Last night the Fragrance Foundation Awards, aka the ‘Oscars of the fragrance industry’ were awarded at a glittering, star-studded evening that saw nominees and winners celebrating in full swing – surely the best-smelling crowd at any awards ceremony!
We began with an important reminder of just how much the fragrance industry brings to jobs and the economy of the UK… 7.1 billion of GDP, with 126,700 people employed, bringing in £2.2 billion of tax revenue and making up £7.5 billion of consumer spending.
Of course at The Perfume Society we’re constantly showcasing fragrance houses, both big and small, and the people behind the scenes of the industry, but it’s not often we get to showcase the fragrance heroes altogether, and to see so many friends in one place, so everyone was definitely in party mood!
We were thrilled to be invited, having won a Jasmine Award for our (now multi-award-winning!) magazine, the A-Z issue of The Scented Letter. Available free as a digital download for our VIP Club members, with print issues to purchase separately in the shop, and now with an International Online Subscription for only £20 for a full year of fragrant reading, we must admit we’re rather proud of our publication. Have a free issue of The Scented Letter by clicking on the cover, below…
Please do have a look at all the Jasmine Award Winners – we’ve linked to their winning pieces here – we were so honoured to be counted among them, and to share a table with them at the awards ceremony!
And now, on to the amazing winners of the evening. Drum-roll please…
Best New Media Campaign: Map of the Heart for White Heart – such a great achievement for this niche house! Read our review and watch the winning film, here. We put this fragrance in our first ever Niche Collection box, which sold out ages ago sadly, but have a look at our new Limited Edition Niche Discovery Box while it’s still available…!
Best New Media Campaign: Hugo Boss The Scent and Boss Bottled United – Groundbreaking award for this brand – the first time ever for a shared prize.
Best New Fragrance Design & Packaging: Carolina Herrera Bronze Tonka – stunning bottle and scent, we totally agree.
Best New Independent Fragrance Award: Cloon Keen for Roisin Dubh. Wow, a huge award for this beautiful Irish niche house, as judged by the Jasmine Winners. Read our review… and see why we loved it so much!
Best New Home Fragrance Product: Roja Parfums A Midsummer’s Dream. Completely dreamy, indeed, and such a beautiful theme for a candle…
Perfume Extraordinaire: Diptyque Fleur de Peau. What an incredible fragrance this is – we Jasmine winners judged this award completely blind, and we’re really not surprised it won.
Reader’s Choice Women: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Intense – chosen by readers of the Evening Standard, this more powerful version of the classic perfume has proved to be a huge success.
Reader’s Choice for Men: Dior Sauvage eau de parfum. Another huge-hitter, as chosen by Evening Standard readers, and little wonder it’s been a worldwide best-seller.
People’s Choice Women: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Intense – a double-win, and definitely a hit with fragrance lovers!
People’s Choice Men: Dior Sauvage – and another double-win! These two fragrances are killing it, and the perfumed public can’t get enough.
Newcomer of the Year: Map of the Heart! A hotly anticipated award, and another trophy for this Australian niche house. Their bottles have to be seen to be believed, total art pieces, and the fragrances are just divine. Congratulations!
Holiday Fragrance of the Year: Diptyque Sapin de Lumière scented candle. Just the most gorgeous scent, and oh that packaging. Yes please, all year ’round, we feel…
Innovation Award: Diptyque for their fabulous Mayfair pop-up!
New Fragrance in Limited Distribution: Alexander Mcqueen – only sold in ten retail destinations but lighting up the world of fragrance with their stunning scents and drop-dead-gorgeous bottles.
Best New Fragrance in Limited Distribution: Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Cipressa di Toscano – we’re always carried away by their holiday-in-a-bottle fragrances, and this one has us dreaming of those blue waters.
Online Retailer of the Year: The Perfume Shop – a new award in an ever-growing category, which was mystery shopped as well as voted for. Very well done!
Retailer of the Year: Floral Street. Wow, what an accolade! Huge success for this new house, and we’re so happy for them! Why not come to our incredible event with Floral Street, with their perfumer Jérôme Épinette jetting in to talk us through their latest fragrance…
Best New Fragrance Women: Diptyque Fleur de Peau – as voted for by Fragrance Foundation Members, they are having quite the win-win with this fragrance!
Best New Fragrance Men: Diptyque Tempo – their FIFTH win of the evening, also voted by Fragrance Foundation Members. Also, as ever, these fragrances are totally sharable, so the chaps needn’t think they’ve got dibs on this!
Ultimate Launch: Dior JOY – the biggest gong of the ceremony and Dior were having quite the night, wowsa!
Many, many congratulations to ALL the nominees and winners, we’d give everyone awards if we could, and what a special event to be part of celebrating. What a night! Some rather fuzzy fragrant heads around today, we’re betting…
By Suzy Nightingale
