dei (Roberto Dario): The path of the g-ds, indeed. They tread lightly upon the Earth, leaving wisps of iris, musk and feathery incense-y cedar in their collective wake. If I were to possess just one bottle of Roberto’s it would be this. The subtlety of it belies its longevity, a delightful trait for a fragrance. The sillage doesn’t assassinate, it intimates and lingers for a substantial amount of time. Such delicacy!

Lush Sappho 2019 review

LUSH Sappho (Emma Dick) 2019: Perfumer Emma Dick has taken up the LUSH perfumer baton, and she’s marvelous at it. Homer referred to the poet Sappho as the Tenth Muse; if she smelt like this, she’d have my vote. Sappho is unutterably voluptuous without heft: clouds of orris, jasmine and tobacco levitate atop Madagascar vanilla, tonka and Australian sandalwood. It’s just smoky enough to pique interest and manage to feel cosseting as a duvet. I snagged myself a bottle and it’s in regular rotation these days.

DSH Perfumes White Rabbits review

DSH Perfumes Heirloom Editions #5 White Rabbits (Dawn Spencer Hurwitz) 2019: I hear the moans and groans from here. I’ve NEVER chosen two from one perfumer, ever – but White Rabbits soothes my soul like nothing else, with its carroty rootiness and such a heartbreaking rose in there. Angelica! Oakmoss and sandalwood, ambrette and vetiver flesh out this dear perfume that captures my fancy enough to crave it in every format there is. Those of us who are nourished by nature find this mirrored in White Rabbits. I never want to be without it.

Best Mainstream Perfume of 2019: Gucci Mémoire d’Une Odeur: that chamomile note supports a lovely jasmine. I hear that it can be a dealbreaker, though. Whatever went wrong with wanting to smell beautiful vs.smelling like a science experiment?

Best Natural Perfume of 2019: Providence Perfume Co. Drunk on the Moon (Charna Ethier): a honeyed, louche perfume which is indelibly come-hither-like. Oh, to bathe in it!

Honorary Mention: Jorum Studio Carduus and Nectary: because how can I choose? I’m not King Solomon. Each sings to me in a different key, modality. Two parts of the whole. Superb work.

Euan McCall best new perfumer 2019 Jorum Laboratories

Rising Perfumer of the Year: Euan McCall. Talk about a hard-working perfumer. Everything he appears to touch feels golden, molten nature or wildly futuristic. Euan’s a visionary, and his Jorum Studio fragrances and line for Senyokô are proof enough. I look forward to smelling what he does next.

Ida Meister, Sr. Editor and Natural Perfumery Editor

DSH PERFUMES le jade Perfume review retro chypre

photo by Gail

DSH Perfumes Le Jade (Dawn Spencer-Hurwitz) As a passionate lover of green scents, this humid, sparkling composition spoke directly to my heart. A rétro-nouveau fragrant jewel, Le Jade’s herbal/floral/mossy beauty is bound to delight those who adore (and miss) the glorious green chypres of the past. Being European, I hadn’t had the chance to experience Dawn Spencer-Hurwitz’s amazing creations till just a few months ago; getting familiar with them has been for me this year’s greatest olfactory revelation.

État Libre d'Orange Experimentum Crucis 2019 best perfume

photo by Despina

État Libre d’Orange Experimentum Crucis (Quentin Bisch): Working on an evocative brief about Isaac Newton’s world-changing scientific theories, Quentin Bisch created a hugely pleasurable rose-centered composition of cosmic sillage. The radiant rose transcends the initial fruitiness (apple, lychee) becoming progressively seductive, mostly thanks to a deeply sensual honey accord that makes the flower feel almost edible. A euphoric neo-chypre that creates a veritable atmosphere around the wearer.

Best Perfumes of 2019

L’Artisan Parfumeur Bana Banana (Céline Ellena): The suave, exuberant Bana Banana was a release that did full justice to the pioneering Perfume House’s tradition of idiosyncratic scents. Not only did this fragrance manage to reconciliate me with the banana note (a former “nemesis”!), but had me marveling at Mme Ellena’s art and skill: banana and jasmine blended together seamlessly, accompanied by a nutmeg overload and a sensual base of tonka bean and vanilla. A refreshingly original, playful take on (moderately sweet) amber.

Maison Violet Nuée Bleue (Nathalie Lorson): In her fifth creation for the reborn Maison Violet, Nathalie Lorson signed an exemplary retro-modern, iris-centered scent that reflects transition in every way: balancing itself between eau fraîche and eau de parfum, Nuée Bleue feels like the deceptively gentle, yet electrically charged, rush of air just before a storm: a wind announcing change. Orange blossom, carnation, benzoin, woods and musks are all there to enhance the iris’s crepuscular, deeply sentimental appeal, in a modern composition of neoclassical beauty.

.Marc-Antoine Barrois Ganymede 2019

Photo by Despina

Marc-Antoine Barrois Ganymede (Quentin Bisch): Mandarin, spices, osmanthus, suede leather and woods interact with the mineral, salty nuances of the immortelle, creating a spectacularly diffusive olfactory tribute to both the ancient Greek myth of Ganymede, as well as the eponymous moon of Jupiter. A fragrant hymn to luminous, fluid masculinity, Ganymede reconciled conceptualization with pure aesthetic pleasure, while cementing the fact that it’s been another year of top form for Quentin Bisch.

