Totally confused by this fragrance. It’s either a work of stirring, modern, genius or a unusual and synthetic take on the classical citrus fragrance. The base is just plain aroma chemical woody warmth, I’m not saying I don’t like it, in fact I’m very fond of it this sort of stuff, just seems like an odd and jarring sidestep for this line, (certainly the green and citrus ones anyway) and left me a little confused. I got Basenotes of synthetic Amberone cedar, and even synthetic Oud but definitely a heavy leathery slightly smoky accord. The citrus opening isn’t even that bright or dominant to mask this effect, and Citron Noir comes straight out of the bottle a touch on the harsh side for me. As I mentioned I do kinda like it but not enough to buy or wear again.

I'm a big fan of Ormonde Jayne and I've pretty much tried everything from the brand even the new Elixir's, so it was a bit odd that this didn't stand out first time, but it certainly has on this revisit. Schoen's output for this brand has to be marvelled at clearly a fusion of his modern architecture and more traditional luxury brand naturalism. They all have a neutrality and balance without being bland, sort of inscrutable but not lacking definition. Nawab of Oudh is no exception in fact it's pretty special stuff, The opening is airy, cool and aldehydic and the feel Geza manages to capture is OJ to a T and although doesn't smell like it has the same vibe as Montabaco. The rose note is so delicate just suspended and floating through the middle of the composition. Because this has the same synthetic feel as many Ormonde Jayne's I would say there's real oud, It's not overt though like the Cambodian oud added to Ta'if Elixir but this is more the slightly rubbery, woody variety. Some warm in this just a heavenly drydown caps off a stunning fragrance. This is not the most hardcore or 'Oud' fragrances so if you're after that look elsewhere.

These NOT Perfumes have an interesting concept and exploitation of a 'loophole' (as Joanna Venables calls it) is what drew me in really. The whole Nordic/pagan/celtic style appeals to me, they are almost a bit black metal or something? (NOT that I'm a fan of that) Right down to the constant double negatives and the Borat inflected marketing statements which I found as tedious as the fragrances...Nahhhht!!! (tee hee) Vaan is a murky, dirty vanilla fragrance which doesn't seem for a second like it's a NOT a deliberate stylistic choice, but perhaps I've giving too much credit? This is actually quite, animal quite intimate but chaotic...if it was a colour it would be dark brorange a deep shade of yurquoise. Vaan has the feeling of something that has been left to ferment or hung to age like some artisan meat or cheese? Or more aptly Oud or Ambergris. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if Ambergris featured in here, it does have animal facets and that grounded feeling you get from perfume anchored with treasured whale vomit/turd. So the opening is actually quite resinous, darker resins I'd say myrrh, labdanum, opoponax, tolu etc... but it's never all about those, the most prominent and growing note is one of cocao. This merges into the general warm naturalist feel of the purfume, and smells maybe a touch like patchouli but still warmly, vanillic, kinda furry but never over sweet. The drydown strips back the chocolate and becomes that little bit more resinous again. This was a nice experience, I don't if having prior knowledge of the origins of the brand gives this impression but something about Vaan is incredibly Scandinavian, almost viking like and this fragrance is a big pussycat really. It has spooky forest vibes all over it though. Now I'm not sure but there seems to be a large constituent of naturals in these, you can just tell. The statement about the NOT being perfume because they clearly aren't complying with any guidelines is slightly lost on me and I think it's because I just associate banned stuff oakmoss (wrongly coz there's loads of restricted materials) but because there's not even one that has super predominant oakmoss or animal notes I just feel a bit disappointed. That's with the line in general...Vaan is one of my favourites but they are all worth sniffing out. The initial strength and potency does die back very quickly but the drydowns are often long, evolutionary affairs. NOT has my vote.

