Hermetic

This is a remarkable perfume. While it's described as 'sweet' in the description, I think that rather undersells its virtues. Many sweet perfumes make their sweetness their principal feature, like of like how most children's candy sells you on the sweetness rather than the simple chemical flavorings. This perfume is sweet in a different way. Rather than being like a candy, the sweetness in this perfume is like the sweetness in a moderately dark chocolate. Sure, there's sweetness, but what you're *really* there for are the notes of dark chocolate. The primary notes on me are a dry fruity caramel with wood in the background. The net result is an impression if sweetness, but the smell is so tasty that your mind turns first to the flavours before identifying it as sweet. This complexity makes the perfume a joy to smell on its own or with company, with whom you can share the "oh, what is that? I can't tell what that is but I like it!" quality. The perfume is sold as a 'blending' perfume. I am skeptical of these perfumes in general but gave this one a shot. The complexity of its scent profile really does mean it blends well. The risk, however, is that you can overdue the mix and end up smelling like a whole perfume store. I would therefore recommend finding a simpler perfume and mixing only when you feel like riffing. The downside to all this is that this perfume is really really expensive. I bought a 5ml and have been content with that. I hope Kemi makes another batch for a mass market so that I can more easily share it with friends. I highly recommend it especially to perfume geeks.

Opens up fresh with a little spice. You soon fell the sweetnes, but its really well balanced and doesn't feel overpowering. The fruity peach is absolutly wonderfull and plays a huge role with the floral notes. The peach stays for several hours and together with the caramel, lingers in the air around you. In the late drydown the wood carries the scent and the also the tonka. I Dont pick up much of the incense. It does stay pretty close and to me doesnt feel so gourmand like Lira.

Hermetic displays a unique one of a kind caramel aroma of semisweet quality with a slight fruity edge, wrapped in a veil of sacred smoke. Featuring incense and guaiac wood playing in harmonious duality, nuancing the sweetness and giving tremendous depth to the overall scent profile.

Not to completely disagree with rbalkris but I have a very different experience. Hermetic’s opening is intoxicating and rich and immediately gave me an glimpse of scent memory to Christmas time. Maybe that’s the caramel because for me that note goes away quickly and I wish it lingered. The scent it quickly settles down to is still nice though. I get plenty of bitter lemon and a *very* light pepper, and the quiac wood gives it a dryness that keeps it from going “damp” like i was worried it might. The Tonka in this is top notch and if you are a fan of Dior Feve Deliciouse then you will probably like this too. I don’t get peach, I don’t get incense, I barely-might as well not get- Ylang Ylang. I definitely don’t get rose. Hermetic at it’s core is a mostly Tonka-Guiac-Lemmony scent but I hesitate to call it gourmand, or oriental, for that matter. It is more a woody-with balsamic tendencies fragrance. It’s nice but the performance is not great and i think if you wanteda more mysterious but more subdued Dior Feve...this is still worth checking out. Scent: 6/10 it’s good. Don’t get me wrong, but it’s not as original or inaccessible and exclusive as some of Kemi’s other offerings. Projection: 4/10 it’s weak. Your cloud at rest, is “cuddle distance” and it doesn’t push much under it’s own power. Really needs moving air to waft. Sillage: 2/10 not only Was there no train in my wake from what I asked a few friends, but I also can’t detect it. Waving my forearm in front of my face gives me a phantom of tonka and lemmon but that’s it. Longevity: 5/10 this was average at around 5 hours before I lost it on my skin. But really it started going down hill at the 2-2.5 hour mark. Finally, would I buy a full bottle?: No I don’t think so. I have a 10ml decant and I’m going to enjoy it because this IS genuinely a nice scent and the opening is so distinct and warming. Even the final dry-down on skin is pleasing...but it never goes beyond that. It’s good, but not great. Especially not for the price. I’d call this a good buy at $200 as a spring-summer-fall scent...but otherwise buy a big bottle of Feve and forget about it.

Hermetic is apparently a Harrod’s exclusive now under Xerjoff as I just picked it up. Hermetic opens up with this nice fresh scent leaning to a lemon and peach fresh and fruity vibe. As it dries you get a really powerful sweet notes with the caramel and tonka bean. The combination of the two gives hermetic a fresh yet sweet atmosphere making it an extremely versatile fragrance. Hermetic lasts about 8-9 hours and projects quite strongly. It’s a great wear for almost all seasons except summer, in my opinion the sweetness doesn’t really match the summer vibes. Hermetic is a great wear for a date night or even a casual outting. Hermetic does come at a price point of around 220 pounds if I’m not mistaken making it slightly overpriced in my opinion. I think a perfect alternative for half the price is instant crush. It’s a perfect substitute as you also get a sweet and fresh scent from it. Scent: 9 Projection: 8 Longevity: 9 Value: 4 Overall: 7.5