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Friday, December 29, 2006

Favorite Things 2006 aka Golden Colombinas


There is a wonderful tradition in a perfume/beauty-blogging universe of doing a collective post at the end of the year about the things we loved the most. This year, our project is entitled Favorite Things 2006. As far as Perfume-Smellin’ Things is concerned, from this year on, this “best of” post will also be known as


Golden Colombina Awards.

Our first Category is The Favorite New Perfume Line. The nominees are:

Le Labo
LesNez
Mona di Orio
Parfum d’Empire
Parfumerie Generale
Tauer Perfumes

And the Golden Colombina goes to… Parfumerie Generale. Out of twenty or so of their scents, I love many (Aomassai, Bois de Copaiba, Cuir Venenum, Iris Taizo, Musc Maori, Tubereuse Couture…) and like practically all. I am looking forward to more Parfumerie Generale fragrances next year…and to all of them being sold in the US.

The Favorite New Perfume Release. The nominees are:

Black Orchid by Tom Ford
Blue Agava & Cacao by Jo Malone
Bois d’Armenie by Guerlain
Cuir Ottoman by Perfume d’Empire
Fleur de Narcisse by L’Artisan
L’Air de Rien by Miller Harris
Le Parfum Coffret (as a whole) by Thierry Mugler
Mandarine Mandarin by Serge Lutens
Paestum Rose by Eau d’Italie
Patchouli 24 by Le Labo
Songes by Annick Goutal
West Side by Bond No 9

And the winner is…I could not choose just one. Black Orchid, Bois d’Armenie and Fleur de Narcisse will each receive a Golden Colombina. These three scents never fail to impress and excite me; they are beautiful, deep, evocative and extremely wearable.

The Favorite Perfumer. The nominees:

Anne Flipo (for Fleur de Narcisse and many other L’Artisan scents)
Annick Menardo (for Bois d’Armenie, Patchouli 24 and Black)
Chris Sheldrake (for numerous Serge Lutens fragrances)
Christophe Laudamiel (for Le Parfum Coffret)
Francis Kurkdjian (for Indult Isvaraya and MDCI K/3)
Marc-Antoine Corticchiato (for Cuir Ottoman and Ambre Russe)
Maurice Roucel (for basically everything he does and just because)
Pierre Guillaume (for the whole Parfumerie Generale line)


And the winner is…Annick Menardo. She does the things with leather and vanilla that no one else can do, making leather forceful and comforting at the same time. Here is wishing for more Menardo creations next year!



The Scents I
Wore and Enjoyed the Most in 2006. The nominees are:

1000 by Jean Patou
Black by Bvlgari
Black Orchid by Tom Ford
Bois d’Armenie by Guerlain
Cashmere by Cristiano Fissore
Colognes (Bois d’Argent, Cologne Blanche and Eau Noire) by Christian Dior
Colony by Jean Patou
Cuir de Russie by Chanel
Cuir Ottoman by Parfum d’Empire
Cuir Venenum by Parfumerie Generale
Daim Blond by Serge Lutens
Diorling by Christian Dior
Dzing! by L’Artisan
Flowerbomb Extreme by Viktor & Rolf
Guet-Apens by Guerlain
Kolnisch Juchten by Farina Gegenuber and Parfums Regence
Jasmin Full by Montale
L’Arte di Gucci
L’Eau du Navigateur by L’Artisan
Le Parfum de Therese by Frederic Malle
Messe de Minuit by Etro
Miss Dior by Christian Dior
Musc Ravageur by Frederic Malle
Muscs Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens
Vanille Tonka by Parfums de Nicolai
Vie de Chateau by Parfums Nicolai
Yatagan by Caron

And the Golden Colombina goes to…Dzing! by L’Artisan – for being everything I like in perfume. It has leather, it has some sweetness, it has animalic undertone, it is complex, it takes me back to good times in my life…it is a perfection.

The Honorary Awards. These awards shall be given to honor perfume lines, perfumers and perfume notes for extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to perfumery, and for outstanding service in delighting, captivating and entertaining Colombina.

