Forest nymph, Viktoria Minya Hedonist Cassis

Perfume as something indulging, something that brings pure pleasure. Perfume as a symbol of hedonism was the idea Hungarian perfumer Viktoria Minya had in her mind when she established her own fragrance house and launched her 1st composition simply named – Hedonist. Over two years have passed since then and the range is slowly getting bigger. After Hedonist met two sisters in 2014, in 2015 a third sister joins the family. She comes dressed in purple.

Hedonist Cassis opens with a very specific aroma of cut grass. First of all it smells very fresh and green. I also find something slightly sappy and juicy about this note. You are probably familiar with the smell of lawn mowing. That’s how the opening smells to me – green sap from grass, the feeling of freshness. There is also something a bit watery, dewy in the opening. Just as if someone decided to mow the lawn really early in the morning before the Sun helps a morning dew to evaporate.

Just a few minutes later green cut grass accord is followed by cassis. It quickly starts to dominate in the composition of new Hedonist, pushing forward this interesting tart aroma. Personally I am not a fan of cassis perfumes. In this particular creation I find this accord to be a bit chilly in its initial stage. Once it settles on the skin it turns a little bit camphorous and mentholated on me. What I smell kind of reminds me of Airwaves Cool Cassis chewing gum. I even liked the way it smelled and tasted and Hedonist Cassis goes a bit that way for me. After some period of time I seem to notice very faint fruity facet of black currant but it’s not in official notes. It’s probably a side effect from cassis.

After 1,5 hours Hedonist Cassis starts to smell more of rose and this aroma is gradually growing stronger, though it doesn’t become dominating at all. Rose introduces a nice floral touch to the blend by effusing the aroma that is gentle and serene. Petals are silky here, a little bit dewy also. Their color would be some shade between beige and light pink – definitely nothing bright and bold when it comes to color. Going down the structure of Viktoria’s new fragrance I finally reach the base. It’s woody thanks to cedar wood. It feels substantial but in a mellow way. You can smell its presence there but the weight of the note had to be kept low to match the whole concept. Also I find this cedar to be well-mannered: woodsy and not dirty.

Hedonist Cassis by Viktoria Minya embodies serene and grace in the fragrance universe. It’s a pretty and nice combination of fresh, green and aromatic notes with floral and woody touches. Obviously this new offering is more modest than its rich, lush & opulent predecessor. Saying that it fits well together with Hedonist Rose and Hedonist Iris which were also lighter. I would rate sillage or Cassis as moderate and longevity as good. I could smell it for around 6 hours after using 2-3 small smudges from my sample. One more note – this is a very feminine, very girly perfume. I don’t see too many gents wearing it on regular basis. This review finishes with a mini story I came up with:

There was this young lady. Cassie was her name. She was a little bit more than just an average girl. She was not a star as shyness was her biggest, invisible scar. Surrounded by old friends, not many, but faithful ones; she knew she’d open up to people, that this will happen once. Her voice was sweet like berries and lips were pink as rose; Pale skin, round cheeks and little graceful nose. She loved wearing girly dresses in her favorite purple hue; One day when she grows up she’ll break a heart or two.

New fragrance is available in eau de parfum concentration. Bottle is 45 ml and has purple bohemian crystals immersed in the fragrant juice. Do you think you might like it?