Ultra

Loads of ozonic hairspray making sure your “do” looks like you stuck your finger in an electrical socket, shoulder pads that make you look like a minotaur trying to wear ill-fitting human clothing, synth music that sounds more dumb-alien than human, neon polyester tops upsetting the lines of cocaine on your scratched-up mirror - f*&k the Iranian Revolution, the fuel crisis, and the Iran-Contra affair, we don’t need to learn from that! HIV/AIDS epidemic - that doesn’t affect me! Who cares that Chernobyl exploded, contaminating Eastern Europe and killing people for decades, or that the Challenger exploded too - radiation is fine, and who needs outer space anyway! The Vietnam War - who wants to remember or learn from what happened only yesterday - let’s party! The 1980s sucked. The politics were terrible. The fashion was terrible. The music was terrible. The forgetfulness leading to gluttonous excess, resulting in economic hardship in the 1990s, was terrible. Some of the fashion and music making a reappearance today, mid 2020s, I find hilarious... and terrible! Ultra is not terrible. It pulls all of those themes together into olfactory form, and it smells so good it makes me think for a brief second that I might need to revisit my opinion of the 1980s. But I won’t. So, I’m choosing to think of this perfume as more representative of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the anti-Apartheid movement, and the bravery of those standing up in Tiananmen Square than anything else of that dastardly decade. How about you look all of that up on Facebook or Tik-Tok to get a healthy dose of misinformation? Or go read a book by an expert instead.... The star of this perfume is narcissus, named after the Greek character that is quite befitting of the 1980s - a narcissist. But, before we get to that there is a blinding bright neroli guiding us like divine light towards this path of understanding. It is so bright and metallic, with its neon orange fruit glow that it is nearly aldehydic in its presentation. A thickly oily and tropical floral ylang-yang with the texture of gelatinous custard adds an overwhelming exoticism. Ylang-ylang comes across banana-like and powdery in most presentations, but yet here, in Ultra, it smells compressed as if those high frequencies and bass frequencies have been shaved off or shoved into mid ranges. It is very dense. They lead straight to a narcissus and jasmine heart that is simply stunning. The bizarre dichotomy/juxtaposition that narcissus naturally presents with its sharp green notes and honeyed white florals is uniquely present, smelling a bit angry, sweet green pea, sharply galbanum, and urinous like, while also sweetly honeyed - like hairspray, actually! The jasmine helps this along with its honeyed and heady aromas. The jasmine is superbly naturalistic like the jasmine I have growing in my backyard. Be it known that Hiram Green uses excellent materials, always. Lovely. The final part of Ultra is gentle excess, choosing to evoke a rich, high-end, hay-like, honeyed, and leathery tobacco profile that would make most other brands blush with an underachiever’s embarrassment. Fermented florals, sweet grass and hays, some vanillics, plenty of loamy and loose earth, and gentle and sweet greens. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it. Yes please! I cannot say that Ultra is anything new, nor does it really have much to say that we haven’t already heard, but what stands out is Hiram Green’s particularity for exquisite materials handled in such precise ways that they shine without needing any help. I deeply appreciate that there is no trickery here, no synthetic aroma chem thrown in for accent or performance, yet the entirety of the perfume remains clear and legible, and very compelling throughout its life. One more outstanding perfume from an outstanding perfumer from an outstanding brand.

I blind bought this as soon as it came out and I just received it. My assessment 30 minutes after spraying: beautiful. It is indeed reminiscent of the 80's, but also of early 90's creations like Amarige (in its excessive yellow floral bomb facet) and Poême (in its pollen-like facet). This also reminds me of the leathery marigold bomb Parfum de Peau or modern classics from Liz Moore's Papillon line. Hiram Green has presented an opulent leathery yellow floral. The opening is riveting: a narcissus, yellow bomb (I swear I can smell mimosa but it's not listed) that just makes you want to spray more and more to keep it going. As it calms down, the leathery facets come to the core and it is some mean leather. Don't think iris-like leather like Cuir de Russie but more like naughtly, equestrian-like leather. I will obviously need to spend more time with this beauty as I just sprayed 30 minutes ago, but it made me so excited that I wanted to share with you all. I haven't written a review in forever so you can imagine what that says about my reaction to this beauty. If you like 80's and 90's floral bombs with a (very) rough side, you are safe pulling the trigger with this. Ultra indeed. Bravo!

