Tryst – floral and green and romantic

When I read the newsletter from Hiram Green announcing the launch of Tryst, I went to his website to learn more about it. Here’s what I found:

‘Remember the drive we took down to the orange grove that spring?

How the winding roads carved ribbons into the hillside, and we knew the words to every song on the radio. How the air smelled sweet—like honey, like possibility—and the sun warmed our skin. How we found a quiet spot to park and kissed under the orange blossoms, and the whole day felt like a secret that was just ours.

Later, on the way home, you found a flower in the folds of your coat. How their smell lingered—crisp and bright and golden.’

I had no idea what Tryst would be like on my skin, but after reading that, I wanted some!

 A blind buy? Technically, yes, but risky, no. Hiram Green is a Canadian perfumer who works exclusively with natural ingredients. To my nose, he’s one of the most talented perfumers out there, and with each of his fragrances, we witness his evolution as an artist. Tryst is a triumph that features one of my favourite ingredients in perfumery: neroli.

On me, it opens with the scent of tangy, bitter orange zest shot through with a flash of green. The zest has a delicate floralcy that sets the stage for neroli. The neroli here is floral, fresh and green-tinged. It’s tender and romantic, but things change when orange flowers show up. Fresh, sweet and fragrant, they’re also indolic and heady with an animalic facet that makes Tryst ensorcelling. I want to yield to it. The neroli oscillates between the citrus and floral notes, keeping them balanced and the fragrance vibrant. Neroli has a honey aspect that’s paired with resins here and gives Tryst a golden, sunny warmth.

Tryst dries down to a fragrant, floral, summer scent, but it is so much more than that.

This is the most realistic Neroli I have ever smelled in a fragrance, and Mr. Green deftly handles it. I love the smell of it, but I love what it evokes nearly as much—that day, that one memorable day, when you were with that one special person, and you both felt light and carefree and open to pleasure, to spontaneity, and to romance. It’s an experience only you two can ever really share.

Fragrances like Tryst are the reason I love niche perfumes.

Check out Tryst in our Shop.