Every year brings its share of scented temptations, but 2025 has felt particularly generous – the sort of year where the “to sniff” list grows longer every time you blink. Between sun‑drenched citruses, mischievous gourmands, meditative greens and velvet‑textured woods, our desks (and wrists) have been gloriously busy. This is not a definitive roll‑call (that would fill a whole other issue of our multi award-winning magazine) so much as a scented snapshot – a handful of fragrances that have truly bewitched us and that will, without question, keep us company well into 2026 and beyond.
Think of it as a highlight reel of olfactory crushes: some flirty, some contemplative, but all of them joyfully memorable.
From strawberries glistening in the sun to star‑bright florals, from fog‑shrouded saffron fields to emerald English hedgerows and tropical cocktails, these launches share a common thread: they each tell a story with real character. They feel fascinating, distinctive, and surprisingly versatile, inviting repeat wear rather than one‑spritz novelty. Whether your heart lies with airy greens, polished woods, addictive vanilla or a gilded, amber-y glow, there is something here to match your mood. And beyond that, perhaps to mark a new chapter in your own fragrance wardrobe in this new year, turning the page into a new adventure that strips away the darkness, leaves what you have outgrown, and forges ahead to glorious new ground…?
Creed Fragaria
Strawberries in perfume can so easily tip into cartoon jam territory, but Fragaria is more silk scarf than sticky spoon – a polished, pretty and surprisingly nuanced ode to the fruit. Bergamot, Timur pepper, pink pepper and mandarin give a sparkling, gently spiced opening, like sunlight glinting off ruby‑red berries. In the heart, strawberry, orris butter and a violet accord create a soft‑focus, lipstick‑and‑linen mood, while a base of patchouli, fir balsam and pink praline adds depth and a subtle, gourmand warmth without ever becoming heavy. It feels like British summertime captured in a crystal flacon – cheerful yet chic, and far more versatile than its playful pink bottle might suggest.
£265 for 75ml eau de parfum creedfragrances.co.uk
Boadicea the Victorious Opal
A kaleidoscope rendered in scent – iridescent, shape‑shifting and quietly dramatic. Coffee, bergamot, black pepper, cinnamon, bay, metallic notes and saffron create an arresting, almost shimmering opening that feels like stepping into a jeweller’s shop warmed by espresso and polished wood. The heart of cocoa butter, davana, orris butter, suede, clary sage, geranium, nutmeg, lavender and rose reads as soft leather, lipstick smudges of love letters, and spiced petals twined together: all texture and glow. In the base, iris, sandalwood, roasted tonka, woods, cashmeran, patchouli, moss and musk settle into a long, luxurious trail that clings to scarves and evening coats like a memory of candlelight and kisses. Phwoar.
From £95 for 10ml parfum boadiceaperfume.com
Molton Brown Bluebell & Wild Strawberry
Oh now this put us in mind of a gloriously sunlit stroll on the first day of spring – a walk through dappled woods where fruit, flowers and damp earth share the air. The opening of wild strawberry, blackberry, bergamot and green galbanum is juicy yet cool, like berries nestled among crushed leaves. A heart of bluebell, tuberose, lily of the valley, coriander and violet leaf creates a luminous floral haze, at once airy and slightly nostalgic, as if you have stepped into a storybook illustration of a forest clearing. Amber, driftwood, sandalwood and white woods in the base add a gentle warmth and a brushed‑wood texture, grounding all that freshness into something quietly sensual and very wearable.
£140 for 100ml eau de parfum moltonbrown.co.uk
Juliette Has a Gun Miami Shake
Miami Shake was sheer, unabashed fun: an ice‑cream parlour of a perfume, but with the wink of grown‑up musk beneath the sprinkles. Strawberry provides a bright, cheeky opening, ripe and slightly sun‑warmed, before a heart of whipped cream, orange blossom and ice‑cream‑cone accord turns the whole thing into a soft‑serve fantasy. In the base, vanilla absolute and creamy musks linger like the last smear of melted sweetness on the tongue, giving the fragrance surprising longevity and a skin‑hugging coziness. It is the sort of scent that makes you smile as you spritz – a neon‑sign gourmand you can wear with a leather jacket or a sundress, depending on your mood.
