My 2006 Wish List or I Cannot Stop Making Lists

New Releases I Would Like to See in the Coming Year I would like Frederic Malle to release a woody scent. Dear Monsieur Malle, it is hard to believe there isn’t one already in your perfume line. Tsk tsk, that is a regrettable omission. (Credit for this idea goes to Christina who was the first to notice that there is no woody scent among the Editions de Parfums) I would like Serge Lutens to come up with a tea scent. Show them how it’s done, Serge. Give us the tea scent that is black, deep and luxurious. I will leave it up to you to come up with a twist. Because I am sure there will be a twist if you decide to do a tea scent. I would like Bond No. 9 to release a scent-homage to Russian Tea Room. Just because. I guess it would have a tea note, just like Lutens's scent, and some mounthwatering gourmand accords. The bottle would be decorated with Matryoshkas or Gzhel- or Khokhloma-like pattern (I personally would prefer Gzhel, because the bottle would fit so well in my blue and white bedroom :-)). Dear Laurice, as you can see, I have thought of everything, all you have to do is go ahead and produce the scent. I would like Guerlain to release an incense scent. Something dark, melancholy, tranquil, full of beauty and soul. I know it will be heavenly, I have complete faith in you. I would like Caron to re-launch Violette Precieuse. Please, that is the only violet scent I like, have mercy, bring it back. Finally, I want a new amber scent. Parfums Delrae, Lorenzo Villoresi, and Creed, I can’t decide ,which one of you I would like to create it the most. How about all of you dream up a new amber scent for me to love and crave next year. Already Announced Releases I Look Forward to Trying Gris Clair by Serge Lutens, with notes of lavender and ashes, this fragrance sounds like it is going to be along the lines of the non-export Encens et Lavande. The latter is the only Lutens scent that I haven't tried, so I am not sure what to expect from Gris Clair. Eau de Lierre by Diptyque, with notes of ivy and violet leaf, this promises to be too green for my taste, but I love Diptyque and I am definitely going to try the new fragrance when it comes out. Alamut by Lorenzo Villoresi. All I know about it is that it is going to be an oriental scent, which seems to be named after a mountain fortress that used to be situated south of the Caspian Sea. Still, I am intrigued. Terre d'Hermes by Hermes, an earthy-woody-"vegetable" scent meant for men. Doesn't Hermes know that the masculine-feminine distinction in perfumery is so very passé? West Side Stories by Bond No. 9. I know nothing about this one, could not find the list of notes anywhere, but I am looking forward to trying it and undoubtedly admiring its bottle. And finally ... My Favorite 2005 Releases 1. Ambre Russe by Parfum d'Empire or The One With All The Vodka. Inspired by the Tsarist Russia, this is a perfume-excess that manages to be very well blended and extremely enjoyable. 2. Pomegranate Noir by Jo Malone. Malone shows how the elegant fruity scent is done and that it is possible to create a fragrance that is dark and transparent all at the same time. 3. Youth Dew Amber Nude by Estee Lauder. Tom Ford's update of Youth Dew is cuddly and warm like the softest cashmere wrap. 4. Rose de Feu by Les Parfums de Rosine. Spicy and elegant new rose scent from one of my favorite fragrance lines. Not as fiery as the name would make us believe, it is still full of oomph and yet is unobtrusive enough to be worn anytime, anywhere. 5. Au Thé Rouge by Bvlgari. Enjoyable black tea scent with red accents. The best of the Bvlgari's tea line, it is slightly smoky, a little woody, and just a tad sweet. Despite being an Eau de Cologne, it lasts quite a long time on my skin. There were other new fragrances that I thought were quite good, even though some of them are decidedly not my cup of tea. Among them are Bleecker Street by Bond No 9, Brit Gold by Burberry, Gaultier 2 by Jean-Paul Gaultier, Do Son by Diptyque, Josephine by Rance, Borneo 1834 by Serge Lutens, Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker, Fleur d'Oranger by L'Artisan, Hypnose by Lancome, Zenzero by i Profumi di Firenze, Carnal Flowers by Frederic Malle, Euphoria by Calvin Klein, Tumulte by Christian Lacroix, and Cast a Spell by Lulu Guinness. Happy New Year everyone! *All photos are from Getty Images.