Mary Celestia
Lili Bermuda (2014)

Mary Celestia (2014)

This limited edition scent by Lili Bermuda has been well received by most reviewers and those I know who have purchased bottles. It however really seems to be a matter of personal taste as to whether it is embraced or shunned and the refusal of the Lili Bermuda company to offer sample vials does seem a “shoot yourself in your own foot” sort of marketing, as who nowadays is going to spend more than $200 on a scent as a blind buy. I hear it is now reduced to about half that amount.

What does it smell of? At first you get a citrus blast of grapefruit, bergamot, orange blossom and neroli, so you are getting an orange dominated opening. The neroli is strong enough to last well into the dry down.

A simple combo of rosewood, ambergris and musk provides the support and thus we have in the middle the effects of an orange-dominated “woods” category of scent. It is very nice, not very unisex, far more feminine to my way of thinking.

It is not special in any way, but one does have the assurance that the company does not use chemicals or synthetics, so you are getting the real deal here.

Worth a try, but do try to find someone who can provide you with a sniff first. The only alternative is to spend $25 for an “atomizer refill.”

The backstory on Mary Celestia is interesting and certainly a worthy read on the Lili Bermuda website and news articles.

Certainly the "eau de cologne" concept that was about as popular in the nineteenth century as it remains today is explored in Mary Celestia, a freshie rooted in familiar citrus notes, which serve in a rather brief hour-long opening that soon dries down, with a hint of rose, into a bed of amber, and more interestingly, rosewood. The rosewood is the wildcard in Mary Celestia, the note that gives the whole mix some character and in which the fragrance really resides mostly for the latter part of its life. The rosewood/amber leaves a sweet and even slightly spicy residue following the freshness at the opening, and it's pleasant and unusual in this respect.

Now it's fair to point out that it's, at best, a moderate performer, but probably a pretty good performer when consideration its composition, as fragrances like it tend to be rather fleeting. The rosewood/amber combination lingers around for several hours, though.

Performance notwithstanding, Mary Celestia is one of my favorite freshies. It's also the fragrance whose story drew me to the house somewhat.

I highly recommend trying this one out, even to indulge your curiosity, if you have any for it.

8 out of 10

Bottles 1039 and 1082.

If you missed out on this then you're out of time. Limited to 1864 units to commemorate the year of the ship sinking, it has sold out.

Blast of grapefruit drying down into a rosewood heavy, very pleasant fragrance. Very neutral, very inoffensive. Lasts surprisingly long for how light the fragrance seems. Bottle comes in a Bermuda cedar box. The bottle itself is adorned with a replica of the commemorative coin that circulated Bermuda.