First Impressions – Lavender Fields Forever – Hermetica & Hiram Green

I’ve been craving lavender scents recently. The soothing and relaxing nature of the aroma works so well at any time of year, helping to relieve the stress of everyday life. Some of my favourite perfumes which feature the note include the lavender “standard” Caron Pour Un Homme, and for a more modern rendering of the note, my scent of choice is Tom Ford’s Beau de Jour.

In my search for another modern lavender, I’ve come across two interesting propositions – both from houses I’ve tried before, Hermetica Lavincense and Hiram Green Arcadia. Indeed, the pair are pretty good. I prefer the Hiram Green, but the Hermetica is not too shabby, either. Certainly, one of the best from that house. Here are my first impressions of both. Interestingly, they recall a couple of perfumes from Serge Lutens.

Hermetica – Lavincense – Heremetica is a consistent house in terms of output. Since 2018 (I reviewed their initial batch of perfumes a couple of years ago), they’ve released over twenty fragrances. Although, much to my chagrin, they are a little inconsistent in terms of quality. Fortunately, Lavincense is one I enjoy. 

It has the steam iron characteristic of Gris Clair from Serge Lutens. However, the Serge scent has a harshness that I could never quite overcome. Lavincense is smooth and herbal. I pick up a fruity sweetness from the combined effects of vanilla and pear that never becomes too crass. The base mixes musks, tonka, amber, and incense. The musks and amber are more prominent than the incense, which remains a touch more distant than it does in Gris Clair.

Hiram Green – Arcadia – I’m not sure how this brand does it, but their scents are incredibly long-lasting for an all-natural perfumery house. Not that performance is a big deal, but in my experience, the natural perfumes I’ve sampled have tended to evaporate quickly on my skin. Arcadia continues the robust longevity tradition of Hiram Green by pumping out its aromatic goodness for a solid 8-10 hours. 

Arcadia opens up with a strong blast of musty lavender. Immediately, I was worried that this scent might become too overwhelming. But after only a minute or so, it settles. A fresh injection of bergamot in combination with a floral touch (officially from jasmine and rose) suppresses the pungency of the opening. A slight hint of earthy green dampness, perhaps from the patchouli, wafts in and out.

As Arcadia develops, a few interesting facets are revealed. First, creamy, almond-like tonka begins to envelop the central lavender note, making it almost feel edible. At this point, Arcadia reminds me of Fourreau Noir from Serge Lutens and a recent scent I sampled Beån from ånd fragrances. However, these scents are a tad more gourmand leaning than Arcadia. And, I must note that all three scents are distinct enough, with none a dupe or clone of the other.

Resins, spices, amber, and sandalwood further augment the appealing development of Arcadia. The sandalwood, in particular, adds to the creaminess delivered initially by the tonka. Arcadia retains a clean, aromatic feel despite the apparent heaviness of the resins, amber, creamy tonka, patchouli, and woods. It all boils down to Arcadia giving the wearer a little more of an enhanced, complex wear, over and above what one would expect from a typical fougere. Therefore it gets two thumbs up from me.

What are your favourite lavender scents? Have you sampled these two?

Note: Bottle images from Fragrantica. All other images are my own. I purchased both samples.