— fragrance —

Top 20 Sellers of 2011 Perfume Project

April 2, 2012

A few bloggers have decided to give their 2 cents of the most popular scents in the U.S. – best-selling feminine perfumes of 2011. You can find the list here at Bois de Jasmin. The list is in no particular order. And here are my informal observations/mini-reviews.

Adrienne Eames

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

If I smell perfume when I go out, 8/10 times it’s Coco Mademoiselle. It doesn’t surprise me at all that this made the list. Coco Mademoiselle is one of my least favorite Chanel feminine fragrances. I’m a Coco gal. Don’t take me wrong. Just because Coco Mademoiselle isn’t my favorite doesn’t mean that I dislike it. I think it is a very well done fragrance. And many perfumes have tried to copy it.

 Chanel Chance eau Tendre

There are so many Chance flankers, I can’t keep up. This one is a little fresher but I find it boring.

Clinique Happy EDP

Clinique Happy

Very few fragrances give me headaches. Clinique Happy gives me a massive headache. It’s the shrill mix of citrus and florals. Clinique Happy is everything that I am not. It’s the antithesis of fragrances I enjoy. That being said, I think it is well done and frankly, a happy and bubbly fragrance. And when I’m out and about, I still smell it on people.

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue

I’ve always liked the feminine version of Light Blue. It was never “me” but I really like it. It was so good/popular that many niche brands have attempted to copy it. Why bother with the niche when Light Blue smells great and is affordable?

Chanel No. 5

Isn’t it amazing that a fragrance this old is a best-seller? It really is a classic even if I don’t “get” it.

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist

Soft and powdery. It’s not amazing but it isn’t bad. I know so many people that claim this as their signature. For some reason it makes them so happy. And feeling beautiful and good is one of the reasons why perfume exists.

Burberry Body

Here’s my review of this fragrance. I call it an updated (read that as “more boring”) Lancome Tresor. I think most of its success is that it is was launched at a good time and the brand is well-known and trusted. Other than that, I don’t see it being a top seller next year. But, I’m often wrong.

Estee Lauder Pleasures

I think Pleasures is extremely well done but I still hate the name. I can overlook the stupid name.

Estee Lauder Beautiful

Beautiful is not “my” Estee Lauder fragrance but I do feel it is well-done. There’s something very special about it. I’ve heard that Andy Warhol was buried with it.

Thierry Mugler Angel EDP

Thierry Mugler Angel

I’m on Team Angel. I love it. I think it is genius and I’m glad it’s still a best-seller. How many perfumes did this fragrance inspire? So many people want to be Angel but there is only one Angel. It’s the Madonna of gourmands.

Chanel Chance eau Fraiche

No more Chance flankers, please. No more. With this one they somehow managed to make Chance smell even “safer” than before. They took all the fun out of it. But, I think it’s a good scent choice for young girls.

Fendi Fan di Fendi

I wasn’t impressed with this on in store. I wasn’t impressed with it on my skin either (actually I couldn’t wait to scrub it off). Maybe I’ll try it again. But, why should I? Life is too short for boring fragrances.

Chanel Chance

I swear, this is the perfume of my generation. Because of that, I hate it. It’s over-saturation for me. It’s going to take at least 10 more years for me to properly analyze Chance without thinking of it as the most generic fragrance ever loved  by women born 1980-1985.

Clinique Aromatics Elixir

One of my favorite chypres. Once again, I feel it deserves to be on this list. And I’m actually surprised that it is! In my opinion, it’s one of the best mainstream fragrances ever. Here’s my review.

Ralph Lauren Romance

A flaccid clean floral that I always forget. I don’t feel this should be a best-seller. There are better clean florals out there. Actually out of this entire Top 20 list, Romance is my least favorite just because it is so dull. And I never smell this on people when I’m out. Who is buying this?

Dior J'adore EDP

Christian Dior J’Adore

My bottle of J’Adore is from 2002. I love it. I haven’t sniffed the newest version, but I feel even if it had a terrible reformulation, it can’t be as bad as half of the mainstream stuff sold at department stores.

Taylor Swift Wonderstruck/Justin Bieber Someday

Are these together because they are the same fragrance or because they tied? They both smell very similar to me. Obviously these aren’t my demographic. And obviously young people buy perfume. And I predict you won’t see either of these on the top sellers list next year. I think you’ll see the Selena Gomez perfume because these young people are buying perfume.

Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude

I actually tried this recently and really liked it. It’s a mix of Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess and the original Sensuous. It’s warm, soft, comforting and has enough saltiness in it to remind me of skin. I think it’s a great mainstream perfume and I’d love to have a bottle in my collection.

Estee Lauder Knowing

It really surprises me that this is on the top 20 list. I never hear people say that they wear Knowing. I’m a huge Estee Lauder fragrance fan but Knowing is the only one that I don’t own. It seems the most “dated” to me and that’s saying something with this line.

Prada Candy

Here’s my review. You guys know that I enjoy it. I think it’s an awesome perfume for the price. Have you noticed many niche perfumes are now jumping on the sweet benzoin bandwagon?

