Pigmentarium Genesis Review (Jakub Hiermann) 2022 + “summer’s end” giveaway

Pigmentarium Genesis

Pigmentarium Genesis, photo by Nicoleta©

“The sun had not yet risen. The sea was indistinguishable from the sky, except that the sea was slightly creased as if a cloth had wrinkles in it. Gradually as the sky whitened a dark line lay on the horizon dividing the sea from the sky and the grey cloth became barred with thick strokes moving, one after another, beneath the surface, following each other, pursuing each other, perpetually.” *

Remember, when you were a kid, how the last days of summer felt? When the rays of light tilted, casting longer, reddish shadows, and the very air around you began to shift, whispering the promises of something beautifully new and delightfully unfamiliar. The beginning of the end of the endless holiday. Childhood is that time when we all practice the natural “mindfulness,” so present, so aware of sensations, so rooted in the now. And I got to relive it, again, this summer, by the sea, watching the waves and re-learning to melt down time and make it flow slowly, and steadily, as it once did. And I have my kid to thank for showing my inner child the path that is so easily forgotten.

Fresh morning air, in the first hours of the last weekend of summer. This is how, in short, Pigmentarium Genesis feels to me.

Pigmentarium Genesis is a great perfume for end of summer

AI generated image of the sea, edit by Nicoleta©

“There is the white house lying among the trees. It lies down there ever so far beneath us. We shall sink like swimmers just touching the ground with the tips of their toes. We shall sink through the green air of the leaves, Susan. We sink as we run. The waves close over us, the beech leaves meet above our heads.” *

From the first seconds, there is a gust of cool wind that startles you with its intensity. Feels just like that heart-stopping moment when you jump from the rocky cliffs into the deep waters and feel the coolness of the sea infusing your veins, foamy and icy cold. You ascend and hang on a rock while the lungs fill up and you take deep breaths, hands slipping and borrowing the green herbal mossy imprint of the sea stones. The scent feels like a green gust of wind that runs above the waters, touching the waves, and changing their shape.

 “The flowers swim like fish made of light upon the dark, green waters. I hold a stalk in my hand. I am the stalk. My roots go down to the depths of the world, through earth dry with brick, and damp earth, through veins of lead and silver. I am all fibre. All tremors shake me, and the weight of the earth is pressed to my ribs. Up here my eyes are green leaves, unseeing.”*

Pigmentarium Genesis

AI generated image of a meadow, edit by Nicoleta©

Herbal, cool, airy, clean, with the bay leaves that bring to mind forgotten memories, the vision shifts to the image of a meadow, the impossible green-ness of the grass, the bite of the bitter granny smith apple, the innocent cleanness of the lily of the valley. In the shade, a tall glass of unsweetened lemonade brings to mind promises of hesperidic delights, but in this case, the effect is carefully constructed from other notes, with the verbena, and the bay leaves adding the realistic, bitter deep touches. Pure, uncorrupted, this is a version of paradise in Technicolor high saturation, almost fluorescent in its uncanny brightness.

If you think “freshies” are just scented necessities you are forced into by the summer heat, but never fall in love with one, Pigmentarium Genesis might just change your mind. Stays quite close to the skin, but with good longevity and has added special effects, as the lung-opening airy feel and the effect of breezy coolness is obtained without pulling the usual citric rabbits out of its hat. Overall – an intelligent, well-rounded, and refreshing scent, light enough to be worn on the hottest of days yet with enough depth to make you come back for more, even after summer’s end.

“I am rooted. But I flow”*.

*All the quoted excerpts taken from Virginia Wolf, The Waves

Editor’s note: Pigmentarium is an independent Czech perfume house founded in 2018 by the creative duo Tomáš Ric and Jakub Hiermann. With Tomáš’s flair for fashion, there’s an evident aesthetic touch in all the elements of the brand – be it in the striking visuals, the polished luxury of its packaging, or the unique scent profiles that defy conventional trends.

