Season 7 • Episode 18: New Year's Day Special!
Happy New Year one and all.
We wanted to start 2026 with a chat about our favourite and most worn fragrances of 2025 (the ones we didn't have space to talk about during ‘On The Scent Live’!)
We hope you enjoy this first episode of the year.
Loads of love,
Nicola and Suzy (both wearing Marc Antoine Barrois Tilia today, naturally)
We mention…
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Kurky
‘Kurky, the affectionate nickname of Francis Kurkdjian in his youth, evokes an insatiable desire for freedom. A perfume that encourages you to see life in color, to dream and be amazed again. In a creamy and mouthwatering cloud of white musks, Kurky distils fruity notes, reminiscent of tutti frutti candies. A composition thought of as a great burst of laughter, a smile, and a ray of sunshine: an invitation to awaken the child within us. Amazed enough for dreams, carefree enough to make them come true: Kurky is the gourmand fragrance for grown-ups who dare to dream like kids.’
Nissaba Berbera
Top notes: a superfluid extract of spicy incense meets resinous elemi and a duo of nutmeg and black pepper essences.
Heart notes: leathery, powdery incense enhances warm myrrh.
Base notes: pyrogenic incense gums with amber facets enrich a superfluid extract of Somali opopanax.
Maison Crivelli Tubereuse Astrale
‘Maison Crivelli presents its sixth Extrait de Parfum, Tubéreuse Astrale, developed in collaboration with perfumer Quentin Bisch. For this new opus, Thibaud Crivelli was inspired by a personal adventure, during which he smelled the scent of tuberoses under the Milky Way. Thibaud Crivelli's childhood memory is the inspiration for Tubéreuse Astrale Extrait de Parfum. A cloud of sparkling tuberoses illuminates an accord of velvety leather and musks.’
Creed Oud Zarian
‘Oud Zarian unfurls with a spellbinding air of mystique brought by resinous and resplendent frankincense intertwined with a warming spice accord. This soon drifts away to reveal a radiant heart of rare Rose Centifolia blooming atop a base of creamy sandalwood, patchouli and myrrh. Crowned with the most precious 80-year-aged Oud Choron that bestows an unmatched aromatic intensity and woody depth, this is more than just a fragrance; it is a testament to patience and the pursuit of perfection.’
Jovoy Halong Bay
‘A sensorial tribute to Vietnam, Ha Long Baycaptures the soul of the legendary bay through a rare sand mango (Xoài Cát), emblematic of the Hoa Loc province. More than a fragrance, it is an intimate evocation — a blend of memories and precious raw materials, revealed by a powerful and luminous trail. The mango, with facets of peach, banana, and apricot, is elevated by vibrant spices, soft leather, and an elegant woody base. A radiant and living fragrance by JOVOY, that evolves on the skin and leaves a lasting impression.’
Initio Power Self
‘Initio seeks to bestow each of its scents with a unique formula that boosts emotional strength, with the Power Self extrait de parfum encouraging you to feel powerful from the inside out. Note how the blend of woody and floral notes – white flowers, black pepper and musk molecule – creates a comforting and alluring fragrance that'll help you showcase the best version of yourself.’
Amouage Purpose 50
‘An unwavering totem of strength and assertiveness, the original Purpose Eau de Parfum employed the ageless power of Frankincense to convey a sense of feeling at peace, of finding one’s roots, of being complete. Now in the form of an Exceptional Extrait, dosed at an astonishing 50% concentration, Purpose 50 delves deeper into the base of the scent. Joining the Frankincense, the Papyrus and the Sand Vetiver from the Eau de Parfum are an authoritative Sandalwood accord – lending the whole a unique, creamy-woody earthiness – as well as a Vanillin note, which creates a more intimate bond with the wearer’s skin. Purpose 50 is a profoundly moving connection to the earth itself – with its ancient soul , its endless patience and its timeless wisdom.’
Les Eaux Primordiales Ambre Supermassive
‘Ambre Supermassive, our new Extrait de Parfum is inspired by the mystical beauty of red amber, evoking the depth and warmth of this precious stone. Both fruity and spicy, this syrupy fragrance captures the imagination and captivates the senses. The scent of black vanilla and tobacco transcends space and time, leaving an infinite magnetic trail.’
Headspace Parfums Rose (at Wild Iris boutique in Brighton)
‘A symbol of love, tenderness and purity, the rose is here played out in major mode: an essence, an absolute and an ‘LMR Ultimate’ (an upcycling of previously discarded rose petals) declaim their grandiose floral poetry in unison. Facing the Queen of flowers is her extreme opposite: gunpowder. An explosive mix of sulphur, potassium nitrate and charcoal, this ingredient — in the form of a headspace capture — unfurls its metallic, cold and smoky facets. An unusual but ideal component to shake up the classicism of the rose and push it to its limits. What emerges is the image of a bouquet of roses whose grace lies in the dramatic explosion of its petals.
A fragrance of imperative hope, Rose_Headspace captures our most contradictory facets — beauty and violence, vice and virtue — and forcibly brings them together to create something unique, singular and ultimately human. An aromatic explosion of camphor, mint and basil meets the austere elegance of gunpowder. A vibrant rose soon emerges, made virile by geranium and faceted with blackcurrant buds. Incense extends the contrast with a trail of vetiver and benzoin, between wood and amber.’
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