Dilettante

I am just going to come right out and say it: Dilettante is a spectacular yet simple orange blossom perfume. It starts out like California sunshine, like a freshly plucked orange flower. The heart goes into soapy territory (I happen to love soapy scents), but the drydown...oooooohhhh the drydown! A surprisingly animalic, musky, velvety orange blossom. It smells like orange blossom combined with a very pungent, animalic honey and hints of wood. It didn't seem quite animalic enough for me to believe that any natural animal essences, like civet, were used in the construction of the perfume, but at the same time I would believe it if someone told me they were there. The muskiness is undeniable. At first sillage was quite strong, then it became more of a personal scent. It easily lasted more than 12 hours on me without a touch-up. It is natural, yet it is not linear, despite the focus being clearly on orange blossom. Each phase is like a new way to enjoy the flower, but I am glad the musky drydown is by far the longest phase. Dilettante is another 100% natural perfume that blows my mind with its beauty and longevity, further proving to me that it is wholly and completely unnecessary to use animal ingredients that were cruely/inhumanely harvested. The artistry of this fragrance is undeniable. I am a life-long lover of orange blossoms, and Dilettante is one of the best out there. I never thought of an orange blossom perfume as sensual, but this one is indeed very sensual and intimate. Five gold stars for this rich, golden elixir!

I’m a huge orange blossom fan, and Hiram Green Dilettante delivers. The first hour or so is mostly petitgrain, the leaf of the orange tree, which has a greener, drier citrus flavor than orange peel. Then we get a lovely, swoony, indolic orange blossom, large as life and wonderfully summery. It’s naturally sweet but not too syrupy. There’s also a distinctly musky undertone. And then it opens even farther and seems to have more white florals, maybe a bit of jasmine or even tuberose. Finally there’s a faintly spicy, clove-y afterglow that lasts for hours. A plush, glowing take on orange blossom. Amazingly long-lasting for an all-natural perfume.

The most magical blossoming orange blossom, wonderfully supported by the green, almost sour bitterness of petitgrain. Neither pretty not sweet, Dilettante morphs beautifully throughout the day. This is of the few fragrances I bought 24 hours after trying it for the first time. It evokes memories of my parents' garden in summer, waking up really early when the air's still fresh but with the hum of heat already in the air. Truly a remarkable perfume from a rather exceptional perfumer.

“Radiant Neroli over Base of Sexy Sex” I’m gutted that this was discontinued. I love all things neroli, orange blossom and petitgrain. This is a radiant, zingy, green-faceted neroli that seems to have a mentholated animalic base. The dry down is almost like the purest, most sunny neroli mingled with sweaty skin after sex. I love it; almost finished my bottle, about to look toward repurchasing, to find it discontinued...

It's the end of an era, every last bottle of this gem has been snapped up by the hungry boutique house aficionados. If only I had thought to do the same. Dilettante is (was?) the Platonic ideal of neroli, and the world is a lesser place for its absence. I have attempted, in vain, to find other loves but none can ever capture me the way Dilettante did. Like lightning in a bottle.