Coccobello: Welcome to the Jungle

Coccobello by James Heeley
Floral Green
James Heeley

When I first smelled Coccobello I was almost repulsed by it. It is an intensely green floral naturalistic coconut smell. Very different to all the lactonic gourmand coconuts we are used to. There is a note of palm leaf that amplifies the green natural character.

Later, I sniffed Cocobello in the air and I thought hmm, what is this pleasant beauty salon smell? Somehow it smells like a spa resort hotel lobby. I am still not sure if I want to wear Cocobello but in the air, it certainly works. It would be interesting to smell Coccobello in a candle.

This is the type of scent that one must get used to because it is not your mass-pleasing female aroma. When your taste in fragrances matures, Coccobello will start growing on you. All I can say is if it is not your thing, do not despise it immediately, give it some time because you may crave this perfume later. You can exclude it from your collection anytime anyway.

Menthe Fraiche: Green Herbal Tea in Suit

Menthe Fraiche by James Heeley
Citrus Aromatic
James Heeley

Menthe Fraiche is one of the first fragrances by James Heeley that became widely known. It is a simple green herbal composition. It plays well with mint which is difficult to tackle in perfumery. Again, we will not find many scents that are mint-dominant for various reasons, the above included.

Apart from the obvious mint, there are green tea, bergamot, freesia, lotus and cedar. I like green tea in perfumes. It is the strong black tea that usually bothers me.

I can smell the green tea aroma here together with mint, some florals and wood and I must admit that this combination particularly does not sit well with me. The smell stays green in and out, and the fresh herbal elements are not grounded enough for my personal taste. A long story short, it is a natural watery freshie and if this is what you want, good for you. It is definitely unique, soft and refined but more masculine than unisex.

Zeste de Gingembre: A New Era of Clean Ginger

Zeste de Gingembre by James Heeley
Citrus Aromatic
James Heeley

Zeste de Gingembre brings an unusual motion of ginger to the table. The perfume combines zingy notes like lime, orange peel and ginger together with sweet cardamom and spicy pink pepper. It brings an interesting contrast that makes a balanced unique combination that creates wonders on your skin and clothes.

It is zesty refreshing citrus with a sweet and spicy dry-down. Although there are no aldehydes whatsoever, the scent is somewhat soapy in the base which makes you feel clean and put together. It is a true delight suited to a demanding bourgeois clientele.

As is common with most James Heeley perfumes, Zeste de Gingembre is a genderless scent, leaning teeny-tiny masculine. In other words, if you are a woman who enjoys unisex slash almost masculine scents, Zeste de Gingembre is going to be your gem.

In terms of uniqueness, we cannot forget that there are not many ginger-focused fragrances out there. Ginger is usually blended with white florals in female compositions. Zeste de Gingembre is a new minimalistic approach to ginger that is wearable at all times. Lasting power and projection are fine as well. It is difficult to dislike this aroma unless you are a fan of typically girly scents.

Note de Yuzu: A Potent Zingy Citrus Blast

Note de Yuzu by James Heeley
Citrus Aromatic
James Heeley

Eau de Parfum Note de Yuzu is my first experience with James Heeley fragrances. James Heeley is an Englishman and co-owner of Heeley Parfums based in France. He creates natural light and simple scents which are nicely composed and individual. He does every detail of the process in-house, including for example recyclable packaging.

Note de Yuzu is “surprisingly” a yuzu dominant fragrance. Yuzu smells sweet and bitter and in this fragrance, is combined with grapefruit which adds to the bitterness. The opening is a splash of fresh bitter citrus, very refreshing, leaning a tiny bit masculine. It is the kind of Pomelo Paradis by Atelier Cologne burst of zest.

Heeley indeed knows how to make a good citrus scent. If you are a bitter citrus lover, you are going to get crazy over it; however, for my individual taste, it is too much sharpness in one spray. The aroma also sets rather flat from my point of view, there are other notes like sea salt, seaweed, vetiver and musk which are overshadowed by the bright sparkling fruits. Yet still, it makes a powerful aromatic, totally wearable for both sexes anytime anywhere.