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Retrospect - 318

Name: Retrospect - 318 Eau de Parfum
Brand: The Essence Vault

The Essence Vault Retrospect - 318 is an Eau de Parfum. Retrospect - 318 opens with Pear and Aldehydes, settles into a heart of Rose, Jasmine, Iris, and Violet, and dries down to a base of Musk, Vanilla, and Moss. The Essence Vault's Retrospect - 318 carries a Favourite verdict, a floral-led wear.

Inspired by Merit's Retrospect, No. 318 leans hard into the aldehyde-and-orris vintage lipstick accord that made the original a hit, but flattens out fast on skin. The powdery violet-musk heart is there, the pear opening is louder and syrupier, and where Retrospect lingers for hours this fades to a soft skin scent within two to three.

What our verdicts mean →

Nostalgic
Powdery
Romantic
Understated

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Inspired by

Retrospect by Merit

88%

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Our estimate of scent similarity, calculated from published notes. How we score it

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Retrospect the original Retrospect - 318 inspired by

Scent Profile

Composition

Timeline

Showing: Overall Blend

Topas listed

Aldehydes60%

Pear40%

Heartas listed

Iris33%

Violet30%

Jasmine18%

Rose18%

Baseas listed

Musk48%

Vanilla29%

Moss24%

Top, heart and base are the brand's own listing, not a timing claim - the industry classifies a note by its character as much as by how fast it fades. Each curve here is modelled from that material's own volatility, so groups can overlap when a house lists long-lasting materials in its heart.

ScentArt

Notes

Top

Heart

Base

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ScentArt Gallery What is ScentArt?

Performance & Mood

Performance

Longevity

Moderate (4-6h)

Projection

Moderate

Intensity

Moderate

Mood

Mood Energising

Calming

Character Playful

Serious

Sentiment Uplifting

Brooding

When To Wear

Best Seasons

Best For:

Spring Fall Winter

Community season votes for Merit Retrospect, the fragrance this is built to match, favour spring, autumn and winter.

Best Occasions

Best For:

Office Casual Sport

Also Works:

Date Formal

Wearers put Merit Retrospect, the fragrance this is built to match, at its best for the office, casual wear and sport.

Ingredients and allergens

We don't have this fragrance's ingredient list yet.

Ethics and formulation

We report other people's certifications, never our own. Every claim links to its source.

Cruelty-free Brand-declared The Essence Vault says so · no third-party certification found · Read the claim

Certification covers a brand's whole range. Part-range claims show on the brand page.

About

No. 318 takes on Merit's Retrospect, a fragrance built around the specific nostalgia of vintage lipstick - that powdery, slightly waxy floral-aldehyde accord that reads as glamorous and a little melancholic at once. The dupe opens with a similar sparkling burst of aldehydes and pear, though the pear is pitched sweeter and more synthetic here than the crisp original. The heart is where the resemblance is strongest: orris and violet do the heavy lifting, giving that same cosmetic, almost powder-compact character, with jasmine and rose adding a soft floral wash rather than distinct facets. The base settles into musk, vanilla, and moss, aiming for the same warm, intimate trail as Retrospect's extrait-strength finish. The gap shows up in performance and depth - Merit's version is a nearly 30% extrait that unfolds in layers over half a day, while No. 318 is a lighter eau de parfum that reads two-dimensional by comparison and taps out within a few hours. Still, for anyone chasing that specific vintage-lipstick mood without the extrait price tag, this gets close enough on the surface.