When artisan perfumer Hiram Green kindly offered to send me fragrance samples from his home in The Netherlands, the first one I thought of was Arbolé Arbolé. I’d heard great things about it but as it turned out, this was the one that suited me the least (I find orientals tricky). Therefore I’ll refer you to Val the Cookie Queen’s wonderful post about it on APJ here.
Below are my thoughts on the other three, all-natural, Eau de Parfums.
Shangri La
Notes: Citrus, peach, jasmine, rose, iris, spices, vetiver, and oakmoss.
Shangri La is Hiram Green’s interpretation of the classic chypre, a century after Coty started the genre with the original of the same name.
Of course this is a modern version but its genre is recognisable straight away. There’s peachy citrus undercut by a background of oakmoss, which instantly reminds me of Mitsouko. You should give Shangri La a try if you already love the iconic Guerlain or you want to but don’t, because this is much more accessible. It still has the humid feel and oakmoss of Mitsouko but the peach is much more juicy. Shangri La possesses that full-bodied sophistication that is so characteristic of chypres.
Dilettante
Notes: Orange Flower, Petitgrain, Orange Essential Oil
I’m always hopeful when trying an orange blossom perfume but all too often they are overly soapy or indolic. However Dilettante is pitch perfect. Within the first few seconds alone I get all the aromatic aspects of the orange tree: zesty fruit, green leaves and lush blossom.
Orange blossom, pettigrain and orange essential oil are such fantastic natural materials that they are ideal for an all-natural perfume. You really don’t need much else. Dilettante is smooth, sunlit and full of orange flower goodness, becoming mellower yet richer over time. It moves through all the shades of orange from bright flame through to burnished gold. It’s a simple composition that just works. Summer is exactly the right time to try it too: no other type of fragrance is so full of liquid sunshine. Yum.
Moon Bloom
Notes: Tuberose Absolute, Jasmine Absolute, Ylang Ylang, Coconut, Leafy Greens, Spices and Resins.
I own some tuberose absolute and I much prefer it to the often headache inducing synthetic version. It is fresh, narcotic, tropical, buttery and fleshy, as well as deeply sensual. You get all of that in Moon Bloom as well as the facet that smells like bubblegum. Admittedly tuberose is not my favourite material but I appreciate it for how incredibly striking and complex it is. Here it’s complemented with other white florals and fresh green notes.
In contrast to most tuberose perfumes, Moon Boom hums at a low register, intensifying its sultry feel. The coconut is not immediately obvious but adds a creamy texture and rounds out the composition while also accentuating the exotic feel, stopping short of beachy. This is a nocturnal fragrance for hot and humid nights and a must-try for tuberose fans.
None of these three fragrances suffer from the dual criticisms of flatness or short-life which are usually leveled at natural perfumery. All are available in a 50ml bottle and 10ml Travel Size (hurrah!).
Have you tired any of Hiram Green’s perfumes? If not, do any of the above pique your interest?
A Bottled Rose 
Arbole Arbole was an immediate strong “like,” and I just got a travel bottle of it. Moon Bloom was nice but even in this all-natural form I still hate tuberose. I will be testing Shangri La again but, in general, I rather liked it. And I didn’t get Dilletante sample yet – I’ll need to swap for it soon 🙂
LikeLike
That’s a pretty good strike rate for a small collection and the fact you thought Moon Bloom was nice is quite something considering you hate tuberose. Dilettante is my favourite, so I hope you like it.
LikeLike
You make me very curious, and I do think I have a sample of moon bloom somewhere. The chypre sounds lovely, and juicy peach is always a hit with me, but like you I have my difficulties with orange flower as the main focus of a perfume. There’s nothing wrong with it per se, I just always want to love it for its happy yet sensual quality, but find that I don’t…
of course I’m now extra curious about the oriental one you didn’t write about.
LikeLike
My purse is thankful that Arbole Arbole seems to have quite a bit of patchouli. 😉
LikeLike
Maybe that’s why Val loves it so 🙂
LikeLike
I think Shangri La is most likely to be your kind of thing.
Dilettante is a fabulous orange blossom. It has all the goodness with none of the facets I’m troubled by. I’m wearing it today and it really is “happy yet sensual”.
LikeLike
Arbole Arbole was everything I don’t like about green perfumes, however, I did like Moon Bloom rather a lot as I recall, being a born again tuberose lover and appreciating the note pretty much every which way. I also love a coconut facet. 😉 Must sample it again… You have now also got me intrigued about Dilettante, as it sounds like a perfect orange scent for summer.
LikeLike
I’ll hang onto my Moon Bloom sample for you then, V. It’s a lovely tuberose and not too heavy on the coconut.
Dilettante is a fantastic orange blossom and lasts really well. Perfect for summer when it hopefully returns 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Tara, Hiram Green has some lovely perfumes. My favorite is Moon Bloom, but have not smelled Dilettante yet. I love that he has a travel size. Hope you have a great week. Sandra xoxo
LikeLike
Hi Sandra,
I can really see you in Moon Bloom. I bet it’s great in hot weather. The travel sizes are brilliant, especially for the likes of us 🙂
Hope the rest of your week goes well.
LikeLike
I love the thick rose in Arbolé Arbolé, which only hit me over the head after wearing it a couple of times. Heaven knows how I missed it the first time. It is a scent that shows a different side on each wearing. It is the only one I own but would be quite happy to have them all. Roll on HG’s next creation! Hugs. Xxxxx
LikeLike
Ah, that’s interesting about the rose. People knock natural perfumes but they really can show up different facets over time and react differently on each person’s skin. These are really well done.
LikeLike
Hey Tara. Aren’t they great – and natural too which I like. Highly recommend the travel size that squeezes into the plastic ziplock bag as well. I want them all! xx
LikeLike
Megan, I definitely see a travel size of Dilettante in my future. Great fragrances.
LikeLike
These all sound very appealing, especially Moon Bloom. Thanks for sharing. R
LikeLike
You must try Moon Bloom if you are fond of tuberose. It’s great to have an entirely natural version that is so well done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do love a good tuberose and always good to explore natural fragrances.
LikeLike
Great.Hope you enjoy it if and when you try it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have been interested in trying them for some time, nice to read mire about them.
LikeLike
Great. They’re very good.
LikeLike
Pingback: Slowdive by Hiram Green | A Bottled Rose