As 2005 draws to a close, it is time to reflect on my favorite fragrances of 2005. Not necessarily new scents for 2005, but most worn and loved. Not in any order. Except Anne Pliska, which always is first, naturally.

ANNE PLISKA - Always tops my list. My Holy Grail, my signature scent for 18 years. It's me, or who I aspire to be. The scent I always reach for on a special occasion or when I want to make a good impression. Yes, I have lots of others, but if I had to give them all up but one, I would choose Anne Pliska. Soft, powdery amber, sophisticated and sexy, it has it all. Always elegant, a classic.

GAULTIER2 - Ok powdery amber lovers listen up!! This one is Amber, Vanilla & Musk!! This SEXY, loud, in your face sillage. I have been talking this one up for months. It will officially debut in 2006, not sure what they are waiting for. It's the bomb!

LAURA TONATTO DAMA - Gorgeous top notes of amber and vanilla are amplified by a powdery opoponax base that acts like an aldehyde. This one fills your personal space with scent that lasts all day, yet doesn't seem to trail. Very feminine and sexy. A whisper of an iris note can also be heard, if one listens closely.

LORENZO VILLORESI MUSK - A soft powdery musk with a slight hint of rose. Warm and powdery this is not your typical musky-musk but rather a snuggly comfort scent. Somewhat similar to Teint de Neige but a bit less powdery and with an opening rose note. Musk, Amber, Sandalwood in the base keep it soft and sexy. Understated and elegant.

100% LOVE - By S-Perfume, a small independent perfume company in NYC. A fragrance described as having "the wet velvety skin of rose petals in water", demands to be tried. Ethereal is the perfect one word description of this fragrance. I'm not sure if there are aldehydes here, but to me it smells like a faint mist of rose water with aldehydes. Truly the scent of angels. I am completely taken by surprise and 100% smitten.

MARC JACOBS BLUSH - The jasmine perfume for those who don't like jasmine. Ok, technically it's a jasmine perfume. But there is no jasmine in it. What, you say?? It has Star Jasmine, Jasmine Breeze Accord and Jasmine Nectar. The Fresh Air Accord makes it light and modern and seem to float on your skin. Great lasting power, with wafts rising up throughout the day. I also own the parfum, in a word - lovely.


ORMONDE JAYNE TOLU - Being very drawn to ambers this year, I fell for this one in a big way. The soft Tolu resin and the frankincense and amber in the base leap forward as top notes in this superbly crafted unique fragrance. Warm and sexy with great sillage. Excellent staying power on both EDP and Parfum. And the matching D'Or alcohol free gel has tiny sparkles of gold, a beautiful way to wear this captivating fragrance.

COSTES BY HOTEL COSTES: Costes was a difficult find for me. I fell in love with it from a sample only to find it was nowhere to be found in the USA at the time. Searching high and low, I finally found it at Browne's in the U.K. Where I promptly also bought the matching bath gel and lotion. Warm woods with spice and incense make this a great unisex scent. And what a great bottle.

CSP COOL TROPIC PALM - Comptoir Sud Pacifique's refreshing summer scent took me by surprise this year. There is something about it I find completely captivating. Maybe it is the Iodine note; a scent from my childhood. Or the Ozone combined with a Sea Water note that lends a beachy feel. Also in the mix is a light note of Lemon on a base of Woods and Musk. Fresh and cool, perfect.

MONTALE SWEET ORIENTAL DREAM - Turkish rose with almonds and honey turn this confection into Montale's answer to Rahat Loukoum. If you are familiar with Keiko Mecheri Loukhoum and Serge Lutens Rahat Loukoum, consider a marriage of the two. Powdery and sweet light rose meets cherry pipe tobacco. The best of both in this warm, compelling scent with great staying power.

Happy New Year to you all, may you have a fragrant New Year! Check out more Best of 2005 on these other great Blogs:

• An Alabaster Brow


• Beauty Addict


• Blogdorf Goodman


• Bois de Jasmin


• Brain Trapped in Girl's Body


• c'est chic


• Crazy Jay Blue


• The Great She Elephant


• Hrmph


• Koneko's *Mostly* Beauty Diary


• Legerdenez


• Make a Mental Note


• Monkey Posh


• Mother Hen's Place


• my life my words my mind


• no one knows why the wolf laughs


• Now Smell This


• ¡Ombligo!


