Adam Michael has this to say “So on the 2nd October 2024 and after nearly 19 years of being in charge at Hermitage Oils, we now offer honeysuckle absolute.
Now, let me be clear, I know the smell of honeysuckle very well, it lines one of the walls on the approach to our home. And likewise, we – or should I say Eleonora – produced a honeysuckle extrait by enfleurage maybe 10 years ago now (not an absolute by enfleurage), of which was exactly like smelling wild grown honeysuckle flowers in the height of summer.
Absolute (via solvent) on the other hand, does not properly communicate the smell of the living flowers. In keeping with Arctander’s findings (ahead of his time), the absolute here also displays a scent spectrum that’s reminiscent of smelling Chinese Jasmine Sambac (so true to life – opposed to Indian offerings), along with a bright heady orange blossom absolute note.
And to build on this further my brain picks up Aglaia flower vibes, due to the black tea and bubble gum nuances. I also get big hits of fresh freesias because this absolute has some linalool fresh watery themes going on, I pick out heavenly magnolia flowers with those sparkling champagne tonalities (nobody else here does at all) and for me, this finishes with an overload of gardenia notes, featuring trace vanilla ice cream touches and some heady ylang fractions. All of the fresh floral elements here are really something to sing about, inhaling deeply and slowly is like standing in a loved garden full of fragrant flowers on a windswept spring afternoon.
Smell aside the feeling here is waxy clean, fresh-floral, saturating-floral and floral-creamy. 2 days on the strip, 4 hours from a generous swipe on my skin type, of a pourable viscosity, and green-hued yellow through to amber brown in colour subject to volume or weight.
Sourcing genuine honeysuckle absolute is not terribly straightforward given the very little number of reputable manufacturers that truly produce this. Despite this, we have been in the privileged position of choosing between two offerings from two different producers. In the end I have chosen Chinese material over Italian (despite living in Italy) on the grounds I feel the nuances in the undertones of this Chinese offering are superior to the Italian offering – even though neither properly represent the smell of the living flowers.
Uses, provides floral bouquet effects from the word go, generally a must within floral bases, more specifically is of great value for building luxury white floral accords for application within fine fragrance through to high end cosmetics. A reliable material in its aromatic evolution, and of great strength.”
Botanical Name: Lonicera japonica
Origin: China
Wholesale weights (all prices excluding vat): 50G = 550 Euros.
UK & USA SHIPPING €12.99 ON ORDERS OVER €350
Cardamom Essential Oil - 10ml
1 × €15.95 
Cardamom Essential Oil - 10ml 
Cedarwood Virginian E.O - 10ml 
Lavender English Essential Oil - 10ml 
Lavender High Altitude Essential Oil - 10ml 
Neroli Essential Oil TRUE - 2ml 
2025 Rosy Grail Sample Set - The Rosy Grail 2024 Sample Set 
Blood Orange Essential Oil - 10ml 
Cardamom Absolute - 5ml 
Kai Leon Art Parfumeur (verified owner) –
An Impossble Dream came true, and after 28 years I smell Honeysuckle absolute again!
While indeed not representing exactly (particularly in its condensed state) the delicate flowers I admire for their ehtereal freshness, this essence tells a truly fantastic story of its own –
it is intense throughout, borderline stupefying in its top (highly recommended to smell it in some dispersion, as it is a light mobile liquid without any buffering waxes and resins), and it instantly has transported my imagination into a thrilling sensory story –
of Adventure in a primal and majestic blooming Jungle – catching the moment when you throw your head back – to get a glimpse of the colossal soaring trees up to the vertiginous heights where they hide their pinnacles in the sky obscured by the heavy clouds of lush Greenery in all shades – wherever you look,
– and when you start to feel dizzy then you spot at the sunny rays beaming through the green shadows –
the most fantastic and exotic, luminous, splendid Orchids hanging in long strings, floating midair, emanating their blissful fragrance, which descends upon me in floating ribbons of truly beguiling scent, and I begin to feel floating myself, intoxicated and drunkenly excited…
This absolute has in it a complex bouqet made of not only the whirlpool of bright and loud splendid exotic flowers – all upfront in their multifaceted sensual nectars, but it is nuanced with robustly pronounced edges as well;
in particular – of vivid bitter juicy leaves, stems and roots (somewhat akin Tobacco Flower and vitriolic herbs like Artemisia and Aloe vera), of funky sticky rubbery saps oozing from palms, with a touch of wet barks and earthy tang (a ghost of Cabreuva?) and of humid vapours, rising form that dense jungle carpet (nuanced with ripe fruits – all the way to Cherimoya and traces of Vanilla). I am sure that in the next few days it will reveal some other nuances out of its initially overwhelming, dense jungle feel.
A treasure essence for luxurious fantasy perfumes and for sensually alluring and emotionally uplifitng aromatic blends. A fabulous storyteller of epic width.
Top-to-Heart character, so needs to be properly anchored.
Many many thanks dear Adam and Eleonora!
Rémi D (verified owner) –
A mix of Magnolia and Jasmine dipped into golden honey and pear/peach juice. Truly exquisite, I regret nothing
Tess M (verified owner) –
Bursting scent on the break and lasting for hours, absolutely lovely. Effortless sweetness, floral and fresh.
Jake SMoak (verified owner) –
Super volatile honeysuckle material. It is SO desperate to break out of the vial and become a movie star. It’s a beautiful floral, succulent, with whimsical grassy feel to it like Phytol.
This absolutely blew me away. I’ve dealt with commercial absolutes of jasmine, Osmanthus, blue lotus, etc. This material is worthy of being the “Gold” Standard of honeysuckles.
Honey suckle is a heavily farced material for reasons unknown to me. Horrible that its image being tarnished by libel products claiming it to be the real deal.
Be no fool and you will strike gold or honey!