Parfums de Marly Haltane vs The Harmonist Hypnotizing Fire - fragrance first impressions
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- In this video, I’m comparing two modern, likable luxury fragrances: Parfums de Marly Haltane and The Harmonist Hypnotizing Fire. Both scents bring a contemporary edge to niche perfumery, with Haltane offering a smooth blend of fresh aromatic notes and creamy woodiness, while Hypnotizing Fire captivates with its warm, spicy, and subtly sweet composition. I’ll break down their scent profiles, performance, and versatility, helping you decide which of these approachable yet sophisticated fragrances is the right addition to your collection. Don’t miss this clash of modern niche favorites!
#ParfumsDeMarlyHaltane #TheHarmonistHypnotizingFire #LuxuryFragrance #NicheFragrance #FragranceComparison #PerfumeReview #ModernFragrances #BestMensFragrance #BestUnisexFragrance #FragranceCommunity #PDMHaltane #TheHarmonist #WarmFragrances #FragranceCollection #HighEndPerfume #ContemporaryPerfume #PerfumeLovers #LuxuryScents #ScentJourney #FragranceTips
This is the first honest review of Hypnotizing Fire I have seen. Other creators are ridiculous, claiming that it will make women swoon. I have never had that happen or even gotten a compliment. I'm glad I only picked up a decant. I would be kicking myself if I went for the 50ml.
I never came across a fragrance that had any effect even remotely close to have a woman swoon. HF is remarkably generic.
Women? I say it attracts men!
Very glad to hear you honest, unbiased breakdown of Hypnotizing Fire, because, everything I had heard, up until this point, had been from the "FBB", it seems, and, no one had had anything but the highest praise for it. I guess, there just may be some "perfect" one out there, but, anytime I hear everyone raving, i begin to get suspicious, wondering what I'm missing.
Maybe, what they were saying is their true, honest opinion (about the fragrance), however, as I recall, I never heard any of them referring to the dry-down, and, how it loses the rose influence, and, becomes a relatively common vanilla-amber essence. That does make a difference, in my opinion, especially when you're spending that kinda money, possibly anticipating something else, not so common. 15, 30 minutes of what I might be looking for, only to have that note-worthy presence dissipate so early in the wearing, doesn't measure up to what I'd be able to justify spending that kinda money on.
The dry down is a really important aspect, you are mostly wearing the dry down of a fragrance and not mentioning the transition means that people are sniffing it on strip and "reviewing" after 5 minutes.
HF smells incredibly generic deep down. Not for me.
I absolutely adore Hypnotizing Fire. It was one of my first niche purchases and I never smelled anything like it before. To me it comes across as a perfect hybrid of fresh and warm. Rose/chili pepper/woody freshness with semi-gourmand vanillic sweet praline.
@@ilgazomer7895 hey, if you like it don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Happy it works for you 🙂
Oh I commented before watching the 2nd half of the video 😂@@SeldomlyOften
@ I might not really recommend it but it's not offensive or anything, just relatively generic :)
It’s an excellent fragrance but I believe it’s overpriced.
Not a huge fan of PDM but Haltane is a good frag. Precival imo is the best from the house, and their sleeper is Layton Exclusif
Haltane (and OFG) smell pretty unique all considered; at least they popularized the profile. I'm not a huge PDM fan either but hey, there is worse out there.
Congrats for updating your bio Dan, you're doing an awesome job with this channel!
had to do it, it was basically a placeholder :D
Hypnotizing fire is amazing. I have the 50ml parfum and am going to pick up the EDP
@@WolfNRaven really happy it works out for you! How did you discover it? Was it a blind buy?
@SeldomlyOften yes it was a blind buy. I saw it recommended by the late Mr. Kevin Samuels.
@ yeah I figured, never seen these in a shop. Well, again, super happy this works for you. Successful blind buys are always amazing 🤩
Hi Daniel, I would like to know which concentration of Hypnotizing Fire you sampled. EDP or Parfum ? Based on the colour of your sample I reckon you sampled the EDP. I did not care for the EDP. But I love the Parfum with the oppoponax and the red chilly note. It is overpriced but I got a 10ml for the brand for approx 55€ and it is all I need
No idea to be honest, it wasn't written on the sample. Is there much of a difference?
