Shangri La Edition 2022

Shangri La is a mythical utopia locked away from the rest of the world in James Hilton’s 1933 novel Lost Horizon. That’s quite a place to try to represent with a perfume, one would say impossible. Not for Hiram Green it seems. This spicy floral chypre smells absolutely divine. The opening of the perfume is startling, but those familiar with Green will come to expect this; his perfumes always open with bangs and twists. However, Shangri La does so a bit more than others simply because it feels a bit “lost”, “confused”, or “muddy”. It’s a bracing swell of hesperidics with no clear delineation between the notes. There is some orange somewhere, some lemon over there, bergamot here, stone fruit way over there, etc. and it’s hard to make out what is going on. It’s very intriguing in a perplexing sort of way because, for one it works, but for two it shouldn’t. I think this is the point though: you’ve stumbled into Shangri La, and in those beginning minutes of exposure do not expect your senses or your brain to comprehend what is in front of you. Then the confusion passes, and paradise becomes clear.... The heart is a magic carpet of jasmine, rose, carnations, and clove whisking you away into this sunlit paradise. Green has impeccable standards and taste for the natural isolates he uses in his perfumes, and that is apparent in Shangri La. The jasmine is indolic with a slight green edge, giving sunlight and lift to this section. The rose is powdery, elegant, and restrained. Carnations provide a cool creamy and peppery lean, and clove brings warm woody and gentle-licorce facets with a smooth and velvety texture that clove is not really known for. All of these notes are dialed in just right, and their aromas are defined and naturalistic. They float so effortlessly in the air despite their richness and intensity; it’s very breathable, and at no point crowding or overwhelming you. Gorgeous. The base and final skin scent is a combination of a gently woody and green vetiver, and a damp lushness from moss materials. It is calming, meditative, yet elegant. As with most of Green’s compositions you are not likely going to think Shangri La to be very complex or intellectually spurring. There is not a whole lot to pick apart or unpack here, but simplicity means that poor materials or mistakes cannot be covered up, which often times makes simple perfumes done extraordinarily well far more impressive than very complex ones. Green does not make a single mistake here with materials selection or composition. If the paradise of Shangri La is but a dream or a trick of the mind, I do not wish to ever wake up.

Hiram you brilliant man! When you are on, you are REALLY ON! This is absolutely STUNNING! It blows Mitsuko out of the water. Shangri La is multi-faceted like a diamond and oh how it shines! Every element is perfectly balanced all the notes sing together in perfect harmony. When you first spray Shangri la your mouth begins to water in anticipation of biting the sweetest, freshest and most perfect peach. As the perfume develops the most heavenly jasmine, like seriously where is he sourcing his jasmine because damn, it is perfection! The jasmine mingles w/ the peach, oakmoss, a soft pink rose and just mountains of deep rich cinnamon. To me this is what gourmand perfumes would like to be, you get a sense of desert, but you are smelling perfume, a perfume of the highest quality. This perfume is highly seductive, sensual and addictive. My husband FLIPPED for this as well. He usually hates jasmine and chypres but this he loves. Oh, I have to have this one. Seriously if you like Mitsuko or JD Jeffery Dame Labdanum Doux you will adore this and probably not want either one of those ever again. This is one of the best perfumes I have smelled in a long time and will probably go on my favorite shelf. Absolutely amazing, even better than Moon Bloom, which I adore beyond words. Womanly, sexy, beautiful. Edit: My husband thinks it smells like an earthy, spicy peach pie. He adores it.

A truly captivating floral–fruity chypre from every angle. Built around jasmine, with all the essential chypre characteristics fully present. The opening brings a burst of citrus (and I personally pick up a soft peach nuance as well, hence the fruity facet), while the base settles into that unmistakably mossy feel. It’s both natural and modern as a chypre, and distinctly warm thanks to the presence of spicy notes. What I especially love about Hiram Green is how raw everything smells; not a multitude of flashy tricks, but a very clear, recognizable DNA expressed in the purest form of each genre. And this one is the quintessential chypre within that ethos. The mossy note (despite real oakmoss restrictions) is impressively done and genuinely addictive. A rich, sensual fragrance that has the power to transform my whole day for the better. Tag(s): modern chypre, peach, warm-spicy, mossy

I am a huge fan of classic chypres. Indeed, I have a large collection of vintage and current chypre gems. I had high hopes for this fragrance, given the brand's use of richer, realer materials than most modern offerings. My hopes were not misplaced! This is a gorgeous peachy chypre with plenty of spices. So beautiful. Classic without coming across as an imitation. I love the depth, textures, and layers Hiram Green's scents have as such qualities have become harder to find. For the same reasons that I love it, certain noses probably won't. To a less experienced nose, The real ingredients may be confusing or off-putting, and the classic composition may not resonate. Regardless, this fragrance is a work of art and I love it.

