Angelica

There is a kind of serenity that comes from Perfumer H Angelica that recalls the sound and sight of a light rain tapping on leaves, observed from a windowsill. It's a stillness, a presentness in deep green. It's a meditation among damp vegetation, snapped stems. Angelica root has an aroma as if it has sponged up the earth and churned it with its softly peppery 'holy spirit' musk—Lyn Harris captures the root's energy here. It's rendered bright with bitter citrus and elemi, and it is cooled with a shade of lavender. It smells as if it has been expressed from deep, fertile, moist soil. Its intimacy isn't merely quiet—it is profound, like when you read a poem that seems meek and mild and flowery, but then there is revealed an insight that catches you off guard. It presents an unlikely power: while it doesn't throw itself off of my skin it draws me closer, invites me to slow down. It is something to wear to take a walk, sit by a brook, watch the water flow, and stare at leaves traveling on its current. In case you were wondering, it is "office safe."

Musky, aromatic, smooth and creamy angelica. Perfumer H's Angelica starts very green, like rolling in crushed leaves, but soon becomes earthier and rootier as it progresses before a musky sweetness emerges in the dry-down. Angelica and orange bigarade to open. What seems sharp and green on the blotter, too vegetal, becomes lovely on skin, more balanced, and woodier, even smokier. Augmented by grapefruit paired with lavender, which could be a challenge for me but here, as you'd expect from this house, they're used with subtlety. And there’s a rounding out, pepper and ambrette giving a little heft to the greenery. It must be said this is a quiet and intimate perfume and its green moment is relatively short-lived but it is very beautiful. In the dry-down it reverts to orange bigarade with a little ambrette and perhaps vetiver (not listed).

I bought this for its very fresh green-herbal quality, reminiscent of a bowl of salad. A green stem note is listed, but I am unclear what this is, exactly. There is a subtle milky backnote, as of sandalwood mysore, but the ambrette seed would also no doubt contribute. I have not come across many similar perfumes; the nearest is possibly Victrix by the Italian house Perfumum Roma. A really nice, natural fresh herbal scent, one of the best in Perfumer H's lineup, in my opinion..

I really like Angelica , it’s like the quintessential Perfumer H perfume. If I would choose one that best represents the whole brand, I would probably choose this beauty. I find it a bit difficult to describe, I think others have already done it better than I could, but here is my impression. It’s a fresh, dark green. Very lightly rooty, and herbal-aromatic. I don’t usually speak of texture, but in this case I think it’s very safe to say this has a ’watercolour’ texture. It’s somewhat salty, in a very subtle fresh-salty sort of way (I know, it doesn’t seem very alluring, but don’t put your guards up just yet), it’s only very subtly, like in many of Perfumer H’s compositions. It’s definitely polite. Perfect for any professional environment. It’s not one of those in your face-perfumes. It’s more of a gentle whisper. It’s elegant. Genderless. Very versatile. Not at all heavily angelica-rooty as French lover , or AER’s Angelica root . This is much, much fresher, lighter and elegant. You can’t really compare them, except for the angelica-note. If you are interested in Perfumer H, and looking for something versatile and beautiful, definitely try this.