Here’s the fragrance news worth paying attention to as of August 18, 2026—with the fluff stripped out. - Roja London – Elysium Absolue Pour Femme launches tomorrow, August 19. It was created by Julie Lerendu of Robertet working with Roja Dove and centers on rose, lychee, fig, raspberry, sandalwood, patchouli, and amber. It’s a 75 mL EDP at $330. Early testing from Fragrantica describes very large opening sillage and roughly 12-hour longevity. - Regalien – Hidden Origins Collection is much more interesting from a perfumery standpoint. Three extraits were introduced: Aurora: Halfeti Dark by Dominique Ropion, Anemos: Cappadocia Wild by Hamid Merati-Kashani, and Agora: Golden Horn by Honorine Blanc. They’re 80 mL extraits at €270. Anemos is the one I’d put at the top of the sniff list: citrus, leather, oud, nagarmotha, labdanum and amberwoods. - Rasasi just released Hawas La Mer and Hawas Gold Digger. What makes this news interesting is that the inspirations aren't being hidden: La Mer is described as inspired by Louis Vuitton Pacific Chill, while Gold Digger is inspired by Ultra Male. La Mer uses peppermint, citrus, blackcurrant, jasmine, carrot seed, fig and amber woods. This is another good example of a Middle Eastern brand moving from loose similarity into clearly identifiable interpretation territory. - Gucci Guilty Eau de Toilette Intense Pour Homme is new. The structure is surprisingly simple: sea salt, lavender and palo santo. Rather than making “Intense” mean sweeter and thicker, Gucci seems to be going mineral/aromatic/dry woody. Of the new mainstream men's designers, this is one I'd actually test. - Fragrance continues to carry the U.S. beauty business. Prestige fragrance dollar sales grew 6% in the first half of 2026, while mass-market fragrance sales jumped 15%. More interestingly, prestige unit sales were essentially flat while average prices increased about 5%, and EDP/parfum concentrations posted double-digit growth. Translation: consumers are increasingly spending more per bottle and moving toward stronger concentrations rather than simply buying more bottles.

SOTD — Memoirs of a Perfume Collector Tales from Zanzibar Today I’m wearing Tales from Zanzibar, and this is exactly the kind of tropical fragrance I like because it doesn’t smell like the typical coconut suntan-lotion scent. Right from the opening I get a big blast of juicy fruit, especially guava, mixed with lime, mandarin and this cooling mint that keeps all that sweetness from becoming too much. The guava is really what separates this one for me. It gives it that exotic tropical-fruit smell instead of just another citrus freshie. As it settles down, the coconut starts showing up, but it stays more in the background rather than taking over. The drydown gets sweeter and slightly musky with the candied fruits, ambergris, moss and that very transparent oud underneath everything. I really wouldn’t call this an oud fragrance at all. It’s there more to give the fragrance some depth and keep all those fruits from smelling too simple. What I really like about Tales from Zanzibar is that it smells like a tropical vacation without smelling cheap or juvenile. It’s bright, sweet, fruity and refreshing, but there’s enough weight underneath it to make it feel like an actual niche fragrance. Definitely one of those fragrances that gets your attention when you first spray it. Tropical, juicy, different and extremely easy to enjoy. Tales from Zanzibar is a winner for me.

Just out of curiosity are we all keeping or get rid of your Fragrance Boxes , I’m obviously the Keeper

Found myself with a very rare hour of down time this afternoon, and just happened to be close to Nordstrom's. I figured I'd stop in and see if I could get my hands on a sample of the Armani I Will fragrance that everyone is so excited about. I'll talk about that separately, but TLDR I think it's boring. After talking with the sales clerk a bit, I mentioned that i was a fan of Iris notes, and that I was hoping to get a sample of Gypsy Water Absolu. Unfortunately, they were out, but then she told me they had a tester of the new Creed Iris Debonaire that is set to release on September 8th. She was kind enough to give me a little decant, and I've been wearing it all afternoon. I have talked in the past about my dislike of Creed. I get the appeal, but I'm just not a fan. I really hate their pricing structure, and in the past, I've resolved not to buy their stuff. All of that to say, that Iris Debonaire may be my new favorite perfume. It's up their with Black Orchid, Gypsy Water, and Iris Obsidian. I can't stop sniffing my arm. It's an absolutely lovely fougere with a really sophisticated French Lavender note in the drydown. According to the marketing, the Iris used is specially made specifically for this fragrance. Whether that's bullshit or not, I don't know, but it works. This stuff is incredible. We'll see how it works performance wise. I want to wear it tomorrow, but it's going to be 110, and I don't think powdery iris works very well in that kind of heat, so I'll have to wait a bit until I have an office day or day at home when i don't have to go outside much. But wow. This might end up being an actual bottle purchase if I can save up and get a good discount.

One thing I’ve learned with fragrances is that some of the best fall and winter scents don’t have to be locked away once the weather warms up. The ones that cross seasons the best usually have some darker or richer character, but they aren’t overly sweet, syrupy, or weighed down with heavy vanilla and amber. Dry woods, iris, incense, leather, vetiver, musk, tea, and fresh spices can give a fragrance enough depth for fall and winter while still keeping it wearable in spring and even summer. Here are some that I think do this especially well: Creed Iris Debonair – This has the iris and woody character to feel right at home in fall and winter, but it stays polished, dry, and airy enough to work in spring and even summer evenings. I wouldn’t necessarily reach for it in the middle of a 110-degree afternoon, but mornings and nights are a different story. Amouage Reflection Man 45 – Richer and deeper than the original Reflection Man, but it still has enough floral freshness and lift to keep it from becoming too heavy. I think this is excellent when the temperatures are somewhere around that 60–80 degree range. Amouage Beach Hut Man – Probably one of the best examples of a fragrance that can cross seasons. It has plenty of green, woody depth for fall, but the minty, herbal, dry character makes it excellent in warm weather too. This is one that can actually handle some serious heat. Memo Irish Leather – Leather can sometimes automatically make you think fall and winter, but Irish Leather has that juniper and green aromatic freshness that keeps the leather from becoming thick or suffocating. It works especially well in spring. Guerlain Vetiver Parfum – Vetiver is almost a cheat code when it comes to seasonal versatility. It can smell earthy, dark, and sophisticated enough for cooler weather while still being dry and fresh enough for warmer temperatures. Guerlain Neroli Plein Sud – One of the best examples of a fragrance that bridges seasons. The spices give it that fall character, while the neroli and citrus keep everything bright and open enough for spring and summer. To me, this is about as close as you get to a true four-season fragrance.