Hera

Ms. Moores moves away from Egyptian (Anubis), Near-East (Salomè), and Celtic (Dryad) mithology and looks at the European centre of culture (Hera is Zeus's wife) transforming with her Hera the centre of vintage European perfumery tradition: the Guerlinade (iris, rose, jasmine, vanilla, tonka, bergamot). Hera is Moore's contemporary adaptation to the guerlinade, but an adaptation that has its own life. This scent will enter history. Some drops on my wrist and what I though of was "Let there be light!" radiant and alluminous, this deity extends her hand and invites you to contemplate her. I would focus on 4 structural elements that for me are very important in this composition: narcissus, orris butter, ambrette, and the not-listed resins. Hera opens up with the most beautiful narcissus I ever smelled since Ruade (Parfums d'Empire): not buttery, not maltholate sweetness added, but a natural yellow-pollen smelling flower with evident hay undertones and leathery nuances. I am holding my breath and inspire and inspire and inspire to capture this beautiful rendition of my fav flower. Rose, jasmine, and ylang form the classical French flower bouquet that smells so inviting, slightly sweet, but natural with no added sugar (ethyl maltol) Moors is a master in the use of orris butter here done to perfection; she created that texture, slightly creaminess, and earthiness that complete the picture. The base is made by ambrette and probably a balanced dose of synthetic musks: warm, deep, with slightly boozy undertones, mildly animalic. The more I smell it, the more I am convinced there are resins stemming from the base: some balsam? pehaps even some olibanum? Dear Ms. Moores, This is a prayer, nay a plea: try to make it available in Italy again. Long are gone the time when Papillon were available at LeoPoli and Adnan, but your creations are something that should be share as widely as possible because the emotions you convey are too beautiful to remain an act of selfish exclusiveness. Follow me on IG @alexolympia6

Hera was created by Liz as a special gift for her daughter Jasmine to wear on her wedding day, the name relates to Hera the Greek goddess of marriage and childbirth. Hera opens as a lively white floral bouquet with a fizzy feel, the bergamot adds a fresh citrus tone but doesn’t make it citrusy. Quickly I feel a concrete dust (iris) mixing in with the bright florals. This opening reminds me of some of TRNP’s floral perfumes, Blue Lotus and Honey Amber spring to mind, but when the iris comes in I’m reminded of Irises and Ekaterina. Liz has confirmed there is a very high % of naturals in Hera and it really shows. I find the florals bounce around and sometimes the orange blossom is the most noticeable, other times it’s the jasmine or ylang. I don’t really spot the rose as a single note but I’m finding different things with every wear. I start to feel a creamy iris, like a body cream melting into the bouquet, a little like a drop of Teint De Neige was added (or maybe that new Chanel fragrance mist) but the exotic and heady florals still take centre stage. Gently a hint of green roots start to come in which I believe is the oakmoss (reminds me of freshly chopped up tree roots), there’s a fluffy like powder and also a bit of a spicy carnation but very subtle (think Guerlain Terracotta Voile D’ete but dialled right down.) As time goes by the florals mellow down and the oakmoss gently gains momentum, I also feel a hay like sweetness, maybe a touch of tobacco leaf and some really light sweetness that reminds me of benzoin ( I don’t specifically pick up on vanilla). Hera feels special and I feel special when I wear her. Hera is not for running errands, she deserves a champagne brunch, romantic date or a wedding of course. Sadly I have none of these planned but I’m still going to have Hera in my life and take her to the pub 🍻

Hera is a scent I have been keen to try for a while, given its description as a great powdery floral. It is my first to try from this house, and it lives up to its good reviews. Hera, named for the Greek queen of the gods, is a fittingly regal powdery floral. It is made from high-quality, realistic-smelling ingredients, and is well-blended throughout. To my nose, it is primarily a yellow floral scent, deliciously powdery throughout, and punctuated by a rose-iris lipstick accord. In perfumery, these are a few of my favourite things, and here, it is done beautifully. It has a vintage feel to it, and is reminiscent of two classic Guerlain scents: the iris-led powder of L'Heure Bleue and the aldehydic yellow florals of Vol de Nuit. Hera opens with soft, powdery yellow florals, led by hay-like narcissus. Powdery, clean jasmine is present from the opening, and feather-light aldehydes add a sparkling brightness up top. The orris develops in the background, amping up the powder. As it develops, powdery rose emerges, rounding out the bouquet. Muted ylang ylang adds smooth sweetness as it develops. The musky base emerges, marrying beautifully with the powdery florals. It is a soft, clean musk, somehow cosy, with ambrette being put to excellent use. I get an almond-like nuance thanks to the heliotrope, bridging the gap from the florals to the musky base beautifully. The remnants of the floral heart remain until final fade, forming a sweetly musky, powdery skin scent. Sillage is moderate and longevity is long-lasting. It is feminine-leaning in my opinion, and is a transeasonal day scent. A soft yet sparkling powdery floral, Hera is an excellent example of its genre. Beautifully-composed with good-quality ingredients, it is classic in style throughout. A gem. 4.5/5.

