Musicandarts
1
An outstanding pistachio gourmand with few parallels.
Atelier Materi was founded in 2019 by Veronique Le Bihan, using the same organizing principles as Frederic Malle. She supplies the vision behind each perfume, and individual perfumers crystallize this idea into a perfume. The house “draws its inspiration from the raw beauty of materials and the meticulous gestures that transform them”, according to their website. This sort of florid marketing language that fills their website does not resonate with me, though they make good perfumes. Neroli Hasbaya does not evoke any raw beauty of materials, but it is still a beautiful perfume. Their bottles are lovely works of art that need to be appreciated separately. This review is based on a full bottle of Neroli Hasbaya, which comes in the extrait de parfum strength. The perfumer behind Neroli Hasbaya is Céline Perdriel, who has created many other perfumes for Atelier Materi.
The notes listed by Atelier Matieri are neroli, bitter almond, pistachio, orange blossom, damascene rose, musk, Peruvian balsam and white sandalwood. This matches what is listed on Parfumo. The opening notes are neroli, bitter almond and pistachio, with pistachio leading the way. The complexity of the top notes is very beautiful, as all three notes are expertly blended. The almond and pistachio also establish Neroli Hasbaya as a nutty gourmand, pulling it away from any citrus identity. The orange blossom and rose come up soon after, creating the nostalgia for a Middle Eastern dessert. The base notes are also fantastic, a seamless blend of musk, Peruvian balsam and sandalwood. The middle notes of orange blossom and rose are still very much alive in the end. As every note is long-lasting in Neroli Hasbaya, the olfactory progression is not very pronounced.
Peru Balsam is an ingredient that I am not familiar with. Peru balsam comes from Myroxylon balsamum, a tree endemic to El Salvador, despite its name. According to internet sources, this balsam smells like vanilla and cinnamon but with some bitter nuances. There is a mild note Neroli Hasbaya in the end that resembles vanilla and cinnamon, which may be the Peru Balsam. Peru Balsam is interesting because it is a potent allergen and is used as a marker from perfume allergy. Half of the individuals allergic to perfumes will test positive in a Peru balsam patch test. Not surprisingly, IFRA has banned the use of raw Peru Balsam in perfumes.
The performance of Neroli Hasbaya is legendary! Few perfumes in my collection last this long on my skin. Even twelve hours later, I can smell the floral notes, musk and sandalwood on me. It projects very well for a long time, so you must be careful when and where you wear this. I wouldn’t recommend this as a work perfume as it is a lovely gourmand with great performance and longevity.
Neroli Hasbaya does not pretend to be avant-garde, but it is still a masterpiece, nonetheless. I recommend it without any hesitation, if you can afford it. It is particularly attractive for those who love almond-pistachio gourmand fragrances. I paid $210 for a 50 ml bottle from Jovoy, but you may be able to get one cheaper at US discounters.
Top Notes 
Bitter almond
Neroli
Pistachio
Heart Notes 
Damask rose absolute
Base Notes 
Musk
Indian sandalwood
Peru balsam
Porfiria
Pennantis
JC6
Metaphysical
Telekinec
Liberrita
