Ex Nihilo The Hedonist Eau de Parfum is one where I feel like either it’s been significantly reformulated or my skin chemistry completely obliterated the scent profile, because instead of an aromatic, woody, musky kind of scent, I was bathed in a fruity, pear-apple-ginger melange with some musk and tonka bean but woods? nothing that I could detect individually. These are the notes:

• top notes: bergamot, ginger
• heart notes: cedarwood, Akigalawood
• base notes: vetiver, musks, tonka bean

It opened with fresh, grated ginger and bitter orange that smoothed out and sweetened within two minutes of application, reminding me of some pear-apple-ginger combination, fruity and hard to distinguish but apply kept coming to mind. Whatever sharper citrus that may have been part of the opening was totally subsumed by sweetness, which did not seem like it really came from tonka bean because it was more sugary, not so rich or spiced, and read quite fruit-floral on me.

The Hedonist retained a lighter, airier quality with subtle, sweet fruit with a modicum of ginger bite. Light muskiness and a stronger sense of vanilla emerged after two hours of wear but the cedar had not, and it had dropped projection quite a bit. Unfortunately, on my skin, the woody elements and vetiver did not seem to want to come out and play, as the drydown was slightly fruity, lightly spiced, and musky with some vanilla-like sweetness.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for three hours until it was a skin-scent and about eight hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster but everything seemed to close in after two hours of wear.

Personal Thoughts

Whether the formula has been changed over time, or the notes simply did not translate on my skin, my experience felt quite out of sync with the limited reviews of others who have tried this scent. For the price point, not getting more nuance through the type of notes included (e.g. not smelling woods at all) coupled with the very short wear left me unimpressed.

Available Sizes

• 50ml for $225
• 100ml for $325
• 0.7ml sample for $7

Where to Buy

• LuckyScent

Ex Nihilo The Hedonist Perfume Review

Ex Nihilo The Hedonist Perfume Review

Ex Nihilo Amber Sky Eau de Parfum is a drier, spiced amber, cedar, and sandalwood blend that initially gets a more piquant level of spices that run almost savory but eventually the aromatics come from the woods used. The drydown was more resinous and vanillic while still being smoothed out with sandalwood. These are the notes:

• top notes: bergamot, coriander seeds
• heart notes: nutmeg, geranium
• base notes: amber, cedarwood, sandalwood, resinoid vanilla, tonka bean

It opened with sharp, bitter citrus–tart and pithy–with a subtle veil of florals with fresh, slightly nutty spices with a little bite. It quickly became leathery and woody with dry, aromatic spices. I smelled more cedar than sandalwood, but the effect of the woods was not as aromatic or as dry as all cedar would have been, so the sandalwood seemed to smooth and blend the two woods together.

Within 15 minutes, spiced, golden amber added warmth to the drier, more aromatic woods and spices. Amber Sky seemed warmer, spicier (without being full of clove or cinnamon, more aromatic and bordering on savory), and only slightly resinous. The creamier sandalwood paired well with the aromatic, drier cedarwood with both seeming to be more in balance.

The sandalwood started to become more prominent after an hour on my skin, as the woody note seemed creamier, softer, and lightly spiced but less dry and cedar-like. The amber felt like a suggestion until after two hours, when it finally emerged golden and thick.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for six hours until it was a skin-scent and about 10 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within three hours of wear.

Personal Thoughts

Well, one, I should have checked the price tag of the full bottle, because this brand is a pricey one! Two, it was a spicy-sweet mix of amber of woods, which was very pleasant to wear, but I feel like I have this covered with other fragrances I own or have tested (but haven’t been inclined to buy), so definitely not one I’ll be adding to my collection.

Available Sizes

• 50ml for $305
• 100ml for $435
• 0.7ml sample for $7

Where to Buy

• LuckyScent

Ex Nihilo Amber Sky Perfume Review

Ex Nihilo Amber Sky Perfume Review