It’s interesting that such a natural, almost botanical scent is meant to capture the spirit of the 80s - an era I associate more with exaggerated makeup, big hair, and bold, over-the-top fashion, rather than anything "natural". But somehow... I get it.The florals here are strong and nectar-like. It reminds me of a flower in full bloom - so rich and developed that it’s just on the edge of tipping into decay. Not in a rotten way at all, just that lush, slightly overripe intensity. Narcissus is clearly the star, amplified by honey. But this isn’t a sugary floral bomb. The honey feels more waxy than sweet, and I can see why some people mention an animalic touch. Personally, I don’t really get that - if it’s there, it stays far in the background, quietly supporting the narcissus. A beautiful, narcotic, very realistic floral.

Like inhaling a very, very large bouquet 💐 of narcissus and jonquils. The ultimate narcissus fragrance. If you love yellow florals like I do get your nose on this. Very retro. Just like Philtre. One yellow jonquils and narcissus and one red carnation. Hiram Green you are one of the best perfumers around, natural or otherwise. Thank you for creating amazing work. There is something haunting about the smell of narcissus and jonquils. Like looking into the face of life and death at the same time.

Wow I think I finally found THE narcissus fragrance! Granted it's a little too animalic for me, but I also get the realistic effect of smelling the flowers up close, which none of the classics has achieved imo–Poem is too generically yellow and Narcisse Noir is too ironically fresh–natural jasmine really aids the heady & nectar-like quality that made this composition intoxicating! *My 2nd wearing came off more like a wet jasmine bomb and less animalic...Maybe Romanza altered my perception 😳

I find the offerings from this perfumer distinct in that they persist throughout the day, and throughout this long wear there is nothing I find grating. He has a variety of scent profiles represented which I relate to to various degrees, but basically I think they’re all “good.” This one in particular has an almost juicy quality...I think of floral nectar in a liquid or syrup rather than a powder. I really like wearing this.

Lovely yellow floral 🏵🌼 💛 ✨️

Ultra opens with delicious, floaty-swoony neroli and maybe even an orange blossom not listed in the notes. (or maybe that's the jasmine). It feels summery, breezy, light yellow, and almost but not quite sweet. A few minutes in, it goes spicy and polleny for a moment, and I'm actually getting a bit of narcissus; a dense yellow scent, a little tender. But it's still doused in white-floral nectar. It's not very narcissus-y, and I'm speaking as a hardcore narcissus lover. Narcissus is an early spring flower; it has the breathy tenderness of April, and a dense oily-spicy-musky polleny scent, unusually dark for a flower. Ultra has a bit of pollen, yes, but it feels very much like *summer* not spring. Swooning, nectarous, amorous hot-weather vibes, not tender fresh ingenue vibes. The archetypal narcissus scent is Guerlain Chamade (1969), which sets off the pollen with sharp green galbanum and soft vanilla. I also love Bruno Fazzolari's Au Dela Narcisse and Roberto Greco Porter sa Peau (which bring out the musky-breathy-earthy side of narcissus), Masque Milano Romanza (which sets narcissus against a backdrop of moss and myrrh), Papillon Hera (a sort of modern Chamade which puts narcissus on a musky-vanillic base and blends it with a shimmering rainbow of flowers) and lots more. Ultra smells like none of them. It actually has more in common with Hiram Green's other heady white florals, Moon Bloom (tuberose) and Dilettante (orange blossom). Like them, Ultra is quite lovely: just dense, pure, rich flower nectar, without distractions. Sometimes I get an odd darker raspy tone that I'm not sure how to describe -- coppery? earthy? under the nectarous flowers. And there's a layer of soft fuzzy musk, not really animalic but maybe a bit like skin. Ultra is supposed to be "inspired by the 80s" and "animalic" and I don't get either of those. It's strong and intensely floral, and that's it. Warm, but not remotely dark or dirty. And it feels quite modern to me, in the same plush-but-simple style as most Hiram Green scents.