Best Perfumes of 2019

Masque Milano Kintsugi (Vanina Muracciole): Named after the Japanese technique of restoring broken objects, Kintsugi proposed an utterly intriguing way to “mend” the suffering (due to IFRA’s escalating restrictions on oakmoss) chypre genre. Vanina Muracciole used refined patchouli and salty amber as a base, with leathery and green touches from raspberry and violet leaf. Lush magnolia accompanies the sumptuous rose de mai, along with a startling savory undercurrent. Both abstract and clear, Kintsugi is one of the most singular roses I’ve experienced lately.

Nishane ANI (Cécile Zarokian): The beautiful message behind this fragrance – one of mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and universal healing – deserved no less than Cécile Zarokian’s soulful, inspired take on (the ever-comforting) vanilla. The latter shines gloriously in this oriental composition of supreme creativity, enveloped by bright citruses, tonifying ginger, intense blackcurrant, energizing cardamom and creamy woods. The vital, complex, ever-shifting character of Ani echoes History itself.

Parfums Dusita Le Pavillon D'Or review

photo by Despina

Parfums Dusita Le Pavillon D’Or (Pissara Umavijani): Had I not limited myself to only one fragrance from each brand, Splendiris would have also been here. It was for its sheer originality that Le Pavillon D’Or scored the extra point over its fragrant “sibling”: flirting with abstraction, while retaining the (unmistakable) Dusita D.N.A., the fragrance flows as smoothly as a peaceful stream from a green, herbaceous opening, to a delectable floriental heart and woody base. Arrestingly beautiful and tenderly reflective, it’s yet another testament to Pissara Umavijani’s unique olfactory signature.

Senyokô Duo Des Fleurs (Euan McCall) The newly founded Senyokô has been one of the year’s most exciting discoveries, delighting me with its supreme quality and coherent aesthetic choices. Duo Des Fleurs proves that there is always room for genuine creativity, even when dealing with a combination as “old as time”: rose and jasmine. The two flowers, surrounded by exceptional ingredients like davana, datura, Mysore sandalwood and an earthy mitti attar accord, transform into an intoxicating, almost narcotic potion of lyrical dimensions.

Shalini Paradis Provence (Maurice Roucel) In his fourth creation for the brand, Monsieur Roucel took us for a soul-cleansing fragrant voyage to the South of France, translating into scent the personal experiences/memories of his creative director, Shalini Kumar. Cool lavender and spicy thyme (with just a touch of delicate florals) star in a noble composition of therapeutic energy and luminous purity.

Despina Veneti, Senior Editor

Thanks to Nishane we have a worldwide draw of 50 ml bottle of Nishane ANI we have a second 50 ml for a registered CafleureBon reader worldwide (if you are not sure if you are registered click here (you must register on our site or your entry will be invalid).

Shalini Parfums Paradis Provence review

And thank you to Shalini are offering a travel spray ($125 USD) of Paradis Provence for a registered reader worldwide.  

To be eligible, what did you think of Ida’s and Despina’s Best fragrances of 2019. Have you tried any? Do you have favorites? Please include where you live and which of the two here you might want to win.

Also be sure to check Part 1 Best and Worst of 2019 by Ermano and Michelyn here  and Part 2 Best Fragrances of 2019 by Ermano and Michelyn here.

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104 comments

  • I like that Ida and Despina included some of the same fragrances Ermano and Michelyn chose, showing that these were really superstar fragrances if everyone is agreeing on them as the best. I can’t pick a favorite because haven’t tried any of them! I’ve been picking up some gems that have been on my want list for years. I hope to win ANI. Cheers from Indiana, USA.

  • I really enjoyed this list, and according to the thorough descriptions, there’s not really anything unappealing here (just frags to get my nose on). I live in Waldorf, MD, USA, and if I’m chosen as a winner, I would like the Shalini Paradis Provence travel spray sent to me.

  • Great picks in the list, i had the chance to test at least half of them. I’m still waiting to smell two fragrances that catched my attention, the hyped ANI from Nishane and Ganymede from Marc-Antoine Barrois, this one get’s a lot of praise in the fragrance community, sounds amazing. May the luck be with me on this generous giveaway so i get to test ANI. Thanks for the chance, i am in the EU.

  • I have to say that I think these two ladies really hit the mark. I’m heading so many wonderful things about Nishane Ani, Hiram Green Perfumes, Liz at Papillon that I’ll be sampling for all of 2020. After hearing everyone’s thoughts on The Providence Perfume Company that I need to make sure I get my buns in the car and make the hour and half drive down to see Charna in her studio and but some fragrance. ELdO has long been one of my favorite houses, I try everything they put out. I liked Experimentum Crucis, but it didn’t go into my just buy list. Great scent though! Then of course, there’s DSH. Dawn’s magical, plain and simple. No, I do not love all of her creations, she’ll tell you that I’m frank with her about it, but boy oh boy, I have a profound appreciation for her artistry in even the scents that do not suit me. As an aside, I could sit and read anything Ida writes. If Dawn is magical with perfume, Ida is an angel with language.

