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

An austere Floriental gourmand that begins to slowly and beautifully evolve on your skin, this is the most different of the Kemi offerings which are usually lovely Oud blends. The perfume opens with notes of lemon and pepper. The heart is peach and Ylang-Ylang with slight rose. It settles into a lovely powdery base of incense, guaiac wood, tonka bean and caramel. The opening is not easy but it is very brief and the perfume settles into a pleasing base very fast. Unisex slight feminine leaning with moderate sillage and very good longevity. This is a nice addition to the Kemi line and the most different. Enjoy!

To me this has the same exact DNA as Lira with some additional orange/lemon and something a tiny bit masculine. First blast also smells a lot soapy. That property can be noticed afterwards as well, if you really put your nose close to the skin. I much prefer Lira but this is way more complex and I see it being much more satisfying and perceived as higher quality among some individuals. Also this one smells sterile/inedible, Lira is much more gourmand.

Hermetic transports me to a luxury holiday resort on a tropical beach. The top notes I get are papaya, melon with just a touch of herbal spearmint which grounds it, there's also a slight watery/salty feeling to it, these components make me think of the beach, a refreshing breeze and the endless expanse of the blue sea and sky. The basenotes give it warmth and make remind be of the sun, it's a lovely juxtaposition. Rather than being a projection beast it dances around me all day like Kemi Kemi, I get definite wafts of it long after I've forgotten about it. Very unisex. Very unique. Have to add I did sell my bottle because there was something in it that didn't sit quite right to me, a kind of saliva smell and I never got used to it, probably just my nose though.

This reminds me so much of Pierre Guillaume scents. It has a sticky gourmand feel whilst also being distinctively not gourmand, i.e. It doesn't smell like anything you'd actually want to eat. Don't get me wrong, this is some high quality perfume, and I can't stop smelling myself, but it does ALMOST have a sort of "bin juice" vibe. Like when you ate some mango, and the mango skin has been in the bin over night with some tea, coffee, etc. Very intriguing but I won't be going beyond the 5ml decant I already purchased. In any case I think it's done and dusted. Update: after a couple more wears, I'm finding this really quite nauseating. I don't think Xerjoff have continued making it and I can see why.

