Philtre

Philtre opens with a lovely familiar chord from classic perfume – rounded, resinous, liquored, warm-spicy. Think Youth-Dew, maybe? It gets spicier by the second and I love it more and more. It’s not much like other carnation perfumes (the classic dusty-creamy Bellodgia or its streamlined modern equivalent Vitriol D'Oeillet). Carnation-centric perfumes are often a dusty, terra-cotta hue, spicy with the cloves-like scent of eugenol but far softer and tamer than actual spices. Philtre is much deeper and richer, more like an actual noseful of whole cloves, yet smoothed and polished with mellow resins and a subtle, rose-inflected floral aura. It really feels like classic perfumery, only simpler and more vivid. Nothing is musty or dusty; it’s all warm rosy-brown glow. Everybody always remarks on how Hiram Green pulls off “all-natural” perfumes that do things natural plant extracts shouldn’t be able to. All-natural scents tend to be heavy and brick-like, since air and polish come from synthetics. But Hiram Green’s perfumes aren’t typical indie perfumery – they’re smooth, refined throwbacks to the Belle Epoque era of perfumery, the time of Caron and Guerlain, which was characterized by the invention of the first artificial aromachemicals to blend with natural extracts. How does Hiram Green do it? By rules-lawyering! An aromachemical produced by genetically engineered yeast is technically “natural” since it comes from an organism. It’s a stupidly expensive way to produce something you could have just made in a lab, but it allows you to call your perfume “all natural” while including the whole range of the perfumer’s pallette. It’s not magic; it’s microbes! Anyhow, however they made it, Philtre smells amazing. It overlaps a lot with Shangri-La (another warm spiced Hiram Green floral) only Shangri-La has a mellow peach note reminiscent of Mitsuoko, while Philtre is more intensely spicy. They’re all fantastic.

For Hiram Green to possess the alchemy to create this philtre out of purely natural ingredients is nothing short of a phenomenon. The carnation accord in perfume, one of my favorites of them all, is one that confounds noses in the 21st century, mostly because the idea of scented carnations is lost on modernity. There are so few Malmaison carnation varieties that still exist today, and a rare few have the opportunity of encountering them. Looking more like ruffled roses, these flowers, cultivated from the tree carnation, were the most fragrant of the dianthus family, and were all the rage in the Belle epoque of the late 19th-early 20th century. They, and the beloved Sweet William, were inspirations for the legendary "oeillet" accord that would come to prominence in perfumery through classics such as Caron Bellodgia, Coty L'Origan, and later in its resurgence with YSL Opium and Estee Lauder Cinnabar. In Green's Philtre, we have an arguably imposing return to form when it comes to carnation, but I find it absolutely staggering in its beauty. It's bold yet limpid, with studied outlines of snapped green stems and a backdrop of floral silhouettes that amplify its beauty. A little rosiness and white floral tint is evident, and it only flatters the illustration of this "single red carnation," as Green asserts in his synopsis of Philtre. This is, especially in its heart, honestly what I had expected Caron Poivre to be like when I first smelled a sample (and was frankly a bit let down by how two-dimensional it ended up feeling). The dry down is a granular and plaintive experience, resins and vanilla pulling the remnants of the preceding beauty close to the skin, clinging and persistent: another remarkable feat for a natural perfume. It's rapturously old-fashioned and precious for these times, and that's why I absolutely, positively adore it.

This potion does for me what it says it’s going to do. I’m swooning with love and affection. The opening is the electric tingle of skin-on-skin when you’re touched by someone you’ve fallen for. Bright and sparkling greens, jasmine, and peppercorns give a mentholated facet to the bright and citrusy jasmine. I smiled with joy and instant attraction. When the electric tingle and the knot in your stomach subsides, Philtre presents an absolutely beautiful clove and carnation heart. The clove is spicy and woody but very demur, well rounded, and soft thanks to the gently heady carnation. Vanilla slowly blooms at the base. Here the affection is not electric, it’s austere yet warm, soft, and inviting. The blend in this composition is exceptional; it is so seamless and dialed-in just right. Some are going to bemoan the longevity, but that’s a cost of using 100% natural isolates. However, the benefit of using those materials is a photorealism that is very magnetic and truly evocative. I don’t have much to say about Philtre, it speaks well enough on its own. Love it.

