Year: 2015
Notes: grapefruit, lemon, mint, juniper berry, elemi, grass, patchouli, vetiver
Comment: Aer is part of the Hatria Collection
Being a woody-aromatic, one initially feared Aer verging dangerously close to generic designer woody territory, like Gucci's Gucci pour Homme. Luckily, that moment never arrived. While no cedar is listed, there's definitely a synthetic equivalent lurking beneath the composition, alongside the vetiver (quite possibly Iso E Super).
Opening with an astringent and artificial citrus blast, touches of spearmint and juniper add an aromatic twist to the proceedings. As for the salty facets that weave throughout, when combined with the woody backdrop, one finds this prospect intriguing. And although it's supposed to be all about grass, its general aroma smells closer to hay than freshly cut grass.
As for the vetiver itself, it seems to be of the Haitian variety and becomes more apparent towards the drydown. The patchouli adds a vague yet dark fruitiness, and plays a supporting role to the vetiver. The elemi is also just about detectable, adding a resinous dimension to the final stages. By the late-drydown, what largely remains is a creamy vetiver with traces of salt and elemi.
Setting aside the salty vetiver aspect, there isn't really much to redeem Aer as, after a short while, its structure becomes too rudimentary – so much that a bottle of Haitian vetiver essential oil would make a great substitute (or the smokier Surinam variety, if a salty presence is desired). However, its longevity of more than 12 hours is still very impressive.
Opening with an astringent and artificial citrus blast, touches of spearmint and juniper add an aromatic twist to the proceedings. As for the salty facets that weave throughout, when combined with the woody backdrop, one finds this prospect intriguing. And although it's supposed to be all about grass, its general aroma smells closer to hay than freshly cut grass.
As for the vetiver itself, it seems to be of the Haitian variety and becomes more apparent towards the drydown. The patchouli adds a vague yet dark fruitiness, and plays a supporting role to the vetiver. The elemi is also just about detectable, adding a resinous dimension to the final stages. By the late-drydown, what largely remains is a creamy vetiver with traces of salt and elemi.
Setting aside the salty vetiver aspect, there isn't really much to redeem Aer as, after a short while, its structure becomes too rudimentary – so much that a bottle of Haitian vetiver essential oil would make a great substitute (or the smokier Surinam variety, if a salty presence is desired). However, its longevity of more than 12 hours is still very impressive.
