Favorite Fragrance Discoveries of 2025
- Scent Evolution
- Dec 31, 2025
- 3 min read
Some fragrances impress immediately. Others quietly follow you through the year until you realize they’ve become favorites. In 2025, we discovered scents that surprised us, challenged our expectations, and reminded us why perfume is best experienced slowly. This is a curated selection of the fragrances that truly earned their place—tested on skin, lived with, and remembered.
Resinous notes in this composition are perfectly balanced with rose and cinnamon, making the opening almost boozy. The fragrance is not too sweet, and none of the notes stand out too much. This balance results in a delightful and elegant composition perfect for fall and winter. Released in 2023 and composed by Ilias Ermenidis, Tierra Maya is a fragrance that once again proves why Nissaba is a brand many fragrance enthusiasts praise and love.
Loewe is a designer brand, yet most niche fragrance lovers have at least a bottle or two in their collection. Paula's Ibiza is their amazing summer line, and the third release in this line is the perfume Cosmic. Released in 2024. and composed by Núria Cruelles Borrull, it follows a big fragrance trend and makes the mango note its central theme. Coconut and pear add some complexity to the fruitiness, but the fragrance is never too childish. Perhaps because the sandalwood, cedar, and multiple resins tame the composition down, making it dark, serious, and perfectly unisex.
Shaped by The Wild was launched in 2021. by the brand owner and perfumer Sunyata Calogeros-Smith. Similarly to other fragrances from this brand, the composition is complex and evolves marvelously over time. We love perfumes which are actually worth smelling at every stage. The fragrance opens with a mix of frankincense and pine, which give the green lemony facets. You will also feel the twist of aromatics provided by clary sage and something damp like a wet forest floor. After some time, the fragrance will evolve into a misty floral fragrance where iris (both the floral and earthy parts of this note) combines with incense and cedar. The drydown is green, incensy, and woody. Marvelous!
Nilafar du Nil is an Egyptian brand with mighty and beautiful fragrances. Catamaran was released in 2019, but we just discovered it this year. It's a woody spicy fragrance, perfectly balanced and unisex. Cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, nutmeg, and saffron bring the mix of spices, but a hint of coconut and rose balance it with some sweetness and complexity. The woody base of oud (a clean western version), sandalwood, and patchouli ground and complete it. It's elegant but also somehow very fun.
Influerno is a citrus floral fragrance on steroids. It was created in 2024. by perfumer Pia Long. It's a neon yellow bright light shining in your face as soon as you spray it (grapefruit, yuzu, lemon, and bergamot!). After the initial blast, floral notes start balancing out the composition, and magnolia, jasmine, and osmanthus bring in some elegance. Sweetness is added with a hint of fruity notes of passionfruit and black currant. Finally, all of these notes are grounded by a woody resinous base (vetiver, cedar, labdanum). If you want a long-lasting citrus... this is it!
As always, if you find our choices interesting, you can save by ordering a sample set which includes all 5 fragrance! Just order one of our Custom Sample Sets and add a note "TOP2025" in the comment box in your cart, before you go to the checkout page.
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