£100 for 50ml eau de parfum spacenk.com
Marc‑Antoine Barrois Aldebaran
Tuberose as seen from space – a single white flower shining like a star against the ink‑dark sky. Built around tuberose absolute, it opens with a truly unique cool, green, stem‑like brightness that quickly unfurls into creamy petals, luminous yet never blowsy. Paprika threads in a soft, rosy heat at the heart, adding a blush of spice that keeps the floral from feeling too pristine, while maté brings a subtle smoky‑tea nuance, like a shadow at the edge of the light. Tonka bean in the base wraps everything in a gentle, almond‑vanilla warmth, rounding the edges of the tuberose and extending its glow into an almost otherworldly halo. It is poised, modern and slightly hypnotic – a floral for days (and nights) when you want to feel like the main event.
£120 for 30ml eau de parfum harrods.com
Maison Crivelli Safran Secret
Safran Secret is the olfactory equivalent of walking into a saffron field veiled in mist – golden threads glowing through grey air. The composition pivots around a rich saffron note, spiced with cinnamon at the top so it feels both luminous and warmly tingly, like sunlight catching dust motes. In the heart, A sense of rosiness and blushed skies weave together a sense of petals and a textural leathery-touch in elegant tension, creating a mood that is part velvet, part well‑worn armchair. The grounding woodiness at the base brings a smouldering, resinous depth, leaving a trail that is smoky and cocooning without ever losing that saffron brightness. This is fragrance that manages to be both mysterious and comforting – perfect for those who like their spice with a philosophical side. Dare we say, it’s also a scent that demands a certain thoughtfulness, a kind of intellectualism, bottled, if you will. Despise libraries and learning and depth of any kind? Move on. But if you value thinking, taking time, digging deeper – you’ll welcome this invitation to pause and consider awhile.
£220 for 50ml extrait de parfum selfridges.com
Connock England Verdant
Connock England VerdantDoing exactly what its name promises, this is a lush exhale of green that feels like stepping through a garden gate into a tangle of foliage and blossom. What a head-clearing rush of thankfulness and bliss this brings (something we have relied on to dispel the many dark clouds that infiltrated throughout the year, and for which we remain truly thankful). The top notes of galbanum, eucalyptus, blackcurrant, fig and lemon are a gust of cool, green brightness – hedgerows, crushed leaves, snapped stems and citrus all at once. In the heart, peppermint, geranium, English rose, lavandin, carnation and clove create a beautifully balanced bouquet that whispers of cottage borders and herb patches brushed by the breeze. Sandalwood and amber in the base add just enough warmth and smoothness to keep the greenery from feeling stark, giving Verdant a wearable, skin‑snuggling finish that still retains its airy, outdoorsy soul.
£40 for 30ml eau de parfum connockengland.co.uk
Ormonde Jayne Vetiveria
Vetiver, but in its best tailoring – crisp, bright and globe‑trotting. Inspired by the islands of Indonesia, it opens with an invigorating rush of Sicilian lime, Timur pepper, sage and juniper berry, an aromatic‑citrus cocktail that feels like standing on a cliff with the wind in your hair. An unusual pairing of snowbell, lavender, jasmine and orange blossom in the heart softens the edges, lending a gentle floral shimmer that keeps the composition from becoming too stern or rooty, if you know what we mean? In the base, vetiver takes centre stage, a vibrant verdancy that’s texturally threaded with moss, rockrose and tonka bean, creating a dry, earthy, slightly smoky warmth that lingers beautifully on skin and scarves (but we adored wearing on scorching hot days, too!) It is uplifting yet grounded – a vetiver that feels just as right for a city commute as for a barefoot wander.
