Hermetica FigFever  photo by Cynthia

When the wanderlust hits, whether it’s from quarantine, the ‘new-normal’ of teleworking and not traveling like before, or just because life is too busy, I travel with perfume. With perfume you can travel wherever you want, if you let your imagination take over. Come with me – I am taking an exhilarating, soul-refreshing trip to the hot, lush jungle and urban sophistication of Panama City, Panama with Hermetica’s FigFever.

Hermetica was launched in 2018 by Clara and John Molloy, the founders of Memo Paris and Floraiku.They introduced Hermetica “molecular” eaux de parfums which are clean, green, refillable, alcohol-free fragrances that are good for your skin and the environment. Hermetica uses unique patented technology – Innoscent™ – developed by Symrise, which is a first-ever in the fragrance industry. The Hermetica line is packaged in striking, sleek, green lacquered glass bottles, and for every bottle sold on their website, Hermetica will plant one tree. Aside from the bottles and scents being gorgeous, the fragrances are also long-lasting, moisturizing, paraben and cruelty free, and vegan.

Panama City and Jungle image via Unsplash

As we board our flight to Panama City, Panama, there is already an air of relaxed excitement in the air onboard the plane.  Everyone is chatting and is casually yet tastefully dressed, in the colors of the tropics.  Is that handsome man trying to make eye-contact with me across the aisle? The flight crew is smiling, welcoming and seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves.  I look around the plane – it is decorated in bright colors; comfortable plush seats and each passenger has their own personal headset.  I put them on – what music is this playing?  Merengue?  Salsa?  Tango?  I’m not sure, but I start to move with the addictive beat in my seat and realize everyone else is too.  A flight attendant comes to my seat with a complimentary green-colored cocktail, garnished with beautiful, bright fruit.  I take a sip – it’s decadently delicious, slightly sweet, fruity and icy cool.  I sit back, close my eyes, relax and absorb this festive, friendly atmosphere and enjoy this moment.

Hermetica FigFever, image courtesy of Hermetica

Hermetica FigFever encapsulates this feeling by taking the fleshy, green fig leaf molecule, and in genius alchemy combining it with luscious black current and festive-fresh mandarin for a cool, refreshing and sweet-fruity pleasure. As we descend on final approach to Panama City, the clouds part to reveal a sparkling, modern, steel metropolis that looks like it has sprouted straight out of this dense, dark green, seemingly impenetrable rainforest.  The water below surrounding the city is so hyper-blue that I would swear it is colored by a highlighter. It looks incredibly fresh against the humid lushness of the rainforest, and the structure of the city. Hermetica FigFever unites this fun, sweet-fruity wave with modish, powdery florals and woody notes to mirror the feeling of hot sun and cool shade on skin, like going from a sunny garden to the shade between city skyscrapers downtown.

Panama City at night, image via Unsplash

We get to our hotel, and are escorted through the immaculate, stylish lobby. We pass a lounge where that same infectious music, laughter and people’s animated conversations are spilling out into the hallway. I travel on to my also-stylish room.  It’s cool inside, pastel hued and very elegant.  I can’t wait to crawl into this beautiful bed tonight with these crisp, soft sheets and fluffy pillows, but first, I am off to the beach and the city.  I change to my beach clothes, open my veranda door, and am hit with an intense besiege of lush tropical foliage, every color of green imaginable – and brightly colored flowers everywhere – even in the trees! There is a multi-layered effect looking up into the rainforest canopy, as if the treetops keep going to touch the sky. In the canopy are what sounds like a hundred different species of birds chirping. I follow a narrow path through this immensely dense foliage of wonder and emerge to that same cerulean water I saw from my window on the plane.  I take a deep breath – it’s fresh, humid, clean and earthy – restorative.

 

image via Unsplash

Hermetica FigFever has this same duality of lush, wild, jungle meeting refined, elegant urban modernity. The vegetal, fleshy fig, the hypnotic floral trail of Jasmine, Rose, Iris and Lily of the Valley and the golden-hued woody amber notes of Myrrh Oil, Patchouli Oil and Tonka combine to create an air of refined, modern allure. I lay my towel down between two emerald-green palm trees with their fronds dangling down to meet the turquoise water and feel the humid heat and sun on my skin.  I hear music in the distance, and see people on the beach together laughing, talking and dancing, and kids running and playing.  There is a man walking the beach selling empanadas and ice cream from a small colorful cart.  I look out at the ocean through the shading palm fronds, the bright sun shining off the water and silver city skyscrapers in the distance and marvel at how much feeling this place holds.

Floaties and beach sun fun, image via Unsplash

Hermetica FigFever captures this jubilant, carnival, relaxing atmosphere – the sun on your skin, the soft air around you, the exuberant feeling of sand and water at your feet and enjoyment all around you. As I smell the mix of jungle, ocean and city, I decide I will go explore that chic, cosmopolitan city later tonight after this marvelous sun sets, have more cool green cocktails, dance, laugh and see what the evening brings.

Complementary notes: Apple, Mandarin Molecule, Cardamom Oil, Clary Sage Oil, Fig, Rose, Lily of the Valley, Iris, Cinnamon Oil, Jasmine, Vetiver Heart, Plum, Myrrh Oil, Patchouli Oil, Tonka, Moss

Cynthia Hunter, Contributor

Disclosure: Thanks to Europerfumes for my beautiful bottle of Hermetica FigFever – the opinions are my own.

Hermetica Fig Fever by Cynthia

Thanks to the generosity of Europerfumes, the USA distributor, we have a tester 50 ml bottle of FigFever for one registered reader in the USA.  You must be a registered CaFleureBon reader (if you are not sure if you are registered click here To be eligible please leave a comment ON THIS SITE with what you enjoyed about Cynthia’s review. Draw closes 11/16/2021

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