The Friday Forum - January 4

It's hard to believe I forgot it's Friday! With the week off from working, all the days ran into each other. Suddenly, while watching the news, I saw the date: Friday. Yikes!

As the spring collections are appearing online and at counters, I am trying to prioritize. What must I have vs what would I like to have? I'm not doing the best job I could, but I must. In between consulting engagements, I must make my money stretch. I can't purchase as much. That's depressing for a beauty blogger.

I did get some new shampoo and conditioner this week. I've tried the NouNou Conditioner because someone sent me a sample. I ordered it and the shampoo from drugstore.com. I had to purchase new Bobbi Brown, Chantecaille, Dior, and a few other things this week, but I was good. I only bought one of everything from Chantecaille - not the rest. Oh, and then there was that fragrance from Luckyscent.

How are you feeling about the spring collections? What do you think is a must-have as opposed to a "like to have"? Did you make a New Year's resolution to spend less?

It's time for the Friday Forum - even though I forgot. Did you? I love this part of our week. What new products did you discover this week? Did you find any deals you couldn't resist? Are you using a fabulous product and want to sing its praises? Did you find a beauty product disappointing? Do you have a question others might be able to answer? Want to talk about skin care? What's new in your life? Just use the comments. Don't be shy. Just make sure to ask any question you might have over the weekend. By early the next week, most (not all) readers will have moved on.

I love this week's giveaway contest for Bobbi Brown's Pink Oyster Shimmer Brick. If you want a chance to win, just click on this link and leave a comment before midnight tomorrow, Saturday, January 5.

Photo courtesy of Marie Claire

Dior Addict Lipstick from the Chérie Bow Collection for Spring 2013

Dior’s Spring 2013 Color Collection is called the Chérie Bow Collection, and it’s characterized by bows and feminine shades, especially pink. It pays homage to the ribbons worn by the Duchesse de Fontanges, a French noblewoman and one of the many mistresses of Louis XIV of France. Apparently, Louis showed his great affection for Marie by wearing ribbons that were often matched to hers. You can read more about her at Wikipedia. Those royals from the 1600s would certainly draw tabloid attention today.

Christian Dior thought that pink was “the softest of colours," and the color "of happiness and femininity." The spring collection is abundant with pinks.

Dior's centerpiece for the Spring 2013 Collection is the Chérie Bow Palette (you can see it on the display photo below at the left). I stood at Nordstrom agonizing over whether to buy it. It contains eye shadows in grey, pink, and charcoal, along with black eyeliner and pink gloss in a gimmicky hard shell case. I decided I couldn't afford its $80 price for colors that are duplicates of many of the colors I have, even Dior colors. It's a great palette for gals with no makeup.

I was enchanted by the three new pastel Dior Addict Lipsticks ($31) on the display and walked away with two: Candide (#457) and Espiègle (#687). I could easily have purchased the third, Charmante, a soft coral, but I held back to save some money. Now I want it. I should have gone with my instinct to buy it.

Candide is shown below on the left, with Espiègle on the right.

These are gorgeous, pastel, sheer shades that delight me any time of year. They are perfect for spring - a spring that we already know will be all about pink.

I was able to get photos of the two Lip Addicts yesterday, even though there were high clouds that partially obscured the sun. I

Candide is shown at the top of my arm, with Espiègle, a darker pink, below. While they look radically different in the tube, and I can see clear differences in them in my swatch photos and on my lips, you may feel they are minor variations on ballerina pink.

Candide is very warm, and Espiègle is very cool. Espiègle definitely leans blue on the lips. On my lips, I almost see a touch of grape with Espiègle. They are not as shiny indoors as they are outdoors with full sun directed at them.

Dior Addict Lipsticks feel great on the lips. The hydrating and volumizing formula dresses the lips with a veil of addicting color and very nice shine. Perhaps, I'll drop by Nordstrom for Charmante this weekend.

Photo at top courtesy of Nordstrom; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Sephora + PANTONE UNIVERSE Color of 2013: Emerald

Pantone's Color of the Year for 2013 is Emerald, 17-5641. I'm excited. I will enjoy seeing a year with an emerald undercurrent in beauty and fashion.

United by a passion for color, Sephora and Pantone combine their expertise to become beauty’s leading authority on color. Sharing an affection for how color can transform a face, mood, or even an attitude, this breakthrough beauty partnership will change how you wear, feel, and think about color. You’ll be introduced to playful shades that will inspire experimentation and exhilarating new products you’ll impulsively want to sweep on. It will reawaken and reinvigorate your own passion for color—or ignite a newfound love.

