Hey Posse. Roses! My favourite note in perfumery (today anyway). There is something compelling about a beautifully set rose in a fragrance. It’s like the main stone in a necklace, perfect on its own but even better when placed perfectly with other sones to lift it. Diamonds have adamantine lustre and Lustre by Hiram Green seems to pay homage to these sparkling beauties. In his blurb he doesn’t mention it, “Imagine the sun rising over seemingly endless fields of roses in the heartland of Bulgaria. Soft, golden rays of sunlight tenderly encourage the delicate pink petals to release their delightful scent.”
Lustre by Hiram Green
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Bulgarian rose, Citric notes, Iris, Frankincense
The roses in Lustre are so glamorous and thick that they create a fog of fragrance. It’s like drowning in petals and broken stems. Rich and intoxicating, I don’t know how Hiram has created such density of scent. This is how I imagine Snow White would smell to the woodland creatures and why they all came to flock around her. It’s utterly mesmerising.
A juicy, rich rose fragrance that wears like a diamond studded shawl. Rooty iris has a slight wet cardboard depth and I don’t really smell the resinous incense because my nose is filled to overflowing with roses. How does a “natural” perfume do this? None of that dark, boggy thing that so often accompanies the genre. Here we have a fragrance full of life and light. It’s freaking magic.
Lustre even has decent longevity and smells wonderfully rosy till it’s gone, ready for a respritz. I know you can tell by my rave review but I really love Lustre, it’s bloody amazing. I bought my bottle for full retail and will do so again when it’s empty.
Previously on Perfume Posse Ann has loved Moon Bloom and Patty been perplexed by Slow Dive
Have you tried Hiram Green’s fragrances?
Portia x
I enjoyed your review Portia and hope to be able to smell Lustre some day. I love a good rose scent and now I’m intrigued. I have Moonbloom and Shangri la is one of my favourite perfumes ever. I missed out on the chance to get a new bottle before he discontinued it wahhh, and will have to treasure the last few mls. I have left.
The original Voyage was a love for me but I never had a chance to buy it before it was gone, I think it was a limited edition. I know he’s brought it out again but has changed it and I’m reluctant to buy without being able to smell it with the changes. Oh, to have a perfume shop like Lucky scent or something down the street. haha, well then I would be quite broke I fear.
Hey SonomaVelvet,
O M G! If I lived in LA or NYC it would be in a very large cardboard box with all my precious perfumes. BROKE indeed.
I have a hard enough time here in Oz.
Portia xx
Hello, after reading your comment I would like to ask you if you would be interested to buy Shangri La. I am not 100% satisfied with the scent. My favourites go to Arbole and Voyage 2019.
the Shangri La bottle is almost full. I can send you a picture.
If you are interested please let me know. Best Regards, Donna
Sadly I found Lustre had a sour top note on me, but happily have a travel bottle of Slowdive for those cold winter nights a few months down the road.
Hi AnnieA,
Yeah, lots of people find roses a bit sour. I wonder if it’s something particular to the makeup of the rose scent, a scent association or if it’s a reaction on your skin? Perfume is weird, eh?
Portia xx
I love Dilettante and Slowdive — Lustre doesn’t sound like my thing, since I’m not a rose-forward person. But Hiram Green does lovely work!
Hey there HeidiC,
Slowdive is freaking awesome! Thanks goodness not everything is perfect for us, how would we afford it?
Portia xx
VERY true!
I have loved every single thing Hiram Green has done – even Hyde, which is the classiest barbecue scent you can wear. Lustre is gorgeous. Fresh, but not shy, full, but not pot pourri, and luminous – jewel-like is spot on, Portia. Genius.
Hi there AD,
Hyde is outrageous, eh? Smoky BarBQ gone wild. It’s getting cooler here now and I think it will definitely get some wear.
Portia xx
I enjoy Hiram Green fragrances as well. I have Shangri-La and Lustre, love them both. I completely agree with your review of Lustre. FB of Slowdive is on my wishlist.
Thanks Kathleen,
I don’t think I have Shangri-La here. Is that the DCd one?
Portia xx
the only Hiram I’ve tried is Dilettante and I loved it! I love roses but am wary of them in perfumery, lest they go sour (aka Tea Rose) – but I figure if anybody can do it, Hiram can. Oh, and Amouage. Of course. 😉
xoxox
ps. this is a LUMINOUS review, Portia. I loved every word of it. xoxox
If a rose is going to go sour, it will do it on me. Lustre is not sour, it’s gorgeous.
Even Amouage Epic went sour on me.
I think Hiram Green is a wonderful perfumer but Lustre was sour on me. No rose perfume had ever gone sour on me before.
Thanks Musette,
I’d love to read if you do get Lustre on your skin. It could definitely go either way.
Did you try Viktoria Minya’s Hedonist Rose Absolute yet? I’d love to hear what you think about that too.
Portia xx
I love roses in general and Hiram Green in particular. Yesterday I was in Slowdive, today I’m inspired by your post to put on some Lustre. I’m not wild about the opening, it reminds me of Perfumer’s Apprentice Tea Rose which I dislike (probably the same citrus notes), but the drydown is lovely. What he does with natural perfumery is just magical and amazing.
YAY TaraC,
A fellow HG lover.
Slowdive is his masterpiece for me. Eye rollingly swoony stuff.
Portia xx
This is interesting. Like MMKinPA I’m not hugely excited by rose perfumes in general (adore SL Rose de Nuit, but that’s heavy on the apricot). However, I have a lot of time for Hiram Green. Love Dilettante and Slowdive. So, maybe this is worth sampling.
I hope you do try it Cinnamon and come tell me how it lived on you.
Portia xx
I have a decant of this and it’s gorgeous. I’m not really a rose person but I enjoy this one. Hiram Green is so talented – I have loved everything I have tried (all but Hyde and Voyage). I have a travel spray of Shangri La which cemented my love of chypres – I was on the fence until I sniffed it.
I’m loving how many different responses we are having to Lustre MMKinPA. A rose for the non rosy peeps! YAY!
Portia xx
Give me give me give me!!!! I want them all. I only have Slowdive.
HA GinaT,
Slowdive is amazing too.
Yeah, the whole range is beautiful. I’ve got a few bottles of Hiram Green’s work and love them.
The only one I find challenging is Voyage 2019, beautiful but strange on me. I still wear it happily though.
Portia xx
Hahaha! And Voyage 2019 is my favorite of all.
It is a very strange beast on me.