Top: laurel, aldehydes; Middle: verbena, lily of the valley, green apple; Base: fig leaves, rosewood, musk, amber

Nicoleta Tomsa, Senior Editor

Disclosure:  Bottle gifted by the brand, opinions are my own

Genesis by Pigmentarium

Pigmentarium Genesis via the brand

Thanks to the generosity of Pigmentarium we have a 50 ml bottle of Pigmentarium Genesis for one registered reader in the EU or USA. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Nicoleta’s review and where you live. Draw closes 8/29/2023

​Please enjoy Emmanuelle’s review of Pigmentarium Murmur and my review of Erotikon.

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32 comments

  • Michele Miller says:

    I am curious. This is not the kind of fragrance I typically gravitate toward but the notes, and your review, make it enticing!

  • Sorohan Adriana says:

    Verbena, lily of the valley, and green apple symbolizing fragile innocence sparkle in its heart. The scent of fig leaves, rosewood, musk, and ambergris develops in the base of the perfume. I am from EU

  • olgAPOISON says:

    Omg love the Apple, love that houses from Chech Republic. I feel this summer ending with very intense vibes. Days are getting shorter and this aounds like a scenttrak for it. Im from eu

  • Jeremi says:

    The herbal, cool, airy and clean notes really spark my interest because I love such refreshing compositions, they bring in freshness and cool down minds. I live in Trzebnica, Poland, EU.

  • mdellaroc says:

    How exciting, a Czech company! That is very interesting, and probably offers a different take on perfumery. I would be excited to try this. In maryland.

  • Teresa A says:

    Wow, the description of late summer in childhood grabbed me but the fragrance of sea and field truly calls. I live in the US

  • psebi101 says:

    Yes, I do have a vivid memory from when I was a kid that I was helping my dad at doing some maintenance at my grandparents house’s roof and, although it was sunny, there were wisps of cool wind and I was realizing that it’s the end of the summer. What a nice idea to make a perfume and I like the Genesis name. The notes sound like a transition from the summer.
    I’m in the EU.

  • Nikolina_84 says:

    Based on Nicoleta’s review, this really sparked my interest: “Herbal, cool, airy, clean, with the bay leaves that bring to mind forgotten memories, the vision shifts to the image of a meadow, the impossible green-ness of the grass, the bite of the bitter granny smith apple, the innocent cleanness of the lily of the valley. Pure, uncorrupted, this is a version of paradise in Technicolor high saturation, almost fluorescent in its uncanny brightness.”
    Hugs from Croatia, EU ❤️

  • Sonbahia says:

    Nice review Nicoleta! I agree with you 100% about your feelings about thet end of the endless holiday when children. Not yet in the end of summer here in Spain, but the feeling of watching the waves in a fresh morning air in the beach is magic and it seems that Pigmentarium Genesis were able to put it in a flask. Herbal, cool, airy, clean is Genesis with the bay leaves (not so used in perfumery) to feel the green grass. The unsweetened lemony green that has the help of verbena, lily of the valley and green apple too. We are used to “freshies”, as you call it, because the big brands marketing machine sell them: citrus for all. Genesis does the trick without it with this refreshing scent, light when needed and with depth when heat says bye. I live in Spain, EU.

  • Patricia R. says:

    Green gust of cool wind bringing out memories but also this cool air of promises – as a child or as an adult – what will the autumn bring? Especially after unbearable and boring heat of stagnant summer. It is promises, hopes, it is like a new year for me, we can start thinking of new projects, embrace another type of weather, nature that grew with us… Long gone from the school, weather and nature is perpetual school, knowledge passed that way imprint a different knowledge. At the same time, the first quote and the name of this fragrance brings expectations when the Earth hasnt seen the Sun yet and the sea was surrounding the Earth at the creation. A very first sunrise.
    Thank you from Slovakia

  • danceforjoy says:

    Nicoleta’s reference to this slowing down to cling to the last moments of summer and holiday truly resonates with me. A fragrance that matches this transition sounds delightful! I appreciate the possibility of freshness without the citrus, while still having depth. Would love to try Pigmentarium Genesis! Thank you for this generous draw. I live in NH, USA.