I'm ready. I've signed up at Sephora to receive notice of the new PANTONE UNIVERSE products as soon as they are posted. You can too, or browse the emerald products that have already launched at this Sephora link.

Photos courtesy of Sephora

Chantecaille Save the Sharks Palette for Spring 2013

Chantecaille's graphic and alluring new, limited-edition Save the Sharks Palette ($83) fuses trendy colors from the Spring 2013 catwalks with the freshness of the oceans in a bold yet feminine way. Featuring three eye shades with shark names, it's simply stunning: Great White, an allover sandy beige; Grey Reef, a glistening sandy taupe-grey; and Black Tip, a deep ocean blue.

The palette includes a Sea Anemone Cheek Shade, a golden pink-coral color that is universally flattering on all skin tones. The Cheek Shade was inspired by the underwater gardens of the tropical seas.

Chantecaille, known for its philanthropy, is passionate (as I am) about saving the sharks. The BLOOM Association has successfully orchestrated a top-level ban on all Hong Kong Luxury Hotels that were serving shark fin soup, for which sharks are slaughtered. Five percent of proceeds from the Save the Sharks Palette will be donated to the BLOOM Association to ban unregulated shark fin trade. You can help by never ordering the soup in restaurants.

I purchased my palette at Chantecaile's Web site the second I discovered it. I didn't even know it was coming. When it arrived, I did a little happy dance. It's even prettier than it looks on Chantecaille's site.

I took swatch photos the second the sun came out this morning. It got even better. I need to hoard this palette, as I do with all Chantecaille palettes. I wish I weren't short of cash every January.

I used a sponge-tipped applicator to apply these exquisite shades. They look good in the palette, but they are extraordinary on the skin. I blended across the shark's fin as I swatched. The Great White highlighter (labeled as such) is a perfect ivory shade for highlighting or use as a base shade. The Grey Reef isn't really grey. Instead it's a fantabulous subtly shimmering taupe with a twist. This is one of those shades I will wear through (called hit pan by some). Serious palpitations when I tried it on.

The Sea Anemone Cheek Shade isn't really coral either. It looks pink to my eyes when it's applied to the skin. It's a very warm pink - as promised, one that should work for every skin tone.

The Black Tip Eyeliner is very deep blue. In my photo,you may see a hint of purple. It's not. It's midnight blue.

Every palette Chantecaille introduces is magnificent. I don't know how they do it, except for talent, creativity, and a knack for knowing what we will all love. This palette continues Chantecaille's own beauty of combining superior products with a great cause. For that, they stay at the top of my favorites list - year after year. I'm still wearing my favorite tigers multiple times per week. Come to think of it, these colors are similar to the shades in the Tiger in the Wild Palette.

I have not seen Save the Sharks in the stores yet (although it may be there), but you can order it from Chantecaille, where the shipping will be free. My recommendation? Buy at least one.

Photo at top courtesy of Chantecaille; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener

Bobbi Brown's new Tinted Eye Brightener ($30) was inspired by requests from her fans. Bobbi’s Tinted Eye Brightener is now available in a new portable vial with a soft doe-foot wand for easy and seamless application. The soothing lightweight brightener instantly reduces the appearance of under-eye circles and evens out skin for a refreshed and flawless look.

Tinted Eye Brightener provides sheer, natural looking coverage and comes in shades of Bisque and Peach, which neutralize undereye discoloration and darkness. In addition to the new, convenient packaging, the brightener is available in two new shades (not available in its predecessor) to complement a wider range of skin tones.

I'm not sure these shade circles are perfectly representative of the actual colors. I purchased Light Bisque at the recommendation of my friends Diron and Vernon at Nordstrom Tysons Corner Center, and it is much less pink than the circle above. If the sun will come out full force today, I will get a swatch photo and attach it to this feature.

Tinted Eye Brightener is formulated with hops extract to reduce the appearance of dark circles; a blend of licorice extract, vitamin C and bamboo extract to brighten and
even out skin tone; and gentian extract to soothe the skin.

Here are Bobbi's recommendations for application. Always prep the under-eye area with a lightweight eye cream and allow it to absorb. Then apply Tinted Eye Brightener at the inner corner of the eyes and underneath, close to the lashes, using smooth strokes. Gently blend by pressing with your fingers. Use it alone or follow with a layer of Creamy Concealer. You can even use it over your concealer.

