Shopping for fragrances can give you a headache even if you have decades of experience in this hobby. At the start of each new year, I reflect back and see what was good, and bad, and the reasons behind my decisions. My most disappointing perfume purchases of 2022 just like the year before, are made out of niche perfumes.
Now, looking back at the start of 2022, and my previous article about the same topic, it seems that 2022 was much worse, and a lot of the things I either swapped or purchased were mistakes.
Thankfully, the bad didn’t outshine all the good stuff acquired, but I have to be realistic and say that 2021 was much stronger in the shopping department.
Some fragrances that haven’t impressed me but didn’t make the final cut were from the big fragrance brands such as Etat Libre d’Orange, and Naomi Goodsir. Again, all the niche stuff.
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All of our tastes are different and some that made it onto the final list are actually great fragrances but just not for me. Let’s do this and see what were my most disappointing perfume purchases of 2022.
How I Picked My Most Disappointing Perfume Purchases
Scent Grail’s readers will notice that most of the perfumes here were previously reviewed on the blog, and won’t be a surprise to anyone.
On the other hand, two other perfumes have been never mentioned before, and I highly recommend that you sample them in case you are wondering if should you buy them or not.
With counting the number of swapped or purchased fragrance bottles last year, the number is somewhere between 21 – 23 which is a slight decrease from the previous year, and I’m proud of that fact.
But, to answer the main question about why these five scents have been included is because of the high expectations, especially from the number three to number one.
As always, these kinds of articles found in the “News” category are fun and easy fragrance read without any fuss or drama. A section of my blog where I write in a relaxing way to share more personal experiences and keep enjoying this hobby even more.
5. Diptyque Oud Palao Eau de Parfum
A note from the brand: “Oud wood is one of the rarest and oldest essences in perfumery. It is the central focus of Oud Palao, which owes its name to the palao variety from Laos. East meets West in this interlacing and intermingling of oud wood, vanilla and rose.”
Why is Diptyque Oud Palao one of my most disappointing perfume purchases of 2022: There is nothing wrong with this fragrance at its core. The ingredients are very good, but synthetic. The performance is also very good for this type of perfume, and the presentation is exquisite.
The thing is, there is nothing new here that stands out from the typical oud-rose fragrance genre, and I would rather wear Histoires de Parfums Fidelis every time, and that one is also nothing special.
The only saving grace this perfume has is the clear contrast between the opening and the dry down. The opening is pungent and sharp with that oud and jammy rose combination that dries down to a sweeter and creamy vanilla/spicy dry down. This is a hard pass for me, but it is well worth checking out if you are into this fragrance genre. After thorough testing, it ended up being swapped for Mancera Aoud Lemon Mint.
Buy here – Diptyque Oud Palao Eau de Parfum
- Perfumer: n/a
- Perfume Oil Concentration: Eau de Parfum
- Fragrance Type: Woody Oriental
- Release Date: 2015
- Target Audience: Unisex
- Masculine/Feminine: 60% – 40%
- Most dominant notes: Oud, Rose, and Vanilla
- Age Group: 30+
- Seasons: Fall and Winter
- Occasions: Business and Leisure
- Longevity and Sillage: 8 – 10 hours with great projection
- Compliments: Low
- Likeability: Medium
- Uniqueness: 2/5
- Value for money: 5/10
- Accords: Woody, Floral, Oriental
- Holy Grail Scent Rating: B-
4. Penhaligon’s Vaara
A note from the brand: “The Maharaja’s granddaughter is born into luxury. Succulent quince, fragrant roses, and wood warmed by the midday sun. Vibrant Rajasthan, captured in an Eau de Parfum. Tempered by stately elegance.”
Why is Penhaligon’s Vaara one of my most disappointing perfume purchases of 2022: The second name of Penhaligon’s Vaara should have been unfulfilled potential. The only reason why I’m slightly more disappointed with Vaara is the great real-life story behind it, and the fact that it was created by in my opinion one of the greatest perfumers of all time – Bertrand Duchaufour.
The only thing I can conclude from my experience is that either Duchaufor was on a limited budget or the product draft was wrongly presented to him by Penhaligon’s creative director.
Either way, the fragrance is a soft combination of soapy rose, musky honey, and spices coming from saffron. With all that said and done, Vaara is nowhere near worth $200 USD given that the ingredients come as quite sharp and synthetic. The easiest hard pass in a long time.
Buy here – Penhaligon’s Vaara
- Perfumer: Bertrand Duchaufour
- Perfume Oil Concentration: Eau de Parfum
- Fragrance Type: Floral Spicy
- Release Date: 2013
- Target Audience: Unisex
- Masculine/Feminine: 20% – 80%
- Most dominant notes: Rose, Quince, and Saffron
- Age Group: 25+
- Seasons: Spring, Summer, and Fall
- Occasions: Leisure, Business, and Night Outs
- Longevity and Sillage: 4 – 6 hours with moderate projection
- Compliments: Medium
- Likeability: Medium
- Uniqueness: 3/5
- Value for money: 5/10
- Accords: Fruity, Floral, Warm Spicy
- Holy Grail Scent Rating: C+
3. Carner Barcelona Costarela
A note from the brand: “Costarela evokes that unique feeling of freedom that one can only experience when admiring the immensity of the open sea.”
Why is Carner Barcelona Costarela one of my most disappointing perfume purchases of 2022: I don’t know what Costarela is trying to represent, but smelling like an evocation of an easy-going Mediterranean spirit is not one of it.
