Hortus Sanitatis

In light of all the fakes apparently circulating out there (see psychocandy's review below), I guess I should start by pointing out that my bottles of Hortus Sanitatis were both purchased directly from one of the Gucci botiques. So I am reviewing the genuine stuff. That's a good thing, because this is going to be a glowing review for one of my favorite fragrances of 2020. HS is not just part of the Gucci Alchemists' Garden series of haute partum releases, its name is also the Latin nomenclature for a "health garden", or a garden comprised of plants having medicinal properties. This scent opens, appropriately enough, with a medicinal, mentholated note that is unique in my experience. Fans of Gucci Guilty Absolute will be reminded of the band-aid note in that fragrance, but here there is more depth and complexity to this note--it smells like a medication with several aromatic ingredients, not just a bandage. I think this note is a manifestation of some real camphorous oud at work in HS. The notes here are hard to pick out because the blending is exceptionally intricate. Papyrus, in a very natural and lifelike grassy, dry form, is about all I can pick out distinctly in the initial phase of this scent. Later, as things progress, there is a smokey incense note which is joined by rose. One of the well-known YouTubers has said that this phase of HS smells like barbecued roses. I don't quite know if I would have used that description, but it is as good as any, I suppose. Barbecued or not, there is nothing jammy about the rose in HS. This rose is herbal and astringent in nature and somewhat spicy, perhaps with a hint of ginger. I have seen suggestions that this scent is similar to Gucci Pour Homme I, or Parle Moi de Parfum's Papyrus/Oud 71. I own all of these scents and I do not see any such similarly beyond the presence of papyrus in all 3 fragrances. This fragrance is most certainly unisex. Projection is considerable and longevity stretches out over 10 or more hours. The presentation is reminiscent of an old laboratory bottle and also the containers of the Louis Vuitton fragrances. Perhaps LVMH, which owns both Gucci and Vuitton, is utilizing designs submitted for consideration in response to a single request for ideas to get the most for their money or to avoid wasting a second good design when they need only one per product line. In any event, the bottle looks very good and the atomizer is among the best. This is one of those fragrances that is so unlike anything else, and so far removed from trends and fashion, that it is amazing that Gucci has created and marketed it. I love HS. It is expensive, but the quality is extraordinary. HS is hard to find because the distribution is so very limited, but if you should find yourself in a Gucci boutique where HS is sold, don't miss the chance to smell this wonderful fragrance. Most highly recommended. Beautiful!

@psychocandy regarding counterfeit alchemist bottles. Yes, they are everywhere. I recommend visiting a Gucci boutique if you can. I own a handfull, I've sold a couple over the years, and I've tried nearly all of them. I consider myself pretty well versed and in tune with this particular line. I have inadvertantely purchased counterfeit (decided to repurchase midnight stroll and seller I bought from was genuinely unaware, and I got my money back) and, I literally live down the street from an Gucci boutique. I go there at least once per month, for many years. To be clear, the smaller, thinner box batch code is above the larger bulkier box code on genuine alchemist garden bottles. I can post photos of both the genuine Gucci boxes, and the fake. I took lots of pictures before returning the fake. The best way to tell if they are counterfeit is to know the smell, because they're never accurate. This is true for 99% of counterfeit bottles from any house. Another way, specifically for alchemist, is the material of the bag is totally wrong on the counterfeit. Additionally, the print is never quite as robust and seems to fade, and the straps on the bag should not be frayed. Otherwise the counterfeits are very good. I even weighed the bottles and the caps separately, and they were pretty close. But the thing is, the weight of the caps when comparing genuine caps have slight weight variation. Italian brands like Gucci are not exactly known for laser like focus manufacturing consistency. Yes they are well made, but they are artisan. P.S. The juice should be blue, not just the bottle. Counterfeit juice is clear

Some key differences in the real vs the fake: -real has visibly thicker box -real has significantly more rigid box -real has visibly more rounded box edges when compared to other authentic Alchemist Garden boxes -the real tote bag silk screened cat logo will be ON TOP of swirl pattern, the cat will be very crisply printed without the swirl pattern visible in the printing. The fake had lines and stripes visible in the cat print and was much less crisply printed. -the real tote bag will feel more like nylon, noisier crisper in texture like a nylon windbreaker, NOT ‘satin’ like a pair of satin sheets, the fake was visibly more “silky” in texture. -the real tote bag has a considerably smaller tag, sewn in precisely. The fake had a tag at least twice as big and was sewn somewhat crudely when compared to authentic. -the real bottle cap will have NO casting flaws or texture in the groove, the fake had some flaking/texture in the groove that looked poorly cast -the FAKE used a known batch code “0023”, my REAL bottle also has this code so be cautious as Gucci may have only made one batch... -Real box batch code printed to left side just above center of the white area for the barcode with the last digit actually touching the white area, the fakes seem to have the batch code printed well above and to the left of the white bar code area. Anyway if you’d like any help authenticating a bottle let me know I have all the comparison photos as well as an authentic bottle/box/bag in hand (as well as 6 other fragrances from the Alchemist Garden)

This fragrance was synthesised by Alberto Morelas by Astlham Gucci for Hortus Sanitatis’ book “Garden of Health” is one of the first and perhaps the most influential books printed on herbs and is one of the most important works of the Middle Ages that contributed to our knowledge of natural history, especially in the field of medicinal plants. The book consists of sections of plant knowledge and drug extraction. Alberto Morelas has formulated this beautiful fragrance made up of papyrus, vetiver, cedar and ginger with a wood combination of your earthy that resembles the smell of medicinal medicines and the amazing combination of foreground and finish. When smelling the first spray of perfume, you start smelling a nail-like smell and ramming plants 🪵with a dumbbell of smoke and the combination of burning vetiver and ginger with a background of the smell of wound healers “Ditol” 💊, all this with one spray, when the perfume proves after about 15 minutes it begins to smell I didn't find the perfume similar or the same composition. A very wonderful and amazing perfume, a winter perfume par excellence. I recommend it to lovers of exclusivity, you will evaluate 10/10. When I smell this smell, I remember the cold winter nights in the middle of the land and the warmth with fire, the smell of burning ramids and golden sand 🪵🏜

My friends, I could weep for joy. After scouring the internet for some time, I came across a bottle that, based on detailed photos, appeared to be genuine... and at an unbelievable price. I got so lucky to snag it, especially now that it's disappeared from the Gucci website. This perfume is challenging and intriguing, with a shocking medicinal and metallic opening blast that quickly paves the way to the promised bone-dry papyrus. Then deep, dark roses start to smolder on resinous wood, alongside more papyrus, menthol, and spicy, rich roots. There is a feeling of stepping into an apothecary, a hint of dusty books, metal implements sanitizing in a basin, bundles of plants hung to dry, 100s of materia medica on the shelves, all of which sit behind the fragrance of the fire heating the room. After years of medicine being prepared here, the scent has permeated the walls, no longer the discernible notes of the ingredients of a remedy, but the scent of the space itself. The frag head in me appreciates this as a work of art. But as a practitioner of herbal medicine who appreciates the history of my field, this scent transports me. I couldn't be more pleased by this homage.