I was stunned when I applied it the first time. Suddenly, I looked bright and perky. Tinted Eye Brightener is definitely worth the small investment.

Photos courtesy of Bobbi Brown

My Favorite Skin Care of 2012

I must address my favorite skin care in 2012. Without good skin, your makeup won't look its best. It was a year of advances. I want to include whole lines of products as well as individual products - skin care that works, products that excite me. Not all of the products I am mentioning here were introduced this year, but when you find something you love, you need to stick with it.

Let's start with TATCHA, a beauty company that is inspired by ancient geisha skin-care traditions. If you haven't tried it, I think you're going to love it as much as I do.

TATCHA founder Victoria Tsai has been a lifelong seeker of beauty. Her passion for skin care began at an early age when Victoria’s mother shared traditional Asian herbal skin-care treatments, which they sold in her family’s beauty boutique. Victoria’s love of discovery has since led her to become a sought-after expert in the field, developing products and brand strategies for the world’s largest beauty companies.

Searching for a new approach to beauty, Victoria began traveling to Asia, where a chance encounter in Kyoto with a modern-day geisha changed her course. For over 300 years, Japan’s geishas have been held in awe for their enduring wisdom and breathtakingly beautiful, porcelain skin. Perfected through centuries of timeless rituals, their beauty secrets have been passed down from one generation to the next by word of mouth alone. As she began to immerse herself in Japan’s culture, Victoria discovered unearthed a 200-year-old beauty manuscript. On its ancient pages, she rediscovered the geisha’s coveted daily regimen. Moved and inspired, Victoria founded TATCHA as a way to share these timeless secrets with the modern world.

Traveling back to the City of 2000 Temples (Kyoto), TATCHA works closely with teams of scientists, scholars and geisha themselves to decipher the rituals and ingredients from the sacred beauty text. TATCHA’s formulas pay homage to the icon of Eastern beauty and the brand’s own storied heritage. Now the secrets of the geisha live on through a proprietary process involving the most precious green teas, Okinawa red algae, rice bran, and other time-tested ingredients.

I have fallen in love with the Radiant Deep Brightening Serum and the Dewy Skin Mist, and now I'm testing and loving Ageless Enriching Renewal Cream and Ageless Revitalizing Eye Cream. I can't get enough of TATCHA.

I've also become a Natura Bissé devotee. Most of the products I'm using come from the Diamond and NB•CEUTICAL collections, although I love everything I've tried. During a recent event at Neiman Marcus, I restocked on my Diamond Extreme and Eye Recovery Balm. Right now, I need to go purchase more Diamond Extreme Eye. Their Pure Air Bubble, featuring the Diamond White Facial, will be returning to Neiman Marcus soon. I sure hope I can reserve a coveted space. I desperately want to try the Diamond Life Infusion serum, but at $590, I can't afford it right now.

Another line that captured my attention before 2012, but held it through the year is RéVive.  Who is the genius behind RéVive? Skin care pioneer and noted plastic surgeon Dr. Gregory Bays Brown established a research laboratory to conduct a $2 million study on wound healing. In his research, he discovered a bioengineered molecule called Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) that dramatically accelerated burn and wound healing in test subjects. The defining moment came when Dr. Brown discovered that the EGF molecule was the same molecule that regenerated aging skin. He was convinced that the only way women could get what they really wanted (the healthy skin of their youth) was at the molecular level with EGF. Dr. Brown was immediately inspired to set up a clinical laboratory within the research unit to validate his findings and to pioneer a face cream with this "youth molecule," EGF. Dr. Brown was the first doctor to apply the bioengineered version of EGF into skin care. He wanted to give women an alternative to the knife, today's overused face lift. He launched RéVive to the public in 1997.

Dr. Brown's first cosmeceutical product, the one that started the RéVive revolution and roped in my friend Carol, was RéVive Moisturizing Renewal Cream (shown above). This powerful perfecting cream, which contains EGF, gives all faces the legendary RéVive Glow - quickly. It's a remarkable moisturizer. In addition to his powerful EGF, Dr. Brown has started to incorporate peptides into his products, as they also gain a reputation as effective skin renewal ingredients. The newest product I've purchased - there are a lot of them is Peau Magnifique Les Yeux Youth Recruit, and I can't wait to see the transformation of my eye area. If it's as dramatic as the effect I saw with Peau Magnifique Youth Recruit for the face, I'm going to be delighted. These products are pricey, but worth every penny. The Intensité Volumizing Serum is a game changer.

