With so many new scents hitting the shelves, 2021 feels like the year of the fragrance. I've tried a fair few of them already this year, so I thought it was time to share my favourites...
I've also been loving the Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Intense, the most recent flanker in the Daisy collection. For those that don't know, a flanker refers to a newly created perfume that shares some attributes of an existing perfume. These attributes may be the name or packaging, however it is mainly the hero notes of the existing fragrance.
Daisy Eau So Intense is a fruity floral fragrance that is the creation of legendary perfumer, Alberto Morillas. Morillas is the man behind some of history's most famous fragrances, including Calvin Klein CK One, Carolina Herrera 212, and Flower by Kenzo. Daisy Eau So Intense is a multi-faceted scent inspired by warm sunsets over lush fields of daisies. It features top notes of strawberry, bergamot, and pear, heart notes of jasmine, sweet honey and elegant rose, and base notes of vanilla, green moss, benzoin, and musk. The rich eau de parfum has moderate lasting power and good projection. It is available in three sizes - 30ml for £55, 50ml for £69, and 100ml for £99 - from Boots.
La Belle Le Parfum Intense by Jean Paul Gaultier is another new favourite... and another flanker. It takes elements from its predecessor, La Belle, but adds a seductive and sensual twist. It is the creation of Quentin Bisch and Sonia Constant. Quentin Bisch is the nose behind Chloé Nomade, Mugler Angel Nova, and Paco Rabanne 1 Million Parfum, while Sonia Constant is the nose behind Davidoff Cool Water Parfum For Her, Giorgio Armani Ocean di Gioia, and Tom Ford Noir Pour Femme.
La Belle Le Parfum features notes of pear, jasmine, tonka bean, and vanilla. It is a rich, sweet, and super sexy scent that - though described as an oriental fragrance - feels as though it should place high on the gourmand spectrum. As for its performance, this eau de parfum has good projection and seriously impressive lasting power. La Belle Le Parfum is available in three sizes - 30ml for £54, 50ml for £77, and 100ml for £102 - from lookfantastic.com.
My final favourite is the beautiful Shiseido Ginza, a scent designed to embody the lively soul of Tokyo. Named after Japan’s most cosmopolitan district, this floral fruity fragrance blends the elegance of flowers with the richness of sacred woods. Ginza features top notes of pomegranate and pink pepper, middle notes of orchid, freesia, and magnolia, and base notes of hinoki, patchouli, and sandalwood. The eau de parfum is the creation of Karine Dubreuil - the perfumer behind Gucci Envy Me and Roberto Cavalli Just Cavalli Her, and Maïa Lernout - the perfumer behind Elie Saab La Parfum Royal and Kenzo World. The beautiful feminine fragrance has moderate projection and great lasting power. It is currently available in a 50ml bottle for £70 from lookfantastic.com.