Retrospect

I should probably start this review by saying that I am not terribly sophisticated when it comes to fragrances, I am easily influenced, and the idea of the cool, minimalist Merit aesthetic has me in a bit of a chokehold at the moment. (I’m not proud of these things so much as speaking my truth.) I bought this blind during the Sephora sale and wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into beyond hearing that this fragrance is a) polarizing and b) a grownup version of Glossier You*. I’ve been wearing Retrospect off and on since I got it a week ago and I will say that it is DEFINITELY polarizing. In fact, it’s so polarizing that my feelings on it have swung wildly from NO to OK to MAYBE to YES during that time. First of all, the box is absolutely stunning (I love navy blue) and opening it up is a delight in and of itself. The bottle is gorgeous and heavy in your hand, which helps me forgive that the gold-toned cap is a little awkward to remove. When I spray this I immediately get the burst of pear - it’s very juicy, not at all candied or sweet, just very fresh. Then it starts opening up to those powdery notes that start out pretty lipstick-y. This phase is absolutely giving vintage makeup in this way that reminds me of my grandmother and my mother but it doesn’t feel stuffy or outdated. I don’t find it at all offensive, just unexpected. After a while that powder starts to fade out and I feel like I get little wafts of the pear again, and some of the florals, but everything is well-blended and nothing sticks out too much. After an hour or two everything calms down and it becomes the soft, slightly warm skin scent I was initially expecting - I don’t necessarily get musk, vanilla, and moss individually but I do get an overall warmer impression. Some of the pear does stick around. I do not think the lasting power on this is 12 hours, although some of that might be how understated this gets after it settles into that warm skin scent phase. I would typically wear a scent like this only on my skin rather than on clothes, but I wore it yesterday (one spray on each wrist + one on chest) and could still smell it on the cuffs of the sweatshirt I had on in the morning when I grabbed it to wear again today. Overall I really like this scent and it’s definitely pushed me out of my super girly fruity floral and gourmand comfort zone in a way that I appreciate! I think it will be an easy reach for me in early spring when temperatures are starting to warm up a bit and I’m ready to switch it up from the heavier scents I gravitate to in fall and winter. *I’m not exceptionally well-versed in similar fragrances, so I can’t speak to too many of the ones mentioned, but I can address two of them: Glossier You and Bath & Body Works Emerald Mist. I could maybe concede that the dry down on this has some of the DNA of You, but they are cousins, not twins or even sisters. On me, You starts out very peppery and stays warm the whole time. Retrospect does not have the pepper notes and leans more powdery throughout. Emerald Mist is just a completely different fragrance - the only thing they share is that pear note. To and on me, Emerald Mist smells like shredded hamster bedding misted with pear juice.

Now why is ANYONE saying this smells similar to Glossier's You? They have no similarities whatsoever (well, at least on me). I got a sample of this from an order I placed directly from Merits website, and I'm a big fan. I honestly cant really tell what to expect when seeing notes alone, mostly because there have been times where I assumed I'd love a fragrance based on the notes, and ended up hating it, then I see notes where I think "meh, not sure..." and end up loving it. The first thought I had from this fragrance was FLORAL! I do not pick up on ANY gourmand or fruit, maybe it'll come out later in the day? I have only had it on for 20 mins so far so I can't speak on how the fragrance develops. It definitely does start off strong, two sprays and I can smell it on myself pretty noticeably. I also can really notice the powdery and iris notes, this fragrance reminds me a bit of a classic lipstick smell (think of MMMs Lipstick On which is now discontinued), and some other floral notes which I cant really pinpoint. It is very feminine, and honestly I don't know why this is listed as a fruity gourmand because that is not at all what I get. I think it smells sexy, it's something I'd be comfortable wearing to the office, to the bar, anywhere really. I didnt expect to love this but do plan to buy a full bottle. Edit: Ok I am back after testing this fragrance for a few more days. The pear is definitely there - I didnt notice any fruit at first but I do now, but ONLY if I put my wrist up to my nose, and slowly breathe. It's as if the heat from me breathing out brings out the pear? Because if I just go straight to my wrist for a sniff, all I get are soft powdery florals, but slow warm breaths bring out strong pear. Also this stuff lasts - I get probably 10+ hours worth. And I got a compliment the one day I was wearing it! Was told I smelled good and I rarely get compliments.

In a world where brands are releasing fragrances at unimaginable speeds, I believe Merit has created something special. This scent pays homage to the lost art of slow and intentional fragrance creation. It reminds me of 8os perfumes and shares a blueprint with iconic scents like White Diamonds. That’s not to say, it smells like them but it definitely calls those scents to memory. Upon initial spray, Pear comes to the forefront. It's fresh, juicy, and ever so slightly sweet. When we transition to the mid notes I smell the orris (which creates a soft, creamy, dream like quality) and the Rosemary (which gives a bit of spice on my skin). Finally, after 6+ hours of wear we settle at the moss and vanilla notes. The moss takes the forefront contributing to the freshness of this scent, while the vanilla once again adds a bit of sweetness. It's comforting and takes me back to childhood. Imagine your grandma giving you a bath as a small child. She's wearing White Diamonds (both the scent and jewelry wise). You watch as the soap bubbles cling to her wedding ring. That's the memory this conjures for me. The skin scent aspect makes it incredibly comforting but it's still strong!

such a beautiful fragrance. i do not understand the comparison to glossier you, as this smells not even remotely similar (only similarity would be that they could both technically be classified as skin scents.) i'm one of those people where unfortunately, glossier you smells like pencil shavings on me. retrospect is entirely different. retrospect is such a smart name for this fragrance, it truly does evoke feelings of a different time. what's interesting is it's pulled off in such a way where it feels vintage but still has a kiss of modernity. this is not your grandmother's chanel number 5. though, in a way, it does have a similar dna to chanel fragrances. retrospect is like the cooler, gen-z sister. here's what i picture: it's christmas time in new york city, and it's snowing. she's wearing a plush vintage fur coat that she splurged on. she's wearing a pair of wine coloured slingback heels as she's walking through the frozen east village. she's on her way to meet a couple of girlfriends for espresso martinis, and afterwards, she'll return home to her rich, hot, older boyfriend. this is my new signature scent, at least for the cooler months. i'm obsessed.

I’m leaving my original review below but have to add that Retrospect smells so very much like my Delina Parfum fragrance for hair. I hadn’t used it in a long time and and soon as I smelled it, I smelled Retrospect. Original review: I went to Sephora to try it and could smell pear straight away, but it had a burnt plastic note along with it. I walked out, did a U-turn, went back into Sephora and sprayed myself heavily in Retrospect, because why not, and left again. A few hours later, and into the evening, I smelled so good that I ordered a bottle from Merit so I could get the cute makeup bag and the mini one along with the perfume. I’m sorry that I cannot decipher this scent and describe its stages of development but I’m perplexed at how it becomes a sweet, supple, leather note with gentle perfumed notes of lipstick and juicy fruit gum. It’s a very personal skin scent that gives me a pleasant olfactory experience. It’s like a new leather purse or jacket with good things in the pockets and you just want to huff the memories of the person who owned it. Now it’s yours, and you smell so good.