    I’m in the US – Boston, and I’d like Paradis Provence.
    Merci

  • BunnyEatWorld says:

    I enjoyed reading the vivid descriptions of each fragrance. They all sound stellar, and I’m happy to see some of them having animalic jasmine as a note. I really need to get a sample of Duo des Fleurs; it sounds right up my alley. I’m in the USA and would like to enter the drawing for Ani and Paradis Provence. Thank you.

  • Thank you for elevating these superb fragrances for all to see/smell, Ida and Despina.
    We couldn’t agree more!
    2019 was such an amazing year for creativity and quality in the world of independent perfumery.
    They take us on such journeys!

  • Lovely descriptions of all of the perfumes. Ida and Despina really make me want to sample all of them. I haven’t tried any but am most intrigued by the Hiram Green and ELDO. If I’m chosen I would love to have the Nishane ANI. I live in the US. Thank you!

  • Maison Violet Nuée Bleue, Sappho, White Rabbit, Four Thieves, Bengale Rouge, Shalini Paradis Provence…these, any of these!
    I have not tried any of the listed fragrances but would love to say I have.
    I adore the descriptions which take the mind to the limit of imagination.
    Registered reader from Texas, USA

  • I would absolutely love to win Ani, I have heard amazing things about it. Some really great selections in this list, it was wonderful to read about them. I should get myself to my local Lush at some point and review their fragrances – for some reason I had always dismissed them, perhaps I was wrong to do so!
    From Canada

  • I almost never blind buy these days but what you wrote about Papillon Perfumes Bengale Rouge is about to change my mind. Of the ones mentioned above and which I have sampled, Hiram Green Voyage 2019 stands out the most to me – and I totally get your luxe travel description. Also agree with your assessment of Drunk on the Moon being one of the best natural perfumes around (at least based on my sampled universe set). Would love to win ANI. Happy Holidays from Boston USA.

  • This year I haven’t sampled as many as in the past and thus do not have experience with most on this list. I do plan to obtain a sample of the Dusita, as I am always impressed with Pissaras work, and to start exploring Senyoko. I would love to win the Shalini. USA.

  • I am thrilled that L’Artisan is back in the game with the noble banana note. All the fragrances sound lovely, but the ANI vanilla is the one I’d love to try. I live in the USA.

  • I have not tried most of the fragrances mentioned in the review, but I put them in my list if I have the chance, Despina’s And Ida’s reviewS made me curious about them. I have tried only Nishane, Experimentum Crucis and Gucci’s Memoire d’une Odeur. Quentin Bisch is one of the parfumeurs that created Delina Exlusif and Fleur Narcorique that I own and his work for Eldo caught me so I will certainly look for Experimentum Crucis. Ani by Nishane made its way in mu wishlist instantly after I tried it so this is what I choose:).

    I live in EU.

  • Great ideas for someone like myself who’ve only tried one listed – Nishane Ani and it’s a beauty. Ani is my favorite this year and would love to win a bottle.
    Pennsylvania USA

  • I am really wanted to try most of these. Have got a discovery set of the Senyoko coming now. Hearing about it from Lola.
    Also love Nishanes, Hundred Silent Ways, so I am sure Ani will be just as great if
    not better
    USA

  • I want to go to the Moon, sit down comfortably on the edge of a crater, wearing Drunk On The Moon by Providence Perfume, sipping champagne and looking towards the Blue Planet where so many beautiful and artistic fragrances are born. As a former capital markets journalist I have a golden rule: check facts, have doubts, ask, ask again, then write, edit and then publish. Now as counselor psychotherapist I added another golden rule: just listen to my heart and feelings, close the eyes, and have a primary conclusion. As a fraghead I listen to my heart, and sometimes blind buy. That happened with Liz Moores’ Rouge Bengale, the lovely cat it’s on the way, some days and will purr around my neck. I am sure it was a good decision! Nishane Ani or Paradis Provence by SHALINI, because I can’t win both of them. Attila, Budapest, Hungary

  • These lists are wonderful! I do notice some perfumes are mentioned in most or all of the list which I believe says a great deal about their quality. I havent tried any from these lists however unfortunately. I very much want to try Ani and Bengale Rouge. Sappho sounds like something I would at least like to try as do Bana Banana and Nuee Bleue. I would love to win Ani as I’ve wanted to try that since I first heard of it! Please do include me in that draw I live in CT USA. Thanks for your generosity and for sharing your knowledge!

  • Great rundown of so many fragrances I have to smell. The list is getting too lon. Even notes I usually have no interest in you guys add enough interest to make me reconsider. You guys should have some in house photos of the bottles, sometimes the visual adds to the description even more than an artistic representation

  • Great rundown of so many fragrances I have to smell. The list is getting too lon. Even notes I usually have no interest in you guys add enough interest to make me reconsider. You guys should have some in house photos of the bottles, sometimes the visual adds to the description even more than an artistic representation.
    I’m from NY and like the story behind Nishane’s ANI. More peace please

  • I love the way they both communicated their passions for what they reviewed , even though I only tried Maison Violet Nuée Bleue. I could tell they took the time and due diligence to be fair and honest in all the others.

    I’d love to win Nishane ani.

    From Ireland, EU.