Instant knockout - a thick, bushy, stem-to-stamen flowershop carnation, followed by a resin+clove marriage that does in fact feel like love. The carnation is boosted by a jasmine that doesn't totally fade into the background, but adds just enough floral depth without moving into white-floral territory and overtaking the star of the show. The resins are thickened by vanilla but keep an even balance of sweet and spicy - this is maybe too specific but something about the accord here makes me think of that almost buggy smell you get from a Belgian Tripel, but here it's warm and mysterious, whereas in the beer it's my least favorite part of that genre. In any case it's pure alchemy, materials like carnation and clove you already know but presented here in an entirely new light. It's surprising and invigorating, and one of the most original recent releases I've tried.

Hiram Green finally got me. I admire this perfumer's work and enjoy several of his creations, but I have not felt compelled to purchase one until now. Real heirloom carnations are one of my absolute favorite smells in the world, and it is exceedingly rare to find an authentic recreation in perfumery. In Philtre an extremely realistic nose-to-blossom carnation is the strong backbone of the blend. I live in an inhospitable climate for growing them, so this fills the void of their absence. My bottle is on the way. P.S. - I don't get funeral associations at all- I associate that more with white lilies, chrysanthemums and roses. Are carnations known as a funeral flower? Maybe it's a regional thing?

Philtre is a pleasant surprise in the set of samples I bought from Hiram Green. It's the first Woody Spicy scent I've tried that didn't strike me as too masculine. The floral notes lend enough sweetness to take the edge off the sharper notes. The green notes are probably acting as the bridge between them that I couldn't identify at first. This definitely works for someone who likes unisex to feminine scents, and is worth a try if you like unisex to masculine scents, too.

Carnations hold a special little place in my heart (such is the case with many people who were born in the 80's in soviet union). It's so nostalgic... I remember how strongly carnations smelled in my childhood. Here, in the USA they don't smell pretty much at all. It's kind of sad that vast majority of young people will never get the experience of smelling the real thing. Philtre is the absolute best impression of this beautiful but modest flower.

The opening isn't great--it seems too much like a thin and old-fashioned carnation fragrance from my grandmother's vanity. But then it very quickly enhances itself and it becomes a glorious three-dimensional carnation accord that feels so real and complex. The opening minutes get only a "meh" from me, but after that I absolutely love this--it's becomes of the finest new florals I've smelled in years. It also has excellent sillage and longevity.

This perfume is the best plan B for those who are missing Caron Poivre and Caron Coup de Fouet. Proud owner and wearer of both, I cannot think of anything else and to be honest I am happy that I can find the reincarnation of both in this buyable perfume. Fantastic drydown of pepper and cloves. I only wish that the projection was better (but Caron's both perfumes mentioned do not project much either).

Testing my sample; a large vase of fully bloomed photorealistic carnations. Very spicy and heady, there's some jasmine and rose in the backdrop, like a smaller vase of those flowers hovering nearby. Cool weather appropriate, I'd spray this on scarf so it stays right under my nose all day. I'd consider a full bottle for this.

The clove spices up the whole concoction! It starts smelling like Zhonghua toothpaste, which is a Chinese brand boasting traditional medicine recipe. It is because of clove. Then it smoothens into a floral woody scent, but the clove persists. So beautiful! It also lasts easily 4 hours on skin and projects arm length.

I think this perfume is the standout of the house. Warm, spicy, and realistic—a red carnation on a pink lapel. I find this behaves consistently from opening to dry-down. Greenness is lurking but does not dominate. Exquisite, I am wearing it all the time this January in the snow.

This is unbelievably beautiful to me. It has lasted all day and remained potent in its floral dreaminess. The bright crisp carnation is supported by the spiced and vanilla and I can't get enough of it. If love potions existed, this would be it.

This opens with a scorching blast of Clove and pepper, and then reveals a green, flower-shop Carnation. It's lovely and unique.

I love this so much. It smells like the walk-in refrigerator at a flower store. Marvelous, and definitely FBW for me.

