Guiding Water

“Guiding Water” is easily my favorite release by The Harmonist, as well as one of my favorite Aquatic Florals out there in general. I will say, as a fan and owner of both the Parfum & Eau De Parfum versions, I find the Parfum version to be superior. And sure, the general strength of sillage and performance are a part of that, but there are little differences in the actual notes/structure that I pick up on. I thoroughly enjoy both but to me atleast, the Eau De Parfum tends to read as more of a clean, soapier Floral fragrance than the Parfum, which is more of a true Aquatic Floral. It’s procession of lush, white florals of cyclamen, water lotus, and lily are both led and tempered by a fresh, green watermelon rind note—stabilizing the composition’s Aquatic appeal. This is a gorgeous fragrance; it’s strong enough to wear throughout all four seasons, but it truly shines in the heat in my opinion.

The opening was spectacular! Gorgeous watermelon accord and pleasingly more pronounced than in Jusbox Feel n Chill. I own both Feel N Chill and Ege/Ailaio and this feels like a fusion between the two, but spectacular in its own right and with the lovely inclusion of watery white floral. A unique and refreshing summer fragrance. Totally full bottle worthy if I didn’t already own the other two!

Straight up 1990's Calvin Klein vibes. Great summer perfume. Minimalistic, fresh, professional fragrance perfect for the office. I have a decant of this and wouldn't shell out more money for a full bottle as it's just not unique enough for my tastes. Really great for what it is though and if you like clean, ozonic fragrances you'll likely really love this.

I loved it! A fresh perfume, not too sweet, super elegant, doesn't bother anyone, perfect for hot summer days! You can feel the watermelon but it mixes with the other notes and the smell is wonderful. The final evolution of this perfume is magical! It feels like being in heaven, cozy, delicate, clean!♥️♥️♥️

This is so comfortable and relaxing. It is impressive how you can really smell the water, I had no idea that water could smell so lovely, like floral water. A little bit spicy at the beginning, very soft but powerful and long lasting. It reminds me of a spa at a resort by the beach. Love

I’ve tried sooo many clean, fresh, just showered fragrances and they never really give me that just out of the shower clean vibe. This one does. It’s sooo fresh and watery. On me I don’t get much watermelon. Just a great fresh aquatic fragrance. I absolutely love it!

Sprayed on very tart. It is a blend of my favorite scents so had high hopes...it did not disappoint! The watermelon, white flower, and watery notes make for an easy wearing, refreshing daily wear. A full bottle is definitely destined for my perfume tray.

An elevated watermelon Jolly Rancher! Bright, refreshing, and quite playful. I wasn't expecting this scent in the super serious marketing package from Harmonist, with the black bottle and "soothing" descriptions. Love this for a summer scent.

Got a sample at the mall, and now I want a whole bottle! I brought it with me on spring break. I love how clean it makes me feel; it brightens my spirits and doesn't worsen my hangover. It truly has an aura-cleansing feel.

I detest aquatic fragrances but love this. I don’t really get watermelon, just a general fruity, floral muskiness. Very high quality and a bit subdued overall.

Super fresh, light & aquatic. Love it, very nice mood boosting summer scent. I don't really get the hint of watermelon though

Gorgeous, very unisex, and lasts forever! This is one of my favorites from the Harmonist and def FBW.

I'm testing the Harmonist discovery set blind. I haven't looked up anything about them: names, notes, etc. Did the white ones already, this is the fifth and last black one. Big and musky opening. Initially there's a cat urine element similar to a great fume blanc wine, but more middle in tone, and only for the first few minutes as it dries down. I (being relatively new to fragrance) can only assume this is patchouli centered? It is musky, minty (in freshness), slightly damp, and woody. If Harmonist is getting this effect with no patchouli, they clearly are doing some scent majick. As the day goes on the musk tappers slowly throughout the day, losing some of its depth and becoming more "clean" smelling. Still a great scent at every stage but didn't last as long as hoped (hoping it would last forever). Looking at the name and notes now, it's all magick! Guiding Water? Blind test this on a friend who knows nothing and see if they say anything about being "watery" without showing them the way. The individual notes make sense and each explains some portion of the overall effect, except watermelon. Maybe I'm too new, but watermelon seems far from the musky fresh fragrance. To me it leans slightly masculine given the specific muskiness it has. Either way, a nice pleasant and refreshing fragrance. Show me the way Harmonist.

