Launched in 2015 by Zoologist Perfumes, Hummingbird was inspired by “…the ethereal perspective of the exquisitely adorned hummingbird, the world is an endless kaleidoscope of colourful, fragrant blooms offering up their tempting delights. An insatiable desire for sweetness propels the hummingbird as it floats from flower to flower, sampling the nectar with a gentle touch of its delicate tongue. Retreating to its lichen and moss-lined nest, it settles into the cozy cocoon and dreams of sweet ambrosia.”

Hummingbird opens light and fruity with crisp apple, tart cherry, succulent plum and bright citrus notes. The fruit notes aren’t deep or bold but springtime tender. Then the flowers come along: lilac (a favourite note – I remember plucking the flowers as a child and sucking that one drop of sweet nectar from it), lily of the valley and rose (plush and lush it adds depth to the other flowers). The fruity/florals are tempered by metallic-tinged violet leaf, which gives it a fresh, spring-green border. As it blooms, it gets sweetened by honey, true-smelling, not saccharine sweet, before more flowers appear: I smell honey and jasmine-faceted honeysuckle – sweet, soft mimosa, fresh, rose-tinged peony, citrus-scented tulip and a note of rich, fruity-toned ylang-ylang. That ylang-ylang really adds oomph to the mix for me. At the base, the sweetness fades into clean wood notes (sandalwood and white woods) warmed by amber. I smell freshly mown hay (coumarin) and dry moss, and it calls to mind a bird’s nest that fell from an apple tree in our garden years ago. A note of cream gives the dry woods a richness they need while musk warms and smoothens the blend.

Hummingbird is the heady smell of a gorgeous garden in full bloom with a woody aromatic drydown that sits close to the skin. It is perfectly balanced so that the sweetness never becomes cloying or dominating but hums in the background.

Notes: Apple, cherry, citrus, lilac, lily of the valley, plum, rose, violet leaf, honey, honeysuckle, mimosa, peony, tulip, ylang-ylang, amber, coumarin, cream, moss, musk, sandalwood, white woods.