The Honorary Award - Perfume Line or House goes to…Christian Dior. Practically every scent done by this House up to the year 1999 (remembered with dread as the year of J’Adore) has been wonderful. All of the classic Diors (Miss Dior, Diorella, Dioressence, Diorissimo, Diorling, Dior-Dior, Diorama and the modern classic, Poison) “fit” me to the extent that I feel they were somehow created for me, with my tastes and sensibilities in mind. Although I am not a fan of most Dior scents created since 1999, I don’t think this is the end for Dior. I hope that it is not even the beginning of the end. Dior Homme, Bois d’Argent, Cologne Blanche and Eau Noire make me optimistic. If I have one wish for 2007, it is for Dior to re-issue The Classics for wider distribution.

This year, The Honorary Award – Perfumer / Lifetime Achievement is directly related to The Honorary Award - Perfume Line or House. I would like us all to remember Edmond Roudnitska and the amazing fragrances created by him for Dior (as well as Hermes, and Rochas!). His wife Therese might have been his muse, but I feel as if he created his perfume for me and me alone. Not a single of his creation I do not love or find difficult to wear. Here is to Roudnitska, with much respect and admiration!

The Honorary Award – Perfume Note 2006. This year was all about Leather for me. From the hardcore, sinister, vintage leathers like Lancôme Cuir to the elegant leather chypres like Miss Dior and Diorling, to the barbaric, tarry concoctions like Kolnisch Juchten and Patchouli 24, to the almost-edible, sweet leather of Cuir Venenum and Colony, to the cuddly comfort leather in Bois d’Argent…I love them all. My ambition is to try all leather scents ever created and to eventually own most of them. Yes, I dream big. I am working on a Directory of Leather scent and am hoping to add it to this blog in the beginning of 2007.

The special shout-out this year goes to Floral Notes, especially lily of the valley, jasmine and tuberose. The end of the world might be upon us, because this former (white-)floral-hater has been enjoying and craving some pretty heady floral stuff in 2006.

And to prove that I am human and not ALL about perfume, here are my two non-perfume favorite things from 2006:

Armani Prive Luminous Silk Foundation. Lightweight, amazingly efficient at concealing the imperfections, long-lasting and easy-to-blend, this is the foundation for which I have been looking for the last 10 years. What’s even more important, one of the shades, No 5, is absolutely perfect for me.

Comodynes Sunless Tanning Towelettes. The self-tanning solution for which I have been looking for the last 10 years. Non-greasy, fast-absorbing, non-streak and easy to apply, these towelettes are a dream come true.

Every self-respecting award ceremony must have at least one tearful thank you speech. So here is mine. I want to thank my wonderful perfume friends for making it possible to try the fragrances I could never have been able to try were it not for the generosity of my fellow perfume-addicts, for sharing their thoughts, impressions, perfume gossip and perfume news and for listening to my ramblings. Big, huge Thank You to the readers of Perfume-Smellin’ Things. (It still amazes me that there ARE readers.) Your comments make me so happy. And Special Thank You to my wonderful contributor Tom and the reluctant budding parfumista Mr. Colombina, the latter both for writing posts for me and for tolerating my obsession.

Happy 2007, everybody!


Image sources: perfumer.s-perfume.com, okadi.com, art-et-parfum.com, british-wild-flowers.co.uk, topfoto.co.uk

Please visit other blogs to read about more things we loved in 2006:

  • Afrobella

  • All About The Pretty

  • Aromascope

  • Beauty Addict

  • Beauty Blogging Junkie

  • Beauty by Nadine

  • Beautiful Makeup Search & Beauty Blog

  • Beauty Hatchery

  • Beauty Jones

  • Blogdorf Goodman

  • Bois de Jasmin

  • BonBons in the Bath

  • Brain Trapped in Girl's Body

  • Capital Hill Barbie

  • C'est Chic

  • Coquette

  • Crazy Jay Blue

  • eBeautyDaily

  • Girl's Handbook

  • Hautemommastuff

  • Koneko's *Mostly* Beauty Diary!

  • Legerdenez

  • Makeup Bag

  • Monkeyposh

  • My Muse

  • No one knows why the wolf laughs

  • Now Smell This

  • Peppermint Patty's Perfume Posse

  • Platinum Blonde Life

  • Product Girl

  • Scentzilla!

