Fleurs de Sel
Miller Harris (2007)

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.."

Now that we got that out of the way, the idea of salt, herbs, and flowers sounded really appealing to me, as I have a distinct affinity for herbal and aromatic notes, and Fleurs de Sel showcases them in a nuanced, naturalistic manner typical of Miller Harris. The saline quality is immediately evident in the arresting top notes, and reminds me of walks along the New England coast, particularly the rockier shorelines that brim with seaside plants: juniper, bayberry, sea rocket, sandwort. The rosemary note really imparts this quality and always gives me this impression of this savory saltiness, while the thyme is a bit more of camphorous earthiness.

As Fleurs de Sel simmers down, the salt effect is more pronounced, but the green herbs yield to their more woody characteristics, and this hint of rose that *almost* reminds me of the beach rose (Rosa rugosa) that is ubiquitous on our NE coasts. Ever so subtle, the leather in this fragrance almost serves to extend the herbal quality into the base; one can draw parallels that may at first seem unlikely, but then in the discrete whole of the composition, seem to make perfect sense.

A lovely accompaniment that has sadly been discontinued.

In a sense it starts very Mediterranean. It is salty, hot and dry. I can not get any of the flowers. May be some woods but after an hour vetiver and amber like note dominates which is not enjoyable for me.

Cologne
Tang
Citrus
Bergamot
Air
Seascape
Yes, it's a tad old fashioned 60s or 70s aftershave .... a bit like Azzaro pour Homme that I gave away ... thought my father might like it!
No not for me!

The opening is packed with aromatic herbs and dominated by a salty note. There are definitely woods in the background and a faint leather note. The intensity drops a lot after the first half hour, but the fragrance doesn't change too much. It smells like a salty breeze over a garden of herbs.

I start to smile when I get that back of the nose spiky salty herby rush, and feel like I'm in my element every time I get a waft of bracing seaside. Nothing pina colada about this one - it's the sea I know and love - based on Brittany which is similar to my home ground in the West of Ireland. This scent has a lovely grounding effect on me. Wearing it, I feel at home on the planet and I swear it makes me feel physically fitter! It reminds me in a way of peat smoke, along with the briny sea. I also love the dried gorse herby edge which reminds me of winds blowing on clifftops or dunes. FdS is one of a small group of 'virtual reality' perfumes that evoke a landscape or environment for me rather than recalling specific memories related to people or events in my life.

I opened a sample vial of Fleurs de Sel expecting a rosy bouquet of fresh triteness to greet my nose and was summarily knocked on my bottom. The floral notes in this composition are utterly subjugated by clove and leather in a way that instantly brought to mind the Marquis de Sade fragrance, and the texture and scent combined made me feel that FdS may very well have been inspired by aftershaves from the 60's. Yes, clove writ large, with its buddies leather and moss, the latter giving off that tiny suggestion of wintergreen, dominate this fragrance, while the flowers are lovely echoes in the back end of a dark cave.
I have now reviewed two Miller Harris creations tonight (and my first two at that) and I must say my interest is piqued.