CARNER
Helix

2024

PERFUMER
Jordi Fernandez

BERGAMOT
CLARY SAGE
PEACH

SEA NOTES
ORANGE BLOSSOM
lily-of-the-valley

CEDARWOOD
VETIVER
MUSK

‘Helix is a Mediterranean fragrance created in collaboration with Riera i Aragó. Helix is inspired by the work of Riera i Aragó and conveys the deep symbolism of the prop. The fragrance is a maritime and metallic scent, reminiscent of the breeze created by the flow of water from a moving ship.’

Helix is Carner’s 2024 Summer release, which I tried alongside 3 new Beso Beach perfumes (of which Beso de Sol was the most pleasant on first impression). What is Helix bringing to the table?

Helix is pitched as an aquatic, sea breeze and metallic fragrance. After having smelled it a couple of times now, I go back-and-forth in how I perceive it. There are moments where I get more of the sea breeze. A slight salty, briny quality (albeit not as much as in Beso de Sal). There have also been times (especially during the launch event), where I felt that Helix was significantly more of a shower gel scent, than a maritime one; a different type of watery.

Part of this comes down to Helix being more traditionally masculine leaning than I’d imagined. Its notes of peach, orange blossom and lily-of-the-valley are not strongly present on my skin. Instead, it takes me back to men’s marketed aquatic shower gels, although Helix gets a tad sweet as it dries as well. Sweeter and perhaps here a hint of fruitiness comes through; relatively for a fresh aquatic.

It’s hard to pinpoint specific smells (I wouldn’t say I get a clear scent of cedarwood or vetiver either); it is musky and it’s contemporary in its textures and composition (with Jordi Fernandez’ usual styling). It wears a bit like those ‘molecular’ second-skin fragrances; light, ozonic, more of an abstract cloud, albeit an aquatic one here.

Longevity upon testing it on skin seems solid, but it seems to be faint in projection, at least to the wearer, (multiple people remarked on this during the event and I concur). This may be a negative to some; I think in the case of Helix I prefer it as this second-skin, rather than a more palpable full-on shower gel or marine scent.

Not quite my type of fragrance; as is the case for almost any aquatic, but a good addition to the Carner line-up.