— fragrance —

House of Matriarch Trillium Natural Perfume Review

February 28, 2017

House of Matriarch Trillium

In perfumery, there are just some perfumes that you are partial to before you even smell them. As someone that writes about perfume, I try to be impartial until I try a fragrance, but it’s difficult. Before I sniffed house of Matriarch Trillium, I was drawn to it. Trillium are little forest flowers that grow in North America. Like all little forest flowers, it’s surrounded in symbolism, myth and medicine. Apparently, Georgia is the state with the most variety of trillium species. I remember seeing these as a kid. Some were white. Others had toadstool leaves. There were some in Louisiana that smelled like death. I felt like any time I’d go to The Great Smoky Mountains or Southern nature preserve with a grandparent, I’d see these. As I got older, I moved to cities and didn’t go back to mountains or swamps. I didn’t realize that it was such a rarity to see these three’s in the wild. Many species of trillium are endangered. It’s rare to see them in nature and it’s even rarer to see them mentioned in perfumery.

Trillium opens with freshly cut grass and spring green buds on tree branches. It smells damp, green and verdant. It really does smell like crushed greens, ivy vines and earth. There’s a hint of tart fruitiness like Granny Smith apple slices (like real ones, none of that DKNY Be Delicious BS) and cucumber/violets. The fragrance becomes more floral with wear. It’s like this perfect balance of a white floral and a “yellow” floral (think mimosa, wildflowers and broom). It smells like a field of wildflowers and cool ozone. There’s a balsamic sweetness from green grasses (like vetiver) and a powderiness from honeyed florals. The dry-down smells exactly like brewed black tea leaves and there is something that reminds me of plum sake.

Trillium really does remind me of some sort of forest fantasy where you have a tea party with little bunnies that live off of a diet of violet flowers. It’s crisp, green, fresh and ozonic but in that typical perfumery synthetic “fresh way”. It smells like ivy-covered forests, wildflowers and brewed teas. I didn’t realize until I finished this review that Trillium is marketed as an “enchanted tea party”. I think that’s perfect.

Laurette Taylor

Notes listed include green tea, algaia, mimosa, chamomile, black tea, coffee flower, jasmine tea, amber, tolu balsam and cashmere musk. Launched in 2015. PERFUMER – Christi Meshell

Give Trillium a try if you like green florals, violet or tea fragrances. Or perfumes like Caron Violette Precieuse, Annick Goutal La Violette, L’Artisan Verte Violette and/or By Kilian Imperial Tea.

Projection and longevity are below average. It wears like an EDT (which is arguably problematic at this price point). It’s a “quiet” fragrance but that fits with its aesthetic. It’s calming and sort of like olfactory escapism.

The 1.7 oz bottle retails for $330 at Nordstrom and House of Matriarch. A travel spray is also available for purchase.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Cool, green tea, fruity-floral that makes me think of tea parties with baby bunnies. I love how it reminds me of grandparents, Trinity-petaled flowers and mountain ozone. I don’t expect for everyone to have this sort of relationship with it, but it really is worth trying if you like the idea of a green tea-violet-sake fragrance that doesn’t smell synthetic or generic. Everything about it puts me in a good mood except for the price.

Want more reviews? Try…

The Scented Apprentice 

The Perfume Expert

Perfume do Dia

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BL’eauOG

*Disclaimer – Sample provided by the brand. I am not financially compensated for my reviews. My opinions are my own. Product pic from Fragrantica. Post contains an affiliate link (Nordstrom). Laurette Taylor pic from

21 thoughts on “House of Matriarch Trillium Natural Perfume Review”

  1. Tea parties with bunnies! Count me in! This sounds so much like what I am looking for right now. To heck with my roses, begone all you deep, dark mysteries. But, ouch, that price tag.

    1. I’m so in the mood for crisp, green and anything that reminds me of signs of life. Saying that, it’s exactly what I want right now (will I feel the same in 6 months? I don’t know).

      But, the price. I feel like the last few perfumes I’ve tried recently have been like “Oh, I really like this. Wait. That’s in USD? Nope. Can’t happen”.

  2. Fun fact: trilliums are the provincial flower of Ontario, Canada, and it is illegal to pick them there. *insert rainbow “the more you know” banner here*

    1. 🙂

      It’s illegal to pick them in a lot of states in the US too. Or at least certain varieties. To be on the safe side, I’d never pick any of them!

  3. I need to try this. I really like the style of HoM’s scents, but agreeing with both you and Karen that the price tag is painful.

    1. I really like this one because I can’t think of many fruity-florals and definitely not many tea scents that actually smell natural (AKA not like a 90’s mall fragrance).

      But, the price, I have never paid that much for a fragrance and I don’t think I ever will.

      1. I just placed an order for samples of this one and Albatross because they’re half off on a flash sale. I think it ends in about an hour, but code is springlove on the above two and Forbidden. I also ordered a sample of the soon to be released Destrier.

        1. Oh, that’s awesome! It’s hard to resist a sale like that (why have I taken myself off of mailing lists!)

          I’m so curious about Destrier. It sounds good. I really liked Albatross and Forbidden too.

    1. Haha, yeah, I’m not one that’s really into the natures. I think of this entire line like glamping 🙂 It’s natural perfumery but it’s not at all crunchy.

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