@@SeldomlyOften in the parfum the patchouli, oppoponax and chili notes are amped up and the rose is less present if I remember well. The people I know who tried both usually loved the parfum but did not care much about the EDP. I find the parfum more original than the EDP. The parfum has so sort of golden hue visually whereas the EDP is crystal clear like your decant
Great review and content, as always
@@thelinx5988 thanks for the appreciation 🙏
i blind bought 2 bottles from The Harmonist and they are some of my biggest fragrance regrets. i need to sell them.
@@AnotherPerceiver85 yeah I wasn’t a fan of the extremely simple drydown…
i look forward to the day you start getting in to Ensar Oud, areej la dore, bortnikoff, nebiru, folkwinds, sherwood, pineward, jinx and the like. you are gonna love the powerful (weird to some) and shockingly good artisanal space…. hopefully you’ll be able to smell some of those and we can get your thoughts on some of the frag head holy grail brands one day. love your reviews!
@@AnotherPerceiver85 hey man, I would love to get into all of those without selling a kidney :D
A flathead near me is selling a ton of Areej but they go for 400 bucks a pop...
@ those brands are all pretty dang pricey, except pineward, they’re still pretty reasonable.
i look at it like this now… are there 3 niche fragrances I want…. of course! is it worth it to me to instead buy 1 artisanal fragrance made with some of the rarest, hard to obtain, and amazing smelling ingredients on earth… sometimes, yes it is! it’s all about extensive researching for me at this point before making any purchases.
@@AnotherPerceiver85 Good point, quality of quantity is always best. Pineward seems awesome but they have WAAAY too many fragrances.
I just got haltane, it gets addicting, I commented before finishing the video lol
@@Bmm65 it’s a pretty great scent, I have to be honest.
“Usual faces that tend to get free bottles “ I’m glad you did mention that 😂
unfortunately it's really hard to ignore the patterns :D
For me I think a neat comparison would be Haltane to Floraiku's Between Two Trees, both are green aromatic (and I get a big pine note from both) frags with citrus notes, Between Two Trees being a lot heavier on the citrus.
Edit: Speaking of Floraiku, I am once again requesting you get a sample of One Umbrella for Two, it's so unique.
yeah I still never got my hands on Floraiku. Samples are super difficult to find and I would have to go for the full bottles. It's on my list.
@ You should be able to just get a discovery kit on their site unless they don’t ship to where you are.
@ cool, I’ll check it out!
I have a sample of hypnotizing fire that I tried a long time ago and that has remained untouched. Maybe I should try to give a second chance, but your review does not encourage me to 😂
As for PDM, as a brand in general I must say I’ve grown and that I don’t use them so often anymore.
Cheers!
Luke
I have zero problems with these brands or other brands, I have no personal motive to hate. They are just not really for me :D
Not interested in these fragrances at all, but I’m still here for the video!
Thanks man, really appreciate the support.
Truth be told, I wasn't really interested in these either :D
Same!!
@@SeldomlyOftenThe video might have been two hours long if you were interested in them!?!
@ I still want to give all fragrances the chance they deserve. These videos are also some sort of thought journal about fragrance and want to open a conversation on the topic 🙂
I bought into the Hypnotizing Fire hype. Blind bought a full bottle. Wore it a few times and although nothing inherently off putting about it. I wasn’t impressed nor drawn to it so I sold it.
checks out, unless it's your thing it will probably leave you a little numb. I was actually interested in it back when and I'm glad I was given a sample.
Thank you for your honest take on these, I’d appreciate it if you would delve into Maison Crivelli
I tried Hibiscus Mahajad and Oud Maracuja (a while back). I have another sample of OM and will be featuring it on a video soon :)
Any other recommendations?
Just went through and watch some old reviews on this 10/10 masterpiece apparently 🤡
Thanks 4 the honest review
I truly feel some people are low key trolling. It would be such a fun twist :D
I've never smelled Hypnotizing Fire but given the pricepoint I was hoping it'd make a stronger impression. I did get a random sample of Sun Force one time and loved it, so was dismayed to find out the bottle price after the fact. From what I've seen from the Harmonist, I wouldn't be surprised if the brand was not up your alley though - they strike me as a softer, safer house (that is way way overpriced).
Personally I still really love Sun Force and am interested in smelling Moon Glory as well, but am less intrigued by the rest of the line.
I had no idea about the brand identity, some new expensive brands can be really safe but really high end and luxurious.
This is another one of those Mind Games situations...
If you never smelled Hypnotizing Fire you should do so and not be dissuaded by the opinion of any one individual with esoteric tastes - especially since you have enjoyed your own previous experience with the brand.
@ completely agree, this is just my opinion and I do acknowledge that I have niche-head taste. It’s a good perfume if you like something mass appealing, just a little overpriced for what it is.