  • Hi what a great list again, I was wanting to try the Lush and the Bengale Rouge somewhere soon. If I would win I would like to win the ANI. Living in the EU

  • Sadly DSH perfumes are hard to sample in Germany, the Jade sounds intriguing. I think i also would love Bengal Rouge a lot.
    I would l ove to win the Nishane Ani, this sounds really good.

  • Paradise Provence sounds so good, dreamy! I have not tried anything by this house, altough I have heard only good things about it. I am in EU. Thanks for the article and the draw!

  • I tried Gucci Mémoire d’Une Odeur, but I didn`t like it. I am even excited now to try ANI from Nishane, so this is my choice if I win. I live in EU (Ro).

  • I loved how detailed and involved these two ladies are in choosing and describing their picks. Not just with notes and facts, but also how they feel about them and what they love about them. Bengale rouge and White rabbits sound so wonderful, as well as Ani, which i would especially love to win, even though I am sure Paradis Provence is amazing also. I am from the EU, please count me in for the draw. Thanks!

  • I’ve tried out about half of the perfumes here on Ida and Despina’s lists.
    My favorites are: Ganymede, Ani, Jasmin du Pays and Regime de fleurs. I would love to win Shalini. Many thanks for the draw. I live in France.

  • I really like how the list includes such different fragrances – from availability to prove range, it is good to know what is out there.

    I would love to win Ani.

    Thank you,

    Ana from Porto, Portugal

  • Thank you, Ida and Despina, for your choice, it’s very interesting to read about the fragrances. I am especially curious about Nishane and Hiram Green, but Dusita and Masque sound also great.
    I live in Romania, EU.

  • I would love to win the ANI bottle. I enjoy reading the opinions of others in this format, a brief paragraph per perfume goes a long way. US

  • Love your poetic depiction of scents, I haven’t tested much of the 2019 fragrances but I only heared good things about ANI for sure. Stef, EU

  • I’ve heard most of the fragrance mentioned here, but have not smelled any.
    Ani Nishane I have to try ASAP , Nishane is a house I love . As a Pastry Chef, and a gourmand lover Passion Choco is a must have. Hacivat I own too.
    I’m also curious about Papillon Perfumes Bengale Rouge , Parfums Dusita Le Pavillon D’Or and État Libre d’Orange Experimentum Crucis.
    Ani is my choice.
    Appreciate Ida Meister and Despina Veneti lists , and Ani giveaway campaign. USA

  • Very good list, but I have not tried any from it. But those sounds really nice. I would be glad if I would win either Nishane ANI or Paradis Provence. Thank you for the draw. I live in Europe.

  • Nice selection from the review. Unfortunately I have not had a chance to sample many of these yet. Ani is a beautiful fragrance. I have a small decant, but would love to own a full bottle. I just ordered a sample of Ganymede, which has been written about mutiple times here at Cafleurebon, so it must be something special. Thank you for the recommendations of next fragrances to try, and for the draw. US.

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    I’m definitely seeing some frequent flyers in these end of year lists, but these also had some I was more familiar with. I too enjoyed Pavilion d’Or, thought Bengale Rouge was a good riff on the Shalimar type, thought le Jade was gorgeous and unique (my DSH pick for the year would be Sharkskin, though), and enjoyed that chamomile Gucci. Thanks for the draw! I would love the chance to win ANI or Paradis Provence. I’m in the US.

  • In this part of Best Fragrances I found many interesting and beautiful perfumes, for example Marc-Antoine Barrois Ganymede, which many bloggers of Cafleurebon find as Best fragrance of 2019- and I like leather with flowers.
    But as told previous time, only familiar to Ani- beautiful work, nice message behind the perfume.
    I would like to win Paradis Provence.
    from Armenia

  • This is a great list! Now I have so much to try. I do have to say the only fragrance I have smelled is White Rabbit by DSH. Lovely! One of my first choices to try is Ani by Nishane. I would love to win that. USA

  • Great reviews! I’m sooo interested in Nishane – Ani, everyone is talking about it 🙂 I live in EU

  • This is another interesting list. I haven’t tried these either. Haha. I’d really like to try Ani and own a bottle one day if I really like it or love it. Thanks, Ca

  • Glad to see the “usual suspects” Parfums Dusita with her two superb releases, Shalini, Hiram Green and Euan McCall (can’t wait to try Jorum Studio scents). I admire Pissara Umavijani’s skill and talent to create perfumes that fit the proud name “grand parfum” so easily, le Pavillon d’Or is no exception.

    I’d choose Ani. Thank you for the reviews, Happy New Year!
    Russia

  • I never win anything, but as a fragrance lover AND as I’m registered on the site (and I rarely subscribe to fragrance blogs)…

    Nishane Ani first grabs my attention with the ginger note, but I love it for the sandalwood and musk.

    As for Paradis Provence, that’s not for me, but I know a lady that would adore it.

    Now, regarding the worst fragrances, did I miss something? I don’t see any mention of ‘worst’ fragrances here…but looking back at 2019 I’d say the most hyped, overpriced, and therefore most underwhelming fragrance of the year had to be Jeremy’s ‘Fragrance One -Office’.