Two other lines have made claim to my heart: Sisley and La Prairie. I don't use a complete regimen of either line, but they made products I could not live without. Sisley's Express Eye Contour Mask should be in everyone's toolkit. The new Eau Efficace Gentle Make-Up Remover is revolutionary. This gentle, sensory, high-performance and non-rinse cleansing lotion removes face and eye make-up and tones the skin in one single sweep. The dispensing system is really cool.

Formulated with deeply cleansing plant-based saponins, Eau Efficace removes surface impurities and traces of pollution accumulated during the day, and helps preserve the skin's natural radiance. Applied with a cotton pad, it effectively removes face and eye make-up, even long lasting, leaving the skin clean and matte, and the complexion fresh and glowing. I love it.

I've got an upcoming feature coming for a new La Prairie product, Cellular Power Serum, so I'm going to hold off here. Just know that I am smitten. I like the slogan too.  "Never look your age again."

La Mer's The Moisturizing Soft Cream, a 2012 introduction, is fabulous. Luxuriously light, this formula delivers miraculous benefits - the same benefits as the original cream, but much easier to apply. It penetrates deeply to replenish moisture and strengthen skin. Renewed and energized, my skin looks youthfully radiant when I use it. I highly recommend it. If you are addicted to the original Crème de la Mer, give this one a try. It has some advances, including a new delivery system, that should please you.

Kate Somerville's new DermalQuench Liquid Lift Advanced Wrinkle Treatment is the product I nominated to New Beauty as the "Skin Care Advance of 2012." Kate took her DERMAL QUENCH Oxygen Treatment, delivered in spas or in special events at Kate Somerville counters and canned it. She gave us a treatment we could use at home. It was genius. I don't think you can find a better instant lift. Check out the fall issue to see what I had to say.

When I had my first DermalQuench Oxygen Treatment at Neiman Marcus, I experienced instant, unbelievable results. When my hour-long treatment was finished, I looked as if I had stepped out of a time capsule into a face that I had about five years ago. It was amazing. My face had a glow, and it had "lost" all the fine lines. Even my nasolabial folds (smile lines around the mouth) weren't as deep. My skin was plumped, youthful, and pretty. I'm thrilled to be able to come close to those results at home.

Two Le Métier de Beauté skin care products I can't live without are Rejuvenating Anti-Aging Night Crème with Syntoc Actif + Power4 Anti-Aging Complexe and Replenishing Daily Solution with Syntoc Actif + Moisture Rich Complexe. As pricey as some of my other must-haves, these products are amazing. They were introduced in 2011. Le Métier de Beauté has made the only products containing retinol that I can use. Plus they work as promised. The company's new CHEM60 Pro-Peel & Glow10ai Mask Set, which finally made its way to counters in 2012, is showing great promise.

I cannot close this feature without naming two new-ish products (2011) that have become staples in my skin care: Perricone MD Acyl-Glutathione for the face and Acyl-Glutathione Eye Lid Serum. I will not go without the eye lid serum - ever.  Well, unless Dr. Perricone introduces a new, improved version.

I am also testing a new 2012 line, VENeffect Skin Care, courtesy of generous samples (I simply cannot afford to purchase everything!). So far, it appears to be excellent. A little-known scientific phenomenon, virtually unexplored by the beauty industry, is now being shared with a breakthrough skin-care line developed by women, for women. Rebecca Booth, MD, a nationally recognized gynecologist and hormonal wellness expert, and Cecil Booth, her sister and a 20-year beauty industry veteran, share a mission to enlighten women about the relationship between beauty and hormones. They have spent the past seven years developing a line of skin-care products that reverse the physical signs of hormonal aging and restore a healthy, desirable female glow.

The sisters discovered their solution in the plant world. VENeffect gets its potency from 100% natural phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are plant-based “mimics” of human estrogen that safely and effectively bind to the receptors in the skin, preserving and restoring collagen, dramatically increasing elasticity and reversing the signs of hormonal aging. Dr. Booth explained, "The small molecular size of phytoestrogens allows them to easily penetrate facial skin and bind with estrogen receptors in the dermis and epidermis." Unlike anti-aging products that are designed to exfoliate dead skin (for example, retinol), VENeffect restores the vital effect of collagen to dramatically improve the glow of healthy skin.

