There are so many new brands emerging left and right, stay away from the internet for a few weeks and you seem to have missed about 50 launches. It is impossible to keep up and I don’t even try (or want to try) anymore. It’s like trying to stem a flood all on your own.
But of course there are some new brands that stand out, that have a certain something to pique our curiosity.
Which new brand interests you?
What launch has you scrambling to get your hands on some samples?
What should I try (and review)?
What new brand is an absolute must-try in your eyes (or your nose rather)?
My Answer:
I seem to have a bit of a case of new perfume fatigue at the moment, but I still want to explore the things you find interesting. So please, help me out with your answers.
One new line I’d like to take a closer look at is J.F. Schwarzlose Berlin, another one is Wiener Blut (the Germanic in me is coming though apparently) and a third is Jul et Mad (this review by Undina made me curious).
What are your recommendations? What line would you like to explore?
Olfactoria's Travels 
Great question! I am most interested in exploring Arquiste as I love the idea of a time in history and perfume. The other brand which I find interesting is Agonist. Just wish Arquiste would come to Vienna as Agonist is easy to test here. Of course I would really enjoy exploring April Aromatics too (hope I got that right).
Yes, let’s hope Arquiste will make an appearance here soon!
I’ve got a set of April Aromatics samples and they are very promising, reviews will come up in the near future.
Arquiste was one of the houses I was most interested in in 2012. I was very fortunate to sample Alexandr, Fleur de Louis, Boutonniere N.7 and Etrog. Boutonniere is a wonderful scent, as is Fleur de Louis; I recommend them to anyone who likes white florals.
I don’t know if it’s that new, but I’m hugely intrigued by the Miller Harris range and adore most of the ones I’ve spritzed. Sadly SpaceNK have stopped stocking them here in the UK and my nearest stockist is Manchester aurport! Would love to have the time and money to wear each for a while. faves are Premier Figuere, l’Air du Rien and the tuberose one! Also quite intrigued by Antinia’s Flowers.
Antonia’s Flowers!
Hi NINA! Antonia’s Flowers is still around? I wore the oirginal in the 80s (very heavy on the freesia). The individual who started the company I believe was a florist and wanted to capture the true essence of her flowers in a perfume. What is Antoinia’s Flowers creating these days?
Antonia’s Flowers is intriguing for me too. I’ve smelled them in passing only at Liberty’s in London, will have to investigate further eventually.
If you’re not familiar with Neil Morris Fragrances I highly recommend them for you to test (as I’m his big fan and my perfume wardrobe mostly includes NMF scents 🙂 I’m curious about Fragrifert – a New Zealand perfume brand – right now, waiting for the sampler packs. Oliver&Co was a great discovery of the end of 2012 for me, Oliver creates wonderful and unique frags.
Noted. Thanks for the suggestions, muza!
Arquiste as Sandra mentioned. I’ve already bought Aleksandr and tried l’Etrog, but I need to discover the rest as well. Vero Profumo and Roja Dove need my focus too. I even think they need my money.
Haha, they seem to need mine too this year (Mito and Unspoken are on the very top of my very short to-buy list).
I’ve tried L’Etrog too, it is pretty indeed.
I kind of agree with Arquiste – I’ve avoided them as I haven’t really wanted to like them :’) I may give them a sniff this year…
But Magnetic Scent, or just Spyros as a perfumer whatever he comes up with next, is one to watch out for – a breakthrough talent and his initial 3 fragrance lineup is absolutely brilliant!
Oh and the Bruno Acampora EDP’s I really want to give a sniff to! 😀
They are interesting, but I haven’t found one among them to really touch me for now.
Oh really? I have ignored the line of oils – ridiculous prices, the new EDP format though is much better for me, hope there’s something interesting in there 🙂
Maybe I’m unfair, there was just no pulling at my heartstrings with any of them, but as we know, these things are subject to change. 🙂
Same here. Sometimes you have to actively prevent falling in love. 😉
I want to join others in recommending Antonia’s Flowers. One of their perfumes (Tiempe Passate) is among my all-time favorites and the other three are nice (at least to try, maybe more).