  • She'll Be Feverish After So Much Thinking

  • Slap of the Day

  • The Customer Is Always Right

  • The Daily Obsession

  • The Great She Elephant

  • The Life As A Ladybug

  • The Non-Blonde

  • Urbane Girl

  • Victoria's Own

  • 64 Comments:

    Blogger tmp00 said...

    Wow- we had all these in just this year? Lucky us!

    12:22 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Tom,
    These are just the ones I liked the most...there were probably 400 more new releases all in all. Scary!

    12:24 AM EST  
    Blogger Gail S said...

    Oh, I do love reading your posts!
    Since I'm just getting started good, I don't know a lot of the scents, but have to agree with you on Dzing! It's a fascinating scent, kinda weird but fun.

    And I just received today from Luckyscent 8 different samples of Parfumie Generale scents, so maybe I can share in the lovefest soon!

    Happy New Year!

    12:34 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Gail,
    Thank you! I am keeping fingers crossed that you like the Generales as much as I do...even half as much as I do would be a lot :-)

    12:36 AM EST  
    Blogger lilybp said...

    Yay!!! I love these "best-ofs." And yours, of course, is just wonderful!:) If you need a research helper for your leather archives (can't want to see), I would be glad to be of service.:) Happy New Year!!

    Personally, I think I would vote for Le Labo for my favorite new house (although PG would certainly be close--AT, too, except he has fewer perfumes).

    7:04 AM EST  
    Blogger elle said...

    These lists are so much fun to read! And if the Diors fit you well, then we must wear the same perfume size because that is the one house where all the ones till 1999 (grrrr) fit me perfectly as well. I would have had to be disqualified from picking a fav perfumer since I aspire to be Mme. Roucel and would love for Sheldrake to adopt me (along w/ Serge).

    7:25 AM EST  
    Blogger elle said...

    M,
    Thank you for all your fab posts this year! And thanks also to Tom and Mr. C. :-) Hope all of you have a wonderful and divinely scented new year!
    Mwah!
    L

    7:32 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Judith,
    But of course! I was going to ask if I could run the (long) list by you before I actually post it.
    Happy New Year and thank you for everything!!

    7:44 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    L,
    1999 - black year for Dior, 2002 - black year for Chanel (Chance!), what about Guerlain? Right around the time they introduced the first "pink" limited edition, with "Love" in its name? *sigh*

    I aspire to be your fellow Mrs R. too :-) and would love for Chris and Serge to be my adoptive papas, but wouldn't you just love to be BFFs with AM? :-)We could hang out, do lunch, talk about perfume...:-)

    7:49 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    L,
    Thank YOU! I hope you have wonderful New Year!!!

    7:50 AM EST  
    Blogger lilybp said...

    Adding my thanks to you, Tom, and Mr. C. for all the entertainment and knowledge you provided!!! Happy New Year!!

    8:06 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Thank you , My Queen of Leather!!! :-) Happy New Year!

    8:08 AM EST  
    Blogger elle said...

    Oh, would love to be BFFs w/ AM and AF as well. :-) What a blast it would be to have coffee and chat w/ them.
    OK, the word verification thing seems to be mocking my recent sad lack of detective skills by having the final 3 letters be fbi twice now. Sigh.

    8:35 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    L
    Maybe it's trying to say your detective skills are wonderful :-) "I na staruhu byvaet proruha" :-)

    8:37 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    PS. Another great aspect of being BFFs with someone like AM or AF is that, just like a wonderful person that we both adore knitted us scarves, a friend like AM or AF would concoct perfumes just for us for all sorts of occasions *daydreams*

    8:42 AM EST  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    What a wonderful summary of the year 2006. Many of my favorite discoveries for this year were not released this year. But I must give a shout out to Alamut and Bois de Copaiba (the latter was thanks to you)!

    I've enjoyed all the posts I've read this year, including this one, and look forward to many more in the new year!! Mwah to you, M!

    8:54 AM EST  
    Blogger NowSmellThis said...

    Great list, and *shocking* how little overlap we have, LOL...my favorite perfumer isn't even in your list of runners-up! Happy New Year to my EFT :-)

    8:55 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    M,
    Thank you so much! Darn! I should have added Earl Grey de la Creme to the list. It IS fragrant after all...thank you ever so much for introducing me to it!
    Happy New Year!