Initially, the fragrance opens up a nice dose of lemonade which is refreshing, and a great introduction to summer-style perfumery. But, as the dry down approaches, the opening blast of freshness is completely gone, and all I smell is burnt plastic.
A combination of the ambroxan, saffron, and sand accord. There is nothing coastal or beachy here as the name might suggest. With utterly poor performance and a high price tag attached to it, the fragrance leaves much to be desired. Like with almost everything I have sampled from Carner Barcelona, this is another release that proves the lack of real direction within this niche fragrance brand.
Buy here – Carner Barcelona Costarela
- Perfumer: Shyamala Maisondieu
- Perfume Oil Concentration: Eau de Parfum
- Fragrance Type: Aquatic
- Release Date: 2016
- Target Audience: Unisex
- Masculine/Feminine: 50% – 50%
- Most dominant notes: Bergamot, Sea Notes, and Ambroxan
- Age Group: 20+
- Seasons: Spring, and Summer
- Occasions: Leisure
- Longevity and Sillage: 3 – 5 hours with soft projection
- Compliments: Low
- Likeability: Medium
- Uniqueness: 2/5
- Value for money: 4/10
- Accords: Citrus, Marine, Aromatic
- Holy Grail Scent Rating: C
2. Histoires de Parfums This Is Not A Blue Bottle 1.1
A note from the brand: ” This perfume was created from an irresistible Aldehyde, a hypnotic call of fantasized pleasure from Bitter Orange.
A mysterious abyss of Patchouli emotion. This is the perfume of Abstraction. “
Why is Histoires de Parfums This Is Not A Blue Bottle 1.1 one of my most disappointing perfume purchases of 2022: I had my hopes way too high for this one. Unfortunately, I was expecting aldehydes and orange to behave something like in the latest version of Dior Homme Sport and got a cheap smell of musky laundry detergent.
I can understand that both Gerald Ghislain and Julien Rasquinet wanted to create something new, creative, and abstract, but this is just unimaginative. A decent hype surrounds this fragrance which is unjustified.
Average-smelling citruses, combined with low-tier aldehydes, and white musk with a performance that is not near enough for a decent summer fragrance. Don’t get fooled by the promising opening since it dry downs a typical bland fragrance.
Buy here – Histoires de Parfums This Is Not A Blue Bottle 1.1
- Perfumer: Gerald Ghislain and Julien Rasquinet
- Perfume Oil Concentration: Eau de Parfum
- Fragrance Type: Citrus Musky
- Release Date: 2016
- Target Audience: Unisex
- Masculine/Feminine: 60% – 40%
- Most dominant notes: Aldehydes, Musk, and Orange
- Age Group: 20+
- Seasons: Spring, and Summer
- Occasions: Business and Leisure
- Longevity and Sillage: 5 to 7 hours with moderate projection
- Compliments: Low
- Likeability: Medium
- Uniqueness: 3/5
- Value for money: 5/10
- Accords: Aldehydic, Musky, Citrus
- Holy Grail Scent Rating: C
1. Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot Cologne Intense
A note from the brand: “Precious oud, reframed. The mysterious, smoky character of this revered wood, central to Middle Eastern fragrance traditions, radiates with the clarity of crisp bergamot and orange. Hypnotic. Alluring.”
Why is Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot Cologne Intense one of my most disappointing perfume purchases of 2022: By far the best from the bunch, it hurts me to see Oud & Bergamot as the number one on the most disappointing list.
A typical Jo Malone product of having a great smell with abysmal performance, Oud & Bergamot is a combination of the best parts from Creed Aventus and Tom Ford Oud Wood.
Fresh and woody, this perfume works in almost any scenario. The raw materials inside are top-notch, but with the serious lack of performance for an oud-based fragrance, and the fact that you could do much better at a lower price point, Oud & Bergamot will always remain as one of those divine-smelling fragrances that lack the most important quality – a decent performance to ever consider buying a full bottle.
Buy here – Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot Cologne Intense
- Perfumer: Christine Nagel
- Perfume Oil Concentration: Eau de Cologne Intense
- Fragrance Type: Citrus Woody
- Release Date: 2010
- Target Audience: Unisex
- Masculine/Feminine: 70% – 30%
- Most dominant notes: Bergamot, Oud, Virginia Cedar
- Age Group: 20+
- Seasons: Spring, Summer, and Fall
- Occasions: Leisure, Business, and Sport
- Longevity and Sillage: 4 – 6 hours with soft projection
- Compliments: Medium
- Likeability: High
- Uniqueness: 2/5
- Value for money: 7/10
- Accords: Citrus, Woody, Aromatic
- Holy Grail Scent Rating: B
Conclusion
In the end, we all have different tastes, and someone’s favorite fragrances can become someone else’s disappointments.
For me, these five scents have been my most disappointing perfume purchases of 2022, and neither of them is still in my perfume collection.
What are your most disappointing perfume purchases of 2022? Let me know in the comment section at the end of the article.
In case you are in doubt about whether you should consider buying a particular fragrance, it’s always good to take a look at Scent Grail’s S.P.A. Signature Factor Guide.
It is easy to use and the most relevant perfume-buying guide on the web. This way, you can check out if a particular fragrance is worth checking out, and potentially find your signature perfume.
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Find out more Scent Grail articles about perfumery, check out top lists, and other helpful reviews via the links below:
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TOP LISTS
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SCENT GRAIL LEARNING CENTER
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- Fragrance Strengths & Perfume Concentrations
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Until next time, have a great time, and keep smelling like a million bucks!
Best, Marin!
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