• Peppermint Patty


• Perfume-Smellin' Things


• Scentzilla!


• She'll be feverish after so much thinking


• Slap of the Day

My Other Best of 2005 Picks - Non-Perfume

Well I after giving it some thought, I'd like to add a separate list of beauty items I discovered and love in 2005:

SANTA MARIA NOVELLA BODY MILK FOR MEN - Yep, for men. The men's scent is a light spice that I adore. The lotion is light, non-greasy, and absorbs quickly.

EVIAN ORIGINAL HYDRATING LOTION - Evian pure water creates a moisturizing lotion great for softening and rehydrating skin, love this pure lotion for morning or night. Good news: it's very inexpensive. Bad news: It's only available in Europe.

FRESH RICE FACE WASH - Love, love, love this powdered face wash. I never want to be without it. After rinsing, your skin feels like dewy rose petals.

FRESH LIP LINER - F21C - I love how this liner GLIDES on, so smooth and effortless. I outline and then fill in my lips, it acts as a stain, then I top with gloss.

HOURGLASS LIP LINER - Another one I love, not as smooth as Fresh, but smoother than most. And the other end is a lip brush, so you always have one handy. It was a full size gift in the Barneys gift last year. Barneys gifts ROCK!!!

VINCENT LONGO LIP STAIN - I have several colors. I love the smooth light texture and the stain.

CAUDALIE LIP CONDITIONER - So smooth and soft going on and the bonus of a light vanilla scent. I use this at night before bed.

GOLDIE LIP GLOSS - Ok, I do love my Chanels, but this was a great find for me this year. From Bath & Body Works, the Goldie brand is a great looking gloss. Shiny a hint of sparkle, no grit and the great scent of coconut! My color is velveteen.

BREATHE HIGH LATHER MOISTURE WASH - Another Bath & Body Works find for 2005. This non-soap shower gel lathers like all get out and the scent is heavenly! Amber and Myrrh.

CUREL NATURAL HEALING LOTION with green tree, aloe and cucumber - Great scent and of course Curel is my all time favorite lotion.

Scent of the Day - 12/30/05 - What's Yours? - Log In!

Anne Pliska for me again today - I'm so happy to have a full bottle again! I can spray with wild abandon!

Paris Photo of the Day For - Friday 12/30/05

Hubby is very proud of this shot. :O)

Scent of the Day - 12/29/05 - What's Yours? - Log In!

I'm wearing my Anne Pliska for a day of shopping and sniffing. Only on my neck and chest though. Both arms will be free for sniffing applications!

Paris Photo of the Day For - Thursday 12/29/05

I'll be doing a little shopping and sniffing today, so I thought this Fendi picture would be appropriate.

Scent of the Day - 12/28/05 - What's Yours? - Log In!

For me today, a new fragrance from Paris called Ibiza by Cathy Guetta. A sweet Christmas gift from a friend.

Paris Photo of the Day For - Wednesday 12/28/05

View from the balcony of our Paris rental apartment.

Scent of the Day - 12/27/05 - What's Yours? - Log In!

Yay! Someone special sent me Anne Pliska for Christmas! Since I have been out for awhile, I think I'll wear it all week!

Paris Photo of the Day For - Tuesday 12/27/05

Book and art print sellers line the Seine across from the D'Orsay.

Happy Holidays to all! I'll be back on

Monday to tell what Santa left.

Scent of the Day - 12/24/05 - What's Yours? - Log In!

I'm wearing my new Ormonde Jayne Tolu Parfum and the matching D'Or glitter gel.

Paris Photo of the Day For - Saturday 12/24/05

Merry Christmas Eve to you all! Salute!!

Scent of the Day - 12/23/05 - What's Yours? - Log In!

Gaultier2 for me today - The Christmas countdown continues!
Merry Christmas Eve Eve!!

Paris Photo of the Day For - Friday 12/23/05

How about some sapphires to wear to your Christmas party? These lovelies are part of the Crown Jewels collection, locked safely away inside the Louvre.

