Meridian

Meridian opens on pomegranate, tart and dry rather than juicy, the kind of fruit that reads more like a splash of grenadine on freshly split wood than a fruit cup. Brand copy calls it "the quintessence of love" and pitches a sweet-fruity character, but the actual scent is cooler than that suggests. The heart settles into plum, which wearers describe as fresh with a slight tinge of sweetness and a sharp, almost green air running through it; many readers, even those wearing it on women's recommendation, agree it skews masculine-leaning despite the for-women tag. The dry-down is patchouli, a real earthy-woody patchouli rather than a chocolate one, which gives Meridian its Saltworks-typical grounded finish. Projection is moderate and intimate rather than loud, longevity around four hours at Extrait concentration. Best worn in spring and fall when the pomegranate tartness can breathe; less at home in peak summer heat or the depths of winter. It is a casual and date fragrance by default, office-safe, too close-in for formal occasions. Meridian sits in a small family with the brand's Pomegranate Amber, sharing the fruit-patchouli spine, though Meridian is the cooler and sharper of the two. A pomegranate-patchouli fruity for wearers who want something genuinely unusual over the standard indie aquatic or gourmand default.