If you love carnation fragrances, this is mandatory. period. references: Fiore di Bellagio En Avion

Hiram Green based his latest perfume – Philtre, as in love potion – around carnation, a flower which exudes spicy scents. Obviously, the carnations we buy from florists don't exude anything, but the aromas of certain species are marvelous, even if they are, for many, associated with a bygone era. The ancient Greeks called this flower “Dianthos”, which means “flower of the Gods”, or “divine flower”. When you spray Philtre, you immediately detect a complex floral explosion. Once this initial effect has somewhat dissipated, a peppery note stings the nose for a few moments as it approaches the skin where the perfume was applied. The naturally peppery scent of carnation has obviously been accentuated by black pepper extract. An animal note is also noticeable in the background. Maybe it as to do with indole... Subsequently, the typical scent of carnation flower emerges; a scent very close to that of cloves and wallflower. What gives these plants this scent is eugenol; an aromatic compound that is also found in cinnamon and allspice, among others. In Philtre, this spicy accent is subtly modulated by fine green notes that evoke the stems of the plant. But the alchemical beauty of Philtre lies in the skillful dosage of the characteristic note of clove with notes of rose and jasmine, giving the perfume a convincing realism. I don't know if Green intended to faithfully recreate the scent of carnation, but it's pretty well done. And addictive. At the stage of the heart notes in the olfactory development of the fragrance, I can't help but sniff my forearm and enjoy this aesthetic effect. Slowly, the floral and spicy notes subside, and they are eventually softened by a skillful blend of resin and atypical vanilla; a concoction that we recognize from Hiram Green, and that we find in another of his perfumes with disturbing accents: Moon Bloom. We also discern the density of his style, a density which is undoubtedly related to the fact that the designer only works with natural ingredients. Philtre will probably not please everyone. Depending on one's personal references, one may find it too old-fashioned, too medicinal, or even too funerary, as other people have mentioned below. But this all suits me.

Break out the (faux) mink stoles and velvet dresses. Spicy, vintage green floral. I'm unsure why Fragrantica has this labeled as a warm floral in the pyramid. It's spicy as hell, but the green, watery notes and Carnation impart a cool freshly crushed stems & petals all the way through. I really like Vivacious by Hiram Green, and was curious how this one would differ since Vivacious contains a LOT of carnation. I can vaguely understand the 'funeral home' smell others noted but much like calling a fragrance 'grandma' it's insulting to the fragrance. Philtre has a distinctly Swedish, clean architecture, '60's mod twist. A vintage feel due to the opening of a huge carnation with cloves, but this doesn't come across as cheap air freshener which I associate with the funeral home comment. You've got to sit with this one. This is really well done, a Carnation like a Caron, or Mona di Orio which is also an amber floral, but Mona's has more violets, and ylang to it, juicier. This is sharp, clean and beautiful. Huge sillage, tons of longevity, and ebbs from sweet to green to amber/resins.

Quite lovely this one. It's a cozy, sweet, and cinnamon-like/spicy, resinous blend that revolves around a strong, starchy carnation, laced with creamy vanilla, suede, and cloves. It's relatively simple, but it has lasting power for sure - at least on me. The carnation here is rich and full-bodied, and I found it reminiscent of Roos & Roos' White Ballad and Caron’s Tabac Blond, rather than the soapy variety found in Serge Lutens’ Vitriol d’Oeillet. As it dries down, it does lose a bit of its complexity and edges into a sweeter, somewhat flatter territory, which is common for most of Hiram Green's creations, but it still feels satisfying and wearable. It also became a tad bit more aggressive, in the way how natural carnation absolute can sometimes be. I’m not completely enamored with it, but it is definitely one I’d wear. I also like the name a lot.

Philtre feels like the male counterpart to Caron bellogia. I had that perfume in the 90s and used my bottle. I wish I had it back. It was a gorgeous fragrance. Shame it was discontinued and I doubt the new version is anything like the past version. Philtre much more fiery and less powdery and feminine. Very hot and spicy. Like a cauldron bubbling over with a potion. Smells better on skin than on clothes IMO. Softens and smooths out the rough edges on skin. This sample will be going to my husband. I find it leans male for my personal taste but it is a lovely carnation fragrance. Edit I should actually classify this fragrance as unisex. When it dries down on skin it makes you smell like an actual carnation. Carnations remind me of highschool and I adore them.