Hermetic Kemi Blending Magic (Usd 200, first impression) Hermetic was a full blind buy for me as the composition seems quite usable, I wish to own one kemi too as Xerjoff / Sospiro / Casamorati collector. I kinda expect full gourmand fragrance but this not quite it, it is kinda easy to use but have upscale feels to it. Also, this fragrance seems bright and lean day time more than night use. The blast was Grape Fruit and some note that reminds me Oakmoss raw material before the sweetness kinda cover the peach starts kinda ball. Peach in this might be result of oakmoss after all. The caramel in this smell more like Thick Honey(?) I kinda preceive undescribe woodsy note but it a bit leans soapy/sweeten base. it wried, but this kinda reminds me JML starlid mandarin & Honey that much stronger and thicker. It kinda smell a bit royal, probably a good scent for day time function, still fun but quite condescending. I don’t think it smell like Lira, that one is full gourmand. I might be wried, but I place this around citrus/sweet-amber dominant fragrance (like, Tygar) that most guy are enjoy, it is easy to enjoy but I dont think you miss anything special either. The fragrance is fairy strong and little spray is sufficient for usage and this would make great Chirstmas meet up scent, I don’t know why, maybr the waxy feel this had, I abit remind me of nice candle too. ===== Edit 1 : Dec 25, 2024 It is definitely Oakmoss, I think hermetic is can be as far as touching a tint of Fruity-Chypre. 🤔 will provide further feedback ===== Edit 2 : Dec 31, 2024 Yeah, I finally unlock.. And this, Kemi - Hermetic is truly Sweet Fruity-Floral Chypre. It is a tad vintage but still fairly useable, it is kinda feel like Roja creation that always slightly vintage but modern. Caramel in this not the “new” gourmand sweetness rather the caramel from a past that only come as heavy sweetness only. Floral support as Ylang in floral manner, mildly indole. Sweet from Rose. It is beautiful. Ylang + Rose in this, reminds me softly of Enigma pour Femme. But the base is Def Oakmoss with something mild musk. And yes, everything soak in Amber. It is kinda reminds me Femme creation from Amouage. Yes, I do enjoy and I think I finally happy with this blind buy, this is very enjoyable. I think, this creation leans Femme than homme and it is somewhat youth buy it is youth from the past (?), I think It would be wear by 40+ femme only her most brightest day event should be suitable. Acquired Taste, Unscoreable. Summary : Bright Sweet Floral Fruity Chypre for her most Bright day. ==== Addendum 3 on May 1, 2024 I own this more than 5 months now. The way I perceive note change a bit. I think the core quality of this scent is Woody material that reminds me of Cedar, semi-powdery tonka and Incense. I was suspect that it has Oakmoss, but no this is not contains Oakmoss. Might be Oakmoss-replica material, I dont know. I wear this less than I should, actually it is quite nice Sweet Fruity-Floral Chypre, but you can see this scent both way.... It can also be Woody-Floral or Florental. Actual Quality here is unisex. Here’s my take.. There is citrus note here that have extensive long quality and it a bit on a sour side, It definitely not Elemi or Labdanum because it doesn't have any Balsamic quality to it. And there is floral/fruit heart. And opening yes, spicy and citrusy like bergamot. It is also reminding me of Passion fruit, Transit to Mango, then Peach. That’s why I classified this more on Modern Fruity-Floral-Chypre. (You know, the citrus (sour note + Patchouli / Woody can almost call Chypre now a day). But if able to split the strong citrus note from the rest, it is not blending well. on your skin, then it becomes woody amber. It just smells experimental to my nose and nice enough. to release in small batch. I think Hemetic, truly fits the profile of Kemi, the alchemist. The blending magic. Yes, this use alot of blending technique. To make a fragrance go both way either Chypre or Woody-Amber. I also believe that there is more note more than listed. Might be pure aroma-chemical. I perceive mild patchouli-cedar at the end. With strong citrus note. I enjoy it. I do. I won't score, I really can't. The blending technique just unique. ===== Addendum 4 : May 24, 2024 Damn, it seems I never stop writing my dairy for this one.. and my perception always change when I sniff this fragrance. This is NEVER end. Somehow, I just brought Aurum. In new Xerjoff Falcon. I have an idea to de-clutter this one just do one another sniff. It is now Fruity-Citrus, soft floral on Old Way amber to my nose.. I now get Mango transiting to peach on smooth powdery tonka, spicy. Is this citrus-fruity on old say oreintal? 🫠 I always feel like I don’t want it but every-time I get back to this. And it grow on me over time.. ====== Update 5 : June 26, 2024 Hi, it’s me again.. It is taking full 6 months and countless spray with few sniff from other fragrance to truly understand this one. I sniff Melt my Heart, MDCI, Bombey bring and few Tonka fragrance. This is, and in its all glory. “Florental” fragrance. This is full of Guaical, Peach Aldehyde, Smooth Tonka and blot of spicy / citrus. The key is how floral move around peach someone get Mango because ylang + peach. Sometime it is powdery. It is truly getaway fragrance. Where I like is soft smoky edge, it remove itself from other fragrance. I like it petty much now. 10/10 ===== Update 7, (Aug 31, 2024) Mango like support by floral sweetness, a little smoky merge by Gaicial material as main ambient,Tonka heart that both sweet and semi-powdery at the same time. I like it. Floral, Fruity on Smooth Tonka-Powdery Amber.

I think I can speak for several people that were with me today that this scent stood out big time amongst the Kemi stand. Big impression, huge caramel with an herbal, earthy twist - all of the line actually. Super natural realistic gourmand scent with fruitiness and zestiness to boot. I actually got loads of tonka - more than the caramel. ** Anyone in the UK willing to sell me a decant or swap, pm me! **