When perfume brands make big changes, I am always curious to see how it plays out. To be fair it takes a few releases to really know. To be unfair, as I will be here, I overanalyze the first release looking for differences that probably will not be true over the long term. Which is how I came to my sample of Loewe Solo Mercurio.
Jonathan Anderson
Loewe is a luxury leather brand from Spain. They got into the fragrance game back in 1972. The brand has gone through several fluctuating fortunes. One thing they did right was to name an in-house perfumer. Since the beginning of the 2000’s it has been Emilio Valeros. He oversaw one of the better eras of Loewe fragrance making. It got better when creative director Jonathan Anderson took charge in 2013. Mr. Anderson was a hands-on creative director for fragrance which resulted in a more cohesive aesthetic.
Nuria Cruelles Borrull
At the end of last year Loewe changed their in-house perfumer to Nuria Cruelles Borrull. This could define a new aesthetic for Loewe under Mr. Anderson’s guidance. Solo Mercurio was going to give me my first data point. Based on it I think Sra. Cruelles Borrull likes to create fragrance as dualities. It is certainly the way this perfume unfolds. It forms a nice give-and-take on my skin highlighting these differences.
Solo Mercurio opens on two contrasting accords a citrus one formed around tangerine and orange blossom. And a green one around geranium, fig leaf, and cardamom. Sitting in between as an arbiter is lavender. The tangerine has a fulsome citrus effect. The lavender uses its sweet floral nature to bring it closer. On the other side the lavender’s herbal nature summons the creamy fig leaf, breezy cardamom, and green floral geranium. Then over time as if the spear of lavender rotates each strand around itself until both are wrapped around it. This is a fantastic spring accord. It has some heft to it for the chilly mornings while feeling appropriate once things get warm in the afternoon. I liked all this but Sra. Cruelles Borrull sold me with a licorice tinted tobacco base that had me smiling. It gives a classy foundation to the overall accord that came before.
Solo Mercurio has 8-10 hour longevity and average sillage.
Based on a single perfume I am hopeful for Sra. Cruelles Borrull and Mr. Anderson to form a new team which takes Loewe to some interesting spaces. Solo Mercurio is a great beginning.
Disclosure: this review is based on a sample provided by Loewe.
–Mark Behnke
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