  • zibbyz says:

    I’m interested in the lily of the valley, along with the fig and bay lanes. I do love green scents, too, and this sounds different. I’m in the US. Thank you.

  • MoSho says:

    I wake up and open the eindows, deeply inhaling the air of the early morning, when the sun isn’t up yet. The air has a certain smell, one that’s not yet tainted with our dirt (the usual pollution, ya know).
    Its smell is not fragrancey, if I can use this term, but reading Nicoleta’s review, that’s what I think the morning air, when the world is half asleep, should smell, as a perfume meant for wearing.
    Thanks for the review and the draw, from EU.

  • cnii says:

    I love the Virignia Woolf quotes, Nicoleta! I also love your description of Pigmentarium Genesis as like jumping into the cold ocean…I definitely want to smell that!
    I’m in WV, USA
    Thank you!

  • Maestro says:

    Great review, Nicoleta! I liked your feelings about the endless holiday period with children. It’s as if Pigmentarium Genesis has managed to capture this magic within a bottle. Genesis incorporates an herbal, refreshing, and breezy quality, accompanied by a sense of cleanliness, which is enhanced by the inclusion of bay leaves—a note not commonly employed in perfumery—to evoke the sensation of lush green grass. The absence of excessive sweetness in the citrusy, green lemon essence, supported by verbena, lily of the valley, and green apple, is striking. While the market is saturated with what you aptly refer to as “freshies,” typically endorsed by prominent brands and heavily centered around citrus, Genesis distinguishes itself by presenting a revitalizing aroma that is weightless when appropriate and profound as the warmth of summer bids farewell. Regards from Florida.

  • Annika says:

    I love Pigmentarium’s aesthetic! I recall Nicoleta’s review of Erotikon and Emmanuelle’s review of Mirmur and was completely mesmerized by the creative process of Tomas Ric and Jakub Hiermann. Genesis sounds like another evocative fragrance that captures the cool, herbal feel of an alpine meadow in the waning days of summer. I’m in the US.

  • wallygator88 says:

    THanks for the nice review Nicoleta!

    I like the presentation of this brand – the aesthetic is quite pretty and minimalistic.

    It’s nice to see a summer fragrance that is not a big dose of citrus and things that tend to project. I do like scents in summer that stay close to the skin but you can get a whiff of every now and then. I’m also very appreciative of the fact that this is a fragrance that is airy and gives you space to enjoy it.

    Would certainly love to try this brand and fragrance. I unfortuantely have not tried anything from this house as yet.

    Cheers from WI, USA

  • Dazi83 says:

    Pigmentarium Genesis sounds just perfect for the end of the summer and beginning of the fall – breezy coolness, fresh morning air, herbal, airy, clean, refreshing, light scent – I’m already in love.
    EU

  • Ken White says:

    I must admit, my curiosity has been piqued. This particular fragrance seems to deviate from my usual aromatic preferences, yet the intricate blend of notes, coupled with your captivating review, has woven an enchanting spell around it. The herbaceous undertones, the chill of cool accords, and the ethereal essence of airy notes have all conspired to beckon my senses in an irresistible manner. While my heart usually yearns for fragrances of a different ilk, there’s something tantalizing about these fresh and invigorating elements that promises to infuse a new level of vitality and serenity into my olfactory journey. It’s as though a zephyr of pure rejuvenation is poised to sweep over me, and I’m ready to surrender to its aromatic embrace. New Jersey, USA

  • johnmadison says:

    Thank you for the review of Pigmentarium Genesis, Nicoleta!
    This fragrance sounds so airy and refreshing, I could just see it uplifting my spirits upon wearing it. Thank you for this opportunity!
    John, Minnesota USA

