The Scented Hound

Abbreviated perfume & fragrance reviews from one man's perspective

Category Archives: Hiram Green


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New Release: Vivacious – Hiram Green

WHAT I SMELL:  Vivacious makes its entrance with a full-bodied sunny bergamot and a sweet and lilting violet which quickly gives way to a waxy carnation full of energy and a boldness.  I find the opening unexpectedly rapturous and exciting.  As the perfume warms on the skin, the cool violet pops it head out from under the carnation.  Here, the perfume feels as if it resides on two planes, the violet happily skips upon the rounded carnation as if the perfume is full of mischief, but not so much as to take it over with flippant silliness.  As the perfume continues to develop, a rich, round, waxy mix of warm carnation and powdered spiced florals make for a lightly leathered hue.  Vivacious is as pretty as it is bold, but it’s not demure by any means.

From the Hiram Green website:

Vivacious is a violet-themed perfume that takes its cue from those prim Victorians who adored this precious flower so much. Updated for the 21st century, this scent has a happy and carefree flair.   

The fragrance opens with bright and joyful bergamot that seamlessly merges into a floral bouquet of flirty violet and spicy carnation. Waxy orris smoothly anchors this boisterous heart and soft, powdery amber adds a warm and luxurious finish.  Vivacious is an exuberant and joyful perfume. Perfect to zing your life.

Notes: bergamot, violet, carnation, orris, amber 

Flapper Joan Crawford in “Our Dancing Daughters” – 1928

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Vivacious is the quintessential 1920’s flapper.  It’s a modern perfume that comes out of the Victorian era with the just the right amount of old and newly bold.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE VIVACIOUS:  waxy, full-bodied…and of course, vivacious!

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT VIVACIOUS:  A Bottled Rose, CaFleureBon, Colognoisseur

BOTTOM LINE:  Vivacious is a lively perfume that brings forth something new every time you draw the perfume to your nose.  Sometimes fresh, sometimes spicy, but all of the time bold and beautiful.  This is a lovely new direction for perfumer Hiram Green, and its one that’s very welcomed.

  • Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Floral
  • Nose: Hiram Green
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $165 for 50 ml eau de parfum

* Sample provided by Hiram Green.  Opinion my own.


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Hiram Green Slowdive

WHAT I SMELL:  At first spritz, Slowdive is a combination of sweet and sour amid a buzzing hay like tobacco.  There’s a honeyed orange flower that feels earthy and tempered with a layer of soil.  It’s not overtly sweet, but rather slightly flat and slightly urinous.  To me, it’s a strange and curious opening, but it’s one that immediately draws you in.  After a few minutes the tobacco begins to come to the forefront.  It’s slightly sweet and it’s like the tobacco of a well-worn pipe.  Here the perfume begins to move to the intoxicating and I find that the lightly fruited tobacco is a “warm fuzzy.”  Additionally, there’s a wonderful sensation of masculine security at this point.  As the perfume continues to develop, a light tuberose is washed over the tobacco…moving the perfume from the more masculine to the more unisex.  As it continues to develop, Slowdive ramps up the spice.  Here the perfume buzzes with life and this is where it finally settles into a warm and slightly thickened honey and tuberose tobacco.

From the Hiram Green website:

Slowdive is a warm tobacco-themed fragrance that captures the mood of those languid afternoons when the sweetness of the Indian summer air is almost palpable.

The fragrance opens with fresh and flowery top notes of neroli and orange flower before tobacco blossom and beeswax take over. This heart –  rich and deep, with hints of dried fruit and creamy tuberose – is delicately anchored by a base of honeyed resins that give Slowdive its soft and exotic touch.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  The beauty of the bee.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE SLOWDIVE:  warm, semi-thickened, buzzing

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SLOWDIVE:  Megan in Sainte Maxime, Kafkaesque, CaFleureBon

BOTTOM LINE:  Slowdive is a perfume that personifies the best in tobacco and honey.  The honey is so superbly restrained as if it’s just an earthy glaze rather than a jar full of the sweet and sticky.  Pardon my pun, but Slowdive deserves some good “buzz!”

