THE HARMONIST
MOON GLORY

2020

PERFUMER
Guillaume Flavigny

lychee
ylang-ylang
Jasmine

Queen of the Night
Passionflower
Honey

Hinoki Wood
Balsamic notes
Sandalwood

Moon Glory is the magnum opus of The Harmonist.

Straight away this smells unique. I would classify it as a ylang-ylang fragrance first and foremost and it balances the different aspects of that style in arguably the most interesting way that I’ve come across so far.

You get the florals strongly; almost vegetal, chewy, very thick floral petals with the slightest hint of skankiness (although not as much skank as in Perris Ylang-Ylang Nosy Be for example). It also leans far into the tropical tinge that ylang-ylang is known for. It doesn’t smell like a sun-tan lotion however; it feels thicker and more as a part of nature than that.

Which brings us to the sweetness. In the opening lychee is listed; adding perhaps a fruity sweetness, but from the initial spray until the drydown it evolves more and more into a honeyed, ambery experience that reminds me of chewy butterscotch.

It creates a borderline conflicting juxtaposition between the florals and the sweetness. They don’t blend into one sweet, designer-esque mush like a lot of sweet florals do; instead you retain that vegetal-like white flower edge throughout.

Performance is far above average. If anything, I find that it can be a bit much (like a heady floral can be), especially in warm weather. If you like white & yellow flowers and honey, you must get your nose on Moon Glory.