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 