£195 for 88ml eau de parfum ormondejayne.com
Kajal Kolada
Kolada brings a playful, cocktail‑hour spirit to the line‑up, channelling the joy of a tropical drink in the hand and sand between the toes. A juicy, fruity‑creamy opening conjures the idea of a piña colada – think sun‑ripened fruit, a caress of coconut and a breeze carrying hints of florals from a nearby bar terrace. As it develops, the addictive sweetness is tempered by a gauzy floral and woody backbone, so while it stays firmly in the feel‑good, escapist camp, it never quite becomes a tooth-rotting sugar rush you may have at first feared. The result is a cheerful, mood‑boosting scent that smells like holiday snapshots and clinking glasses, ready to teleport the wearer to brighter days whenever needed. And oh boy, how we have needed them this last year, especially. Wonderful to dive in to a gloriously transportive scent such as this, and flick the metaphorical v-signs as you spritz to your heart’s content.
£195 for 100ml extrait de parfum bloomperfume.co.uk
Goldfield & Banks Tales of Amber
Oh my, this is epic. It reads like a slow, cinematic pan across a sun‑drenched landscape – all burnished horizons and warmth as it settles and sighs on your skin. True to the brand’s Australian roots, it treats amber not as something sticky and syrupy, but as a glowing, mineral‑rich warmth. Citrus and aromatic facets flicker at the start, suggesting dry heat shimmering off rocks, before resinous, amber-y notes swell in the heart. Woods and soft spices underpin the structure, creating an impression of sun‑warmed bark, dried grasses and skin that has spent the day outdoors. It is an amber that feels expansive rather than enclosed – as wearable on a brisk British evening as it would be on an outback trail at dusk. One to wear if, for example, you’re attending an event or sharing a space with a social vampire (you know the type? Someone who sucks the joy from the air when they arrive?) Simultaneously a chic comfort blanket and a backbone of strength, we’ve been addicted to from first sniff.
£227 for 100ml extrait de parfum harrods.com
BDK Parfums Vanille Caviar
You think you know vanilla? Well, this one’s worn with a raised eyebrow: gourmand, yes, but with refinement and texture that keep it firmly in perfume, not pudding, territory. Built around a Madagascan vanilla absolute, it layers in creamy, almost custard-y facets with touches of resin and woods, giving the impression of vanilla pods split over polished wood rather than a dessert trolley. Hints of spice and possibly a whisper of citrus or floral brightness stop the sweetness from cloying, while musks and woods in the base stretch the composition into a long, close‑to‑the‑skin trail. Put simply, it’s the sort of vanilla that works just as well with a cashmere jumper as with an evening dress – comforting yet quietly sultry with a bit of sass. You think you can last without me, it seems to say; well we’ll see about that. Something we all need to remember, and spritz on as a scented shield against negativity, stupidity, or any other pathetic slights slung our way as the new year dawns!
£190 for 100ml eau de parfum harrods.com
Acqua di Parma Buongiorno
An utterly joyous standing ovation to the morning – banish thoughts of the bleary alarm‑clock kind. This is where windows are flung open onto Tuscan hills and the kettle hums in the background. Lemon, spearmint, rosemary, basil and petitgrain create a bracing, aromatic top, as if you have crushed herbs between your fingers while slicing citrus over a wooden board. A heart of lavandin and mandarin leaf adds a softer, sun‑kissed floral facet, rounding out the herbs with a Mediterranean, linen‑fluttering in early morning sunshine kind of blissfulness. Cedarwood leaves, amber accord and white musk in the base lend warmth and a lightly woody structure, making the scent feel less like cologne and more like genuinely comforting hug that nonetheless gently pushes you out of your own nonchalance – ideal for days when you want clarity, and a reminder that leaving darkness, the light will find you. Smile: you are in for a new adventure…
£217 for 100ml eau de parfum acquadiparma.com
