Gourmand notes, artistic bottles and multi-scent suites were dominant trends in personal fragrance this year as perfume makers sought new ways to lure buyers in an increasingly desperate economy.
While perfumers have long looked to the orchards and spice racks for inspiration, increased use of ingredients such as honey, marshmallow, caramel and coconut signaled a return to the familiar -- perhaps part of the overall trend toward the natural and organic.
Bottles became works of art, architectural feats exemplified by the likes of the sculptural Feerie eau de parfum by Van Cleef & Arpels -- jewelry houses have long presented their fragrances in gorgeous flacons -- the smooth, hammered stones that house Jennifer Lopez's Deseo scents and the regal silver flask of UR for Men by singer-actor Usher.
New York fragrance house Bond No. 9 went directly against the prevailing save-money headwinds, cloaking several of its star-shaped bottles with colored Swarovski crystals in extravagant holiday editions ranging from $395 to $650.
"There's a trend toward having the bottles original and innovative," noted Lyn Leigh, spokesperson for the New York-based Fragrance Foundation. "There's no question that the fragrance industry is trying to become more original and innovative. They're engaging consumers in conversations they may not have had a year ago, grabbing their attention."
This year also saw a marked increase in the number of fragrances launched simultaneously as a suite by brands. Among the most interesting was Harajuku Lovers, five distinct scents by Gwen Stefani in colorful doll-shaped flacons.
Classics and remixes continued as trends, with Secret Obsession and Bijan VIP arriving as updates of their popular original blends from the '80s, and Ralph Lauren morphing his modern men's classic Polo into the more luxurious Polo Modern Reserve.
Celebrity fragrances generally evolved into more sophisticated formulations. Along with Usher and Stefani, the galaxy of stars introducing new scents included Christina Aguilera, Victoria and David Beckham, Paris Hilton, Mariah Carey, Jessica Simpson, Celine Dion, Kimora Lee Simmons, Diddy, and Patrick Dempsey for Avon.
Meanwhile, among those debuting their first olfactory offerings were fine jewelry designer David Yurman and venerable clothier Brooks Brothers. Their products, along with those by the likes of Bond No. 9, Tokyo Milk and Santa Maria Novella, show that "independent brands are emerging as key players," said Ms. Leigh.
After years of sustained growth, fragrance sales grew at a slower rate last year than in 2006. Time will tell if enough consumers shook their recession jitters this year to pull the numbers up.
Among the scores of new colognes and perfumes that hit U.S. stores this year are a relative few that stand out from the rest. For the seventh straight year, I've listed my favorites. Below, in no particular order, are 10 for women followed by three for men and one superior universal (unisex) scent.
WOMEN
• Brigitte. Tocca's specialty fragrances are as attractive and as well made as the brand's womenswear and accessories. From first spritz to drydown, Brigitte eau de parfum is alluring with notes of ginger, rhubarb, papaya, rose and saffron. $68 at Sephora and Tocca.com.
• Jeanne Lanvin. Soft and ultra-feminine, this eau de parfum harkens back to the days of delicate vintage scents. Yet its appeal is contemporary, a modern mix of citron, sweet blackberry, pear nectar, white freesia, pink peonies, ambergris and a whisper of musk. The presentation is vanity-friendly, with the pink juice visible through a clear, silver-capped rectangular glass bottle wrapped with a pink tulle ribbon. About $70 at valentineperfume.com.
• Love in Black. French perfumer Creed has a take-no-prisoners approach to fragrance making, this time paying homage to former first lady Jackie Kennedy on the 40th anniversary of her wedding to billionaire tycoon Aristotle Onassis. The beguiling eau de parfum, dripping with elegance, is infused with ingredients from places she lived and visited: Virginia cedar, Florentine iris, French blackcurrant, Greek night-blooming flowers. $130 to $350 at Saks, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the World Wildlife Federation.
