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saha-zinkov – :
On me, it smells like a session of steamy meditation for your nose. It’s got this dark green/soft sunshine duality to it and it lasts and lasts…Heavenly coldish sunlight on a clear day in early fall. The smokiness dances so well with the cypress, whatever woody notes that were used had a bit of that Iso E Super feeling to it, where it’s bright and illuminating, but it doesn’t feel false, it’s right where it’s supposed to be. Although, I’d say that $165 for 50mL is asking a little too much. Might be better if you buy it on a trip to Australia.
I disagree with a review saying that this is a casual scent. I see a man wearing a dark gray suit and spanking new oxfords sipping on whiskey at a classy hotel bar smelling of this. The scent will catch you while you pass by him and you’ll quickly realize how much closer you want to get. It’s almost intimidating, that’s how unexpectedly sexy this perfume is.
karnauch-valik – :
I appreciate the concept of this fragrance, but on me it just didn’t seem unique. The scent did not develop and I didn’t find myself intrigued throughout the day.
Юшечка – :
This is stunning and something I’ve been looking for since I started my fragrance journey! The perfect woody scent. It has nothing else, just different shades of wood notes and some smoke. It’s beguiling, nuanced, mysterious, and within two wearings this has become a top 5 fragrance for me! I bought a full bottle the day I wore my sample for a second time! I’ve looked for a long time for a woody scent that smells like… well, wood. And every single time I try something someone suggests or that is listed as a woody fragrance, it never smells like woods or like this. To say I’m beyond excited and happy to have found something like this is an understatement. As far as who can wear this and when, I’d say it definitely leans more towards a masculine scent, but a certain type of female could pull this off. And it’s definitely a more casual fragrance, not something you’d necessarily put on before going out to a fancy dinner or tuxedo event.
Slightly learning towards a humid scent instead of bone dry wood, it has the most beautiful Hinoki Cypress Wood that is the dominate note the entire time. It’s almost like a sauna type smell. It’s accented so nicely by the frankincense, giving it such a soft slightly lemon like quality. The smoky note (probably from the vetiver) is definitely stronger in the opening and first hr or so, but then recedes into the background and is incredible. And the touch of sandalwood (that you don’t smell) adds a smooth texture to the entire fragrance that mellows the whole thing out a few hours in.
If you’ve ever smelled Hinoki from CDG, then you have a very good idea of what this smells like and how amazing this is. It’s like CDG Hinoki, but much better and has amazing sillage and lasts all day! Sillage is moderate to strong for the first few hrs, then moderate. And it lasts 10-12 hrs minimum. And this is coming from someone that has skin that hardly ever holds a scent for more then a few hours! Performance is amazing, but also appropriate. I don’t know what a Japanese forest smells like, but if this is what it smells like, I need to book a trip to Japan immediately! And for how well this performs with only a few sprays, it is very affordable and full bottle worthy. Barnabé Fillion created a masterpiece here!
PIART1976 – :
I think everyone should have at least one “chill scent” in their collection. For me that number is more like five because I’m a sucker for the serene, so needless to say I was excited when I heard that Aesop ventured into Comme des Garcons forest funk, incense territory.
Hwyl aims to invoke meditative Japanese forests, and in that it succeeds very well. The main notes are cypress, frankincense, and a vanilla tinged vetiver, which should give you a very generous idea of what to expect. It’s pure Kansai woods. Dark green and brown earth, smooth, wet, stones draped in moss, and a gentle, hissy smoke emulating mist. Hwyl nails that lovely sweet spot between botanical and wearable. Not a hippy scent by any means, just refined, bottled, billowing bliss.
At around $130 for a 50ml, Hwyl (and all Aesop products) are on the expensive side. But the high quality botanical ingredients and great performance speak for themselves. Fans of CDG Hinnoki or especially Kyoto should definitely take note. My only criticism is that it’s a little too textbook Aesop. At times it almost smells just like walking into one of their stores.
broteks – :
Austere, herbal, astringent, almost-bitter … and magical. Dark, dark green woods in a glacial forest, evergreen and deciduous all at once. This does something I never dreamed of: making vetiver, one of my most-hated notes, into something completely compelling and addictive. Wrapping it in sweet frankincense covers the dirt, and the sharp bite of cypress dilutes that sometimes-sweaty edge vetiver can have. Smells like a tinder-dry blanket of conifer leaves with a warmer, spicy aura round the edges; it’s full of organic greenness and plant-y aromatics.
Really distinctive and individual, on the male side of unisex but could still be rocked with pride by anyone mad for the forest. It’s spare and smoky and serene – really wonderful stuff. But – there has to be a but – it’s well overpriced at full retail and I don’t think longevity is great… but how would I really know, as I tested this with one of the hated scented wipes (manufacturers: please stop making samples in this format, they’re horrible.) On me its full glory lasted less than an hour with softer, closer skin scent hanging on a couple more. Frustrating as it is really quite something.
ETA: tested in from a parfum spray bottle in store and longevity was a bit better – maybe 4-5h? and the aromatics more tenacious than I feared. I’m still on the fence. The really distinctive and individual smell easily justifies a buy, but the performance doesn’t… I think…
dj1990 – :
I was so excited to try this, but it was too smoky for me and had too much Iso E Super. So bummed as I love the notes and love Marrakech Intense.
yudaeva – :
Smells just like Marc Jacob’s Bang to me….only much pricier….sure Bang doesn’t last as long and definitely has less presence and quality but they are still too similar to justify the price tag for the Aesop.
