It’s hard to believe but we’re a quarter into the current year. I don’t know about you, but my testing activities subsided significantly. I suspect that many brands have slowed down with new releases as well, but still, if you were to look at Fragrantica’s list for 2021, you’d see a significant number of new perfumes. It got me wondering what my readers were testing this year.
Saturday Question #58:
Have You Tried Any Perfumes Released in 2021?
Have you been to any stores that carry perfumes? Do they allow testing? Or were you buying samples? Were there any interesting finds so far?
A bonus question: are there any new perfumes you want to try?
My Answer
I was amazed to realize that so far I tried exactly one perfume released this year – Tom Ford Tubéreuse Nue. Not surprisingly, I dislike it: even though I do not think it’s a real tuberose, unlike it happens to me with artificial oud, I do not like either natural or artificial tuberose. But it made me to appreciate Malle‘s Carnal Flower and By Killian‘s Beyond Love more (even though I still don’t think I’d wear any of these). I’m not sure how this name continues the infamous line of questionable names, but I prefer not to look for the answer.
As to perfumes I’d like to try… There are not that many I’m aware of. Probably, I wouldn’t mind trying new Byredo scents, Diptyque Orphéon, new perfumes in Armani Prive and Tom Ford Private Bland lines and Les Parfums de Rosine Rose Griotte. I’m mildly curious about Jo Malone’s limited edition with hibiscus. But I think that’s it.
How about you?
Undina's Looking Glass 
I’ve given up following new releases so I don’t even know what is new for 2021. Needless to say I don’t think I have tried anything from 2021. I would love to go back to the old days where only 50-100 new perfumes, many of high quality , were released each year instead of the 4000+ being released yearly now.
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I miss those times when I knew the most of new releases worth knowing.
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Non-essential shops don’t reopen here til the 12th April so there’s been no access to perfumes in-store this year so far
The only 2021 launch I’m excited for is Freddie Albrighton Perfumes which are on sale from today. I can’t wait for his Instagram Live with Val tonight.
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I caught that live stream partially, but I was having issues with connection, so I gave up.
I remember Freddie from earlier blogging times, so I’ll look forward to reading reviews for his new line.
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I have not tried anything yet from 2021 and I am not in a rush to to do it. I am always behind trying new releases, in general. I only sampled very few scents from 2020. I am discovering and have been buying older perfumes that I am enjoying greatly.
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I miss going to stores from time to time to try the most recent perfumes (at least from the subset of brands carried by local stores). But I’m not in a hurry to test anything really.
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Hey Undina,
I’ve not tried anything new to 2021 yet, though I am interested in Tom Ford’s Soleil Brulant and Eau de Jasmin Rouge. I had the tuberose in my hand on Thursday but didn’t spritz because the Costa Azzura called us (very nice but the PRICE!).
I’d really like to try Rochas Girl, St, Vetiver by D S & Durga, Orchid Leather by Van Cleef & Arpels, Alphaora 30 by PG, Riva Solare by Bulgari, all the newly packaged Guerlain’s to see if they’ve toyed with the scents, Lethe by Ulrich Lang, L’Heure Osee V by Cartier and the Freddie Albrighton set.
PHEW! Looks like I’ll be busy.
Portia xx
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From your list I’m interested in TFs (always!) and Orchid Leather. Everything else… I’ll try if I see any of these but if no, I’ll be fine.
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I have tried Jo Malone’s Scarlet Poppy and didn’t like it, too much of something for me. I tried and love Diptyque’s new Orpheon. I have a 10 ml of it now and I’m really enjoying it. It’s warm, spicy, woody, but not heavy at all.
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I forgot that I bought another 2021 release, Les Parfums de Rosine’s Rose Griote. It’s a gorgeous rose with cherry and cherry blossom notes. I think it’s divine. It’s not sweet like La Petite Robe Noire (I cannot abide that cloying cough syrup cherry in LPRN). It’s fresh and perfect for spring. It was a blind buy- ordered it direct from France. I couldn’t wait when I saw the notes. LOL. I’m very familiar with the Parfums de Rosine line so I made an educated guess and it worked out.
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That sounds so nice! I also love the Rosine line. And I share your opinion of La Petite Robe Noire.
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Scarlet Poppy is from 2020 :)
I like Les Parfums de Rosine, so I’m curious about their new perfume. Unfortunately, nobody carries this brand around, and I’m hesitant to buy samples… But I might.
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I tried and bought Orphéon and JM Scarlet Poppy (with birthday money, so free!). Found the JM hibiscus ones okay but not compelling. I tried and hated Byredo Mixed Emotions. No interest in Tubéreuse Nue, I have way more tuberose scents than I need already. I think that’s it for 2021. I am very interested in the July release of Papillon Spell 125 but that’s all I have on the horizon.
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Scarlet Poppy is from 2020 (and now I’m tempted with 50 ml bottle on sale :) ). I will try Papillon’s new perfume when I get a chance, but o far only Bengale Rouge worked for me.
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Exactly one – Zoologist Snowy Owl – I’m a DSH fan so I blind bought a travel spray of this. However, I haven’t even given it a wearing yet – just arrived and I haven’t worked it into my project. After last year’s no-buy, I’m still in a phase of limited spending and shopping so I’ve not had the chance to sniff anything else.