Just received my Guiding Water Parfum from Saks 5th Ave during the Black Friday sale. I bought it because I got a sample of Guiding Water from Nordstrom but can’t remember if it was EDP or Parfum version. So I took a chance and got the Parfum. After receiving it and wearing it, I’ll have to go with the EDP version. To me the EDP version is much more brighter and vibrant than the Parfum version. To me the EDP version is fruiter, almost juicer in a way with a hint of aquatic salt elements, and of course light white florals. The Parfum version turns the opposite direction as far as richness goes. Imagine the EDP version but boil it down to a thicker, richer almost cooked version of it, like a pan sauce in a way. It’s a beautiful fragrance but I can’t see it being a daily wear, but more as a special occasion fragrance. Out of the two versions, I much prefer the EDP version. If you love the fragrance, I don’t see owning the two fragrances as redundant since to me they are drastically different when it comes to the actual scent profile. But i much prefer the EDP version over the Parfum version in terms of wearability and just out of pure enjoyment of the fragrance. EDP is a fun watermelon floral fragrance and the Parfum is just the much more mature version.

This is one of those perfumes that I thought I was meh on, but I wound up going through a decant pretty quickly! I'm pretty down on calone and watery notes more generally, but I don't find the calone here *too* obnoxious. It blends well with the florals. I also get a tea note; maybe that's supposed to be melon rind? In any event, there's some sourness and bitterness that adds depth. At the end of a sniff, there's an aromatic black pepper that leaves a grace note of spice. Very nice! And for such a light scent, the sillage and longevity is very good. This perfume will never be my personal favorite, but it's extremely well done. If you want a non-traditional freshie or like watery scents, I think this is a must-try.

As a non-floral lover, the opening was a bit overwhelmingly floral, with strong aquatic vibes... but that dissipated within the first 5 minutes. A floral base remains, but transitions into something much more aquatic and airy. The freshness of watermelon without the sweetness. About an hour in turns very lily heavy and lightly sweet fruity while retaining watery, aquatic essence for the next 4-6 hours. Impressive staying power. UPDATE: I have come to love this scent. The florals are soft and aquatic and feel gentle and femme, while the fresh watermelon never gets It's become a suprising love for me that I find myself reaching for consistently in warm weather. Feels incredibly feminine on my (F) chemistry.

I'm generally not a fan of many scents designated as "aquatic", but this one is an iteration I can get behind. Guiding Water is bright, airy, heavy on lily, lotus, cylamin, and sunshine. The watermelon has the rind in tact, tart and with some bite. The pink pepper lends just a bit of sharpness. The Harmonist is pricey, and whether or not Guiding Water warrants the cost is a matter of personal opinion. I find it inoffensive, pretty, and at the same time it's thoughtfully executed and not exactly common, which is quite an accomplishment in a fresh summer scent.

Mmmm quite lovely. Something about it reminds me of Estee Lauder Pleasures, and for me this is a good association because I like Pleasures. Guiding Water has a bit more watery freshness than Pleasures, I think. The only thing I don't like about Guiding Water is the Lily. Ugh, it might be headache-inducing as I wear this a while. Because of the lily note I think I prefer Pleasures over this. Not full bottle worthy for me, I have a travel size and it's enough.

Beautiful bright and fresh opening. I can smell the aquatic notes with salt, pepper, and lotus dancing playfully in the background. The watermelon is quiet (smells more like the rind, almost cucumber-like). This is a getaway fragrance.. transports you to a Greek oceanside. Wishing The Harmonist made smaller 30 ml bottles especially at their price point. I appreciate the aesthetic of their potion-esque looking bottles.

I bought this based on a first impression - watermelon aquatic notes which I loved. When I got my bottle home and tried it all I could smell is a cedar closet with some moth balls. Not horrible but not the aquatic fruit I smelled initially. I’ve tried it a dozen times since then and no fruit, just cedar closet and moth balls. Very disappointed. This was an expensive lesson on not trusting your first impressions.