    8:56 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    R,
    Happy New Year, my wonderful EFT!

    9:00 AM EST  
    Blogger Annieytown said...

    This is a lovely list M!
    You and Ina have sold me on Bois d'Armenie.
    Its offical.

    10:10 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Annie,
    Thank you and thank you for organizing us!! You got to have Bois d'Armenie. It is fab! :-) Happy New Year!

    11:19 AM EST  
    Blogger Tania said...

    I love the awards! And I too am in a leather-to-floral fluctuation. Could it be the sunspot cycle? Global warming? Astrological forces due to asteroid movements in the Kuiper Belt? Whatever, I suddenly love the flowers. Happy New Year!

    11:20 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Vika,
    Thank you! I am wearing Black today and adoring it. Loved your post about it!
    Happy New Year!

    11:21 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Tania,
    There must be something in the air...the least floral person than me you wouldn' have been able to find in the past...and now I am craving florals so much. I think the end of the world is upon us :-)
    Happy New Year !!

    11:23 AM EST  
    Blogger elle said...

    Fab daydream. Sigh. I wonder if they'd be so generous as our genius knitter. And I am afraid that saying applies more to our Mata Hari's brief slip up w/ the scarf con than to me. I wouldn't even rank as a good Watson.

    11:56 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Aw, don't be so hard on yourself, L :-) No one can compare to our Mata Hari The Genius Knitter. :-)

    11:58 AM EST  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Of course, I love your list! The rewards idea is brilliant and highly entertaining - you're truly awesome at this, Marina!
    Hope the scarves can keep you warm. ;)

    1:51 PM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Ah, here she is! And a Golden Colombina in a light-green-blue scarf to you, Ina, for being your amazing self!

    1:52 PM EST  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    I'm so glad Annie asked us all to do our lists because thanks to you and the other fragrance experts, I've got a long, long list of scents to try on and fall in love with. Wonderful list!

    2:22 PM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Gigi,
    Completely likewise! I read your lists and feel so very inadequate :-) I made so many notes today. The knowledge displayed by "beauty girls" is astonishing!

    2:26 PM EST  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Please let me know if you need an MC for the awards ceremony. I'm available. Thank you for a wonderful year of beautifully written, thoughtfully presented information. Wishing you and yours a Fragrant New Year.

    2:28 PM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    N,
    Yes, I do need an MC, of course! :-)
    Happy New Year to you and yours!!!

    2:30 PM EST  
    Blogger Gaia said...

    It's great to find another blogger who loved Black Orchid! And I'm with you about the leather note. The last few weeks I can't get enough of it. A full bottle of Chanel CdR is in my immediate future.
    I'm about to dive into my samples of Parfumerie Generale. I wonder how happy I'm going to be making the folks at Uckyscent once I go through them all.

    Happy New Year!

    3:57 PM EST  
    Blogger Caitlin Shortell said...

    I love the format of your favorites! Applause! Applause! Dzing! rocks. Thanks for the nod to jasmine and lily of the valley.

    4:24 PM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Non-blonde,
    Although non-blonde and blonde, we seem like scent-twins :-) Cuir de Russie is the scent I never want to be without!

    4:30 PM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Cait,
    Thank you! And thank you for your wonderful writing! Happy New Year!

    4:31 PM EST  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Wow what a great list!! I have to check out all those scents. :)

    4:43 PM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Coquette,
    Thank you! Happy New Year!

    4:44 PM EST  
    Blogger katiedid said...

    I keep trying to put together a "best of" but there were so many freaking new releases this year it just makes my head spin. Good god, good on you for getting a grasp on it! (I just did a quick favorite things list of beauty products in general.)

    Happy New Year to my fellow FB Extreme wearer - may you have a year that is as sweet as it :)

    6:01 PM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Aww, Katie, same to you :-) Off to read your list!

    6:02 PM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Thank you, Patty!!
    Happy New Year!

    6:26 PM EST  
    Blogger Bela said...

    I love the way you've done this! It's a fantastic list. I haven't tried a fraction of the scents you mention and you've created masses of lemmings now. :-)

    Happy New Year!