  • So many wonderful fragrances to read about and try to sample. Nishas Ani sounds amazing as does Shalini’s Paradis Provence. I’m also interested in Bengale Rouge and DFG 1924 Il Sentiero degli Dei, but all the ones reviewed seem enchanting. Thanks for the draw. I’m in the USA

  • Such an extensive list an wonderful reviews! I haven’t tried any of the ones featured, but I hope I’ll find my way to them. Your article is so vivid and I’m already dreaming about some (White Rabbits, for example).
    Of course, I’m dreaming about Ani. I’ve been hooked by the beautiful message of peace, respect, healing after terrible sadness and I think a perfume made to evoke all those values and feelings it must be coming straight from heaven.
    So I choose Ani for the draw…
    Thank you for sharing your passion and knoledge with us! Hugs from Romania, EU

  • Excellent review of a good year for those who love fragrance! Senyokô Duo Des Fleurs calls to me most of all of the perfumes listed. I would gladly win either offering, but if I have to choose I would say Paradis Provence.
    USA

  • another great long read; handy, too, for my list. i’ve only tried Lush’s Sappho, and agree about its smokiness. i chose Nishane ANI to try in california—thank you

  • m.r.everything says:

    Another fabulous list going on here…. a lot of similarities as well… which is a good thing! There were plenty of amazing fragrances that came out this year and the fact that some have been mentioned several times by different people is great, to me anyway…. it just reassures the list I am keeping, haha! Nishane Ani again for the win!!!!!

    While reading Part 1 and 2 of 2019’s best, how could I forget about Bengale Rouge?!?! Another one that I still need to try but it is VERY close to the top of the list and most likely will be a blind buy for me! This is one that has really stood out to me, after testing several of Liz Moore’s other beautiful creations! It sounds divine and has quite a few people raving over it!

    Hiram Green has some amazing scents and I am sure Voyage 2019 is no different. This is one I was interested in as well and would not mind getting a sample for sure. I know this one is limited so I need to get on that!

    This is the first I am hearing of Sappho and I must say, I had to go straight to the Lush site after reading Ida’s beautiful words… I have and absolutely adore I’m Home, Rose Jam, and Plum Rain! I have several others on my list I nee to get from Lush and I have now added Sappho. This is another reason I love these lists as this gives us insights to some fragrances some of us may not have heard about before… well I guess that is what the whole CaFleureBon site is for, but to see it made Ida’s “best” list, makes it even better!

    I have said it a couple of times before, but Dawns line is one I am really focusing on this coming year…. I have yet to sample one thing from her and I am kind of bummed that I missed out on a lot of the Heirloom Editions…. White Rabbit was one I heard quite a bit about and it was all great things. This is no surprise that it wound up on Ida’s best list.

    Gucci Memoire d”une Odeur was one I just got to sample literally yesterday! I do not understand all the hate surrounding this one. I have read a bunch of great things, but I have read quite a few negative reviews on this one and many did not like it. I know scent is subjective, but I am just not understanding all the negativity on this one. It is beautiful, especially for being so mainstream! I love it and will definitely be grabbing a bottle in the future.

    Experimentum Crucis, Spice Must Flow, and 500 Years were all fragrances that peaked my interest from Etat Libre d’Orange…. the new colored flacons with their special labels are exquisite and the fragrances sound superb!

    I was lucky enough to grab a sample of Bana Banana and wow, the banana note in that smells so realistic and playful, yet sophisticated and noteworthy at the same time. I am glad I was able to sample this one as it is a masterpiece of a banana scent, and will be in the collection for sure!

    Thank you, Ida and Despina, for your superb list of fantastic fragrances and for the beautiful writings about them! Thank you Michelyn, for putting this all together as always! Thank you again to Nishane, and to Shalini for your generosity and for the opportunity to win one of your amazing works of art! I hope everyone has a great new year and good luck to all! I live in Delaware, US.

  • I loved White Rabbits too and missed it in the spring so when she offered the set at the end of the year I absolutely jumped on it and felt reunited when it arrived!!
    Bengale Rouge is getting love from lots of people this year & I’m almost afraid to sniff it and lose my heart.
    I’m really enjoying your lists! I’m in the US.

  • Amazing article as always. I would absolutely love to win ANI. There are also a lot of perfumes i don’t know mentionned in this article, but hopely i will get to know them in 2020. I am from EU

  • Marc Antoine Ganymede was on my list of best 2019 fragrances and Despina really describes it so well.
    I would love Ani as Nishane is a great niche house

  • Great fragrances! My favs are Ganymede and Le Pavillon D’Or! If lucky I’d be welcoming Ani, because I’m a fan of Nishane as well. Mich USA

  • So glad Euan McCall is getting praise! His Progressive Botany series blew me away in Edinburgh and I’d love to try his Senyoko Duo des Fleurs. Bengale Rouge I’ve heard so much about, desperately would love to sample!

    I would love to win the Ani and am in Canada. Thanks for the list!!!

  • Elizabeth T. says:

    What a lovely selection you’ve given us this year! I would love to try the DSH perfumes. I have tried a number of her creations, and I am always amazed at the scope and variety. Parfums Dusita Le Pavillon D’Or also sounds wonderful, and Marc-Antoine Barrois Ganymede sounds divine.

    I would be ever so thankful to win Paradis Provence. I’m in the USA. Thank you!