Thanks Tourtiere for the positive review. I got lucky with Salome as my first introduction to this house. What a treat Salome is. Sweet sex in a bottle. Salome is complex and very addicting. Highly recommend Salome to anyone that enjoy's sweet sexy scents, I say it's blind buy worthy. It's my favorite at the moment, I really can't get enough of Salome. I thought I found my holy grail scent with Amouage silver oud. This one is so yummy, with the Mandarin and bitter orange with the Jasmine, I think really make this one shine. I have been looking at other great fragrances with Hyrax and they all seem to have similar ingredients, with orange and Jasmine as notes together in a lot of them with Hyrax. Looking to try Bengal Rouge and Anubis with that really dark juice, I think I will love it, and Bengal Rouge I see has high marks with one very rich reviewer on you tube with a collection of over $100,000 in value I will take is word for it. The bottle has to be one of the most perfectly designed bottles, not to big, just perfect and these bottles have tops that can spin. I prefer 100 ML bottles just because you get more juice and 100 ML is the perfect size to really give a fragrance a good wear, unlike my Terroni bottle which is practically empty right now, I can say with certainty Papillon has the perfect bottle design over anything I have seen so far, the only possible improvement would be to give them a magnetic cap, would could ruin the experience not allowing the cap to spin. If you have not tried Salome by Papillon you are really missing out on this house and all of it's masterpiece's.

Had a chance to wear Hera a few times and to me it is a major success. On my skin whole composition is soooo smooth and pleasant like a quality sateen. Start is a mix of galbanum, neroli, jasmine and orris. Not a bitter, but contrasting golden green start. I dont necessary sense ylang at the start, but i think when it goes into the 2nd phase(at around 20-30 min mark) - thats where it helps orris glow in white and yellow tones. flowery and balmy, clean and so luxurious. 3rd stage emerges after 3-4 hours, and thats where green chypre comes out of nowhere with its smooth but unmistakeable classic character. It is something close to a more chypre like version of Noun. This stage lasts for another 1.5 to 2 hours, after which it turns back again to a smooth balmy orris and flowers, dying on me around 7th or 8th hour. I have found no issue composition wise, performance wise, ingredients are superior, balance of notes is superior, just overall love from me. I dont quite remember how dryad smells like, as it was pretty boring to me, but mere fact that Hera impressed me so much makes me believe that they share nothing in common, except maybe a galbanum note. It does kind of lean somewhat to feminine side, but in this case i dont care. I will be seeking a bottle, hopefully some discounts will come up, or a bottle on secondary market with a discount, but its so good it moved to #2 spot of my yellow floral compositions right away, just barely losing to Divine by Divine. Very good perfume and definitely should be experienced.

Hera opens with a thick slab of chalky, rooty, musky iris —under a dense old-lace veil of unimaginably beautiful flowers. The jasmine is indolic, juicy with nectar, and full-bodied enough to smell almost crimson. The musk/ambrette haze is as thick as cobwebs, warm as skin and dusty with narcissus pollen. There’s definitely some soft resins beneath. About half an hour in it sweetens slightly, adding a vanilla-iris creamy-lotion feel, still under a blanket of slightly-spicy yellow pollen. I’m getting a phantom sandalwood here as well, a sharp golden spine at the core of the scent. Then an hour in it’s overtly sweet amber, rich and mellow and still saturated with pollen, and it stays that way for the rest of the day. Very reminiscent of the vanilla-amber Guerlain base (eg the far drydown of Shalimar, Vega, and Chamade.) Hera is definitely one of the greats; a lush, layered floral. Liz Moores created it as a “golden” scent for her daughter’s wedding, and there’s certainly a golden-yellow-amber glow, but there’s also ivory (from the iris) and a rainbow shimmer from the florals. The narcissus-and-amber theme is reminiscent of Chamade, but Hera is far warmer and darker, less innocent and more mature. The flowers reach all the way up to heaven but their musky roots and seeds are planted firmly on earth.

