Hacienderos

Im a fan of fougere. And this is the most adventurous fougere that I have smelled. The initial spray has too much going on. Maybe the perfumer wants this to be simple but distinct yet smooth on the drydown. The notes at the top fight each other. This is not your typical fougere that is one sided with the herbs and aromatics the in your face rosemary and lavender. The top notes has buchu which is a new note to me which is interesting. It is classified as a fougere but without the lavender which is interesting. The drydown has a perfect blend of leather, rosemary, geranium and cypress. It is also not cold or very clean like other fougere that I have smelled. The animalic notes which is in the top makes it wild and it feels like the notes fight each other it then settles to a perfect blend of aromatics and leather but still sets it apart from other fougere which I really love like Beau de Jour which smells cold to me. But this one is hot and wild but tamed. This is a dress up well groomed fragrance. Smells like dapper but with tattoos and piercing.

A bottled memory of a hot summer's day in an agricultural Filipino town. Coming from that kind of town myself, this scent evokes very strong images of my childhood. Of open barbershops, tall fields of sugar canes and grass, of the sour and sunny scent of hard labor. It's bright, green, but so perfectly rounded out with its animalistic notes. This smells very clean, very well put together, but just a wee bit dirty (in a great way!) at the same time. Now that it's summer in the Philippines (it's 37c as I'm writing it), I've found myself picking nothing but this fragrance. It truly shines in the hot sweaty weather. My only downside for it (and this is something I've found true for all Wren Atelier perfumes I've tried so far) is that it turns into a skin scent after a couple of hours. But it will stay on that skin for a very long time.

Wren Hacienderos (2020) - philippine fougere - I first knew of perfumer @renatolopenajr because of this perfume. Working in the industry, most local perfumers would create copycats of originals or make another light musky floral ala MFK. The perfumer under his brand @wrenatelier created good start. A fougere, but does not remind the wearer of French countrysides or European woods. It reminds me of summer: farm in the tropics. Palm trees, crickets chirping, rice fields and sugar cane. I also get smoke from yesterday’s harvest on a base of musks. Well-made with a lot of thought and intention. The perfume billows and wafts with excellent transparency and brilliance. Can go head to head with the best masculines that I own.

My first buy from wren atelier. A clever use of the buchu note - I find it refreshing and calming but the whiffs of fecalic notes over hay gives this perfume its unique identity - a homage to Filipino farmers. A highly conceptual perfume that is very wearable and admittedly sexy

Hacienderos Parfum was launched in September 2020 and is a creation of the perfumer Renato Lopena. It is part of the authorial fragrance collection of his independent brand, Wren Atelier, founded in the same year. The inspiration comes from farmers and farmland owners and its name derives from the word Hacienda (Farm, in the Spanish language). The Hacienderos fragrance was originally created for the male audience, but it gained popularity among women. It is classified by the perfumer as a fougère and brings top notes of lemon, rosemary, and Buchu, also known as Agathosma. The body carries notes of geranium and cypress, while the base has notes of flouve herb, barn accord, and leather. Hacienderos is a challenge! At the same time that it has a strong connection with the past and the traditional, it also connects with the future, with regard to what is expected from independent perfumery, the one that is not dictated by trends based on colors of a scale or on surveys purchased by Fragrance Houses. When touches the skin, the fragrance brings a vivid smell of sour lemon mixed with the more acidic nuances of blackcurrant. For those who don't know, Buchu (Agathosma betulina) originates in South Africa and its essential oil has a strong smell of fresh currant. This stage is intriguing and, as I mentioned before, challenging. If you've ever caught yourself sniffing something that doesn't smell very pleasant, but odd enough to bring it to your nose several times, then you'll get acquainted. The evolution, albeit subtle, reveals a more aromatic body, in which the rosemary in the opening enhances, even more, the nuances of the cypress. It's like a light herbal breeze that leaves a lingering trail. And, without much delay, the mossy effect base begins to exude and reveals the facets of the flouve herb, also called sweet vernal, among other names. This plant is rich in coumarin and its essential oil has a buttery-sweet effect, with nuances of earthy vetiver and a very enveloping scent. Finally, the fragrance rests on the skin and a balsamic accord appears, with warm nuances and a wild look. However, don't think that a door will open and you'll be transported to a dirty stable because you won't. Here, the horses' saddles are polished, the animals are brushed daily, and riding is serious business. Hacienderos is the perfume of the modern farmer, the one who is on TikTok recording funny videos or doing viral dances, who loves farm animals and values sustainable practices, but does not identify with the perfumes launched in the last two decades. It is a conceptual fougère, brilliant and addictive. I don't remember anything like it!

First blast is lemon then something green. After about a minute it begins to get powdery. At first you’d think this is straight up unisex. By the 10 minute mark, however, it’s definitely masculine leaning. The fougere quality blooms in full force but is held back a notch by a calming facet. I’m also getting the sugarcane. Having grown up close to agriculture, it evokes nostalgia. It’s gritty yet clean at the same time. If I were to personify it, this is a quiet, calm and kind father. Often mistaken as stoic, he is sturdy and you feel safe when he’s around you but he is also warm and loving to the people he cares for. I’m not implying this is “mature” smelling though. There’s just something comforting about it.