This year saw the arrival of some of the most memorable fragrances in recent memory. As we started compiling our favourites, we noticed many of our picks were united by a spirit of reinvention. Modern takes on chypres, fougères, and incense & rose, for example, mined old tropes for newly satisfying blends. In addition, most scents shared a sense of warmth, as if anticipating the extra comfort we’d need to stay grounded in our turbulent world.
Creamy dreamscapes, poetic forests, glowing auras of musk and smouldering incense helped us access serenity at Etiket HQ. But make no mistake: these scents are not just for winter! Instead, they prove that cozy, soothing or contemplative fragrances don’t have to be boring. Read on to discover our favourites, listed in no particular order.
FOX IN THE FLOWERBED
A joyful, soothing ode to jasmine, diffused through the sepia lens of an early summer sunset. Colourfully nostalgic, like the films of Wes Anderson.
MOLECULE 01 + PATCHOULI
This reinvention of single-ingredient masterpiece Molecule 01 adds a moody, musky, spicy, sparkling patchouli layer to its skin-enhancing base.
PEAU
Like sensual bass notes for the skin, with cedar air and an almost indescribable musk accord. Layer under everything: wide-eyed compliments will ensue.
CIVET CAT CHYPRE
Meleg’s scents are unlike anything else on the market. Airy, buttery, and breathtakingly elegant; this is handmade perfumery at its best.
SWEET GRASS
A masterful recreation of the green tobacco pleasures of Canadian sweetgrass. A youthful fougère that’s equal parts prairie poetry and urban sex appeal.
MACAQUE YUZU EDITION
The tart-sweet bite of yuzu energizes the lemony facets of Hinoki wood, resulting in a dynamic and wearable composition with that trademark Zoologist twist.
IRIS MALIKHÂN
A surprising reinvention of iris, with waves of vanilla pod crashing on an amber origami shore as a floral fog rolls in. This is fragrance as textural symphony.
VETIVER
Two origins of vetiver lay rumbling at the heart of this all-natural ode to citrus and earth; so vivid it’s almost hallucinogenic. Perfectly balanced between wild and civilized.
MY JU-JU
Like the creamy-woody smell of someone familiar, this scent deliciously evades description. Dewy green notes dance on a base reminiscent of cashmere donut icing.
SUNDOWNER
Vivid but relaxed, and with “hygge” to spare, citrus and cocoa crackle over a layer of warm wood like an impossibly sexy bonfire. For venturing outwards with your sense of home intact.
CONTES DU LEVANT
Damask rose illuminates a suspended geometry of pepper, patchouli and incense. Polished, gleaming, romantic, and much more than the sum of its parts.
Curious about this year’s top 10? This sample pack contains all the fragrances featured here. Grab one and find a new favourite!