Hera was originally supposed to be a bespoke creation for Liz Moore’s daughter to wear on her wedding day, but was later generously shared with the world. To me, this scent is the holy grail of orris root - it’s simply one of the best interpretations of this beautiful material I’ve ever smelled. Upon initial spray, the soapy indolic nature of pure white narcissus and jasmine sparkle in the air before leading you down a path of thick, powdery florals warming the air around you. As it begins to settle, the dense and buttery nature of the orris takes over and becomes gorgeously serene. Ambrette provides an ever so gentle bite of musky bitterness, overall leaving you with a scent that feels so pure and innocent, yet with all the glory and allure of vintage florals of bygone days. Hera is a modern masterpiece, there’s no doubt about it in my mind. There’s a good reason this is priced higher than the rest of the Papillon line, the quality is phenomenal. If you’re a lover of orris, or classical floral perfumes this is a must try.

I bought a sample out of curiosity thinking the bottle was out of my price range, but unfortunately I'm completely in love - probably my favourite floral perfume ever? Just the right amount of sweetness without being too much for my tastes, both bright and easy to like and complex. I'll have to save up to get it next year and hope they don't change anything! Also I didn't find this like Dryad at all - Dryad was bitter and austere, this is sweet and bright. Edit: Just to add that every time I try this I seem to notice different notes dominating - I like all the notes used so this isn't an issue, but I can't recall another fragrance that gave me this much variation. Sometimes the powderiness comes through with the orris and heliotrope and other times the it feels more translucent, with the jasmine playing a larger role. The narcissus is always quite dominant to my nose, and it always has an optimistic "fizzy" quality to it. And yes it is pricey but it's very strong. I've used up about half my 2ml sample with 5+ wears.

Describing a perfume by its notes is like describing a painting by its colors. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. But in this case... Hera is all about color. Hera is to perfumes what yellow is to Van Gogh's paintings. It brings joy, light, power; is a well structured, well balanced perfume that tells a story about beauty and nature. The goddess Hera is the goddess of marriage, women and family, and the perfume Hera is a work of art about sun, nature, joy - so much joy! A good scent for a wedding (or this is how the story goes!), and a great scent to wear when one's mood is down. I'm planning to buy a back-up - this is how special this perfume is to me. It's (clearly) not the usual glorified ambroxan/ akigalawood/ iso-e bomb; it does last the entire day though, so if you don't know how you feel about narcissus and orris root, test and don't buy blindly.

Hera's main axis is a sweet, honey-like floral fragrance, with a hint of freshness, greenness...presumably vetiver. A golden bouquet. A brisk aldehyde with green hues opens it up, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, jasmine, iris, and rose, five flowers commonly used in the perfume industry, softened by the effect of Heliotrope, with a touch of Ambrette. Narcissus absolute amplifying the complexity and richness of Hera, the dense indole guides the nose, and I capture the faint hint of leather, the tone of Hera deepening at one point. Later, Hera turned creamy and powdery. Floral notes form a halo on a cool, slightly animalistic plush musk-patchouli base. Hera is bright, warm, and soft, with an oily texture, an opaque golden-yellow shade that covers the entire picture, a thick scent without the bones (framework), it's blurry, it should be based on abstract concepts.

I feel like I need to TALK to Liz Moores. Everyone one of her fragrances is some kind of leveled-up version of a fragrance I already love; Salome > Bal A Versailles being the prime example. Hera is similarly like "Chamade, but what if we cut the sweetness with some iris?" and it works. It works so well. I'm dying in this cavalcade of iris and jasmine and ylang. It's clear she uses the finest of ingredients, it's clear (from my perfumer) that she's more artist than businesswoman, and I frankly want to smell like her concoctions for the rest of my life. How can this happen. Hera gets flak for being the most expensive in an already-expensive line, and I can't say it's Moores's most essential (that prize goes to Anubis, or Angelique, or Salome), but it does smell absolutely sensational. Hats off to Papillon, my compliments!!!

Hera starts off very soft and rounded with bright sparkly florals of the highest quality. Narcissus, jasmine, orris and heliotrope combine to form the most beautiful composition. Not longer after the initial spray, ambrette and musk begin to shine which gives the fragrance a slight bitter earthiness. This then dries down to the most stunning blend of powdery florals and buttery orris, it’s intensely feminine and yet somehow feels unisex if you’re a fan of this style of fragrance. The staying power of this scent is fantastic and the quality is incredible. Hera is a modern masterpiece - it leans heavily to a direction similar to Chanel No 5 and Jean Desprez Bal a Versailles, however this scent is much more floral and less animalic. One of the best iterations of this classic scent profile, but unfortunately very expensive.