VENeffect products are formulated with additional ingredients that offer anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties to provide the best in modern skin care. Five new VENeffect products are available: two moisturizers, one for day with SPF xx and one for night, along with eye and lip treatments. The prices range from $85 to $185.

There you have it. Wondering how I can use all these products? With few exceptions, I alternate, trying to reap the benefits offered by each. It seems to work nicely.

Photo at top courtesy of the Huffington Post; other photos courtesy of the brands

My Favorite Fragrances from 2012

I feel the way I felt when I wrote my 2012 makeup feature. My tastes in fragrance are very specific. Put another way, there are certain fragrance notes that can ruin a perfectly good fragrance to my nose. The worst offender is patchouli. If I can smell it, I will hate the fragrance. Because it's a base note in many of today's fragrances, it's hard to avoid. I've been very successful. While a few fragrances I love contain the ingredient, I can't smell it. The patch concentration must be 0.000001.

What you will find here is a list of fragrances categorized as florals, fruits, and gourmands. Many are crossovers. These 2012 introductions delighted me as we rolled through 2012. So did many others, but I cannot write a book this afternoon. How did I choose? These are the fragrances I wore the most. They are also fragrances that you can easily find and purchase.

Presented in no particular order, here were many of my successful purchases. I'll admit there will be many I forget to list. Mine to enjoy; yours to discover.

CREED introduced several fragrances. They had a banner year. I had two uber-favorites: Jardin d'Amalfi and Fleurs de Gardenia.  In your first moment with Jardin d'Amalfi, your senses fill with the characteristic scent of citrus - symbolic of the Amalfi coast - woods, apple, and rose in an artistic blend of fresh green, fruity perfection. The top notes are tangerine, bergamot, pink berries, and neroli. The heart of Jardin d'Amalfi was composed with Virginia cedar (an evergreen fragrance that is light and fresh), French apple, and Bulgarian rose. The base dries down with Haitian vetiver, white musk, and (oddly) cinnamon. Fleurs de Gardenia has top notes of pink berries, fresh, ripe blackcurrant, and engaging galbanum. The middle notes are First Love gardenias, Double Blush roses, lavender peonies, lily of the valley, and pink jasmine. The base notes are soft musk, pink patchouli (no, I cannot smell it at all), and Virginia cedar.

Guerlain's Mon Précieux Nectar made my year scrumptious. Mon Précieux Nectar  opens with top notes of petit grain and "bitter" almond powder. The heart is composed with orange blossom and jasmine. The base notes are sandalwood, gaïac wood, vanilla, white musk, and barely detectible incense.

By Kilian Forbidden Games is one of Kilian Hennessy's three In the Garden of Good and Evil fragrances introduced this fall. Created by Calice Becker, the notes are apple, peach, plum, cinnamon, Bulgarian rose, geranium bourbon, jasmine, vanilla, honey, and opoponax. Honorable mention goes to Kilian's Good Girl Gone Bad from the same collection and the two Asian Tales fragrances: Bamboo Harmony and  Water Calligraphy.

Bottega Veneta Eau de Parfum was the first fragrance introduced by the prestige leather brand (a new one is coming in 2013). There are four key notes in Bottega Veneta's Eau de Parfum: Sambac jasmine, Brazilian pink peppercorn, bergamot, and Indian patchouli (yes, patchouli, and I like it). Additionally, the fragrance includes plum, benzoin, and oak moss.

Tom Ford introduced four new fragrances with his Private Blend Jardin Noir Collection. Three are gorgeous. Jonquille de Nuit is a gorgeous fragrance, characterized by its key notes of narcissus, violet absolute, mimosa, and orris. The key notes of Lys Fume are pink peppercorn (for pleasant and subtle spice), lily, ylang ylang (for zip), and vanilla absolute. Ravishing! Ombre de Hyacinth is a green floral with a reminder of spring's delicate, fragrant hyacinths. The key notes are hyacinth, violet leaf, jasmin absolute, and Persian galbanum resinoid.The fourth? I found Café Rose, the darling of perfume connoisseurs, a disgusting patchouli bomb.

I totally fell for the House of Houbigant's newest fragrance, Orangers en Fleurs. This beautifully sophisticated fragrance is centered around the warm head notes of orange blossom. A heart of Turkish rose and Egyptian jasmine is highlighted by a subtle combination of tuberose and orange leaf absolute. The accord is delicately balanced by the fresh floral note of ylang, slightly spiced with nutmeg.