@@SeldomlyOften I agree, HF is a little overpriced ( maybe more than ’a little’).
My comment wasn’t a personal criticism. Your takes are often interesting and thought provoking. But I would rather see someone explore a fragrance that they are interested in, and perhaps likely to enjoy, rather than be dissuaded by a very particular and personal opinion. So my comment was more of an encouragement to the OP.
@ I wasn’t been defensive at all, I was just supporting your comment 👊
you just spared me from getting a 10ml decant hypnotizing fire. 2ml would be enough. Thx
2ml is definitely enough to understand what it is.
Man I was really hoping you were going to be blown away by Hypnotizing Fire! I had a feeling those other guys were over hyping this fragrance up! I’m sad now
it's not bad, it's just pretty generic, especially in the dry down; not worth the sting price IMO.
Hypnotizing fire reminded me off by the fire place but less smoke
not too familiar with that Margiela, only tried it at the airport. Seems like a fairly popular choice!
I love haltanae but doesn’t last on me for 1 hour max , infact most of de marlys don’t ! People saying eight hour longitivity make me so jealous
Not a fan of PDM but Haltane is honestly great. Price point is a bit steep, so I tried Eternal Wood from Mancera as an alternative... can't say I'd recommend it. There's a certain syntheticness to Mancera's that really bothers me.
is it supposed to be a clone of Haltane though? I don't mind synthetics per se, they just have be a little deeper than this air fluff...
@@SeldomlyOften that’s what I heard from word of mouth. Based of Fragrantica that seems to be the general consensus as well.
Got Haltane as a gift and I couldn't sell it fast enough.
immediate dislike for you? I always try to approach things with an open mind.
@@SeldomlyOften No, not an immediate dislike. It's enjoyable, just too sweet for my tastes. Also, I'm not a fan of the brand and their marketing strategies. But I know it's a very popular brand/brands (Initio)
You had Greenley 😂 I own it, it’s a guilty pleasure. I’d never rebuy it but I’d never sell it or trade it either. Just something about that opening. I love green apple fake soda like Fanta Green Apple. I love green apple sour candy. Green apple anything, and cherry. Just takes me to my childhood and makes me smile. The cost is a total scam. I have a pdm discovery set. Haltane is near the top for me but also felt boring and common. Have you tried any Ramon Monegal?
@@theworkingkitchen7325 yeah Greenley is a scent I used to really like years back. Same as use, I’m still a fan of super synthetic cherry and apple notes 😂
@ you know the one pdm scent that really pisses me off. Althair. I ‘get’ Layton Carlisle haltane even if I don’t love them but this Althair has been pushed by the ‘influencers’ as a new release, on everyone’s list. It’s become this ‘superstar’ of this awful trend of sickeningly sweet scents. Thanks to the free bottle brigade of course. What I find funny is that it reminds me of my very first scent as a teenager , Ferrari black which costs £10. It’s pretty much a clone at this point, and trust me I’d know! I finished the full bottle of Ferrari as a teen 😂😂. Seriously every time I go on my TH-cam recommended page and I see that brown bottle in the thumbnail it actually angers me.
Have you tried guerlain habit rouge parfum or habit rouge privé, trust me you will like them
Not tried yet and yeah, I'm sure I'll like those; I'll try to grab one!
Hello check Hypnotizing fire vs PDM Carlisle.They are very similar in my opinion.
I don't think I want to go back to Hypnotizing Fire :D
Haltane, OFG, BR540 all have a similar component that make me feel nauseous, Haltane is the least offensive of the three, not sure what it is
It’s probably the combination of ethyl maltol, Ambroxan, and Evernyl. They all have that in them in high amounts and haltane the least
So it's something you can smell? I can't even seem to train my nose to that note...
@@SeldomlyOften idk, I have had decants of the named fragrances and scrubbed all off within minutes…can’t really describe the smell it was like a warm saffrony sweet thing but it felt like a cloud of it. It was so jarring to me.
@ on so you might actually be getting the intended smell, sounds like a description for BR540
@@SeldomlyOften I guess, to my memory they all smelled like flankers in the same line
Have both and haltane is much better
Haltane is so much better when it sits a little and macerates. Also less is more for haltane
If this is true it's really offensive that the fragrance ship in an "unfinished" state. Regarding the less is more, I can totally get it.
