The Best Perfumes Of 2024 - A Touch Of Humanity

It doesn’t seem possible that twelve months have passed since I put together my last end-of-year roundup, but the reality is plain to see in the electronic diary beaming up at me from the screen on my wrist: 2025 is just a few days away. And who knows what delights it’ll bring. In perfume terms, 2024 has been just about as mixed as any other year. We’ve had our fair share of commendable releases as well as the usual number of stinkers. But if any aspect of the year’s olfactory output has stood out, it’s one that has less to do with a specific odour profile and is more closely related to the structure of the industry. To be specific, it’s the fact that 2024 marked a low point in the creativity of the mainstream.

The tension between independent creators and those attached to organisations belonging to a larger portfolio of companies has long been a feature of the fragrance world. The former have tended to give us bolder, more innovative compositions, but the latter have more than held their own, often using their financial clout to encourage the perfumers at Givaudan, Firmenich, IFF et al to employ captive materials — which are frequently not available to smaller players — in order to produce interesting pieces of work. But in 2024, the balance seemed to shift, and apart from a small number of exceptions, the output of non-independent houses came across as tired, derivative and cynical. Coupled with ridiculous price increases, the result is a situation in which discerning consumers understandably shun the high street and spend their pennies elsewhere.

Having said that, my Top 10 for 2024 wasn’t easy to put together, largely because we were treated to some true gems from several indie houses. As ever, the list is based on the perfumes that I personally first encountered in 2024. I won’t pretend for one second that I smelt every single fragrance that was released this year — I’m sure nobody has, not even Michael Edwards — so if there are any must-try scents that I’ve missed, please do bring them to my attention. As per usual, I’ve forced myself to keep to 10, but I would like to give a brief mention of the ones that nearly made the final cut (links are to my original reviews).