Realist

Realist follows a monk climbing a mountain at dawn, the cold night giving way to morning, with a yuzu and his prayer incense in his pack. It opens with lemon, bergamot and yuzu sharpened by pepper. The heart brings fresh marine notes, petitgrain, black tea, cedar and a little rose. Vetiver, hinoki wood, incense, amber and immortelle give a quiet, dry, woody base. Wearers find it refreshing and recognisable but not an easy blind buy. Some enjoy a seaside-breakfast mood, with the marine note balanced by citrus and petitgrain and the tea bridging into a woody base. Others find the lemon and yuzu overwhelming or liken it to cleaner or fresh laundry, and a few say it turns sour or green on skin. It is described as uplifting and energetic more than calming, which sits a little apart from the meditative story. One wearer finds it works better on fabric and in the air than on skin. The vote sample is small and divided: dislike votes match like votes, with a large neutral group, and longevity votes spread from weak to eternal while projection stays moderate or close. Most season picks are spring and summer, and day votes far outnumber night. Realist is the pair of Fantasist, and the house says they can be layered in either order. It suits warm-weather, daytime wear for someone who likes sharp citrus with a woody, tea-like finish. Sample first. It is a 50ml extrait de parfum with a 20% oil concentrate.