Talking about empty volume, I have that problem smelling with nishane ani and bergamask
@@Bmm65 weird, I have massive trouble with BR540, Green Irish Tweed and even Sospiro Vibrato…
Who knows what these anosmia cases are caused by…
@ I never smelled br540 but I smelled similar scents, I have no problem with GIT or vibrato, actually vibrato and basso is one of those fragrance that I can strongly smell the whole time I’m wearing
@ Basso yes, good stuff. Vibrato is empty volume with a hint of citrus on top
Very nice presentation! PDMs are very similar to each other and to Initio parfums. Never smelled anything from Harmonist. it is very nice to get honest and elaborate presentations instead of those of the type pantie droppers and baby - makers. Keep on the good job!
@@johnjohannes5954 thanks for the nice comment! I just try to keep it as straightforward as possible while trying to look at all sides of the die.
Hypnotizing Fire is better.
better than Haltane? it depends what you are looking for.
@ yes it’s all personal taste and I had high hopes for haltane from its scent profile. Was disappointed as I dont think the oud blends well with the sweetness. And HF is a very linear scent but it nails that scent to the wall with that very spicy praline vanilla. HF has suffered greatly from misbranding by the online community.
@@fastcanoe105 what do you mean suffered from misbranding? most reviews on TH-cam are very (too) positive
@ yes that’s my point. They over sell the frag as some kind of beast mode chic magnet and then when people get a hold of it they are a bit underwhelmed. Its a really good scent and I get compliments and noticed when wearing it from friends and family but its not as mass appealing as some of the big time designer Frags.
Check out Rock the myrrh by Dries Van Noten it might surprise you
uuu that looks pretty cool!
I GET rid of Haltane
@@LargoWinch-th4gm I’m getting you didn’t like it? 😂
@ no, I gave it a chance but it's a scent for Balkans and Easterners
@ 😂
Hello Daniel. I am always floored at how well you articulate a thought or opinion I have with fragrances. I think you’re on the money when talking about ghost scent profiles. For me this is By Killians Straight To Heaven. For some strange reason I can barely detect it, card or skin. Well said my friend 🫡
@@HelScion18 thanks 🙏
I’m not into making stuff up because I’m totally ok with people disagreeing with my take. I just like trying to break down this very subjective matter 😉
@ Hats off to you, you have a rare talent in your descriptions and have only gotten better with time. Been here from the beginning. Keep it up my man 🤝🏾
Both houses sucks for the price and they do have mainstream designer approach. Best fragrances from PDM are Kalan and Nisean IMO.
Amberwood usage can be done correctly, i can give few examples:
Falcon leather
Oud imperial
Papilefiko
Tero
Ombre nomade
Nouveu Monde
Enclave
Etc
But they can be also done horribly like in Oud for greatness or haltane or oud cadenza. I personally think that they used super cheap ingredients in those
Well, all of those fragrances you mentioned smell much more full bodies. You think it's the quality of materials? The emptiness of OFG seems intentional to me.
BTW, today I was wearying Vertus Monarch and deep down, it had the same type of boosting compound. I don't remember getting that in X by CC.
@ there are quite a few well done cheap clones of ofg, thats why i think its a cheaply done fragrance. Never have tried anything from vertus in my life. X from CC is good same as roja reckless parfum, however, they lack some power imo
@@Principemostprincipe The Vertus just came to me in a trade and I figured I would give it a go. The house feels really uninspired, kinda like The Harmonist 🤣
@@SeldomlyOften there are too many houses on the market atm, no wonder why there is so many uninspiring fragrances around. Lots of them are just following gourmand vanilla amber trend which i am sick and tired of, just because they are mass appealing and will sell good. Look at diors new releases bois talisman and parfum 2025, it was a luxury house which used to create trends, now they are doing the same as everyone else.
@@Principemostprincipe true, agree that there is too much out there but I can't blame people for wanting a slice of the cake. It's the uninspired approach that really kills it for me.
Haltane is just OFG . Which sucks.
Hypnotizing fire… decent
Well, it depends what scent profile you appreciate more. I think Haltane is a little more to my taste.
@ a bit but side by side they’re pretty close. I use to like OFG. It got overly hives by the name TH-cam train of course the Miral had it up and then now Ford of a reason I guess she caught by somebody and she hates that now she can’t wear it along with Killian black Phantom.
I was going to buy hypnotizing fire. It came out around the time I think Tom Ford. EBENE FUME came out. I WAS ALSO CONTEMPLATING ON MUSK RAVAGER. I think I ended up picking up a second back up bottle of Thomas Monica rock gold before I got ref formulated