Rosymel

I love it. I can smell tangerine, sugar, and a bit of mint. It’s complex and fresh but not too bright. A little darker and more subdued than a regular bright citrus. It’s very subtle and close to the skin, but it does have some projection and lasts a while.

Now that I’ve sampled Baccarat Rouge 540, I can say it does have similarities to Saint Julep. BR540 has more vanilla and a little smokiness though.

Simple, pleasant, clean and airy. I desperately wanted the similar-ish Maison Margiela’s Replica Beach Walk to smell on me the way it did in the bottle, but it really turned on my skin. However, this one stays true and smells like a pretty spring day. It’s not complicated but I’m okay with that. Longevity is surprisingly good. On very hot days, this is great—not cloying, smells “cool.”

The opening is quite pleasant, spicy vanilla and almond and cinnamon. I feel like I can detect some cedar. The cinnamon remains and the almond gets stronger as time goes on. I think the almond keeps it from becoming cloying and overly sweet, and there’s a leather note that also keeps things a little punchier than just a plain vanilla scent.

It’s not one I’d seek out, but it’s interesting and unique. I have the sample set, and I’m really liking how each Hermetica is so different, regardless of whether I would want to actually wear it. This one is definitely wearable.

This was in the “Nomad Set” sample box of Gallivant EDP I received. I really wasn’t crazy about the beginning of this one, but I am glad I didn’t scrub it off because I loved how it ended. It is definitely not linear, as others have noted, and it moves very quickly.

The opening is very fresh, perhaps a blast of...neroli? A bit sharp, too bright; if it were a colour, it would be blinding white. To my nose, it’s a bit unpleasantly harsh and synthetic at first, but that part mellows out pretty quickly and settles down to something more powdery. Weirdly, I don’t hate it even though I often dislike powdery scents.

It keeps morphing and morphing which makes it really interesting, and it progresses within one hour to the musky, ambery dry down, which is just lovely.

If the beginning is white, the ending is golden.

I really like this one. Fruity, honeyed, bright and warm. I can smell pineapple! No sharpness, just warmth and sweetness. I think it smells like a nice tropical cocktail. It’s cheerful, like a little ray of sunshine in the winter. Apparently this smells a lot like a hard to find fragrance called Botrytis by Ginestet, a winemaker. Botrytis is the “noble rot” that causes grapes to become suitable for ice wine, and I can see how Amberbee smells like ice wine.

This is my favourite of the Hermetica discovery set.