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ромуальдо – :
I thought I´d love this, being a huge fan of green chypres. I don´t. The ripe peach/indolic jasmine combo proves too much for my nose – I find it obnoxious.
However, this is objectively an enjoyable and cleverly constructed perfume, elegant and timeless – or rather, managing to exude both a genuine seventies vibe and a very modern tribute to the chypre genre.
If it floats your boat, it has a strong chance of becoming one´s signature scent. It possesses that unique something.
On a side note, did anyone find the opening very similar to YSL Opium? Or is it just my skin? There´s one identical note but I can´t put my finger on it.
BILLI761 – :
This is a very beautiful but not overpowering, lush, moist, exotic forest smell. It is a lovely depiction of the eponymous paradise, done naturally and botanically. An outdoor lover’s enchanted home in the woods. Every note is detectable to my amateur nose. I get warmly spicy oakmoss with a ripened peach note and delicate florals. An oriental touch upon a floral chypre.
One thing invoking my ambivalence about this is the all-natural composition; the perfume, though lovely, is resultantly aromatherapy-like. I hesitate to say I love this given how naturalistic it is for the price. It is undeniably pleasant and well-rounded, but it does lack bells and whistles. If that is what you’re looking for, however, you will love it. Hiram Green’s ‘Shangri La’ is a spiritual girl’s Shangri La. Natural gals will love this– fans of herbal soaps, gardening and vintage furniture. I really don’t see it as unisex– far too old-fashioned pretty. If you are looking for an elaborate tapestry of notes like you would see in a commercial depiction of this concept, you are probably looking in the wrong place with Shangri La and likely Hiram Green in general. If I could add anything to the juice as it is, it would probably be a dark berry or raisin accord. All this said, 4.5/5, nice stuff.
ksjusch – :
I’m becoming such a fan of Hiram Green. I’m surprised and delighted by each new genius creation of his I smell 🙂
Rich, ripe, full and sweet. Shangri La opens with a burst of citrus which quickly gives way to a soft and fuzzy, bruised and sweet peach which is a little past its sell by date. The flowers are subtle and beautiful they are well blended into the whole, I don’t notice the iris which is a shame. It is lovely, 3D plush and smooth and obviously expertly blended.
There is no denying that it does bear a remarkable resemblance to my all time favourite Mitsouko. Perhaps it’s unfair to pit this all natural against one of the greats but Shangri La is so good that I think it can handle it. So out of interest I’m doing a side by side comparison as there are a couple of significant hairs to split:
The main differences to my nose are that the citrus evaporates off of the top of Shangri La much more quickly leaving the over ripe peach pulverised into the oakmoss and making the composition as a whole more immediately available. It has the very lovely Hiram style moist yet powdery thing going on and is ever so slightly gourmand (I’m sure I can smell a smudge of coconut). The flowers show themselves more than the spices do. That deep, plump smoothness is really something special.
In Mitsouko, the peach is harder and more squinty juicy. The bergamot zest holds its ground right the way through the dry down, the spices show up more than the flowers do and even as the perfume sweetens into the voluptuous, sexy base, it holds together with some restraint, it stays somewhat tart and a little serious, I suspect there is more vetiver in Mitsouko. The oak moss is very sensual yet dry as a bone. I love this about it.
So, Shangri La is more smooth, languid, ripe and friendly, leaning towards gourmand and Mitsouko is more dynamic but controlled, serious and demanding, leaning towards animalic.
Both are beautiful compositions and I’m seriously impressed by Hiram Green.
pushnov – :
First spray opens with a strong retro scent of full oak moss. The first time I tried the perfume I immediately dismissed it as too old fashioned for my taste. Half an hour later however, the oak moss had stepped back to form a gorgeous earthy foundation for the spices and soft fresh peach to shine from.
The perfume feels stylish and sure of itself. Classic without being mumsy. Richer and less dusty than Mitsouko without being too sweet.
A little fizz of vetiver, wafts of iris and rose. A slight hint of syrupy tuberose. Though the citrus doesn’t jump out at me, I wonder if it is the bitter quality citrus can sometimes have which is keeping the peach from becoming too sticky sweet.
Beautiful. Lush. Addictive.
Ordered from Ave Parfum.
