Aroma M- Geisha Green Perfume Oil

Geisha Green, despite its name, is the masculine fragrance from Aroma M by Maria Mcelroy. It's centered around absinthe, and I have to admit it smelled quite scary before and right after it hit my skin. When I say scary I mean perversely green and also like a soapy aftershave, which probably has something to do with the presence of violet leaf, a note that I instinctively connect with the likes of Grey Flannel. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but Geisha Green is far more interesting and delicious that it appears at first sniff.

Absinthe, the Green Fairy, smells strongly of licorice. The full impact of this note arrives when the oil warms up and interacts with the skin, and as the sweeter notes start to infuse the anise blend. Geisha Green becomes fuller and juicier without losing the green facet. Sweet and delicious, this Aroma M perfume oil is haunting. It swirls and draws circles around me, offering shreds of memories and ideas that almost materialize before something else replaces them.

Anise, powdery amber and a deep emotion, Geisha Green is almost like a serpentine green offspring of L'Heure Bleue. It's not as wistful as the classic Guerlain nor is it as sweet, but I suspect it's sexier. By the time Geisha Green is in full bloom on my skin I forget all about the supposed  masculinity and just go with it. Longevity of the perfume oil is phenomenal, projection and sillage are very low, making Geisha Green more of an intimate experience, though nearests and dearests will notice it. Both men and women should sample, as long as they can deal with anise and licorice.

Notes: absinthe, black currant, violet, mandarin, amber, tonka.

Aroma M- Geisha Green ($55, 1/4oz perfume oil) is available from Luckyscent and aromam.com (look for link to the store at the bottom left of the homepage). The sample for this review was sent for my consideration by the perfumer.