MiroslavVolhov – :
Have been meaning to try some Aesop fragrances for a while. About a week ago I found a store in town and I had to visit. So I started with Hwyl. This is a great woody scent that reminds me of a fresh, clean forest. The lovely sales associate told me that it is inspired by Japanese forests. Well Hwyl definitely hits the nail on the head. I find it to be very unisex, anyone can wear this. Too bad it does not last more than 4-5 hours, but it’s really nice for the time that it lasts. The price is a bit steep though. Do sample it if you can, the sales associates will definitely give you some perfumed wipes to test it out at home.
max1121 – :
Happened to be in an Aesop store looking to purchase some of the wonderful smelling hand soaps and noticed they had fragrance, which I never knew. Was very intrigued as I love the smell of pretty much all their products, and their quality is very high across the board.
Tried out Hwyl bought my soaps and then walked around for an hour, and then went straight back to buy a bottle.
I would say it’s very similar to many of the CdG’s, Wonderwood, Blackpepper, Hinoki, Sequoia, Kyoto, which I always like at first but have never been able to wear as they all give me a headache, must be the ISO E…but much more wearable and warm, less austere/dry and chemical/artificial. This probably has some ISO E in it (what doesn’t?!), but I think much lower levels than CdG’s.
Definitely has an AESOP feel to it if you know any of there products. It’s strong stuff and I have only been using a dab.
It’s not unusual or groundbreaking but just a very nice warm and balanced interplay of incense, spice and woods…definitely for fall/winter. Definitely a grounding and spa-like smell if you’re into that kind of thing but one you’d have to be careful about applying too much of.
genadi43 – :
Cypress is the definitive lead note in the this very natural composition from Aesop.
Hwyl’s clean, green, coniferous heart is bolstered by solid support from a smokey vetiver akin to Encre Noire, plus an arid, dry smokiness from the frankincense.
I’m reminded of L’Occitane’s Cade and the cypress in their Eau des Baux creation. Bottega Veneta’s Pour Homme also springs to mind as sharing a similar vibe.
Hwyl is quite austere, but in a good way. Development is limited, performance and projection are both adequate.
If I’m honest though, it’s too monotone and doesn’t really excite me. I reckon the brand’s Marrakech Intense is a more complex and interesting variation on the Hwyl theme.
piknik – :
I love Slumberhouse Norne but I always wished it would be a bit more wearable especially in the work setting and along comes Hwyl from Aesop which is essentially Norne reimagined as a fresh skin scent. Both of these have their own character and are complementary but the cypress incense heart is intact in both. In Hywl this central note is enhanced by addition of vetiver, oakmoss, pink pepper and thyme, rendering a beautiful misty dewy brightness to the juice. Like many reviewers point out the perfume evokes images of walking in the morning among coniferous trees, but this is a lighter forest feel than say the deep dark woods of Norne. A nice aromatic, uplifting scent that is easy to wear, it is easy to see why this is so popular on this forum.
scrsnseabrook83 – :
I tried it today on my skin in Aesop shop in Saks fifth avenue store. It smells like a peppery, vetiver, cypress scent. Smells nice and is well made from good quality ingredients. Longevity and projection are average.
Joslfz – :
Peppery, rooty vetiver, with a touch of frankincense. Pure bliss. It’s like a walk in the autumn woods.It’s got Aesop’s name written all over it. A must-try.
incionglvm – :
Very Aesop indeed as posted by previous commentary here.
For mine though,its all about the natural smelling dry and smokey woodiness with the cypress note as the star.
Great undertones of thyme give it a nice herbal pungency and aroma.The earthiness of the vetiver is noteworthy as well as it adds further adds to the complexity and prevents it from becoming yet another woody fragrance.
Glad to have it in my collection and price wise fairly reasonable at AUD$130 per 50 ml and good to see an Aussie brand making great fragrances for the world to enjoy.
doorhankievua – :
This one I rather like!
It is the better aspects of Avignon and Wonderwood; less overwhelmingly wood/frankincense-y and more earthy in the best sense of that adage….the perfect development of something recalls the natural world but still settles well as an actual scent that can be enjoyed and worn. Sometimes when these smells are made they are either too obscure i.e. impractical to actually enjoy as a fragrance on the skin.
This scent invites the stillness it is going for; to stop and absorb the world and also a sense of zen(as in meditating and burning some Japanese dhoop cones) but also melds together well as a feeling you can carry with you beyond just a perfume but a sense of place.
And who wouldn’t want to smell like a mysterious forest? 🙂
hunternaxov – :
very Aesop. I can smell spices (Pepper) and vetiver mostly. slightly synthetic (which gives it more like fresh water feel) yet woody. good but since its start of summers down under i will skip it for now (because of spice)
Seasinkaccifs – :
Got this as one of their samples, which I love just rubbing along my arm. So cooling and refreshing. As Cyribiselx said down below, it smells of Aesop.
To me, this is a smokey vetiver and totally different to their usual offerings while still sticking to their natural smelling scents that are inspired by far off lands.
As the brand is, itself, Australian, there is elements of Australiana here which separate the brand from MANY around the world. As Australia is usually filled with more niche brands, it’s fascinating to see our land come through (however accidentally) through a globalised brand.
It translates to a not so fresh, but incredibly smokey and aromatic fragrance that’s placed on top of a beautifully insistent mossy floor.
Very beautiful. Won’t be buying though. Marrakesch Intense is all I need, thankfully.
Praichheade – :
A natural, well balanced vetiver. Smells like Aesop – I would describe it as a less citrusy version of their Tacit fragrance which makes it more fitting for colder days. It’s a nice middle ground between their two other scents.