I want to test the other two perfumes from the Jul et Mad line (thank you for the link!) and I’m looking forward to two all-natural Sonoma Scent Studio releases.
I second the SSS releases! I know Birgit has done numerous reviews on Laurie’s creations but I would not mind a few more 🙂 !!!
I wouldn’t mind either. 😉
Antonia inches inexorably towards the top of the list. 🙂
Definitely agree with the Sonoma Scent Studio idea. As I sniff a lot of more expensive perfumes, I become more amazed that SSS can do such lovely things at such reasonable prices. There are some real gems in her line.
I love that there are so many votes for Arquiste. This was at the top of my list to try in NYC and I ended up getting a bottle of the Anima Dulcis but, I also loved the tuberose one, Flor y Canto. Boutonniere No. 7 was also amazing but, a little too mushroomy for me. I really want to spend time with the rest of the line.
I also have a number of samples waiting to be smelled from Sonoma Scent Studio, Olympic Orchids and Soivohle that I really want to try. And if Slumberhouse comes out with any new ones I would love to smell them since the rest of his line is so unique.
And maybe not that original but, I am dying to try the new Amouage Beloved Man, the store here says they will have samples starting on the 29th of this month!
Oh yes, Beloved Man sounds wonderful! Can’t wait to try this too
From what I have sampled thus far I do like some of the Ateliers (particularly Orange Sanguine). haven’t sampled yet but am intrigued by Olfactive Studio and Ormande Jayne (forgive me if I butchered the spelling).
Interesting name of the German perfume house (hotdog blood? or have I misinterpreted “Weiner Blut”?) Now I am curious about this line!
And April Aromatics has always been on my radar because she makes naturals and practices yoga 🙂 .
Finally 1000 Flowers- have only tried Reglisse Noire (which surprisingly I adore) but there are many others in this line I would love to sample!
Wiener Blut means Viennese Blood, meaning the Viennese character or personality type (also the hotdogs are from Vienna originally).
Must get a move on with the April Aromatics, there seems to be interest…
Thanks for clarifying! My German, like my French, is a bit rusty 🙂 !!! Yes, please, to the April Aromatics (and ironically , if I am not mistaken, its perfumer is German!)
Yes, she is from Berlin. 🙂
I’d like to find out more about the Majda Bekkali line. Especially one scent named Fusion Sacrée (made by Bertrand Duchaufour), it’s a tuberose coffee scent (or rather a mystery, how that might work out), which sounds irresistible to me – samples are on the way. Also, the new Histoires de Parfums scents Veni, Vidi, Vici sound very intriguing.
Never heard of Majda Bekkali (off to google). Thanks for your tips, Safran!
Mon Nom est Rouge from this line sounds lovely as well! And the baccarat crystal bottles they are housed in are gorgeous!
Oh yes Majda Bekkali’s sculptures olfactives are wonderful, I discovered them in Paris, liked very much Mon nom est rouge and fell in love with Fusion Sacrée pour elle, tuberose coffee, vanilla, tolu balm, a real mystery yes, and a beauty!!!!!!
I’ll have to try them then, Florence. We share many similar tastes.
My samples have just arrived and I agree with you about Mon nom est rouge. With Fusion Sacrée I have as of yet difficulties, it is much brighter than I expected it to be and only melts with my skin after a few hours. But nevertheless, tomorrow I’ll try it again. The male version is definitely rounder and softer on my skin, although too male-ish.
I’ll continue with the other scents soon…..
I really try to avoid getting sucked in by the small niche brands that pop up on a regular basis. Partly because I can’t keep up, partly because it can be costly to get hold of samples but also because I have a low success rate with them.
However, right now I do love the sound of the blackcurrant perfume, The Enchanted Forest, by Vagabond Prince.