    9:58 PM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Bela,
    Thank you so much!
    Happy New Year!

    10:05 PM EST  
    Blogger Lisa Olga said...

    s'prazdnikom darling Colombina! Hope your new year is lovely and fragrant!

    10:19 PM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    FF,
    Bol'shoe spasibo!
    Happy New Year!

    10:21 PM EST  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Armani's foundation is supposed to be fabulous! Is it lightweight enough? I'm on a tinted moisturizer kick, but for those days when you need a little bit more coverage, it might be nice to have something to fall back on...

    12:35 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Thedailyobsession,
    It is very lightweight, but, surprisingly, it covers very well. I am very pleased with it.
    Happy New Year!

    7:59 AM EST  
    Blogger marchlion said...

    Wow, Marina -- extensive and beautifully done post! As you know, we share some loves and ... uh, some we don't! It's just not fair that Dzing smells so bad on me, it's such a great scent. Also, when I smelled Rien I was ... filled with aporia. Is that like hot, gassy air? I can't remember.

    Happy 2007, babe.

    8:55 AM EST  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    What's March going on about? Has she been sniffing too many decants?

    Great listage, Marina. You are a marvel. Keep up the good work and happy new year. I'll drink some Stolichnaya later and think of you...

    10:03 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    March,
    Um...aporia? :-D You crack me up! Happy New Year!!!!!

    10:29 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Leopoldo,
    I think March is quoting a classic...:-)
    Thank you so much for your very kind words!! *cheers!* *gulps down a glass of Stoli, crunches on a gherkin...very glamorous*
    Happy New Year!

    10:30 AM EST  
    Blogger marchlion said...

    from lilyofbp:

    "Well, aporia is classically doubt or puzzlement, or wonder and amazement when confronted by puzzles, paradoxes, etc. Since Derrida and deconstruction, it’s also used to refer to gaps or moments of undecidability in a text."

    Leopoldo -- it's a bit of a rib Marina and I have going. But you're right -- I HAVE been sniffing too many decants.

    11:01 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    I have moments of undecidability 100 times a day. I guess I am very aporious.

    11:03 AM EST  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    ... at least now I sort of know...

    Sadly overfamiliar with that term from my master's studies, oh so many moons ago.

    Cheers!

    12:12 PM EST  
    Blogger Victoria said...

    Great list, love your fomat idea! I must try the Armani Prive makeup now that it's appered on several lists. Ahhh and just when I thought I found my HG in Le Mer.

    Did you read I wore Cuir Venenum on Christmas day? Wow, A first for me. It mades hubby sneeze though.

    Happy New Year! - Victoria

    3:34 PM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Thank you, Victoria!
    Ooh, I love Cuir Venenum. Your poor hubbie though :-)
    Happy New Year!

    3:47 PM EST  
    Blogger Gretchen said...

    Love your list! I adore many of your faves...& the Armani foundation, too!

    4:56 PM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Thank you, Gretchen! Happy New Year!

    4:58 PM EST  
    Blogger risa said...

    brilliant list, M! the Golden Colombinas, indeed ;) that's a crazy-beautiful idea!

    happy horrordays, and see you in the new year ;)

    5:10 PM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Thank you so much, Risa! LOL at horrordays. :-)

    Wishing you the most wonderful New Year!

    5:16 PM EST  
    Blogger Beauty Chick said...

    Oooh, I aspire to knowing (and liking) but a small fraction of the scents you mention! I'm trying to expand and refine my perfume tastes and writing and reading blogs is the best way I know how, so thanks for your great blog & keep it up!

    11:04 AM EST  
    Blogger Marina said...

    Thank you so much for your kind words! Happy New Year!

    12:50 PM EST  
    Blogger Carla said...

    I have to admit, I don't recognize a lot on your list but I've made it my mission to learn more about perfume this year. Thank you for compiling a list I can learn from. :)

    Happy New Year!

    10:08 PM EST  
    Anonymous parfum said...

    The perfume black orchid is just great, you also have to try white patchouli it is also very good and a real luxury perfume. Also the fragrance of Viktor and Rolf, called Flowerbomb is in the same category, and is also worth trying.

    4:44 PM EST  

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