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• 2005

Best Women's Fragrance: No. 5 by Chanel

We probably could have guessed that No. 5 would win the first ever Basenotes Award for Best Fragrance for Women.

Created by Earnest Beaux, No.5 was the first perfume ever created using so much Aldehydes, which gives the fragrance its sparkle.

There are so many stories about No. 5, it is difficult to pin down which are true, and which are just part of the myth. The name, "5", allegedly refers to the fifth sample that Beaux presented Chanel. Her next collection was also due to be shown on the fifth day of the fifth month, so Gabriele Chanel thought it would bring her luck.

The runner up fragrance, FeminitŽ de Bois (Shiseido), is something of a modern classic but despite this, can be often difficult to find. It was created in 1992 by the wonder-team of Christopher Sheldrake and Serge Lutens.

The Finalists...