  • Some of the creations of this list I enjoyed the most are DSH’s White Rabbits, ELdO’s Experimentum Crucis, and Masque’s Kintsugi. I am very curious about Lush’s Sappho, which I hope to try in Florence in April. I would like to win Shalini’s Paradis Provence. I am in the USA.

  • Monica Beaton says:

    Some really interesting and beautiful choices. I would love to try more from the Nishane line – the more I read the more intrigued I become. I can’t wait to see what’s coming in the next installment. Beautifully written as always. Thank you for the interesting reviews!

  • Ida’s and Despina’s choices and the way they describe them are so tantalizing! Since I haven’t tried any of these, I can’t provide any input as to whether their selections are indeed worthy to be named as the best fragrances of 2019. Lush Sappho, Ganymede, Nishane Ani, Hiram Green Voyage, Dusita Le Pavillon d’Or, and Senyoko Duo des Fleurs all sound like they are amazing compositions. Thanks for offering this giveaway. I would love to win a bottle of Nishane’s Ani. I’m in Oregon, USA.

  • Abdel Sarkis says:

    Beautiful list, enjoy it very much. Lartisan Bana Banana (what a funny name) is my favorite of the ones I’ve tried. But I have to say that the description Sappho aroused curiosity. I hope to win Nishane ANI. I’m from Puerto Rico.

  • It is nice to have some overlap between picks of two editors, showing the attractiveness of some fragrances. Slowdive by Hiram Green is a scent that I want to sample, someday.
    I would love to have a chance to sniff Nishane Ani!

  • Ok looks like need to try the Senyoko one, since it’s praises keep being sung! Dusita’s pavilion d’or is on my to-try list as well. I’d choose to win Nishane Ani and live in the USA

  • There is no doubt that I’d like to smell all the fragrances Ida and Despina are writing about – from those, I’ve only tried Memoir d’une odeur (which I really liked, at least at first sniff) and Ani (this one I’d like to win, oh, perfume gods). I never thought experienced fragrance people do blind buys :)).
    Living in Europe.

  • I have only tried two of this list – the Nishane Ani and Antoine-Barrois Ganymede. I’ve got the bottle of Ganymede after the first time I got the chance to sniff and it became one of my all time favourites.
    I would really like to get the chance to win the Paradis Provence from Shalini as I haven’t tried anything yet from this house.

    Thank you,
    Lina, Lithuania

  • This list of perfumes is very interesting, (I would like to try them all !!). I used Nishane’s Pasion Choco and Spice Bazar, I really like this house of perfumes, I am very curious to try ANI, one of the best perfumes of this year. Thank you
    Linda – EU

  • Ani and Ganymede are my favorites release of the year and I am very happy to read about them in your list.
    Thanks and Happy Holidays!
    I am in EU.

  • Beautiful list I would love to try DFG 1924 Il Sentiero degli Dei. Such great
    Description of magic scent really intrigues me. MN USA

  • I was so determined to “shop my collection” rather than splurge in 2019 that I haven’t tried any of Ida and Despina’s picks for the year! Which seems a crying shame I have to rectify now, because I about jumped out of my seat when I got to the description of L’Artisan’s Bana Banana – banana scents are love it or hate it for me, and this one sounds fantastic! And I am enticed by Nishane Ani after reading both Ida’s and Despina’s takes. Blackcurrant is a nostalgic scent for me, it goes straight to my childhood, but Ani sounds like it would take my hand and lead me on a journey. I love that the name means “memory” in Turkish.

    I’m in the US and would be delighted to win Nishane Ani. Thank you to Nishane and to the team at CaFleureBon for hosting this draw and sharing so much with us all year. 🙂

  • The fragrances picked by Ida and Despina sound great. I don’t know most of these fragrances, but some of them are on my to test list. I would love to win Shalini Paradis Provence. Love a lot of Roucel’s creations. Also Nishanes Ani tickles my interest. I live in EU. Thank you for another wonderful draw.

  • Nishane Ani , Marc Antoine Barrois Ganymede
    LUSH Sappho and Experimentum Crucis are the four most appealing fragrances from Ida and Despina choices.
    From Etat Libre d’Orange I have Remarkable People and You or Someone like You.
    Ganymede sounds like good too.
    Nishane Ani I have not smelled, but I was introduced to this great brand because of a client of mine. I’m a Barber , and one day this guy came into my saloon with the BEST tea fragrance I’ve ever smelled Wulong Cha . Long story short bought a bottle the next day.
    Winning Ani would be a dream come true.
    Thank you for the opportunity. USA

  • I enjoyed reading these picks from two perfume virtuosos. It was interesting that the choices aligned in some cases. Ii have hardly tried any of these. It’s been a slow perfume year for me. I still have wonderful memories of a trip to Provence, so I’d love to experience Shalini’s interpretation. I’m in the USA

  • Interesting choices with many I have yet to try. Bengal rouge was one of my favorites this year and one of the few I have tried from this list. Heard many good things about gaymende and need to try it at some point. This year I loved Timbre from Chris rusak was one of my favorites. Would love to win the bottle of ani. In Woodbridge va USA. Thanks for the draw.

  • Absolutely enticing! Four Thieves, Bana Banana, and Bengale Rouge are now on my must-sniff list. I’ve always loved the banana facet found in some jasmine flowers and perfumes. Thank you for the reviews and for the generous draw. I would most like to try Paradis Provence.