Sorry not a fan. My history with the Ideal line was bewilderment at the first one, despite understanding the older Guerlain's it was nodding to. Then elation at the later ones the edp and Parfum (I think they are called?) As they really doubled down on the coumarin/tonka oriental gourmand elements making fragrances that weren't just a sort of modern mess, but rather a clearly recognised vision....in my humble opinion of course. However, there was another flanker in the line which took the acceptable face of Ideal and made it even more 'fresh' and mass appealing in the cologne version...cue alarm bells in my head. To my surprise this one really worked, the bitter, sharp grapefruit top combined with that milky almond base just worked incredibly well, finally I started to 'get' the line and enjoyed the others much more as a result. So after that brief history of my thoughts on Guerlain Ideal comes Ideal Cool and frankly it's a step too far for me. I must say the coolness is certainly evoked in the smell, giving a superbly airy, cool effect. I think people who like this will really like it because it's undoubtedly created with Guerlain's usual carefully consideration. I just don't like the combination of almond, tonka bean and smooth woodiness with aquatic and minty notes. I get the balance, mint kinda works with vetiver and in turn with the rest of the composition you can pick out aspects that chime well in both contexts, neroli for example. I just don't like it personally and I believe this is the replacement for Ideal Cologne which is little sad but I suppose things have to move on. I will have to try it again as nothing about my feeling on this line would surprise me, I might end up reverting my position, stranger things have happened. for now it's a No though.

Nobody? Not one person has reviewed this yet and that just about sums up this brand and this scent for me. Oh there's nothing wrong with the smell of it. I fell head over heels for this fragrance it's superb, The problem is that these are victims of absurd packaging and marketing. The perfumers they have on board are very competent and some of the ideas are really great, they all feel a little safe or not very artisan or indy, more like designer crowd pleasers (not true of ALL of course) and that's very much what Vibrant scent is. Let's start with the name...I mean come on? it's a bit lack lustre isn't it? But it's a scent and it's vibrant so no one could accuse them of false advertising and I guess I'm the asshole here? The opening is a pink pepper and smoothed out nutmeg/cardamom to my nose and it's heavenly I mean really special stuff, but wearable and accessible. There's generally a synthetic feel to Vibrant scent I'd say, but in a good way. If this was a designer fragrance even a higher priced but still 'designer' Tom Ford I'd march to the counter with it but it's not. Some odd brand that look like Montale bottles if they were cast in a Marvel franchise (Quoting myself from previous reviews again....I'm such a dick!) and this is partly what I think alienates me. Still maybe this will be marked down one day and I'll be able to pick it up cheap online, this brand has that feeling it won't be long before that happens. The base is a kind of cuddly cosy sandlewood creamy orris and casherean which I adore and I think that's what gives the nutmegish vibes in the opening. I'm actually in love with this fragrance but it's too exensive or I would've bough it, also performance isn't exactly brilliant but I can forgive it because wearing it was a very pleasurable experience. Reminds me of the style of 90's/2000's designer men's stuff like By D&G, Gucci Envy and Rush. All sadly discontinued. I want to like the brand and I'm really not one to complain all that much about money, I mean if you love it you can find the money but with so many other things vying for my affections this does get bumped down the list. Please try it though because if you like stuff I like this is a peach of a fragrance.

It's taken me a while to finally sample this one and surprising too because although I don't own the original Declaration I have great affection for it's themes and it's place in men's designer perfumery. So to say this mirrors the original is completely accurate, in that it's a spicy affair with a fresh opening but that's where the comparison's end for one simple reason...genre. They are essentially the same fragrance done in different genre's. The original is a fresh, citrus Eau de Cologne type fragrance with a juniper sharpness and quinine feeling of a freshly poured G'n' T. In fact this is some kind of sorcery whereby botanicals with cumin/cardamom are infused into the spirit, giving this thorough yet at the same time, airy effect. This parfum version is not just a cranked concentration but an oriental re imagining, abandoning the fresh feel of the original declaration for what I would consider a much more complimentary and expected resinous base. This is beautiful with the cumin spice, giving a sort of smooth, suede leather effect, some cleaner aspects because It can't go too avant garde after all. I need to test it again properly but I thought it was fantastic, faithful to the original Declaration but way more up my street in terms of it's resinous quality. I want a bottle simple.