That is quite a sensible approach, Tara.
Some are really worth it though (e.g. Neela Vermeire or Ann Gerard).
Very true!
Aaah, I see, Duchaufour himself is the Prince – then no, thanks.
Lol.
In total agreement with Tara.
I recently got my hands on some samples I’ve been dying to try so at the moment I’m not actively seeking out anything. I’m also way behind in exploring lines that everyone else has tested and written about so what’s old to the rest of the world is new to me. I guess if I had to name something I’d say Slumberhouse and Kerosene are two lines that are on my radar.
Another vote here for Slumberhouse!
Their Pear and Olive sounds so good…
If I consider my sample backlog, I shouldn’t be looking for anything new as well, but who knows what i’d miss then… 😉
Interesting monday question. I’m curious about trying fragrances from Carner Barcelona (after reading your reviews) + the brand appeared in one niche perfume store in Warsaw. Unfortunately I live far from Warsaw and this niche store doesn’t have a samples program.
I would also like to try some Agonist fragrances.
On the other hand Undina made me curious about Jo Malone’s Sugar & Spice collection which is due to launch in March.
Carner have really lovely perfumes. And the best thing is: they are taking it slow. Not releasing 27 new scents a year. 😉
I need to find a way to sample them. I know I can get a carded sample from their website for 5€ but I just don’t want to pay for it if there’s a chance of getting it in a swap or something.
If I had any left, I’d send them to you, but I used up my samples. 😦
Maybe someone else here will pipe up…
If not I will add them to my wishlist for swapmania or swapmeet at NST. If I don’t suceed then I might order them online.
I recently smelled Terrasse à St-Germain from Jul et Mad which I thought was OK until an hour later when it blossomed into this warm and comforting scent. I’m curious to test the other perfumes in the line.
Another perfume from that line that sounds very good, hmmm…
Oh very good Monday question – it is so hard to decide what to explore and what to ignore!
From reading your blog I am eager to explore Ann Gerard’s line; I am also intrigued by Jul et Mad it just seems like a very well put together collection and concept (but where is the discovery set? Ah Neela has spoilt me…) and finally I have been umm-ing and ah-ing over “The Exotic Island Perfumer” over on Etsy.
Neela has spoiled us all.
I will not look over to Etsy now, nothing good will come from that. 😉
I must say there is no specific house I am curious about in terms of its whole range, just odd perfumes here and there. And the Jul et Mad one Undina reviewed also piqued my interest! I do second Lucasai on Carner Barcelona – in that case I consciously wanted to get up to speed on their latest releases. But mostly it is more a case of individual perfumes that catch my attention. I sometimes lack the moral fibre to test entire collections, even if they were lined up in front of me. Especially if they are!
I know what you mean, for years I have been ignoring lines that stare me in the face, but an impenetrable wall of 50 similar bottles has a very off-putting effect.
Have you tried Cuirass Velours by the Aussie miliner who’s name currently escapes me? I liked it a lot. Another vote for Slumberhouse. AWing & A Prayer have a great line and sample program at their Etsy store. What about Illuminum? OMG! There is SO MUCH I think my head will explode,
Portia xx
I meant Cuir Velours, bloody predictive text.
I had to laugh out loud about Cuirass, so thank you! 🙂
Naomi Goodsir – fabulous name! I like this perfume, but I have not really worn it, just tried it once.
You won’t miss a whole lot if you give Illuminum a pass imho…
I am waiting to try Eau de Lingerie, L’Heure Bleue de nuit (I know this is not a new release but I have not tried it yet) and Chanel 1932. I am dying to try the new Neela creations too and bascially anything that Betrand has had a hand in. The Sculptures Olfactives also had me googling and sound lovely too, there are too many to possibly keep up with.
The new Chanel is a must-try! Keeping up is indeed impossible and to try ultimately frustrating.