SainiaGottomb – :
It took me a while to make up my mind about Shangri La. It does have a retro vibe I wasn’t sure about. The peach with the oakmoss is interesting, like a mature fruity scent and are the strongest and longest lasting notes on me. The more I wear it the more I like it. To me Shangri La feels both intellectual and artistic. The perfect place to wear it would be at a museum or an art event.
tly704InsuffBooni – :
A nice nod to Mitsouko, but Shangri-la is warmer, less melancholy, and perhaps easier to wear (for those of us who love Mitsouko but feel as though we’re playing dress up when we wear it). I use this scent as an example of a perfume that does texture well – you can definitely smell the soft peach skin texture here! Opening with a touch of medicinal vetiver, Shangri-la then smooths down to a lovely vintage oakmoss and peach scent. It’s definitely a natural perfume with that lovely soft glowing diffusion where it melts into your skin chemistry nicely and doesn’t project too strongly. The only downside is a slight waxy undertone.
akco – :
“An ode to the classical chypre fragrances of the past.”
Shangri-La is a 2014 fragrance from Hiram Green, a niche natural perfume house from the Netherlands that has garnered quite a following in the fragrance. The house has caught my attention as of late because of its distinctive fragrances, and praises from blogger Kafkaesque.
On my skin, it opens with a blast of sweet juicy peach, tangy citrus and bitter earthy oakmoss. It bears a stark resemblance to the legendary Mitsouko by Guerlain because of the peach-oakmoss combo. It’s difficult for me to tell the exact differences between the two fragrances; to me, Shangri-La is the contemporary twist and an ode to the chypre genre.
The key factor of Shangri-La and all other HG fragrances is that they are all natural fragrances that supposedly do not contain synthetics. It doesn’t smell synthetic to me at all, which is a plus, but I am a little concerned if that adversely affects the performance in terms of projection. Shangri-La doesn’t project much; it wears closely to my skin as most natural fragrances would. At least it’s wearable in office settings and I don’t have to worry about offending my colleagues with its potency.
This is a fragrance best enjoyed in cooler weathers, especially in autumn. It performs fairly well on my skin, lasting half to a full day if I don’t spent much time outdoors (I live in a tropical climate). Is it bottle worthy to me? It’s hard to say; should I choose this over Mitsouko when I can’t really tell them apart? Hmm.
But it’s a great fragrance nonetheless. Love it.
edit: I start to notice the difference in the drydown between Mitsouko and Shangri La. I mentioned before that the former has a strange animalic note in the drydown but the latter doesn’t. It’s much cleaner and more pleasant, which I think would appeal to more people. Plus, I haven’t noticed any change in the notes over time so there’s no pyramid in this fragrance (whereas I notice a gradual change in Mitsouko).
iyi063bedyWelty – :
Amazing that this is a perfume made with natural essences, as it has a very distinct presence and longevity.
A true old-world type chypre, combining a short-lived citrus opening with unobtrusive ripe fruity notes, followed by the development of the earthy base, the whole underscored by a wonderful spiciness. There is a dryness to this fragrance, a “dustiness” that remains throughout which is the only note that gives me pause (thankfully, for my wallet) otherwise it would have been an immediate full-bottle order!
MrRastaman – :
This one really surprised me. I found the opening so revolting that I almost scrubbed immediately. It was hyper sweet and medicinal. I’m glad that I left it on. Within a half hour I was in love. The peach note, never my favorite, is delicious and the Moss heart is just my cup of tea. Wonderful.
win89 – :
Hmm.. Very interesting tho. Sharp spices with oakmoss with some sweetened kind of cloying peaches that lightens the sharpness of the combination of oak and spices, as it turns into a quite vintage sharp fragrance.
I see their 3 fragrances are connected together somehow which makes them mesmerizing to me.
(Edit 12th Feb 2016) WOW… just WOW … peaches, citrus, and the kind of spice that strengthen the citrus note over the powerful peach note. The oakmoss then appears slowly to overcome the whole juice & later the jasmine show up rancing the atmosphere, and i guess this is the friendly version of moon bloom.
I was wearing this from a sample i bought while “We’re In This Love Together” By “Al Jarreau” was playing in the radio, OH MY… you can’t believe how my mind soared and flown away to an imaginative daydream!