Ylang-ylang iris. Liz Moores has a clear artistic vision that runs through every one of her perfumes. The Papillon line all convey a powerful, visceral gestault. Anubis is East Asian temples, Salome - tantric temples, Dryad - the power of the ancient forest, Tobacco Rose - roses still on the plant with roots deep in dirt, Angelique - dew dancing in the dawn, Bengale Rouge - the primal comfort of the feline, and Spell 125 - a Druid ritual in the forest. Hera is uncompromising feminine power. Self -sustained. Full within herself. It makes sense to not only name this perfume after an otherworldly being, but also a matriarch. If we take this wedding gift as a message to a beloved daughter, it is that she go into this union empowered in her role as wife and potentially mother. Not as some soft, compliant appendage.

I tried it at the store yesterday and it reminded me of my bottle of vintage Gres Cabochard Parfum when I first smelled it on paper; however, when I tried it on skin, the IBQ leather note got pushed back for about 5 minutes by very smooth notes of Orange, Orris and Heliotrope. The indolic Jasmine and animalic leather notes started to show up after with a melange of floral, herbaceous and earthy notes gradually joining in. About 3 hours later, I started to smell the very familiar scent of Dryad in the dry down. Hera is an excellent fragrance and I could smell the different layers of the scent seamlessly transformed from one to another. The overall scent doesn't sound like a typical wedding fragrance; however, knowing a little bit about Liz Moore's style, I think it totally makes sense.

The opening for me is very green floral, maybe Narcissus or some Lily of the Valley, and a very tame orange flower not sweet. The mid is more sweet with Jasmine but this never goes sweet on my skin more like softer floral natural sweetness if that makes sense. A densely floral perfume that really is better appreciated if you don’t overspray as the sillage and longevity are huge. I definitely get a musk accord DNA that’s very Papillon and it’s an delightful, aha moment like a hug from a friend. I bought the full bottle but it came with a sample so I could return the bottle unopened and I really appreciate this thoughtfulness from the retailer. There’s no doubt that I am keeping the full bottle - a gorgeous creation from Liz!

Fields of golden, warm, white florals. A radiant, fizzy, golden floral underpinned with vintage labdanum. The orange blossom, narcissus, ylang, jasmine, rose de mai all silkened with ylang and orris concrete. Its luxe, rich, bright, classy, natural, an understated warm elegance. The green stemmy narcissus lends a green bity texture to contrast the natural warm plush white florals.Its a concentrated whole than its parts, that ushers in a velvety cuddly musk. Sensual and quiet elegant strength. Its a bit astounding to see a vintage undercurrent yet... it feels up to date. The orris is a suedy velvety edge makes sure these florals do not veer big and sharp. Its a warm floral embrace. Absolutely stunning.

How much time you got? The short answer: it's great for vintage enthusiasts! Probably one of the best I have smelled in a very long time. It is between this and the Angelos. The long answer: there are many different elements within this fragrance that warrants deconstruction. If you are not into vintage perfume, I do think that you will still enjoy this. It might just take some time to break it down to truly understand. This is my first time wearing it, and at first I wasn't sure. Now that it's been on for about an hour, it's starting to develop really beautifully. I will come back when I have more information. This is my first time try anything from the brand. So far so good.

It is eye wateringly expensive, but you know what? It's every bit as beautiful as Chanel no 5. I expect this to be a future, time honoured classic. I just adore it. It's magical. No wonder it was named after a goddess: Hera is immortal. One to try before you die for sure. Zero issues with silage and longevity. She is pricey but worth the price tag in my opinion. Hera is a very special perfume. If you cannot afford a full bottle, you can buy samples from the official website. Well worth having even a 2ml sample knocking about in your collection.

Hearts in my eyes from the first sniff! Golden is the word that comes to mind (and I’m not alone, judging from the reviews here): the warm golden feel of narcissus and other flowers and herbs and dry moss in the sun. It also feels vintage—I’m reminded of Mitsouko, Chanel No. 19, and some scents with a strong “dry aromatic herbal” accord like Knize Sec. It also feels a fair amount like Dryad in its powdery vintage style, which I adore. Perfect balance between the crisp-natural and the powdery-sweet. This is a super swoon so far.

Incredible hyper realistic floral fragrance that would be my go-to scent if I was a woman. Now, I don't usually agree with fragrances being 'gendered' I think a woman can pull of a men's fragrance and vice versa BUT I cannot pull this off, it's very feminine to my nose but that doesn't stop me from loving it. I don't get much iris here but it's very vintage, powdery and a super realistic narcissus note ties it all together. I would love to call this a 10/10 but I just personally can't wear it so 9.5/10