[²He] Helium One of those / nu_be 2012

Helium opens with a sweet alcoholic splash of benzoin before quickly transitioning to its early heart. During the early heart the relatively sweet benzoin remains, adding significant warm spicy cinnamon and smooth pipe tobacco to the mix with hints of a balmy chapstick-like accord joining leathery styrax and clary sage in support. During the late dry-down the composition turns much less sweet and relatively dry, as slightly earthy patchouli from the base joins remnants of the tobacco and benzoin as the composition slowly fades. Projection is average and longevity very good at 10-11 hours on skin.

Unlike its sister scent, Sulphur, where the tie-in to the element of the same name is more readily apparent, Helium is a bit of a misnomer as the composition actually has much more of warm spiced tobacco and patchouli focus with no trace of the element to be found. The tobacco which ranges from sweet in the key mid-section to more of a dry leaf during the finish smells quite pleasant marred by the vague balmy chapstick-like accord residing underneath it that makes the composition a bit difficult to enjoy at times. The best part of the composition is the late dry-down as the tobacco turns dry and the patchouli takes over as star through the end. The bottom line is the 110 Euro per 100ml bottle Helium is a odd name for the composition and is far from perfect, but it does smell good, earning a 3 to 3.5 star out of 5 rating and a tepid recommendation. Those looking for this kind of composition should also sample Savile by Keiko Mecheri that occupies a similar space but was one I personally preferred.