Hi Birgit, I would like to nominate 4160 Tuesday’s. The perfumer, Sarah McCartney is currently coming up with some seriously scrumptious perfumes. I’m certainly in love (especially in this cold weather) with Over the Chocolate Shop. I believe Sarah has just made a new batch as the original has sold out so bear in mind It might not show at the moment on her web site. Being a serious gourmand lover I’ve tested most chocolate perfumes and own many, longevity and sillage is rarely good even with the larger more well known niche houses. I can promise this one lasts and lasts and has a beautiful rounded resinous dry down. Sarah’s Urara’s Tokyo Cafe is next on my list along with Evil Max at the moment this line is really holding my interest. Well worth checking out!
Hi Val,
I will look into his line eventually, the names alone are worth it.
Oh yes certainly Slumberhouse.
And would love to know more about Ramon Monegal (have liked what I’ve tried so far)
Also so interested in Moss Gown (Providence) and Enchanted Forest too – both sound great.
But would look forward to reading about any from the comments above!!!!
Great suggestions, Alice! Will look into these.
(P.S. I can’t cook either. 😉 )
Certainly not new but so many of the Histoires de Parfums perfumes appeal to me. I must get round to trying them.
There are some great perfumes in the bunch. Blanc Violette and 1725 Marquis de Sade are my favorites.
At some point I pulled back on keeping up with the new brands. They seemed to be sprouting daily. I felt kind of pressured (no one but me to blame for that) to try each and every one–and that began to feel more like work than play. I’m still very interested in the new brands and releases and I love reading about them. But I leave my encounters with them mostly to chance, or I follow up on specific recommendations from perfume pals.
That is a sound and sensible strategy, I do that too. Otherwise it becomes stressful indeed.
Sound and sensible–until I cave (again), of course. If this should happen any time soon, I’ll blame on you and Bloody Frida. 🙂
Lol, okay, I’ll take the blame and share it sisterly with Bloody Frida. 😉
I’m so with you on this (and others…)! I stopped testing, because I simply have no time & energy to follow the new launches …. Well, there’s a lot of press about that “Schwarzlose” – so yes, I’d be curious about your opinion.
Still, it has to be the new Roja Dove in order to arrest my attention (o.k., I’m waiting for the Body&Bath products from Jo Loves as well…)
A new Roja Dove is always a must-try and probable temptation.
At the moment I am curious about different fragrances, not a single house per se. I am looking forward to Chanel’s 1932, Divine’s Homme Infini, Atelier’s Mistral Patchouli and Vetiver Fatal, as well as Amyris pour Femme.
It’s a good idea to focus on particular perfumes rather than entire lines, it gets overwhelming quickly otherwise.
Jubilation XXX with it’s Fantasy Accord.
Vagabond Prince’s Enchanted Vetiver.
Didn’t know about Beloved Man until I read this post – great news.
And Yes to more strange and unique offerings from Slumberhouse.
This is the first I hear of Jubilation XXX, so we are square on the Amouage news front. 😉
As Vanessa stated, I find myself not so much interested in exploring an entire new line, but rather in seeking out certain new perfumes that my blogging friend’s love. So that Jul et Mad one that Undina reviewed is high on my (short to the point of almost non-existent) list of things I’d like to seek out right now.
I am thrilled, though, that I got to sniff the whole line of April Aromatics. I’m in love with so many of them, and exceptionally smitten with Jasmina. Looking forward to your reviews from this line!
The lists become shorter the longer we are in this game, don’t they. 🙂
April Aromatics is a lovely line, I like the entire presentation too. (Gesamtkunstwerk and all that…)
On the top of my list is the Arquiste line as well as Ann Gerard wich I haven’t tried yet, and Jules et Mad Stilletos on Lex. Also I would very much like to try the new OJ perfumes (especially Tsarina), but I haven’t seen any samples on their site yet.
I hope OJ maybe does a sample set for the four new ones, like the have for the regular line.