  • Stephen Burrowes says:

    Duo des Fleurs is superb and I love ELdO’s take on roses and apples in Experimentum Crucis. The Shalini sounds lovely. I am a UK resident.

  • luisquezada1 says:

    Totally agree with Nishane Ani. It was a pleasant surprise. Nishane is easy becoming my fav brand

    I live in maryland, USA

  • I haven’t tried any of these perfumes but some land on my to sample list. Especially Ani, Bengale Rouge, Ganymede and Experimentum Crucis. Thank you for the list. It is always very helpful. I am on the EU.

  • I always enjoy Cafleurebon articles on the best fragrances. Thanks for this amazing list, Ida and Despina. I haven’t tried any but I look forward to doing so. I’d love to win any of the two. Thanks for this draw. – CA, USA

  • Another pleasure to read.
    Bana Banana is one of my happy everyday scent I only wear when I’m with my daughter.
    Parfums Dusita Le Pavillon D’Or I love. I find it classy, sophisticated and well suited for a business woman. I had a sample, and I strongly consider getting a bottle.
    Ani is… I’m not sure how to describe it… sensational? Second best Nishane in my opinion, after Fan Your Flames .
    I like my fragrance deep , rich and potent , and to project , but that’s me. That’s one of the reasons i like Nishane . Fan Your Flames is in my possession of course.
    Now that’s a pleasant surprise, the Ani giveaway.
    Thank you , Ani is the one for me.
    Back and forth between USA and Scotland (EU/UK) 1 week in US
    -> 1 week in Scotland , and so on. Basically both USA and EU/UK at the same time.

  • I was really surprised I hadn’t tried most of the fragrances in your list. On your previous article, I did try Gucci Memoire d’un odeur and really liked it because it will appeal to almost everyone since it’s such a light and clean fragrance.
    I’d love to win Nishane’s Ani. I’ve seen so many great reviews on it and it would be my very first Nishane in my collection.
    I live in the USA.

  • The overlap and differences between all these lists are really interesting. The descriptions too, of course.

    Can I also join the draw for the ANI? I’m from Germany.

  • More good lists! I am drawn to Senyokô Duo des Fleurs in particular of those listed but, there are many more here I need to try. I would like to win the 50 ml bottle of Nishane ANI. I live in the USA.

  • Again I’m about to share my thoughts on fragrances I know:
    –Kintsugi Masque Milano
    Own 4 Masque Milano fragrances, but Kintsugi I won’t add. Combination of vegetals , dirt and thorns is not something I appreciate.
    -Sappho Lush
    Thankfully jasmine I don’t get
    -Duo Des Fleurs Senyokô
    Extremely dirty , indolic and animalic at the same time. There’s passengers for every train I guess. Not for me.
    -Experimentum Crucis by Etat Libre d’Orange.
    Interesting one I’ll gladly wear. Unlike most Etat Libre d’Orange fragrances performance is unreal. Really potent one.
    -Ani , I’ll repeat myself, but hey…
    I saved the best for last.
    One of the best fragrances for 2019. Top 5 for sure , if not top 3. It’s UNREAL how good it smells. It’s not just the smell, the way it’s blended, the way it develops, performance… 10/10.
    Ani is undoubtedly my choice.
    Virginia USA or London UK at least 97/100 times

  • fleurdetilleul says:

    I’ve had the honor to receive a sample of DSH Heirloom Elixir White Rabbits from the perfumer herself and it smells so beautiful, I have to agree with Ida Meister on every word she wrote! It’s absolutely gorgeous! Too bad it’s a limited edition.
    Judging by the notes, Nishane Ani seems to be more on my taste, so I’ll enter for that one. Thank you! I live in EU.

  • Despina Veneti is super good of hyping up fragrances. I have sampled I am Trash because of her review for Cafleurebon last September (I think?) , and bought it a week after. Experimentum Crucis I’ll make sure to check too.
    While in Germany i had a chance to smell most currently available Lartisan fragrances, and because of the bogo deal they had end up buying Traversee Du Bosphore and Bana Banana.
    Ani I would like to win.
    Thank you for the draw.
    USA most of the year, and Germany from time to time

  • Apparently I need to sniff Euan McCall’s work. I love to hear differing views, but it is even better when they blend.

    I would love to try the Shalini scent. I am a lavender fan.
    I live in Canada

  • Thank you for all those short, informative and sometimes provoacative statements – loved that! I would love to have the Nishane ANI, living in Germany, EU.

  • Thank you Ida and Despina for these ratings, it must be super hard choosing from so many beauties – but that must also be a wonderful pain to have 🙂 I’m rather intrigued by Shalini’s Paradis Provence and would love to try it out. I’m in USA

  • Great list My favorite is Ani great perfume and I would love to win that plus Ganymede
    From Denmark

  • I love that Duo des Fleurs, Bengale Rouge, and Bana Banana are on this list, as those are some of the most exciting fragrances to come out lately in my opinion. I would love to win a bottle of Nishane ANI.
    I’m in Canada

  • I have tried only Gucci one, Dusita Le Pavillon D’Or and Masque Milano Kintsugi. I’d say Dusita’s is quite up there. Pretty impressed but not my type of fragrance I’d wear.