  • Shibuichi2000 says:

    There is something of a contrast in Genesis, as you defined it, first hours of the last weekend of summer.
    This sounds and looks exactly like a fragrance I’d buy blindly, with a feeling of gettin’ it right (at least one time, this time ), also because ‘freshies’ for the summer are of no interest to me.
    Poetic review, as always 🙂

  • mmerline says:

    I really enjoyed this narrative review, Nicoleta. “Freshies” often don’t do much for me, but Pigmentarium Genesis sounds wonderful, avoiding citrus in favor of some green aromatics I enjoy (like laurel and fig leaves). The shift from airy opening to HDR paradise is particularly intriguing. Would love to try this. (I like the bottle design as well.)

    I’m in the USA. Thanks for the giveaway.

  • Regis Monkton says:

    I’d like to add more fresh fragrances to my collection, and I’m intrigued to try something from Pigmentarium. I like the notes listing for Pigmentarium “Genesis”, and I like to hear that it’s a fresh fragrance which doesn’t rely on citrus notes to airy feel and breezy coolness of a fresh fragrance. Pigmentarium “Genesis” sounds like it would be a higher-quality fragrance, and I hope to try it. I live in the U.S.A.

  • Germaine says:

    “A green gust of wind that runs above the water…” sounds great and I wear green scents pretty much all year around. This is my 1st to hear of this house so thanks for the introduction.

  • Germaine says:

    Sorry I could not figure out how to edit my 1st post ao please disregard that one…

    “A green gust of wind that runs above the water…” sounds great and I wear green scents pretty much all year around. This is my 1st to hear of this house so thanks for the introduction.

    Gilbert AZ

  • Michael Prince says:

    What sparks my interest based on Nicoleta’s review of Pigmentarium Genesis is learning about this new brand. I love all of the poems that are infused in the review. This sounds like a truly unique unisex freshie with herbal green qualities a tart green apple and aldehydes. I would love to try this. I am from the USA.

  • sav17 says:

    This was a beautiful review by Nicoleta. I am very intrigued by Pigmentarium Genesis, especially based on Nicoleta’s comments about the fragrance. Any fragrance that evokes a gust of wind above the water and a green meadow must be added to my list. Nicoleta said it’s “herbal, cool, airy, and clean” yet it has “enough depth” to wear after summer’s end. I really enjoy lemon verbena, and the other notes in the composition must blend beautifully with it. Also, I enjoyed the excerpt from Virginia Wolf’s ‘The Waves’. I would love to own a bottle of Genesis. Thank you, Nicoleta, for the review, and thank you to Pigmentarium for the giveaway. I am located in the USA.

  • soviz says:

    Nicoleta’s review is so beautiful, as always — her association of this scent with the sea and the lingering last days of summer was particularly poignant as I approach the change in seasons. I’m intrigued by the cool herbal quality and the additional depth to be found in a freshie. Would love to win this one! I’m located in the US.

  • BigMickyD says:

    This different take on a “freshie” has me intrigued. It sounds well blended and the notes seem just like something I would enjoy. I live in Sweden, EU.

  • Danu Seith-Fyr says:

    Goodness me dear Nicoleta, you write up a storm! Gathering amongst the folds of clouds, I get the sense of that ozonic charge that precedes all things that have been saturated by the sun,s heat and at some point something has to give, to be sundered and rent open. Gorgeous words gathering the summer in, true to Lugh. Thank you, I live in SW France

  • Torax says:

    So glad to read another fantastic article by Nicoleta.
    Pigmentarium looks like a fantastic fragrance house and one that I must totally try.
    Genesis caught me off guard to be honest. I am hugely intrigued by the fact that it is a herbal and clean fragrance. I love the fact that it feels like a “green gust of wind thar runs above the waters”. I love fragrance with airy feels and specially very clean ones.
    I hope I win this one.
    USA here.