• Love, Ralph Lauren. Few names churn out scents with the regularity and consistent quality of Lauren, and he calls this one his most luxurious ever. Although his chocolate-spiked, spicy-sparkly-Oriental Notorious was one of the year's outstanding offerings for women, it was eclipsed by this magnus opus, a divinely luxurious blend of magnolia, mimosa, Bulgaria rose, vetiver and orris root butter. $90 to $2,200 at RalphLauren.com.
• Pearls. This first fine scent from Carol's Daughter, maker of spa-quality personal care products, is timeless and unforgettable with just the right dose of fresh aldehydes. It opens with notes of citrus, apricot and peach and unfolds gently into hints of anise, verbena, florals, caramel and vanilla. It's an eau de toilette with the lasting power of an eau de parfum. $45 at Sephora at South Hills Village and CarolsDaughter.com.
• Tom Ford White Patchouli. Because it smells so exotically sexy, something for which the designer seems to have a sixth sense. The eau de parfum's foundation of crushed, earthy patchouli leaves gets a sensuous twist from ambrette seed, spicy coriander, blond woods, soft incense and a bouquet of white flowers. $60 to $138 at Nordstrom, Sephora and Saks.
• Bronze Goddess. Estee Lauder's recently launched Sensuous is just that with its come-hither melange of honey, pepper and mandarin orange pulp. But the beauty brand topped that months earlier with Bronze Goddess, a limited-edition summer scent. A head-turning concoction of golden amber, coconut milk, myrrh and vanilla on a bed of crisp citrus and lush florals, it wears just as well in colder months. It's no longer at counters, so an Internet search is your best hope of finding it. But it's worth the search.
• Sweet Lime & Cedar. British perfumer Jo Malone adds another winner to her stable of thoroughbred colognes. This eclectic, Siam-inspired entry is a feminine cocktail of its two namesake ingredients tempered with jasmine, ylang ylang, spearmint, lavender, clary sage, coconut, citrus and spices. $55 and $100 at Saks, Nordstrom and JoMalone.com.
• Garden Riot. The most ambitious of the new multiscent suites, this quintet of creatively lush eaux de parfum by Manuel Canovas includes Mediterranean citrus-floral L'Ile Bleue, spicy floriental Route Mandarine, tropically fresh Pink Riviera, woodsy floral Ballade Verte and beach-breezy Anse Turquoise. $95 each at ManuelCanovas.com and Beautyhabit.com.
• David Yurman. The bottle, a block of glimmering gold encased in clear glass with a gold cable cap, is stunning. The scent is equally so, a beautiful balance of rose, waterlily, patchouli and exotic woods. $75 to $165 at Saks.
MEN
• Prada Infusion D'Homme. This eau de toilette is on the money, from the nouveau vintage embossed glass bottle to its bold, dignified aroma. Notes of vetiver and cedarwood swirl around incense and Tunisian neroli. $54 to $100 at Macy's, Saks and Sephora.
• Deseo. The name means "desire," and that's just what this Jennifer Lopez scent stirs. The men's counterpart to the sultry women's scent of the same name that also bowed this year, it's a shamelessly provocative potion of watery lemon, yuzu, cedarleaf, wild berries, tobacco leaves, amber and vanilla. $45 and $55 at Ulta and Macy's.
• KenzoPower. Kenzo's new 2008 men's scent Tokyo is outstanding, but this newest launch is a must-have. The eau de toilette is robust yet restrained, wearable anywhere and distinctive enough to invite inquiry. With a heart of artificial florals surrounded by bergamot, amber and woods, it's surprisingly masculine and a welcome departure from the same-old-same-old in men's fragrances. $55 and $75 at Ulta and Sephora.
UNIVERSAL
• Un Jardin après la Mousson. Hermes hits a high note with this subtle, mysterious scent inspired by the revival of nature after monsoon season in India. It's both vegetal and floral in composition, infused with cantaloupe and vetiver and spiced up with cardamom, coriander, pepper and ginger. $85 and $125 at Sephora.
Post-Gazette fashion editor LaMont Jones can be reached at ljones@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1469.
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