Do you want to smell like a sophisticated hippie? I want to! Maybe we should also buy one of these big brim hats, that you will see everywhere this summer. They fit perfectly to the new Heeley perfume Hippie Rose. Great name by the way, it deconstructs the old school idea of rose perfumes. Hippie Rose is a cool dude, a flower child, rock’n'roll.
I met James Heeley in Düsseldorf at the Global Art of Perfumery and I am happy to be one of the first ones who is allowed to smell his new perfume. Last year he told me, that it is difficult to create a rose perfume that doesn’t smell just like rose water, soap or too old school. Now he will launch the wonderful Hippie Rose, which was inspired by India, the hippie movement, Jim Morrison and the beautiful actress Daria Halprin from the 70ies movie Zabriskie Point by Antonioni. The movie takes place in the beautiful sundrenched landscape of the Death Valley and there is a lot of dusk, a beautiful, suntanned girl with long, long hair and huge light blue eyes in a short olive dress – and a beautiful boy of course.
In Heeley’s words Hippie Rose is “The rising sun of a new, carefree day. A warm wind filtering through the Californian desert. The perfumed air of a Himalayan temple. Waves of long, shining hair flicker over dust and sand and soft, tanned skin. Freedom is not far. Against the rose coloured sky of dusk, we dream of love and peace and better days…”
Hippie Rose has nothing in common with heavy patchouli hippie scents. Tart green moss and bergamot in the opening reveal a fresh, masculine twist and on the other side the perfume feels transparent like the light blue eyes of Daria. The balance of rose and patchouli is wonderful. Of course there is patchouli, but it is built on the idea of freedom, peace and love, it’s just the idea of the hippie era. Heeley managed to make it light and uplifting. The green notes dominate and the sugary elements of rose are contrasted by warm patchouli. To say that it is sweet would be an offense. No, it is mild and flowery with a touch of incense but not overpowering. Did you expect something else from James Heeley who would never annoy anyone with a perfume? I just wanted to mention this. Welcome to the summer of love!
Hippie Rose will not tempt you to smoke weed, but be sure to wear some flowers in your hair. Peace to James Heeley for creating such an amazing rose scent!
One of my favorite songs by The Doors…click here
Category: unisex, but James said – and I agree – that it is more feminine
Perfumer: James Heeley
Year: 2011
Notes: bergamot, green moss, Bulgarian rose, patchouli, incense, Haitian vetiver, amber, musk
Cant wait to try!