  • Out of these 20, I own 8. How many do you own?
  • I actually find this list to not be so bad. (Or as bad as I expected). I expected more Pink Sugar and Victoria’s Secret fragrances. There really are classics on this list. As an Estee Lauder fan girl, I’m happy to see these on there. I am surprised that Issey Miyake isn’t on the list or any other aquatic. Finally! It seems that women like gourmands, ambers, and florals.
  • I believe that Scents of Self participated in this event. If you are a blogger and you have participated, please say so in the comments so I can add you to the list.
* Adrienne Eames pic from www.fanpix.net. Product pics from Sephora.

28 thoughts on “Top 20 Sellers of 2011 Perfume Project”

    1. Like I said, I think it’s a good list. I think many of these have stuck around for a reason.
      I wish Coco Mademoiselle worked for me. I feel it smells better on other people than me.

  2. Benzoin is pushing me over the edge into Do Not Want territory. I used to not mind it; now there’s just too much of it. And too much in Prada Candy, which I otherwise might enjoy.

    I think there are some different benzoins in play, as I’ve noticed some give me a definite Play Doh note and some do not. I do think it’s the benzoin and not anything it’s mixed with, though that could just be my assumption.

    Unlike every other review I’ve seen of Sensuous Nude yours, however short, makes me sort of want to try it. Estee Lauders are certainly underrated. Or overpopular. 🙂
    unseencenser recently posted..Vacation perfume planning!

    1. I do like benzoin but it has potential to be “oud’d”. And yes, you’re right, too much smells like Play Doh. That’s been my problem with the Kilian Sweet Redemption. It’s Play-Doh on me.

      I’ve ignored Sensuous Nude because I haven’t heard good things about it. I was very surprised to be given a sample, try it and like it. It does have honey which can go rank on some people. On my skin, it works.
      I think that most people like the ELs. I think the perfume people ignore them for whatever reason. They are great for the money.

      1. It would appear that for many perfume lovers, when the ELs go wrong, they go horribly wrong. I’ve seen more articles about how they go massively wrong for this or that sniffer than I can count. Obviously, for most people they go very right.

        Thanks for the Play Doh support. I’ve been in MiN sniffing Traverse du Bosphore (sp?) and had people look at me funny when I mention the Play Doh. But it’s so in there.

        And – I did a review of various versions of J’Adore for Scents of Self’s Top 20 project! http://www.unseencenser.com/?p=759
        unseencenser recently posted..Vacation perfume planning!

        1. Thank you for backing me up with TdB! All I get from that is rosewater Play Doh! Everyone thinks I’m crazy. But, oh, it’s there 😉

  3. Ha! I own only one-Sensuous Nude which I asked for and got for Christmas. Have not tried the Prada Candy yet. I dislike all the other fragrances except Angel, which I like on other people but gives me a headache. Give me Coco, not Coco Mademoiselle!

    1. That’s the one that I want! It’s so good.
      I like Prada Candy but I find it more of a fall/winter fragrance, not something I’d wear in the heat.
      I’m actually really surprised that Coco didn’t make the list!

  4. Scents of Self proposed to review the Top 20 (from Victoria’s list at Bois de Jasmin) but I don’t think she’s gotten very far yet. I’ve reviewed all of them recently. And yes, the Taylor/Justin fragrances were tied in terms of sales numbers – but they are quite similar as well. I’ve actually written a wrap-up of the four sets of mini-reviews; it’ll post tomorrow.

    I think it’s a very mixed bag. A number of these I absolutely HATE (Angel. And Cashmere Mist, and Chance which I find absolutely hideous), and yet I understand the appeal.

    It’s funny – I smell Light Blue and Coco Mlle and Youth Dew and White Diamonds on people alllll the time, so I was surprised to not find YD on the list. Maybe it’s a regional thing.
    mals86 recently posted..Scent Diary, Mar. 26- April 1, 2012

    1. I’ll add Scents of Scelf and your blog to the list. Like I said, informal thing and I know I left people out.

      OK, had a conversation with a perfume friend too and we are both shocked that Knowing made the list and not Youth Dew. We smell Youth Dew on people out here all of the time. Or maybe we’re just smelling the wind brought in from your neck of the woods 😉 And how did White Diamonds not make the list? That’s something I smell on people all of the time too. And I read that White Diamonds is still selling like crazy.
      But, really I smell Coco Mlle all of the time. Seattle area SAs say that most people buy Chanel.

    1. Um, I’m annoyed by Chance-a-palooza too! Please, no more Chance flankers!

      I’ll add your blog to the post. I blanked on who was participating.

  8. As the previous commenter, I own a single perfume from this list – Angel. I still plan to test more Estee Lauder’s perfumes on skin since I think my tastes have changed in the recent couple of years. But, in general, I’m trying to stay away from full bottle purchases of mainstream perfumes.
    Undina recently posted..Entertaining Statistics: March, 2012

    1. I love the ELs and I think they are all FB worthy 😉 But, no need to rush out and get them. It seems they never change their formula. Now Dior on the other hand…

  9. I own one. (No. 5) I’ve sniffed three, as far as I can remember. (Coco Mademoiselle and Angel are the other two.) I…

    Wait. A _fruitier_ version of Coco Mademoiselle?! What the what?

    Ok, I’m back. Should my lack of sniffing experience here worry me?
    ChickenFreak recently posted..Rambling: Rambling

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