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Please let us know when you try. I almost blind ordered but didn’t, as I usually regret it.
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I hope you like it: it’ll be a pity to get something that doesn’t work for you when you’re limiting your purchases that strictly.
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Was Chanel Lion released this year? I had a sample and tried but did not like it. It made me question whether my sample was legit (from ebay) as everyone seemed so positive about this. I didn’t hate it but it was a big pass from me. I briefly tried Orpheon from Diptyque, and it didn’t grab me. I need to revisit it again, as I usually like Diptyque’s scents with these note descriptions. I’m still recovering from a knee surgery, and I find that pain really influences the perfumes I am enjoying right now. I’m very grumpy!
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I hated Chanel Le Lion, and I had a manufacturer’s guaranteed authentic sample, so you are not alone.
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Me three on hating Chanel Le Lion. Big no for me.
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oh good! So I guess I can have faith my sample is legit!
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Le Lion was released in 2020.
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It’s interesting… I actually liked Le Lion – even though I’m not a Guerlain fan, to which everyone compares Le Lion :) But it’s 2020 release.
I look forward to trying Orpheon: it has been long time since I really liked any of Diptyque’s perfumes.
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I am with you on liking Le Lion. I have some and every time I have worn it I have gotten a compliment so it must work with my skin chemistry.
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Turns out I haven’t—Lemon Island by Atelier Cologne was the only new thing I tried this year and that was launched in 2020. I just used up a bunch of samples of old stuff and am glad to get back to my full bottles.
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I haven’t tried Lemon Island yet, but I want to.
Testing new perfumes do not interfere with my wearing perfumes I love. So, I wouldn’t mind to get to trying something new – and, most likely, I won’t like it enough to want to buy.
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I’m glad people mentioned Diptyque Orpheon, which I believe was the only 2021 release I’ve tried to date. I, of course, could be wrong because I almost never pay attention to the year of release unless I’ve bought the bottle and happen to know it. I am looking forward to trying Papillon Spell 125 . I also got on the IG Live with the cookiequeen and Freddie Albrighton so I am looking forward to trying his perfumes despite trepidations resulting from Bogue Douleur trauma relayed by noses I trust.
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Eeek! I just realized some of the Scents of Wood monthly subscription perfumes were released in 2021! I would count 3 more in the 2021 released tried in the year of release to my tally.
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Impressive!
I wonder, do you still like new creations from that Wood collection?
I’ll wait for impartial reviews before I decide whether I want to test any of Freddie’s perfumes: at this point, there are just several bloggers whose perfumes, had they decided to create a line, I would try without thinking, and Freddie isn’t one of them. But I’m mildly curious.
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I’ve tried Estee Lauder Beautiful Magnolia and whatever the newest flanker of La Vie Est Belle is called. They were GWP from online purchases. Neither were to my taste. I miss being able to go to a beauty department and sampling new releases!
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I miss that too! There is no way I’d be buying mass-market perfume samples, but I’m curious to try Beautiful Magnolia. I know that, most likely, I won’t like it, but I’ll try it when I get a chance.
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No, I haven’t tried any 2021 releases, though I have my eye on a couple.
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Look forward to reading about whatever you’ll end up trying.
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No, haha – as Tara said, our non-essential shops have been shut all the while, though we might well argue the toss about whether a perfume retail outlet is ‘essential’ or not. ;)
I did try Spell 125 from Papillon actually, which I think is this year?? Even launch dates are fuzzy to me now in this weird thing we call pandemic time.
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Perfume stores are definitely essential! I tried to explain to an SA at Sephora that their policy not to spray perfumes on skin didn’t make any sense since any perfume they carry has more pure alcohol than in the hand sanitizer that they administer when you walk into the store :)
I’m curious about Papillon’s perfume but I’m not too hopeful since most of her perfumes don’t work for me.
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No, I haven’t tried anything. Our non-essential shops are closed and the online shops are often out samples. It seems possible to get hold of samples of recent Byredo and Zoologist sammples online from individuals who have bought full bottles and host splits or sell samples. Also some Vuitton samples for sale and so on. I have bought some samples of Heeley and Diptyque scents, just needed something new to me to sniff, I’ve been bored with my perfumes lately.
The new Freddie Albrighton Perfumes come at a very reasonable price point, so I might just have to buy a bottle unsniffed, unless he links up with a distributor here in Norway (there is now a bilaterral trade agreement between the two countries, so should not be much harder than entering the rest of the European market).
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It’s interesting that you have a much stricter rules (our stores are open but work at a reduced capacity) but it doesn’t seem to give you any real advantage in the overall situation compared to us.
I’m not ready to buy those samples yet. But if the situation stays as it is now, I might start buying something from Luckyscent – just to brighten up my stay-at-home testing experience :)
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I’ve sampled some, not nearly as many as I would have liked due to accessibility, and bought exactly one 2021 release so far this year (Eris Green Spell). I do want to get my hands and nose on the two new Aqua Allegorias and Xi’an, as well as Valentino Donna Born in Roma Yellow Dream.
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I will probably end up buying a sample of Green Spell: I’m curious about this perfume, and no store carries this brand around here anyway.
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I tried a small bunch from 2021, Memo Argentina was my favorite in this tiny collective.
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