This house amazes me with their fragrances.
elefant1979 – :
The second production of independent and natural brand Hiram Green has a mysterious touch in the concept. At first I was puzzled by the choice of the name in homage to the classic chypres from the past, but a search was enough to understand that there is an intrinsic relationship between chypres and Shangri-la.
This is a city of the book Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. It is described in the book as a mystical valley, bucolic, a synonym for paradise on earth, a utopian place where people are living in isolated land from the wold in a state of permanent joy. Shangri-la for your visitors can be both desired as a possible new world or a frightening and oppressive place, in my view due to their utopia state and isolation.
The chypre family is a kind of Shangri-la of perfumery since its beginning with the creation of Coty Chypre in 1917. The main combination of patchouli, oak moss, labdanum and bergamot had and still has a mysterious air, harmonious and bucolic, as a fragrant utopian paradise that can be developed in many ways, still keeping its main aspects of abstraction, harmony and mystery. Just as Shangri-la, chypre classics can be seen by some as a lost paradise in time at which you want to be or a a scary and oppressive place outside the reality perhaps even more if we compare the dense and multifaceted character of a classic chypre with less complex aura of a current perfume, made to be easily understood and please the greatest number of people.
In Shangri-la, Hiram Green recreates the bucolic paradise of Coty Chypre and Mitsouko. It’s like for me they had never changed because of restrictions or changes in consumer taste. Still, Shangri-la is not exactly a copy of any of them, not having so evident peach lactone aroma of Mitsouko or more dry and earthy aura of Chypre. In Shangri-la I realize more obviously the sweet and bitter bergamot nuances, which briefly gives me a mouthwatering effect. It is the opening to a beautiful scent of jasmine, sweet, with a hint of orange and grape, a subtle link with Moon Bloom. Jasmine here avoids the austere tone of the classic chypre and its more evident presence that is the most enchanting side of this paradise for me. The iris appears to confer a controlled earthy touch, elegant, which evolves into a woody base, harmonic, less dense in labdanum and patchouli and with more vetiver in the composition.
In fact, some ideas stop in time. Not because they become old, but perhaps they have always existed and we as humans just discovered its wonders and associate with that time. I just see this natural creation, a harmonious paradise, abstraction, a reminder of a past classic that can be revived and appreciated. I understand that I am among the group of people who would not mind living in this utopia of a past where quality, art and creativity were more important.
jxq777Diobtetty – :
A gorgeous, old school chypre. I get juicy spiced peach with a dash of citrus that deepens into a sensual mossy base. There is something leathered and animalic as well. Not overpowering, but definitely present. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there is something very womanly about this perfume, definitely not for little girls.
I’m amazed that this is an all-natural since it has amazing longevity and has a complexity that I wouldn’t have associated with a “natural”.
nice22g – :
I purchased my sample from Luckyscent and transferred to a spray bottle because IMO, sprays wear different than dabs.
But either way, this is a thinking persons perfume. First spray was quite earthy, musky.. a bit funky like being in a moist humid place. I got peach but it was gone way too quickly….Then somebody shows up chewing Bazooka Gum…lol Yes I really did get that note and considering as a kid I chewed it quite a bit, its smell has been hammered into my olfactory memory.
The next phase is smoky, a bit corniferous, with just a wee bit of moth balls and candles made of beeswax, all of which is overlaying a sweet carnation/clove and planks of wood. Kind of like being in a cabin in the woods.
I don’t doubt I will need to test again as it changes so much. There are very clear layers in this fume which I can appreciate, though they are sometimes quite hard to pick out. They float interchangebly with each other, and sometimes one note because 3d, over another.
Any peach I got was in the beginning and gone in a flash, It was however, one interesting flash. I wish I could have smelled it more. I will need to retest in a warmer weather situation because this fume shows a lot of promise.
Longevity is excellent, 6-8 hours and sillage on 2 sprays is impressive. A person with drier skin than mine may need to spray more but not by much.
The things I don’t like, which could totally prevent me from buying from this house, is that I abhor bulb sprayers. They’re terrible, cludgy and are more about looks than function. Pricewise though, I think its very fair for what you get.
As I delve deeper into the natural side of perfumes, I’m sensing that you just can’t discount “natural” as being synoymouse with poor sillage and longevity because thats certainly not the case from the brands I’m trying out at the moment, including this one.