I thought 2011 was a really great year for mainstream perfume, maybe not so hot on the niche side. Way too much new product has become the norm and hardly seems worth mentioning, but in 2011, just keeping track of all the new niche brands (is there a private citizen left in all of Italy without their own niche line?) was a struggle. As I said last year, I have given up on smelling everything that matters. I smell what I can and try not to worry about the rest. So once again, to all of my picks below, add “of what I managed to smell”.

My choices for the year are just below. Scroll down to see what Angela, Erin, Jessica and Kevin thought was noteworthy in 2011, or click over to Bois de Jasmin, Grain de Musc, Perfume Posse or Perfume Smellin’ Things. And of course, do add your own thoughts in the comments.

My favorite niche fragrance of 2011: Parfum d’Empire Azemour Les Orangers. Last year, there was an embarrassment of riches in this category and it was hard to narrow down to a favorite or two. This year, if I had not smelled Azemour in December, I really don’t know what I would have picked.

The best mainstream fragrances: On the other hand, it was a very good year for the mainstream prestige category. My favorites turn out to be two from the “upscale sweets” category, Prada Candy and Thierry Mugler Angel Goût du Parfum. Honorable mentions: Bottega Veneta and Cartier Baiser Volé…

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I thought 2009 was a pretty good year, and 2010 was even better. There was, once again, way too much new product — it looks like there will always be too much new product, regardless of what the world economy is doing. Oh well. It does mean that I have pretty much given up on smelling everything that matters. I suppose it could be done if you had absolutely nothing else to do, but I do have other things to do. I smell what I can. So, to all of my picks below, add “of what I managed to smell”.

My choices for the year are just below. Scroll down to see what Angela, Erin, Jessica and Kevin thought was noteworthy in 2010, or click over to Bois de Jasmin, Grain de Musc, Perfume Posse or Perfume Smellin’ Things. And of course, do add your own thoughts in the comments.

My favorite niche fragrances for 2010: a tie between The Different Company De Bachmakov and L’Artisan Parfumeur Traversée du Bosphore. I also particularly liked Annick Goutal Ninféo Mio and Parfums DelRae Panache…

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As the “publish” button was pressed for this post, I heard the frantic, desperate opening words of Etta James’ Stop the Wedding swirling in my head: “Wait!…WAIT!”

But it was too late…there was no turning back.

Choosing ten men’s fragrances that have been released in the last couple years and deeming them “the best” was difficult. I’ve certainly owned and sampled more than my share of perfumes over the years, and I’ve reached a Perfumed State of Grace (i.e.: I’m jaded), but I’ve certainly not smelled every masculine fragrance released in 2009-2010. Has anyone? (Many of these unsniffed perfumes loom large in my imagination: Miller et Bertaux Om, Christian Dior La Collection Couturier Parfumeur, Honoré des Prés We love NY scents, and The Different Company De Bachmakov.)

My list of best new fragrances for men is personal, and it isn’t categorized with available spots for citrus, chypre, sport, “dressy,” mainstream, or niche perfumes; I’ve simply included what I like. If you can’t believe a certain fragrance is on, or is missing from, the list: GOOD! I’d hate to think I’m predictable.

Please comment if you feel a great fragrance is absent from this list, but if “top 10-type” lists drive you crazy and keep you up at night: “Wait!… WAIT!” … don’t torture yourself by reading mine…

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In general, I thought 2009 was an excellent year for perfume. There was, once again, way too much new product (both niche and mainstream) and there was plenty of generic dreck if you wanted it, but there were also lots of wonderful new fragrances.

My picks and pans for the year are just below. Scroll down to see what Angela, Erin, Jessica and Kevin thought was noteworthy in 2009, or click over to Grain de Musc to see Denyse’s take. And of course, do add your own thoughts in the comments.

My favorite niche fragrances for 2009: LesNez Turtle Vetiver, L’Artisan Parfumeur Havana Vanilla, Ineke Field Notes from Paris…

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If money spent is any indication, then it must have been a good year for perfume — I spent plenty. The quarterly “damage” poll is coming up on Friday, so start adding up your receipts! Meanwhile, here are my picks and pans for 2008. Scroll down to see what other Now Smell This contributors have to say on the subject, or check out the lists at Bois de Jasmin, Perfume Posse and Perfume Smellin' Things. And of course, do add your own favorites in the comments.

