I was so happy to be able to attend my first-ever Fragrance Foundation Finalists Luncheon (at the lovely 583 Park Avenue event space) as I am a complete fragrance maniac. On my way there, I wondered how Gucci Bloom, my official fragrance fave of 2018, would fare–and sure enough, it was nominated in several categories.
Beyond the obvious purpose of this event is the fact that it lets people from all the brands get together in a fun atmosphere, catch up and share a meal. There is a half-hour of fun mingling around the tables (which were filled with stunning centerpieces of pastel roses and other spring blooms) and every fragrance brand that you have ever heard of (and some that you haven’t) is represented! I saw signs on tables for Chanel, Estée Lauder, Firmenich (whose nose Olivier Cresp creates most of the celeb fragrances out there in a top secret New York lab), LVMH, Coty and more.
In a nutshell, there are five semi-finalists who are announced in each of about two dozen categories during the annual 90-minute ceremony. A representative from each of the fragrance brands nominated accepts the nomination up at the podium–and undoubtedly these individuals will obviously be turning up for the actual Fragrance Foundation Awards ceremony at Alice Tully Hall on June 12th. (This year’s host is the multitalented Jane Krakowksi and for info on how to get tickets, go to www.fragrance.org/awards-2018/.) Most of the execs in attendance on Friday were the ones who voted for the fragrances and fragrance makers who made the Fragrance Foundation’s cut.
So, here is the actual list of The Fragrance Foundation Awards Finalists for 2018 below. You’ll see a lot of legendary fragrances and fragrance creators there, that’s for sure. This past year was a great one for fragrance as social media gave more exposure to this beloved industry than ever before. (If you have not heard of some of the fragrances below, the Fragrance Foundation urges you to seek them out and try them firsthand; remember that department stores are still the best place to score trial vials of everything that’s new, as well as Sephora and Ulta).
Also listed below are special awards that were actually given out at the Fragrance Foundation’s Finalists Luncheon for people who went above and beyond the call of duty in the fragrance industry, including the very special and very scent savvy Victoria’s Secret model, Romee Strijd:
THE FRAGRANCE FOUNDATION AWARDS 2018 WINNERS
FACE OF THE YEAR: Romee Strijd
SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
Winner
MISS DIOR EAU DE PARFUM – Parfums Christian Dior
Finalists (In alphabetical order)
GUCCI BLOOM – Coty, Inc.
KATY PERRY’S INDI – Coty, Inc.
MISS DIOR EAU DE PARFUM – Parfums Christian Dior
TOM FORD FABULOUS – Tom Ford Beauty
Y, YSL – YSL Beauté
360-DEGREE MARKETING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
Winner
GUCCI BLOOM – Coty, Inc.
Finalists (In alphabetical order)
CAROLINA HERRERA GOOD GIRL – PUIG
GUCCI BLOOM – Coty, Inc.
EMPORIO ARMANI – Giorgio Armani
MISS DIOR EAU DE PARFUM – Parfums Christian Dior
VICTORIA’S SECRET LOVE – Victoria’s Secret
EDITORIAL EXCELLENCE IN FRAGRANCE COVERAGE
FEATURE
Winner
ELLE Magazine — This Is Your Brain on Vetiver
Finalists (In alphabetical order)
ALLURE – The New Fragrance Frontier
ELLE Magazine — This Is Your Brain on Vetiver
MARIE CLAIRE – Into The Wild
MARIE CLAIRE – Popping Bottles
MARIE CLAIRE – Something’s In The Air
ARTICLE
Winner
ELLE MAGAZINE – Dream Catchers
Finalists (In alphabetical order)
ALLURE – Going Rogue
ELLE MAGAZINE – Dream Catchers
ELLE MAGAZINE – Scent-Sational
MARIE CLAIRE – In Her Own Words: Haley Bennett
MARIE CLAIRE – In Her Own Words: Jennifer Aniston
ONLINE
Winner
THECUT.COM – It Took 150 Tries for Dior to Make Their Next Hit Perfume for Millennials
Finalists (In alphabetical order)
ÇAFLEUREBON.COM – Perfume, Poetry and Rock: The Scented Intersection of Transformation
ELLE.COM – Notes From Underground: Can a Fragrance Help Us Embrace Mortality
FRAGRANTICA.COM – Gold As a Parfumistic Concept
THECUT.COM – It Took 150 Tries for Dior to Make Their Next Hit Perfume for Millennials
THEPLUMGIRL.COM – Cuir de Russie
THE FRAGRANCE FOUNDATION AWARDS 2018
TOP FIVE FINALISTS
(All finalists listed in alphabetical order)
FRAGRANCE OF THE YEAR
WOMEN’S LUXURY
BYREDO VELVET HAZE – BYREDO
GABRIELLE CHANEL – CHANEL
TIFFANY & CO. EAU DE PARFUM – Coty, Inc.
TOM FORD FABULOUS – Tom Ford Beauty
TWILLY D’HERMÈS – Hermès Parfums
MEN’S LUXURY
ACQUA DI PARMA COLONIA PURA EAU DE COLOGNE – LVMH
GOLD KNIGHT – By Kilian
L’ENVOL DE CARTIER – Cartier
TOM FORD OUD MINÉRALE – Tom Ford Beauty
VIKTOR & ROLF MAGIC SAGE SPELL — Viktor & Rolf
WOMEN’S PRESTIGE
BLACK TULIP – NEST Fragrances
CAROLINA HERRERA GOOD GIRL – PUIG
GUCCI BLOOM – Coty, Inc.