This is another glorious and rich creation from Hiram Green!! I'm glad that I waited until cooler weather to really sample it because the delightful spiciness would have been too much in the heat. It is classed as a chypre, however it's more festive than the vintage chypres that I collect and that makes it easier to wear frequently. I have to admit that on my skin the citrus and fruits are MIA, however that doesn't interfere at all with my appreciation. The flowers aren't prominent but provide a lovely underlying sweetness to the resins and spices. If you like Kenzo Jungle l'Elephant you will love this one - not the same but in the same neighborhood.

As others have already pointed out, it does share a touch of Mitsouko’s epic elegance. But it’s definitely its own thing, and to my nose, having both isn’t redundant at all. Shangri La feels much more botanical, with florals that come across as very natural and true to life. The peachy facet is there, but it stays soft and understated. What really stands out to me is a carnation-like impression (even though it’s not officially listed - probably coming from the mix of rose and spices), followed by some jasmine and a subtle, slightly animalic nuance in the background, all on a mossy base. A very beautiful piece of art overall.

For the 2022 version. Its a green chypre with a sweetness. But not sickly or gourmand, just enough to complement the bitterness. My decant of Chypre Palatin ran out a while ago but from memory this is close. Closer to CP than Mitsouko. Unisex. More jasmine (quite strong) in the mid? Performance is good on me. Anyway this is a fantastic scent, get your nose on a sample. So different to the designer stuff being pushed out for Christmas. Moves into my top ten. 5/5

Absolutely gorgeous! A spicy peach cobbler wonderful for fall and winter. For years I had been searching for the perfect warm natural peach scent. I tried vintage Femme, Mitsouko, and Dolce Vita and enjoyed them but found that Shangri La is the one for me. It smells very comforting like a cozy kitchen.I love and can smell every singe note!

The beginning is bitter, earthy and smoky. It is very difficult to feel any floral or fruity notes. The perfume evokes associations with medicine or mastic, but this is even good. I like niche powder from rough tree bark and moss. This is more of a masculine story.

I've been waiting for a scent that captures the essence of Shangri-La, one of the most breathtaking places I've ever visited. Though inspired by James Hilton's Lost Horizon, this perfume somehow smells exactly like the real Shangri-La. I'm obsessed.

Yeah, candle store, as another commenter said. Sweet, spicy, comforting. Smells good on me but I imagine it could be cloying on someone else. I really like it; the times when the rose comes through are lovely and really elevate the scent.

wow! on my skin i get a LOT of spices to the point that it turns medicinal and super dry. peach is somewhere in the background shyly tries to sweeten things up. non-trivial for sure.

FANTASTIC Fragrance! I'm really enjoying this, I will update later but for now I'm in love...

Having recently sampled the 2022 version... I was instantly transported back in time. For the first ten minutes of my experience with this perfume, I could *easily* have been living in the past, happily bathed in a cloud of my own fragrance, projecting wildly into the night. (Dance halls of the 1920s? Disco balls of the 1970s? I could picture this scent wafting through either environment.) I could immediately detect what I now refer to as the "green-grey" shade of oakmoss (that's the best way I can describe how oakmoss "appears" or "feels" to me), which rarely shows up in modern offerings. There was a swirl of lush peach, dressed up with spices -- nothing stood out, but the "spicy" vibe was definitely present. I didn't get too much in the way of citrus, but perhaps the citrus was merely there to round out the rest of the composition. In the mid-phase, there is something I smell that *almost* calls forth a memory; however, I can't quite put my finger on it at the moment. There's definitely something both historical and modern about this scent, though. (Maybe the play between past and present is the reason I can't lay my finger on a specific memory?) The overall impression this perfume gives me is that of a shade-dappled forest; it's warm, but you're protected from direct/scorching sunlight by the leaves of the trees above. Grasses and moss greet you on the forest floor, which is temperate, but a bit humid. Eventually, in the drydown, I feel a bit of vetiver with the oakmoss. I didn't know what to expect from a professionally-made "natural" perfume in terms of strength. For the first hour or so, I was concerned that I might blow out a room (having used a meager two sprays from a sample vial, no less). After that, Shangri-La 2022 became more of a skin scent, but it lingered (and continues to do so, up close, hours after application). Not bad, really... especially if you enjoy vintage-style scents, but your life circumstances require you to tone down your sillage. This is worth additional exploration on my part...

Shangri-La opens with an intensely nostalgic floral note I recognize from my childhood — magnolias or redbuds or something. It’s tender and kindly and makes me think of the first mild days of spring and the kind of teacher who really listens. Yes, it’s peachy, but it’s more than that. The peach+floral+spice makes a totally unique note that’s like nothing else; somehow the effect is a combination of peach and purple, like a twilight glow as the sun goes down and the lanterns are lit. There’s a hazy faded iris in the heart, settling into a warm, sentimental, velvety iris-spice afterglow with plenty of resinous sweetness. Shangri-La is old-fashioned in a turn-of-the-century way; Gibson girls, Tiffany lamps, ice cream parlors. Which is to say, yes, it’s reminiscent of Mitsuoko, the great peachy-spicy chypre of the Belle Époque. Shangri-La can’t compare to Mitsuoko’s lavish helpings of black-tarry oakmoss or leather, or its layers of complex texture. But somehow I find Shangri-La more emotional, more poignant.

