Patchoulight is a patchouli bomb with a rose and violet core.
Patchoulight starts with an earthy and wooded patchouli scent clothed beautifully in a powdery and musky blanket. There are fresh citruses that remind me of bergamot in the top notes that create an effervescent effect. The patchouli’s earthy facet gets a little bit medicinal in the beginning before it finally settles down with the florals in the background.
Although woody, Patchoulight does not exaggerate its masculinity. The woody is precious, yet it is in harmony with the florals around it. Rose and violet is a classic duo that is timeless and elegant, gracefully infused in this fragrance. The contrast between the patchouli’s dryness and the violet’s powdery sweetness is real; however, they are aesthetically aligned, connected by both materials’ natural sweetness.
There’s a honeyed core in the middle of Patchoulight that reminds me of a rose–a red, dewy rose.
This rose grows slowly towards the light, illuminating the whole fragrance and make it bloom even greater. I imagine the rose and the patchouli like a power couple. They complete and support each other, colluded to build the signature scent. The roses’ natural greenness softens the patchouli’s earthy tones, and, at the same time, it brings a refined richness to the heart of Patchoulight.
Rose and violet’s waxy notes complement patchouli’s woody signature, imparting softness in texture, creamy, and supple to the touch. Their silhouette lingers towards the dry down when Patchoulight progresses to become woodier and woodier, with a hint of leather notes. The woody accord in the dry down smells noble and lustrous, evoking a luxurious ambiance–the type of luxury that produces comfort and good-feeling. It pulls me down into its universe for hours until it becomes a skin scent.
Patchoulight has that WOW effect on me.
I love the smell of pure patchouli oil, but I haven’t smelled any perfumes that bring out its natural earthy and medicinal smell and doing it exquisitely; never, until I found Patchoulight. I am impressed the first time I smelled it, and I still am when writing this post.
The perfumer who created this perfume is Aliénor Massenet from Symrise. She’s been working with John and Clara Mollow for a long time, also developing fragrances for Memo Paris and Floraiku. Their creations are amazingly beautiful and special. I am a fan through and through.
Hermetica: Recyclable, Refillable, Renewable.
While Memo Paris tells stories about places, and Floraiku is an artistic house that translates poems into scent, Hermetica is a house that promotes clean fragrance; they are good for the environment and the skin. They don’t use alcohol as their base. Instead, they’re using a technology patented by Symrise called Innoscent™. The base is thicker than alcohol, but it absorbs quickly on the skin, leaving the skin soft and smooth.
I got a chance to know Hermetica better during its virtual launch in Indonesia at the beginning of 2021, held by C&F. I visited their boutique at Printemps Paris and showed it virtually to my fellow fragrance enthusiasts in Indonesia. John Molloy, one of the founders of Hermetica, was present to introduce us to the brand’s values and principles and smelled some perfumes with us. Many participants were concerned about the performance of their fragrances since it is not an alcohol-based perfume. However, their questioned were answered during the smelling session.
Hermetica fragrances are surprisingly blooming and long-lasting.
I got to experience it myself. On my skin, most Hermetica fragrances (Patchoulight included) blooms very well. The sillage is big enough for my husband to smell my perfume when I am beside him, and I can still smell it on me after more than 6 hours. Of course, some of the fragrances perform better than others, which is expected considering the profile variations. Overall, I am satisfied with the profile and the performance of Hermetica fragrances.
Patchoulight is one of five fragrances in Hermetica’s woody pillar named The Door, a realm where woody notes are reinvented and modernized. Belong in the same pillar, there are Darkoud, Cedarise, Sandalsun, and Woodysandal.
Time goes by, Hermetica remains.
Hermetica.
Their fragrances are available on their website at www.hermetica.com. Here is the direct link to Patchoulight in case you’re ready to purchase it! They have a discovery kit and samples ready to be purchased if you want to try them before committing to a full bottle. Get updates from the brand by following their Instagram account, @hermeticaofficial.
By the way, if you are curious about patchouli as a raw material for fragrance, you can visit this post to read more about it.
Voilà! That’s my take on Patchoulight. I think it is one of the polarizing perfumes because of the strong patchouli notes in it. Let me know if you’re a fan just like me!
See you in my next Hermetica post!
Cheers,
Gia.