Scent of the Day - 12/22/05 - What's Yours? - Log In!

The Pink Room for me today, what are you wearing?

Paris Photo of the Day For - Thursday 12/22/05

The small tribute marker at the site where Princess Diana was killed.

Scent of the Day - 12/21/05 - What's Yours? - Log In!

100% Love for me today - Ahhh this stuff is fit for angels!

Paris Photo of the Day For - Wednesday 12/21/05

It was rainy, but I had to pose for this shot! The name says it all.

Scent of the Day - 12/20/05 - What's Yours? - Log In!

Laura Tonatto Amir for me today. Warm and ambery - hopefully it will jump start my day. I am so not ready for Christmas this year!

Paris Photo of the Day For - Tuesday 12/20/05

Another gargoyle shot - wondering if this will also provide amusement? :O)

Scent of the Day - 12/17/05 - What's Yours? - Log In!

Well is there anyone out there checking in on Saturday? I'm testing some Laura Tonattos today. I'll do a review next week. This line is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. Tomight I'll be taking hubby out for his birthday dinner. I'll be wearing Anne Pliska parfum.

Paris Photo of the Day For - Saturday 12/17/05

One of my favorite shots, taken on the last day before we left.

Paris Photo of the Day For - Friday 12/16/05

Gargoye at Notre Dame.

Scent of the Day - 12/15/05 - What's Yours? - Log In!

Anne Pliska for me today! My holy grail. The last few drops from my bottle. Alas! Now I have put it on my Christmas wish list but, Hubby says I "have enough" perfume. Hummm, no I don't think so. A girl needs her holy grail, right?

Fleur d'Oranger - L'Artisan

"Garson!! I distinctly remember asking for the '75 Chateau Margaux, what is this swill you have brought me?"

Ah, the connoisseur who can tell the year by the taste of the grape. And is that what we, the perfume connoisseur will become? L'Artisan would have you believe so with their Fleur D'Oranger limited edition fragrance. The fragrance is made from the 2004 harvest of orange blossoms in Nabeul, Tunisia.

I sampled this yesterday (thanks Tara) and I'm wearing it again today in weak attempt to talk myself out of it. I already own Serge Lutens Fleurs D'Oranger which I love. But admittedly, can be a bit heady at times, much thicker and heavier than this sweet elixir. I briefly owned and swapped away French West Indies Fleurs D'Oranger version which was so bad, I have erased it from my memory banks.

Laura Tonatto Fiori d'Arancio is on my list to buy after using up a small sample vial months ago. I loved it. But it's been a hard one to track down. If I had it firmly in my hands, I'd not feel so tempted by this one. Although it is from a much inferior crop, it smelled heavenly to me.

"The first of this new collection" indicates there are more rare harvests and limited editions to follow. Maybe if I wait, I will prefer the 2005 rose harvest from Turkey.

L'Artisan - Fleur d'Oranger

Let's try a few harder ones:

Anne Pliska & The Day That Changed My Life - Part 2

So, as my story continues, I spend more and more time on Perfume of Life forum. Learning all about niche scents and exchanging samples and sniffing everything I can get my hands on. Although I do make jewelry, I had to take down my store as it was so neglected as I never spent time there. Perfume was indeed becoming my obsession and although I do like making jewelry, that feels like work and this feels like play. And since I already have a full time job, I'd rather play.

Eventually I began meeting with people from the perfume board. Little outings here and there to sniff fragrances. Very quickly I became friends with people who I had only met online. We had so much in common and it was so fun to meet. Now I feel I have been so blessed! I have so many wonderful friends all across the globe. In so many countries! It amazes me to think that I can be on vacation half a world away and meet up with an old friend that I have never actually met. And when we do, we feel an instant bond and feel as though we have known each other forever. It is a wonderful, wonderful thing. And it all started with Anne Pliska.

Perfume Bottle Quiz - How many do you know?

Ok, I picked some really easy ones!
How many can you name? Would you like to see this as a weekly contest with a prize?

Everyone wants more Kess pics, right?

Ok, so I have a slight PERFUME Addiction, so?