Ultra; an intensely heady, indolic yellow-floral cloud. People compare it to Philtre, but while that one is unmistakably a carnation, this feels more like a blossom so laden with pollen you can practically imagine bees circling above it. Possibly one of the most natural “yellow flower” impressions I’ve ever smelled: a vivid duet of ylang-ylang and narcissus, radiant and alive. There’s also a faint hay-like facet... Not the dry herbal edge of immortelle, nor the rooty greenness of vetiver, but rather a breeze drifting through a sun-scorched wheat field. It stays purely supportive though; the spotlight remains entirely on those golden blooms. As it develops, the narcissus grows stronger, and a light dark-honeyed nuance emerges toward the drydown; as if drifting pollen had settled into the flower’s own nectar to rest for a moment. Both shadowed and bright. Tag(s): heady, creamy, yellow flower, indolic, raw, nectar, hay-like

Soft spices, cloves, mimosa, carnation, jasminoids, black tea and floral resins. It's dry, powdery, slightly green and very vintage-like. Think Amarige, Lair du Temps, Tabac Blonde and other vintage, dusty, spicy+yellow floral scents, but dipped into Hiram Green's signature, resinous musk. Bears strong similarities to practically half his scents, mainly Philtre, Tryst, Slowdive and Moonbloom - esp the first two (another comment below mentions animalics, though I didn't pick up any civet/castor/hyrax/etc whatsoever so, there is that). It's nice, but I find myself feeling a lil bit indifferent towards it, mainly bcs it's a "been there, smelled that many times before" moment, and not necessarily better than any of it's similar scents anyway. Pleasant and that's about it.

Definitely, this perfume has a vibe of 80-s. Yellow flowers and very animal notes of Jasmin and honey. It smells naturalistic and intriguing.

I am Italian and what I write is translated, so if any terms are not quite right, it's not my fault :)) OK, I finally got to smell it. Let's start from the assumption that Poeme is my perfume of life and that I adore yellow florals from the 90s, I adore mimosa and vanilla when it's the vanilla of Poeme, I get bored with light, fresh and powdery yellow florals (although I love those too), and that I still consider Amarige a masterpiece. Well: Ultra is Amarige enhanced. No more, no less. It is not a “yellow” fragrance at all, it is not a sunny, warm, bright, honeyed fragrance that makes you think of bees and sunny days. It is a “heavy” fragrance, for a very imposing woman, a hyper-animalic fragrance, a “dramatic” fragrance, which is much more reminiscent of red, the red of the velvet boxes in opera houses; a perfume whose vibe (not in terms of accords and notes, but mood) is reminiscent of Dolce&Gabbana EuroItalia, reminiscent of those Chanel No. 19 chypres, those dark, very dark, sanguine, baroque perfumes. Those who hoped (like me) to find a “reformulated” Poeme in its old style will be disappointed. Those who have always loved Amarige can go ahead and buy it blind.

ULTRA as in ultra grandma - holy moly!!! Smells straight out of the 80's - extreamly heady and will cause a migraine. I cannot wear this but I appreciate it for what it is.

This is like a combination of moon bloom, tryst, and vivacious. But I'm not sure it's better than any of those. I was hoping for more of a narcissus scent like narcisse noir and I do get some of that but not as much as I was hoping. Honestly though still way better than any mainstream fragrance and I have full bottles of a lot of his fragrances. I'll prob pass on a full bottle of this just because I have bottles of the others

Being an all-natural house, Hiram Green always delivers on blending quality. Ultra is a fantastic, rich, and complex fragrance. You can tell the ingredients are top-notch. But because it lacks synthetics, it doesn't push off the skin much. It becomes a skin scent way too fast. Beautiful composition, but at this high price point, I really expect better longevity

Olor embriagador y maravilloso. Si te gustan las flores amarillas tienes que probarlo. Se nota la calidad desde el principio.