I’m in no rush to try things this year. I have enough perfume to last many, many lifetimes. If I feel the need after re-organizing my collection, I’d be curious to try the Arquiste and Ann Gerard lines. In the mean time, I’m going to spend time revisiting the Chanel Exclusifs and the samples I have from Pure Distance, Carner Barcelona and Olfactive Studio.
Then you have many lovely samples at home already, enjoy the ride!
Another vote for Slumberhouse!
This line has many fans!
My most-awaited perfumes of the new year are the three expected Andy Tauer perfumes (Noontide Petals and Gardenia Sotto La Luna in his own line and Ingrid in the Tableau de Parfums line).
I also try every new release in the Sweet Anthem line, because I am friends with the brand owner and she is one of the influences who got me into perfume.
As far as brands, my perfume sampling budget is not particularly large. I have never tried any Sonoma Scent Studio, I plan to buy the full-line sample set from her website at some point this year. Oh, I’m excited to try the new Marni. I really want to try DelRae and Parfums d’Empire too this year.
Three new Tauers, oh my…
Sounds like a good plan for the coming year, Susan.
For a change, I actually did follow some of the happenings around me and the lines I’m hearing about and would like to get to know are LM perfumes, Ramon Monegal and Arquiste.
Especially Boutonniere 7. 🙂
Arquiste gets many votes today.
I hope you get to smell the perfumes on your list soon.
My list of lines to explore is so far behind it’s laughable ie. “Hmmm, I heard about this brand called L’Artisan…..” Near the top of my list are Divine, Histoires and Miller Harris, but mainly I’m still focusing on notes. I’m waiting for my cold to clear up to work through the suede samples that have arrives, and I’m wanting to explore incense more fully as well as jasmine. Still, if a new line isn’t overwhelmingly huge (cough*ramonmonagel*cough) and has a great sampler set at a reasonable price – kudos to Olfactive Studios – I’ll be all over it.
*arrived*
Stupid cold.
I hope you get over your cold quickly!
Your way of thorough note exploration is something I admire greatly, it is so disciplined and methodical. You are training your nose like a pro. 🙂
I’ve read very good reviews on the blogs about the Olympic Orchids line, and am planning to buy a sample pack of their orchid fragrances.
I’ve reviewed OO for PST a while ago, they are very interesting indeed.
I have a niche fragrance house you should try Birgit, Opus Oils. From the descriptions of their fragrances on their website they sound absolutely divine. They have crazy names, but that just makes them more fun and zany. I just ordered some samples of Wild Child, Dirty Sexy Wilde, and Joe No. 3. Then there’s the Les Bohemes line which is a throwback to speakeasies of the 20’s and features some of my favorite notes: ambergris, dark amber, aged labdanum, vintage patchouli, and sandalwood.
I know Opus Oils, their presentation isn’t quite my thing, which is why I tend to ignore them in my sample box, but I should really give them a chance eventually…
May I incredibly belatedly (and courtesy of NST) also include the new perfumes by Majda Bekkali, I am just captivated by the bottles!
You may. 🙂
They do look tempting…
I’m dying to try Serge Luten’s Sarrasins and also his Iris Silver Mist – you can’t get them in England or the US (I think you can only get them in France). Why is it that you want them even more for the fact that you can’t get sample them locally. (My perfume tastes also keep changing – I used to like rose and then fell in love with Serge’s a la nuit and now it seems I don’t like rose or jasmin any more. I’m now into Jeux de Peau and Acqua di Parma’s Iris Nobile but I’m too scared to buy anything in case my taste changes again which it will inevitably do with the amount of smelling of aroma chemicals I do every day.)
Hi jbarberlondon,
Serge Lutens ships his bell jars within the EU, so you should be able to get them in the UK. If you want to sample first, you can email them for wax samples, which they send free of charge.
I know of the problem of tastes changing, it happens to me all the time. The good thing is, they change back again too. 😉
Thanks so much, I just emailed them and hope that they send me some wax samples.
You are very welcome! Enjoy your Lutens!