A few of my favorite things (in no particular order): Tauer Perfumes Incense extrême and Incense rosé, Estee Lauder Sensuous, Costume National 21, Le Labo Gaiac 10, Eau d'Italie Baume du Doge, Jo Malone Kohdo Wood, Serge Lutens El Attarine, L'Artisan Aedes de Venustas, Chanel Sycomore.

Perfumer of the year: Antoine Maisondieu, who brought weird and wonderful back to Comme des Garçons with Stephen Jones and Monocle Scent One: Hinoki…

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It's that time of year again…

Fragrances that lived up to the hype: Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia, Prada Infusion d'Iris, Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur du Male, Bond no. 9 Andy Warhol Silver Factory, Chanel 31 Rue Cambon.

Fragrances that didn't: as always, too many to list, but I was particularly disappointed by Comme des Garçons Play, Serge Lutens Louve and the whole of the L'Occitane Notre Flore collection.

Best celebrity scent: Sarah Jessica Parker Covet. Some people really hated it, but hey, at least it wasn't so mind-numbingly dull that nobody cared either way.

Worst perfume news of the year: Ebay forbid the sale of perfume decants, making serious perfume addiction more inconvenient than it already was…

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It's that time of year again...and once again, I am unable to wrap my brain around a simple list of great finds. I'm sticking with last year's format, highlighting the good and the bad, the fragrant and the not so fragrant.

Best perfume news of the year: New niche lines are sprouting like mushrooms these days. Le Labo & LesNEZ are two standouts in this crowded field, and both have been added to my "I want to try whatever they do next" list. Honorable mention in the good-news-but-delayed-gratification category goes to the upcoming perfume book from Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez.

Worst perfume news of the year: Serious perfume fans lamented the disappearance of Olivia Giacobetti's IUNX line. I didn't adore all of the fragrances, but they were interesting, and I was just falling in love with L'Ether when they closed up shop for good.

Best celebrity scent: I tried to keep up with the celebrity releases this year, but hey, there are only so many hours in a day. I couldn't smell them all. I missed Phat Farm Atman and Kylie Minogue Darling, and I'm sure there are numerous others. Of what I did manage to try, With Love Hilary Duff stands out as the best, but it can't beat 2005's Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker.

Fragrances that lived up to the hype: Terre d'Hermes and Tom Ford Black Orchid. I adore Terre d'Hermes and don't adore Black Orchid, but they both basically delivered what they promised, and that is rare enough these days. If I was on the panel voting for the 2006 Fifi Awards (and as you no doubt guessed, I'm not), these two would get my votes. Honorable mention goes to Prada Man and Guerlain Insolence.

Fragrances that didn't: Most of them, I suppose, but my biggest disappointments were Hermès Paprika Brasil and the Comme des Garçons Guerilla Series.

Perfumer of the Year: Bertrand Duchaufour, who made three of my favorite finds of the year — L'Artisan Dzongkha, L'Artisan Aedes de Venustas, and Eau d'Italie Paestum Rose.

Best concept and packaging: No contest, the Le Parfum Coffret by Thierry Mugler.

Prettiest perfume bottle: If there was a standout this year on the order of last year's Chinatown, I can't think of what it was, but I liked the bottles for Donna Karan Gold, Black Orchid and Kenzo Amour.

Fickle, fickle, fickle: My about-face for 2006 was Hermès Eau de Merveilles. I have no idea how I missed how lovely this was the first time around.

These are a few of my favorite things: An entirely random and almost certainly incomplete list of new-found loves from the past year, though not all are 2006 releases ~ Donna Karan Gold, Christian Dior Jules and Dior Dior, CB I Hate Perfume Memory of Kindness, Knize Ten, Le Labo Rose 31, LesNEZ The Unicorn Spell, Czech & Speake Dark Rose, Annick Goutal Songes, Crazylibellule & The Poppies Encens Mystic.

Was it a better year for perfume than 2005? Would love to hear your votes, do comment.

And be sure to check out these blogs for more 2006 Favorite Things:

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 :: Perfume Smellin' Things :: 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 Of A Ladybug :: The Non-Blonde :: Urbane Girl :: Victoria's Own

Special thanks to Annie of Blogdorf Goodman for organizing this year's "Best Of" event!

I tried very hard to create a list of the top 10 fragrances released this year, but my brain, unfortunately, just doesn't work that way. No sooner did I add one perfume to the list, then I started to think of others that might, perhaps, be just as good. I finally gave up. Here is a more idiosyncratic list of some of the good & bad in perfume from 2005…

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