  • Bone Rating:  3.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Fruity Floral
  • Nose:  Hiram Green
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense:  $165 for 50 ml eau de parfum


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The Scented Hound’s Best of 2016

2016-62016 is already gone and once again I am running behind with posting.  But before we head officially into 2017, I am going to give my wrap up on this past year.  Now, I can’t claim I was able to experience all of the new releases this past year (actually, I don’t believe there were enough days in the year to accommodate all the industry had to offer)…but instead will cite which ones that I thought were special.  So let’s get to it:

The best of 2016:

Rendezvous by DSH Perfumes – Dawn Spencer Horowitz continues to create incredibly memorable perfumes with her very distinctive signature style.  With Rendezvous, she took a decaying floral and made it magnificent.  These days it takes a lot to make a perfume hit me on an emotional level, but this beauty did.  And I don’t think that this perfume got the love it deserves.

Stones by Atelier de Geste – When you take the green beauty of Chanel No. 19 and mix it with an earthy blend, you get the incredibly modern Stones.  This limited edition perfume was a surprise to me and again I haven’t heard any buzz around it.

Mona di Orio Bohea Bohème – Bohea Bohème was perfumer Fredrik Dalman’s first creation for the house of Mona di Orio.  The tea based perfume is a subtle testament to Mona’s legacy.  Quiet and unassuming,  Bohea Bohème is all about the quiet journey.  I look forward to seeing what Fredrik creates next.

prizepage-image-image-2-dogphotoLesquendieu le Parfum by J. Lesquendieu – 2016 saw the reemergence of the house of J. Lesquendieu.  The classic line of legacy perfumes were once again available for the lucky few who can afford these beauties.  Easily the best of the re-releases is Lesquendieu le Parfum.  Uncomplicated, but oh so pretty, you can see why true luxury comes at a price.  Smooth as silk…if only I could afford a bottle myself!

Arbolé Arbolé by Hiram Green – The release of Arbolé Arbolé came as a bit of a surprise as Hiram Green had launched Dilettante a few months prior.  But I’m glad that he did release this very nostalgic velvety smooth creation.  Hiram’s work is always top of the line…here he’s at his best.

Chanel No. 5 L’Eau – Light and refreshing and sparkling with modernity.  This No. 5 flanker is superb even if you’re not a big fan of the original.  This perfume just makes me so incredibly happy.

L’Atessa by Masque Milano – Unique is hard to come by these days…L’Atessa certainly is with its yeasty champagne fizz which gives way to a lovely powdered floral drydown.  Add that to the most exquisitely redesigned signature perfume bottle, Masque Milano has hit it out of the park with this release.

The perfumes of Parfums Dusita – Perfumer Pissara Umavijani debuted 3 perfumes in 2015, but I didn’t experience them until this year…so as far as I’m concerned, they’re part of this year’s “best of.”  So which one is the best?  Hard to say which one I like the best, the sensual white floral, Melodie de L’Amour; the refined Ouhd Infini or the modern fougere Issara?  I can’t choose because all three deserve recognition.  There are two new perfumes in the line which I have yet to experience…this time I won’t wait a year to do so.

The worst of 2016:

I don’t like doing the worst because perfume is an individual taste…what you might not like, others may love.  But there was one perfume this past year that just hit me incredibly wrong and that was…

Tauerville Fruitchouli Flash – This super sweet and thick concoction gave me a cavity by just smelling it.  Sorry Andy.

So given all of these beauties from this past year, what did I end up wearing for the most part?  I really pretty much stuck to the classics.  My most worn perfume of 2016 was Mitsouko, the parfum extrait, which I just craved over and over again.  The 2nd most worn perfume was Chanel Beige which is just so easy to love.  Maybe 2017 will provide me with a new classic that I won’t be able to stay away from.

Happy New Year from The Scented Hound!