Heeley
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The bergamot and pink pepper arrive with immediate brightness, almost citric-spicy effervescence that feels almost herbal. It's a jolt, insistently alive, catching you slightly off-guard with its refusal to be immediately likeable.
The rose settles into focus, but it's a rose rendered in earth-tones rather than blushing pink—a floral heartbeat accompanied by patchouli that smells authentically greenish and mineral. The green accord intensifies here, creating an almost botanical austerity that makes you lean in closer to properly distinguish the florality.
Frankincense and haitian vetiver create a peppery, incense-tinged base with a subtle musk that never reaches skin-scent whisper (longevity here is modest). What remains is contemplative and quietly woody, something vaguely temple-like, still retaining enough patchouli to feel earthy and grounded rather than purely aromatic.
Hippie Rose is a fragrance that wears its philosophical convictions openly—a scent for those who view patchouli not as a cliché but as a legitimate aromatic material deserving respect. James Heeley has crafted something deliberately anti-establishment here: a rose composition that refuses to genuflect before classical florality, instead dragging the venerable Bulgarian bloom into the soil.
The genius lies in how the pink pepper and bergamot opening refuses to sweeten the rose. Rather, they catalyse a sharp, almost confrontational brightness that makes the floral heart feel grounded, almost austere. When the patchouli emerges, it doesn't play supporting actor—it steps into the foreground, earthy and mineral-tinged, conversing with the rose as equals rather than genuflecting to it. There's a tensile green quality threading through the composition, suggesting crushed stems and fermented leaves rather than fresh-cut bouquets.
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XerJoff
3.6/5 (101)