"Candle store." I can't get that out of my mind. My first and strongest impression of this scent was that I've smelled it as I walked down the aisle at a candle store. It's nicely blended, but something about the peach and spices combines in the same way one of the major candle manufacturers does. Peach pie, cobbler, with waxy overtones. It smells pleasant, but I feel like I'm trying to scent a room rather than myself.

i was gifted a discovery set, so i am assuming this is the version i have. it opens animalic and a bit sweet. i get spices, peach and woods. i swear i get something ambery too. orris root adds a sort of oddly leathery element i think. the peach gets a lot stronger after about 5-10 minutes and dominates the scent. it reminds me of a lot of vintage scents due to the peach and spices. really cozy and warm.

This isn't a bad fragrance, but it just doesn't click with me. The mixture of peach, spices, and oakmoss should in theory be enjoyable (since I love Mitsouko), but I feel like I'm wearing a pungent and spicy version of the Juicy Fruit gum smell. It would probably wear more nicely on women than on men, although this is sold as a unisex fragrance. It's rare for me to find a chypre (especially one with genuine oakmoss) I don't immediately like, so I'm surprised I've not been taken with this.

This fragrance must get a lot of different facets on different people. This definitely has the spices and apple cider vinegar facets of Chanel Coco, leaning probably more toward the EDP than the EDT in my opinion, but then it is a bit more fruity/floral, JUST a hint. As I already have Coco EDT this is somewhat redundant to me, but I will say it is very high quality and nice that it is all naturally derived ingredients. On me the resemblance is striking. Not sure why so few have made comment on it.

To the right cinnamon and oakmoss lover, this is a really pungent spiced dream. Very reminiscent of cinnamon candy or gum. I can see the appeal but to me it’s very Christmas-y and mature smelling. I think the scent profile is not inherently unlikable but it’s polarizing enough for me not to like. They’re not similar in the slightest but something about this gives me Dusita Erawan vibes.

Unfortunately this one goes very weird on me. Starts off like honey but then descends into Urinal Cake smell....Really don't like.

Unfortunately for me, and similarly to another reviewer, this one smells like urinal cake on my skin.

Astonishingly rapid downward spiral from the opening to the heart. I don’t even see a point in describing the opening notes as in precisely a minute it’s sunflower frying oil + common massage/ body oil + a bit of an Egyptian duty free. Oils of the lowest grade, mind you. Repulsive, disgraceful creation. Took me on an emotional swing too, as on a testing strip it exuded such elegant, chill spice, I wholeheartedly picked it for a skin drive with a sincere intention to purchase. I hope to never put my nose to this again.

How do I say this without being unkind? Shangri-La from Hiram Green is less lush and harmonious utopian promised land and more a Hieronymus Bosch-envisioned hellish menagerie, blighted and bedeviled, doomed and damned--all the horror and grandeur and unbridled madness of the cosmos, distilled into one raspingly chaotic scent. The initial blast of overripe, fermented peaches and citrus fruit frizzles acridly at us, trumpeted straight out of a bizarre monster’s glossy pink backside; jasmine’s balmy decay wraps us in a fuzzy, fevered winding-sheet of a golden-throned man-eating bird, to remind us that all is vanity and the pleasures of the flesh are fleeting, and the strangely spiced kisses of a porcine nun linger on your skin like a grotesque memento from a carnival of depravity. In what twisted mind is this a Shangri-La? I think Hiram Green is having one over on us.

at first olympic orchids capricorn came to mind. then it was sarah bakers jungle jezebel. wait am I smelling mitsouko? finally I gave up. This one is a masterpiece of its own and no comparisons needed. what strikes me is that Shangri La continuously shimmers with its multiple facets, but doing it so seamlessly and smooth..you smell it, come back again in 10 seconds and voila - it has already switched to a different character. strong indolic vintage opening with fresh citrusy whiffs and honeylike thick spicy texture, quite bubblegummy. slowly gets rounded and smooth, like a soft fragrant cocoon, exotic and complex, very pretty. over time it moves from indolic sweet fruity to warm spicy floral, - my favorite part. stunning. very impressive work by Hiram Green.

My first sample from the brand. I was not impressed. I actually had to wash it off, which I try never to do when sampling. I knew it was going to be a fruity chypre, but the opening was a syrupy sweet peach. I also detected some dusty vetiver. I have not been feeling tip-top this week, and Shangri La really kind of turned my stomach. I will save the sample for another day and try again before giving a definitive rating.

This is really beautiful and juicy and smells like I can taste it. And if it was a drink you’d live forever. But I already have a vintage jubilation woman which covers this terrain well enough. Tho this is a lot juicier I feel more inclined to drink this than I do jubilation though jubilation is more full bodied and enveloping. Damn that’s good it keeps sneaking up on me throughout the day

Syrupy sweet & animalic Urine, sweaty skin Tobacco & florals Head-shop incense & disinfectant cleaner A pungent concoction.

I am so excited that they re-released this! I can’t wait to test it out!

Spicecake & cola gummies. Reminds me of COCO!