It’s not an evidence-based conclusion – as I only tried a fraction of new launches -, but I feel like 2016 was a solid year for perfume: not outstanding, but definitely not bad either. There were quite a few new fragrances that I respected and/or liked, but didn’t completely fall for: Arquiste Él & Ella, Chanel Boy, Hermés Galop, Néroli Doré and Rhubarbe Ecarlate*, Diptyque Eau Des Sens, Aedes de Venustas Grenadille d’Afrique, Byredo Unnamed**, Jo Malone Basil & Neroli, Tom Ford’s Vert quartet and Orchid Soleil, Selge Lutens Baptême du Feu – all worth a try. The launches I still need to smell are the seven Vuitton fragrances, Neela Vermeire Rahele and Kilian’s Moonlight in Heaven.

Some of my favourites were technically launched in 2015, but became mainstays during this year.

1. Biggest love/favourite iris: Naomi Goodsir Iris Cendré. I bought this beautiful, austere and special iris in the end of 2015, wore it a lot throughout 2016 and will no doubt continue in 2017. I have a full review here. I am a big fan of the small Naomi Goodsir line, even if I don’t wear all the scents: it deserves a bigger audience and a lot of respect for the integrity of the brand.

2. Best mainstream: Thierry Mugler Angel Muse. Generally speaking, people tend to either hate or adore Angel. I’m a weird one, as I happen to simply like it. I’ve been debating buying a bottle for years, but now I’m glad I didn’t, because Angel Muse is the right Angel for me. It’s not even the fact that it’s a bit less full-on than the original Angel, it’s just that the addition of vetiver is a genius touch. This is as refined as Angel gets.

3. Best rich fragrance: Tom Ford London. This is in fact an even earlier release, but it only became available in Brussels this year. A gorgeous mix of wood, leather, smoke and spices, it’s in the same category with Arquiste Nanban and Papillon Perfumery’s Anubis for me, but I might like London even better. If you enjoy Ford’s Tuscan Leather or his wood series, you might like this as well.

4. Best light fragrance: Chanel No 5 l’Eau. I guess if I looked hard, I could have found something else for this category, but I wanted to include mainstream scents and this one is an excellent example. There is nothing complex or complicated about it, it just smells light and fresh and sparkly and pretty and manages to still remind you of No 5. Reinterpreting classics is a tricky business, but this is very well done.

5. Best for complexity: Amouage Myths Woman. If it’s complexity you want, look at Myths instead. I was surprised by how much I liked this Amouage and by the scent itself as well. I tend to expect something quite opulent from the line, although it’s not always the case. Myths is a lighter, although intricate, scent that smells very classically European to me (as opposed to the earlier more “oriental” releases). The opening is the most surprising, with lots of moss and earthiness that demands a pretty sophisticated nose. The dry-down is powdery green floral gorgeousness. (The reviews of Myths vary wildly, not only in terms of the judgement – from sublime to horrid – but also when it comes to basic descriptions. For example, some say it’s very linear, while on me it transforms completely.)

6. Best for drama: Masque Milano Romanza. I am absolutley sure that if I would buy Masque Milano’s L’Attesa and Romanza, I would wear the first much more. It’s a beautiful iris, after all. But I think Romanza is a more interesting scent – I haven’t smelled anything else quite like it. It’s centred around narcissus and it’s a flower that can smell rubbery and almost animalic and that’s exactly how it smells in Romanza. This is a sinister narcissus. I’m still not entirely sure if I can carry it off (it’s quite intense), but it’s a fascinating perfume and well worth a sniff.

7. Best perfume house/best natural: Hiram Green. The Netherlands-based natural perfumer launched two new fragrances this year: a beautiful orange blossom called Dilettante and the vanilla green woodiness or Arbolé Arbolé. Both are great and I own a travel spray of each, but I like the older two in the line even more. I wore Moon Bloom (an amazing tuberose) a lot in 2016 and Shangri La is a fantastic fruity chypre. Considering that these are all-natural perfumes, the amount of nuance and staying power you get is extraordinary.

8. Best innovation: Maison Francis Kurkdjian scented bubbles. I don’t really click with Kurkjian fragrances, although I think they are nice and I recognise the quality, but I bought two of his scented bubbles last year. These look exactly as the bubble-thingies sold to kids (the packaging is even simpler), the only difference is that these smell nicely of mint, violet, pear or cut grass. Me and my 7 year old daughter liked these equally.

9. Most intriguing: Zoologist. Zoologist is a Canadian niche line inspired by animals. They don’t use animal products in their fragrances, though, they look for synthetic alternatives instead. I tried two of their scents in 2016: didn’t care for the artificial-malling Panda (many people like it), but really enjoyed the rich and cosy Beaver. I’m excited to try the new Civet and everything else they’ve launched, plus I think the retro packaging is stylishly fun.

What did I miss? What were your favourites in 2016? What should I smell this year?

*I would have gotten this, if the rhubarb lasted longer. As it doesn’t, I’m sticking with the shower gel.

** This one I did get and I wear it, but I don’t think it’s quite best-of material.