    I live in Thailand and would like to participate in Nishane Ani draw please.

  • This is an awesome list and I have had the pleasure to try a few of them! I love CaFleurebon for always introducing me to new and wonderful fragrances throughout the year. If I were to win my choice would be Nishane Ani. Thanks for the generous giveaway and I live in Fairfax, VA in the US!

  • oh my gosh, your list makes me want to try so many – the DSH Le Jade, i love green scents, White Rabbit, and i didn’t know about Lush Sappho, so i’ll need to stop by my nearest Lush to sniff it.
    I would love to try the Paradis Provence, I love lavender, and have fond memories of Provence and Avignon. My second choice would be the Nishane ANI. thank you for all your reviews and all the draws! In the US.

  • Dear Ida and Despina , thank you for bringing out this beautiful creations. Unfortunately I’d only have the chance to smell Ganymede, especially because of the Immortelle and my love to the Mediterranean lifestyle.
    Greetings from Germany and best wishes for the new year.

  • As always I loved reading Ida’s reports and she tried some beauties that sound wonderful. I need to try them. What would I love to win ? Hiram Green Voyage and Perris Monte Carol Jasmin de Pays. I too love a big jasmine. USA/NJ

  • I did enjoy Bengale Rouge, very classy. Somehow I missed Experimentum Crucis by my favorite Quentin B. I’ll have to go to my local shop that carries that line to get a whiff. I did try the Bana Banana, very interesting, not dislikable at all. I am seeing some repeats from the first and second articles that I’ll have to make a note of. Thanks for the opinions. I’d love to win Ani. USA

  • Experimentum Crucis i had to smell, because of Despina glorifying it a few months back. After some hesitation I bought it. Suits me well, and I do agree with “cosmic sillage” statement. It’s stronger than most Montale fragrances, and my Remarkable People is so weaker compared to it.
    7.5 ml Parfums Dusita Erawan travel spray i proudly have, and Pavillon D’Or I’ll smell out of curiosity.
    Ani I expect to be be really special one , because there are two Nishane fragrances i love equally – Hacivat and Pasion Choco.
    L’Artisan Parfumeur Bana Banana, Marc-Antoine Barrois Ganymede and Masque Milano Kintsugi I want to experience.
    Ani will suit me greatly, my choice.
    Thank you Cafleurebon.
    USA

  • I’ve no experience with any of the newer names here (though the text makes them all very alluring, particularly Duo Des Fleurs), but I’d love to try Nishane ANI, given a chance. I’m in Croatia.

  • I enjoyed the eclectic choices from both Ida and Despina and their thoughtful descriptions. I would love a chance to try Shalini’s Paradis Provence. Based in Canada.

  • Michael Prince says:

    Despina has a wonderful best fragrance list of 2019. I haven’t tried any of them. I have heard so many good things about Nishane Ani. Please put me in to win Nishane Ani and Marc-Antoine Barrois Ganymede. I am from the USA.

  • Margarita K says:

    From all your beautiful descriptions the one for Jasmin De Pays seems to call my name in the clearest voice. I hope I’ll have a chance to try it soon. Happy New Year to all editors and all the readers around the world from Indiana, USA.

  • I hope that I didn’t miss the draw. Instead of that Ida’s and Despina’s list is so interesting and made me curious. I haven’t tried any of them but I put them into my buy list. I am from Istanbul- Turkey and I really want to have Nishane- Ani. Happy new year you all!

  • These Best Fragrances are the best fragrances! One that I haven’t tried, and don’t remember reading about previously is Sappho. I will seek that out. I’d like to win Paradis Provence. US

  • Great lists! I haven’t tried most of these, but I did like Memoire d’Une Odeur and thought it was great to see it as a mainstream launch. I am in the USA. I would love to win any of these bottles but maybe with a preference for Paradis Provence. Thanks for doing this draw!

  • Perris Montecarlo Jasmin de Pays rubbed me the wrong way. Clean jasmine I love, but skanky one I don’t, sorry.
    You could say I’m Nishane fanboy with owning Hacivat and Wulong Cha , and wanting a lot more. Ani unfortunately I still haven’t sample, but all the crazy praises are making me feel curious.
    I don’t get all the hate Gucci Mémoire d’Une Odeur gets. Is it because of the chamomile, maybe. I like it, but most don’t. What I think is Gucci lately is trying to appeal to the the niche fans . They now have both crowd pleasing fragrances, but also both daring ones. Smart move in my opinion.
    My choice is Ani
    Happy New Year, and thanks for the giveaway.
    USA/France

  • Oooh, would love especially to smell Nishane – ANI, since it made both Despina and Ida’s lists, but honestly, they make everything sound like a Must-Try. At the end of each year I feel like I have too much catching up to do: it’s like books — I’m never caught up! Why can’t there be a “year off” for both? I would love to win the ANI, but if I had to pick another from the amazing lists, it would be great to smell Ganymede, Drunk on the Moon, and Le Pavilion d’Or…oooh, everything sounds amazing! I live in the USA.

  • Of these I have only sniffed the Hiram Green and Papillon and love them both. Would love to try others. I live in USA. I have never smelled a Nishane and desire them. I would like to win that.