Top: Blood Orange, Lavender, Lemon Peel

Mid: Licorice, Cinnamon, Anise, White Florals

Base: Caramel, Vanilla Bean, Musk

I was pretty hesitant due to the lavender, anis, and licorice. Emerald went in and out of my cart many times over the past year. I’ve been in a lemon-vanilla frenzy these past few months so I decided to be adventurous and see how these notes would work together. Of course, everyone describes Emerald (Lira) as a “lemon pound cake”. As a recovering lemon dessert addict, I can say confidently, not a lemon pound cake. Surprisingly, not really gourmand imho. 

What I’m getting: opens with blood orange, which I would describe as a mild grapefruit + orange, with a slight zest. Citrus seems to evaporate from my skin in the first 30-45minutes (at least for now). The lavender, anis, and licorice are gentle, a little cold and powdery. None stick out over the other and instead seem to be fused creating a fresh powdery sweetness. As someone who generally dislikes lavender and licorice, I’m impressed both are present and I’m still enjoying the scent, so well done. The cinnamon is adding a bit of warmth, becoming more perceptible as the citrus fades. If the white florals are doing anything here, it’s creamy and a touch green. Caramel can easily annoy me, often feeling sticky, cloying, artificial. I don’t pick up on a conventional, overly sweet caramel note here. Maybe the caramel is adding a delicate splash of sweetness, in the same way it behaves in Khadlaj Empire Victor. I start losing interest as Emerald dries down. The citrus fades, everything becomes less fresh, the cinnamon becomes more apparent, and the vanilla takes on a smoky quality. In the drydown, Emerald gets darker and ultimately becomes a spiced vanilla-musk. 

Freshly unboxed, projection is soft. I could faintly detect 8-10hours as a skin scent. Something I would reach for on a drizzly, cozy day indoors, or whenever I want a spiced vanilla that isn’t doing too much. Totally unisex. Although the spice is gentle, it has a darker complexion, which means I’ll probably not pull for this in very high heat. I think I’ll find myself reaching for Emerald in transitional weather or whenever I just want a light, interesting, gourmand-ish flavor. It’s nice, but I’m pretty neutral on this one. I enjoy a citrus that holds on throughout the wear. Per my tastes, compared to my collection of citrusy-vanillas, Emerald doesn’t stack up. Not terribly disappointed, but not a favorite either. 

Riiffs Fleurie Emerald (Xerjoff Lira):