Okay so this is my second Hiram Green review having sampled most of the line now and my thoughts are mixed. Not just because of taste or my preferences, but in as objective a sense as I can be. My opinion now that I've dabbled myself in blending perfume (in a cackhanded manner but still) is that there's somewhat of an over reliance on fantastic featured materials and not quite enough innovation for me. I'm also aware how naive this comment is, knowing just how hard it is to create a base that will hold or top notes that will pop through, also why not showcase amazing things??? Like tuberose/ jasmine concretes or honey or Bulgarian rose absolute?? They are wonderful things! So my critique is minimal in light of these facts because the quality is clearly there and plain for all to see, but I like a perfume to be slightly more layered whether in a classical sense or a more challenging one. The main note/accord having many facets is not quite the same. So that being said Hyde was one that I could smell in the bag of samples I got (as it had leaked slightly) and infected he others with a MASSIVE birch tar smoke that is almost visible from space. When applied, and though it is strong sure, it actually becomes a bit of a pussycat on me. The smokiness it's self is raw but has a hay like, cade quality with a massively malty undertone and a spicy aspect which doesn't quite go into that BBQ'd meat smell nor does it go thin & harsher like the direct smoke from a garden fire. This is hefty and rounded but mellows down into a cozy, warm skin smoke and hyper woody effect. The malt in this fragrance is the key underpinning birch tar and when it's appreciated from a distance(not literally), is actually really good and far more wearable to me than many other smoky concoctions. The key difference being many smoky Indy/niche fragrances kinda go for shock and awe and that's exactly what I I had this one pegged as. Like a macho bro off, who can eat the hottest chilli or whatever?? What brand can go the smokiest and most dark. Well instead of starting out massive and progressively just smouldering away (imagery intended) actually starting to grate on your nerves after a short time and persisting for hours. Hyde actually improves over the course of wearing, after arguably one of the more potent openings in this genre it becomes quite subdued and a very pleasant experience. Nothing can touch the colossal Slowdive though and I'm wearing it today just magic. Hyde is good for those who like a malty fragrance as well as a smoky one and that's just something to bear in mind.

I get why there’s notes of tropical fruits listed here but the execution just isn’t quite bold enough. Frankly I’d have embraced a more juicy guava note, or even an approximation of melon but really it’s just a slightly dull Lilly of the valley, which has now dried down to a really fluffy, fruit tinged frangipani with a bit of vanilla nuance to it. Pleasant but too feminine for me and with no real imagination. Although I could be wrong and Sweet, exotic white floral fans may find this a masterpiece, such is the distance from my frame of reference, I really don’t feel qualified to comment.

This fragrance came highly recommended by a fragrance pal on IG and she wasn’t wrong, it’s a lovely smelling thing and pretty unique from my perspective. The best thing about it is that there’s barely any neroli to be found in this and golden hardly represents the aroma for me is more of a pastel pink hue. This is largely down to a fruity top notes which almost turn slightly figgy and a creamy sweetness of vanilla and sandalwood. It has a childlike, confectionary aura but never cheap, this thing is classy as hell and never overly sweet. As I said it’s a revelation to me as I’d never heard of the brand and was subverted somewhat by the neroli in the name. I need to wear it again to make my mind up about performance but this was a standout and memorable experience, Golden Neroli is a hit with me.

Wowie!!!!!! I love the fact that my pal Christi (below) and I are penning a review at a similar time, and prepare for the echo because I absolute ADORED this fragrance. Truly blown away by an innovative and genuinely unique fragrance from Hiram Green, Slowdive is a monumental tone poem of beauty, and this coming from someone with a well documented dislike of beewax. It stems back to childhood for me and buying honey from a local family who kept bee's. Their entire house smelled of sickly sweet honey, super waxy florals, beeswax candles and royal jelly, I swear the air was a yellowy amber colour. I often used to think... how do you live in this? I'm sure it was more impactful to newcomers and you likely got used to living in that environment, coupled with the fact they obviously loved it, being beekeepers and all! Anyway....back to the matter in hand....Slowdive is nothing like that though. It has the sweetness of honey but very little of the raw, heaviness, and hay like quality. The balance struck up here is supreme and I don't find it overly sweet or cloying at all. Although this is a rare occasion where I'm writing a review without having worn it properly such was my keenness to comment on this sublime perfume. This is what I want in my heart of hearts for a beehive to smell like. Those satisfying hexagonal combs dripping with amber nectar. You can smell the faintly fruity essence and blossom at the back of this fragrance giving the effect of a honey derived from many sources. Syrupy resins and that tobacco ekement combine perfectly to cap off what is a fragrance of supreme beauty and something I welcomed like a summer breeze blowing away some of the dross I've sampled recently. Exemplary stuff and Hiram is going to have to do some sort of alchemy to produce one I like more than this. Firmly on my want list. LOVE!