Speed Review: Hermes Eau Claire des Merveilles

Hermes Eau Claire des Merveilles by Hermes makes me think of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Bear with me.

I wear it and think of wonderful vintage, classy, amazing things a la The Great Gatsby, or any of Fitzgerald's other works set, as they are, in the Jazz Age. I'm not saying that women of this period would necessarily have worn this, but that wearing it puts me in this frame of mind, if you follow me.

Like a glass of champagne, Eau Claire has a beautiful sparkly opening, this one a bright citrus, subtly bubbling over. Then a lovely powdery vanilla-slash-floral, light, airy thing happens that's simply charming and leaves a smile in its wake. Lastly, a soft, ever-so-faint touch of the woods that are typical of Eau de Merveilles lingers warmly.

Oh, and since it's Hermes it smells expensive and classy, darling.

Unisex. Sillage is minimal-to-moderate; wear is about 4-6 hours; price is reasonable. Find it in fine department stores. This is an Eau de Merveilles flanker, but should get more attention in its own right. Besides, the bottle - at any size - is amazing. 

Meet Miss Hummingbird, Zoologist's newest edp

Hummingbird Eau de Parfum is the latest offering from one of my most favorite houses, Zoologist Perfumes. 

It's a departure from the heavy footfalls of Rhinoceros and the rutting skank of Beaver. It's closer in tone to the light, transcendent Panda - but not in the same genre of scent. 

Hummingbird is a flirtatious, fun, flickering thing. A "fruity floral," I'm hesitant to say, as I know that name makes some people wander off, but please don't!

Our fun-filled Hummingbird is a delight to wear and nothing like those department store confections. So please, let me describe her.

As first we meet, she is darting about, making preparations. We catch pungent whiffs of juicy pear, a sumptuous rose, sweet and innocent violet, some chilled citrus juice, and a hint of a lilac breeze. Miss Hummingbird likes things sweet but realizes we may not want to go overboard, so she shows delightful restraint. The perfect hostess. 

When next she flys by, shimmering in the sun, she presents us with a brilliant, glimmering bouquet. Again, always considerate, nothing dominates heavily. Everything is effervescent, sparkling, and incandescent like the lady herself. We smell, at times, lilac & peony & ylang ylang & honeysuckle & mimosa. Sometimes we smell them all, like a brilliant flash of colors - daresay like Miss Hummingbird herself?

Miss Hummingbird, tired from flitting about, settles down gently into a creamy musk-laden woods. One is almost surprised to see her resting this softly, but always the genteel lady, her repose is as gorgeous as the rest of her.

Hummingbird Eau de Parfum was created by perfumer Shelley Waddington , of  En Voyage Perfumes, for the brief created by Victor Wong, designer of Zoologist Perfumes. 

Family: fruity-floral; Projection: good/strong; Length-of-wear: 6 hours+; This is a gorgeous floral blend with a sparkling fruity top and creamy woods bottom. Full bottle worthy and perhaps my second favorite in the line. At $125 the pricepoint is reasonable for niche perfume, and the bottles and labels are divine. 

Zoologist Perfumes

Disclosure: Sample provided by Victor Wong

Atelier Cologne - Vetiver Fatal: Lethally Lovely (perfume review)

Vetiver Fatal: Calabrian bergamot, Sicilian lemon, Paraguaian bigaradier, Tunisian orange flower, violet leaves, black plum, Haitian vetiver heart, Texan cedarwood, dark oud accord.

Vetiver is a pretty popular soliflore theme. Soligrass? Whatever. This one is a bit unique, showing less of the dry bite I have noticed in some vetiver perfumes. Instead it capitalizes on the citrusy-facet present in the grasses.

I tried this at Bergdorf Goodman in the Fall and liked it very much. I blew through a sample, and kept thinking about it. OK: obsessing. I bought a bottle last week and am more than thrilled with my purchase.

On me, Vetiver Fatal is pretty linear. It's a sweetened grassy goodness. It opens with a bit more citrus, definitely keeping this in the "cologne" frame, though typical of Atelier Cologne, that mood is blessed with longevity (hours and hours and hours) and actual sillage. It later settles into more of a buttery grass over a wood base that has just the faintest whiff of oud going on (which is about as much oud as I can take). The far drydown - I'm talkin' The Morning After, here - is my favorite part and if you're a fan of drydowns this is one to try. It's sweet and just a tad woody.  I have read a few reviews that mention that plum note; I don't pick it up.

According to Fragrantica, "the Vetiver root is used in folk magic for its purported ability to provide safety and increase financial resources. A ritual designed to promote personal safety calls for inhaling Vetiver while visualizing one’s body as being sealed off from negative energies." This is great, and I intend to use my bottle of Vetiver Fatal with intention. Maybe I'll get some money and be able to buy more. Is that like wishing for more wishes?

Buy Vetiver Fatal from a zillion sources, including: Luckyscent, Sephora, Bergdorf Goodman, and all of the other usual suspects.
Prices: 30ml for $70; 200ml for $185.
This perfume is one hundred and ten percent unisex.

image source: vetiver
bottle shot: my own
Reviewed from my own bottle

A short review, perhaps to get me out of my slump. Perfume Review: #6 Mandarin and Ginger Lily (Trish McEvoy)

original image via

Quick Recipe:
Spinach + slices of strawberries +
a handful of blueberries +
some mandarin oranges + almonds +
balsamic vinegar=
Refreshing Summer Salad

I have An Issue with mandarin oranges. I love them. Clementines are lovely, of course, but there's something about the uber-juicy mandarin orange slices "fresh" from a can. Especially if those slices are chilled... Mmmmm.

via

image is my own

Naturally, citrus is a go-to refreshing zing in hot weather (hello, lemonade?!). Not just limited to gustatory chilling, citrus is utilized in a ton of Fresh, Light, and cologne-style scents.

Exhibit A: #6 Mandarin and Ginger Lily. This perfume is part of the line of scents by makeup guru Trish McEvoy (she of the clever makeup binder). It's not new, but new-to-me.

My initial thoughts? I really, really want to love this! I would love a dozen fresh, light citrus scents based on lime, lemon, orange, grapefruit, and mandarin.

I know citrus burns off quickly, relegating its use to top notes. I'm at peace with that (for now).

I spritz Mandarin & Ginger Lily with wild abandon every time, and it smells like everything I'd hoped! Zingy! Clean! Juicy! Mandarintastic!

One that delightful mandarin chill disappears, we're at the Ginger Lily phase, one assumes. What does Ginger Lily smell like? I had pondered this question as I looked at the (exquisite!) bottle the first time.

Lily, Ginger

via

Well, if anyone knows, please tell me. On me (everyone?) the mandarin is followed by the distinct scent of... Nothing.

Once the zip is gone, I get zilch. Air. Skin. Not a "skin scent", friends: skin. Mine. Nuthin' but nothing.

I'll still burn through this bottle, though, using Mandarin and Ginger Lily as a cologne-style freshener. Each spritz and happy mandarin snuffling is laced with a twinge o' sadness, however, because I'm just left wanting more.

Do you have a favorite citrus? Citrus perfume? Do you have any idea what a ginger lily smells like? Have you tried any of Trish's other scents (or this one)? Do you keep your makeup in a binder? Why are canned mandarin oranges so damned good?




Disclosure: This perfume was provided -for consideration only- as a press sample.
That fact did not influence me at all when writing or forming my opinion.