Verveine / Lemon Verbena / Eau de Verveine
by Heeley

Very light and at the same time extremely sophisticated/refined as only a bunch of light fragrances can be (Bel Respiro, Jardins De Kerylos and very few others). Bitter tomato leaf and lemony verbena start the fragrance with a surprising (read challenging) effect to then evolve into a clean musky drydown that's incredibly enjoyable for its perfect combination between top quality ingredients and refinements. Not groundbreaking but still highly recommended to anyone into lighter/fresher, close to the skin, compositions. Downside: weak lastin power.

18th October, 2011.

Most 'verveine' fragrances usually plump for a solid lemon representation -- and little else unfortunately. It's there in the opening with Heeley's but is quickly joined by a whole bunch of stemones and berries. An astonishing first 30 minutes, which is almost matched by the woody musk drydown. I hummed and haahed between this, Hippie Rose and Sel Marin and Verveine won out -- it's a serious fragrance. No longevity issues for me either.

7th July, 2011.

Notes (from Lucky Scent): Black currant, tomato leaves, verbena, fig leaves, white musk.

I’ve got to hand it to Heeley for consistency. At this point I’ve tried nearly the entire range, and except for Cardinal, (which I am alone in finding rather bland in its straightforward approach to frankincense,) every entry has smelled not only of fine ingredients but of a distinctive, yet never gimmicky, approach to composition. All have been at once stimulating and delightfully easy to wear. Verveine is no exception, my only disappointment being that it’s taken me so long to get around to trying it.

Lemon verbena does not smell precisely like lemon, nor does Heeley’s Verveine smell literally of lemon verbena. Instead, Heeley has wisely chosen to suggest an "idea" of lemon verbena – of an herb that approximates a citrus. The method? A clever combination of intensely green herbaceous notes, including bitterly astringent tomato leaf, with an extremely tart blend of black currant and citrus. The opening accord is a real kick and the pants – the kind of thing that seems revolting one moment, perversely compelling the next. Think Czech & Speake’s Citrus Paradisi or Maître Parfumeur et Gantier’s Jardin du Nil for examples of similarly disturbing/alluring effects.

The balance shifts from puzzling and provocative to unambiguously pleasant as the supporting clean musk, soft floral notes, and mellow woods slide into place beneath the green citrus accord. The result is bright, brisk, and refreshing, with a peculiar savory – almost saline – quality that I’ve experienced in few other scents. (Heeley’s own Sel Marin and Diptyque’s late, great Virgilio among them.) The full effect is fleeting, as might be expected of something based largely on citrus, but it’s great fun for the hour or two that it lasts. The clean musk and wood skin scent that remains as a drydown is pleasantly smooth, but far less interesting than the effervescent green citrus phase. That part pleases me enough to reapply often.

25th June, 2011. (Last Edited: 26th June, 2011.)

I like wearing Vervein; however, it is a bit too sweet for my taste. I find it extremely well made, rich, but not intriguing. It is certainly pleasant, but then again most offerings by Heeley are at least pleasant. I expected a kick from Vervein, since I am a citrus addict, but I don't get it.

30th April, 2011.

I love the crisp lemony zestiness on the opening. The tomato leaf note in the drydown makes it interresting. If you enjoy Hermes d'orange vert or pamplemousse rose, give this a try. Even though I really enjoy the scent, I'm forced to give this a neutral because after 2.5-3 hrs, she's gone baby gone. Definately not worth the price tag attached to it.

21st April, 2011.

While i do like Verveine, it really bothers me that it`s not an original idea. Heeley`s Verveine seems to copy the core of Hermés un Jardin En Mediterrane, just changing the top notes for a less sweet and vegetal impression. The opening of Verveine is the best part, a citrus sparkling herbal combination of the lemon verbena and the bergamot. As usual with citrus fragrances, it only last for 15-20 minutes, and what comes next is pleasant, but no original at all. It`s the same combination of fig, blackcurrant and tomato leaves of Mediterrane, with the proportions changed to favor the blackcurrant instead of fig. I wish there was a more original drydown to the great opening. But there isn`t, and this is the reason why this one is neutral for me. I prefer the original and real thing, Hermés Un Jardin En Mediterrane, over this one.

16th February, 2011.