On the Jo Malone front, Blackberry & Bay delighted me - and many others. An initial burst of sweet, fresh, juicy berries is tempered by citrus and bay, yielding a lovely, balanced treat. Once Blackberry & Bay dries down, vetiver keeps it fresh, while cedarwood grounds it. In my opinion, one of the best Jo Malone fragrances in years.

The limited-edition L'Artisan Parfumeur Séville à l'Aube created by the prolific Bertrand Duchaufour, offers notes of avender, pink pepper, lemon tree leaves, orange blossom, jasmine, magnolia, beeswax, incense, Benzoin Siam, and Luiseiri lavender to remember an afternoon experienced by Denyse Beaulieu, author of The Perfume Lover. You can read the story at Fragrantica.

Monodie, a little-known Eau de Parfum by Ys Uzac, is a high-spirited play on mirabelle, a small yellow plum, whose taste is less tart than other plums, with a jammy undertone picked up by the drop of caramel in the base notes. A splash of summery colors adorn this sunny melody: pink grapefruit and red rose contrasting with the tart green of rhubarb and the deeper resinous tones of galbanum.

Un Bateau pour Capri was presented by Eau d'Italie to celebrate its 60^th anniversary. Inspired by the glamorous women who have stayed at the hotel (hink Grace Kelly or Liz Taylor on a cool summer morning, head tied in a printed silk scarf, large dark sunglasses, boarding a wooden Riva speedboat headed to Capri), Un Bateau pour Capri has notes of peony, freesia, peach, Sambac jasmine, rosa centifolia, heliotrope, solar wood, cedarwood, and musk.

Unter den Linden by Tanja Bochnig is a natural perfume from April Aromatics that left me in a trance. Lindenblossom CO₂ extract from Bulgaria and linden blossom absolute extract from France mixed with magnolia blossoms and a citrus note create this delicate fragrance with a beautiful, light, powdery, sweetly floral scent of honey. It smells like linden trees in full bloom.

i Profumi di Firenze Frangipane e Cocco offers flirty top notes of coconut and blood orange on an elegant, alluring base of frankincense take you away to an exotic reverie. The notes are frangipani, coconut, blood orange, and frankincense. I purchase almost every i Profumi di Firenze fragrance that is introduced, and this one left me yearning for an additional bottle.

I had to have ELECTRON, one of the A DOZEN ROSES fragrances. It opens with a dose of roses and violets, transporting me to a garden with the top notes. As the scent matures, I can smell the green tea, but I'll have to admit I don't know what cattleya orchids smell like - plus musk on dry-down.

Mito is one of them most fascinating fragrances I purchased. Vero Kern’s long-awaited composition was inspired by the magical gardens of the sixteenth century Villa d’Este on Lake Como in Italy. The myths the name conjures might be the gods and nymphs whose statues people the garden. The notes? Citrus blend, magnolia grandiflora, white magnolia champaca, jasmine, galbanum, hyacinth, cypress blend, and moss. Absolutely, totally gorgeous.

Oscar de la Renta introduced a new collection of Essential Luxuries, and I love several of them. Perfumer Calice Becker created all of them - and it shows. The line was inspired by de la Renta's "most loved people, places and things.” Right now, I can't name my favorite among favorites. They are definitely worth your attention, as are the new fragrances in Christian Dior's Privée La Collection.

I've been wearing New Look 1947 and Cologne Royale the most. These are beautiful fragrances.

I discovered a few extraordinary vintage, niche, and must-have pre-2012 fragrances this year, with help from my friends at Peace, Love, Perfume, a Facebook group of perfumer lovers (whether perfumers, writers, YouTube reviewers, or just fans like me). I've found lasting friendship there, as my wallet slowly emptied in 2012. I'm sure they will tell me about a new fragrance I must have - probably as early as this week. One of them, Xerjoff Nio (shown below), would have been included in this feature if I could have found its date of introduction.

That's it for today. It takes me many hours to write these "best of" features, and I must clean up and go to celebrate 2013 with my family and friends. Happy New Year!

Update: I told you I'd forget favorites. Oh, how I miss my mind! I must add Ramon Monegal's Impossible Iris and Neela Vermiere's Bombay Bling. Because I just purchased Jour d'Hermès, it's not fair to say it's one of the fragrances I've worn the most this year, but by any other measure, it should be on the list. I also forgot to list NEST's Midnight Fleur, shown below in all its gorgeousness. My bad.

Photos courtesy of the brands