JUICY COUTURE VIVA LA JUICY GLACÉ – Revlon
NARCISO RODRIGUEZ PARFUMS-FOR HER FLEUR MUSC – Shiseido Fragrances
WOMAN BY RALPH LAUREN – Ralph Lauren Fragrances
MEN’S PRESTIGE
COACH FOR MEN – Interparfums
HUGO BOSS, BOSS BOTTLED TONIC – Coty, Inc.
JOHN VARVATOS ARTISAN PURE – Revlon
PRADA LUNA ROSSA CARBON – PUIG
Y BY YSL – YSL Beauté
POPULAR
ELIZABETH ARDEN WHITE TEA – Revlon
GLOSSIER YOU – Glossier Inc.
ORIGINAL PENGUIN ICONIC BLEND – Falic Fashion Group
SHAWN MENDES SIGNATURE – Revlon
VICTORIA’S SECRET LOVE – Victoria’s Secret
PERFUME EXTRAORDINAIRE OF THE YEAR
FIRMENICH
GIVAUDAN
INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES
MANE
ROBERTET
BREAKOUT STAR
DIOR SAUVAGE – Parfums Christian. Dior
MAISON MARGIELA REPLICA BEACH WALK – Maison Margiela Fragrances
MIU MIU EAU DE. PARFUM – Coty, Inc.
PEONY & BLUSH SUEDE – Jo Malone London
TORY BURCH EAU DE PARFUM – The Estée Lauder Companies
INDIE FRAGRANCE OF THE YEAR
ARTIST – Phuong Dang
MAISON TRUDON PARFUM IN BRUMA
MAISON TRUDON PARFUM IN II (DEUX)
MAISON TRUDON PARFUM IN MORTEL
POTENTIA AMBER GOD – House of Potentia
PACKAGING OF THE YEAR
WOMEN’S
CAROLINA HERRERA GOOD GIRL – PUIG
JASON WU EAU DE PARFUM – Parlux, LTD
TIFFANY & CO. EAU DE PARFUM – Coty, Inc.
VICTORIA’S SECRET LOVE – Victoria’s Secret
WOMAN BY RALPH LAUREN – Ralph Lauren Fragrances
WOMAN IN GOLD – By Kilian
MEN’S
COACH FOR MEN – Interparfums
GOLD KNIGHT – By Kilian
GUCCI GUILTY ABSOLUTE POUR HOMME – Coty, Inc.
JOHN VARVATOS ARTISAN PURE – Revlon
Y BY YSL – YSL Beauté
MEDIA CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
WOMEN’S
CAROLINA HERRERA GOOD GIRL – PUIG
GABRIELLE CHANEL – CHANEL
GUCCI BLOOM – Coty, Inc.
MISS DIOR EAU DE PARFUM – Parfums Christian Dior
TWILLY D’HERMÈS – Hermès Parfums
VICTORIA’S SECRET LOVE – Victoria’s Secret
MEN’S
ARMANI CODE COLONIA – Giorgio Armani
ETERNITY CALVIN KLEIN – Coty, Inc.
PERRY ELLIS FOR MEN – Falic Fashion Group
HOME COLLECTION OF THE YEAR
COMMODITY HOME and BODY — Commodity
DIPTYQUE 34 BOULEVARD SAINT GERMAIN – diptyque Paris
MAISON MARGIELA REPLICA CANDLES – Maison Margiela Fragrances
SUGAR COOKIE COLLECTION – NEST Fragrances
TOCCA VOYAGE HOME FRAGRANCE COLLECTION – Tocca
BATH & BODY LINE OF THE YEAR
AROMATHERAPY COLLECTION FROM BATH & BODY WORKS – Bath & Body Works
DIPTYQUE DO SON FRAGRANCE GESTURES – diptyque Paris
JO MALONE LONDON EXFOLIATING SHOWER GEL – Jo Malone London
MAISON MARGIELA REPLICA BEACH WALK BATH LINE – Maison Margiela Fragrances
VICTORIA’S SECRET ANGEL GLAM COLLECTION – Victoria’s Secret
HOME HOLIDAY/SEASONAL SCENT OF THE YEAR
LES CONSTELLATIONS – diptyque Paris
GREEN ALMOND & REDCURRANT CANDLE – Jo Malone London
HOLIDAY LIQUIDLESS DIFFUSERS – NEST Fragrances
HOLIDAY PAJAMAS – philosophy – Coty, Inc.
CONSUMER CHOICE AWARDS
WOMEN’S
AT THE BEACH – Bath & Body Works
CAROLINA HERRERA GOOD GIRL – PUIG
KATY PERRY’S INDI – Coty, Inc.
KKW CRYSTAL GARDENIA – KKW FRAGRANCES
LA VIE EST BELLE L’ECLAT – Lancôme
VICTORIA’S SECRET LOVE – Victoria’s Secret
MEN’S
COACH FOR MEN – Interparfums
HUGO BOSS, BOSS BOTTLED TONIC – Coty, Inc.
PRADA LUNA ROSSA CARBON – PUIG
FRAGRANCE VLOG OF THE YEAR
5 REASONS TO WEAR FRAGRANCES – Jeremy Fragrance
10 FRAGRANCES YOU NEED IN YOUR COLLECTION WHEN STARTING OUT | MEN’S DESIGNER – Sebastian Jara
HOW TO BE MORE ATTRACTIVE | 4 LIFE HACKS THAT WORK! – Edward Zo
TOP 12 FORMAL OCCASION FRAGRANCES WITH REDOLESSENCE – Carlos J Powell and Steven Gavrielatos
FRAGRANCE HALL OF FAME
CUCUMBER MELON- Bath & Body Works
CURVE FOR MEN – Revlon
PHILOSOPHY AMAZING GRACE – philosophy – Coty, Inc.
TRÉSOR – Lancôme
