My Favourite Five From 2022

Every year brings its share of triumphs and disasters, with the latter currently being solely reserved for the revolving door of Prime Ministers that the UK has recently had to endure, but the perfume industry always manages to shine a light in the darkness. 2022 was the first year since lockdown that every company's plans could be relied on to go full steam ahead, and the results have been well worth the wait. So, as we approach the end of 2022, it’s time to look back at twelve months of reviews on stephanmatthews.com and, while once again channelling my inner Blyton, pick My Favourite Five.

One of the constants over the past few years has been the regular release from Electimuss London, and 2022 certainly didn't disappoint. Vici Leather was created by Julien Rasquinet and his task was to translate “I came, I saw, I conquered” into scent. This famous Julius Caesar cry was realised by cleverly combining the aroma of specks of dust caught in the light of a faded country library with a mahogany-laced tuberose. The final whisper of aged leather, along with a discarded glass of absinthe, created an exquisite scentscape that once again proves Electimuss is a brand to take notice of. Read the original article by clicking here.

Elementary launched in 2019 with three fragrances, and this year saw me complete my trio of reviews with Lowbrow Jazz. Founded by Steve Foulkes and Becky Stacey, this natural fragrance celebrates the idea of “sax-driven jazz played to you on a warm evening”. It cleverly gives you the metal glint from the outset, thanks to a piercing green citrus opening, but the journey through the peppered basil aromatic onto a final resinous warmth is a gift to experience. Lowbrow Jazz is the perfect example that we should always look backwards as well as forwards in the search for new fragrances. Read the original article by clicking here.

When it comes to reviving classic perfumes, the name to look out for is Barry Gibson. The man behind the relaunch of The Crown Perfumery, which later became Clive Christian, this year saw him found The Art of the Perfumer. Sumara, one of five fragrances, is the revived Eau de Lubin from 1798 and demonstrates that historical masculine perfumes combined both floral notes and citruses with unrivalled refinement. Rose and orange blossom pair seamlessly with a whiskyed ambrette and oakmoss to create a finished aroma that is irresistible, and shows vintage scents aren’t always animalic heavy. Read the original article by clicking here.

There’s always one fragrance that literally grabs you by the feet, turns you upside down, and rocks your world. The 2022 culprit is Gold Spot from Sarah Baker Perfumes. Chris Maurice was asked to create the scent of a screen siren’s cinematic spotlight. However, in my mind it turned into the exciting aroma of clandestine adultery. It cleverly combines a deceitful hot skin oud with the innocence of butterscotch, but adds a bite with bitter chocolate and a vetiver dryness for the cold walk of shame. Gold Spot hints at how exciting life could be if you took an adulterous plunge. Read the original article by clicking here.

My final choice from the past twelve months is Encourage from Leighton Denny. It was one of the three perfumes that he launched in his second fragrance range, The Confidence Collection, and was created to help empower his customers through scent. Leighton is no stranger to the perfume industry, having won a FiFi for Light & Dark Desire, and Encourage also recently won a Cosmopolitan Beauty Award. Based around cardamom, it combines a green citrus with a beautifully balanced vetiver, but surprises everyone with its final reveal of a confident suede-like leather and incense accord. Read the original article by clicking here.

So, that brings us to the end of My Favourite Five for 2022. I’m going to be taking a two week break now but I’ll be back on 9th January for more fragrant fun. Have a wonderful Christmas, a safe New Year, and thank you for all of your support over the past twelve months. [Original samples were provided by the companies]

Posted by Stephan Matthews at 07:00:00

Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest

Labels: Electimuss, Elementary, Encourage, Gold Spot, Independent, Leighton Denny, Lowbrow Jazz, Niche, Sarah Baker Perfumes, Sumara, The Art of the Perfumer, Vici Leather