Il Mondo di Odore

At long last we've reached the home stretch in my quest to whittle the Hermessence list down by ~50%. Today's contenders are Vanille Galante and Ambre Narguilé , which coincidentally are the most and the least mercurial perfumes (respectively) of this series, according to my nose. My general impression of Vanille Galante has not changed one bit over the course of several wearings, while my perspective on Ambre Narguilé  continues to change, even after having worn it many times by now! HERMESSENCE VANILLE GALANTE (2009) Every single time that I've worn Vanille Galante , I've been reminded of a variety of ylang-heavy perfumes, above all Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Ylang et Vanille. The strong ylang emphasis has also occasionally evoked vague memories of a recent testing of E. Coudray Nohiba— although it offers a very different line-up of notes.  I decided to do a side-by-side comparison between the 2009 Hermessence and the 1999 Guerlain and discovered tha...

It's been a hot summer, not one conducive to the appreciation of fine and subtle scents such as the Hermès  Hermessences. Things have now cooled down, however—at least momentarily—so I'm back at last to wrap up this series ! Today I'm covering the two members of the Hermessences about which I have not changed my mind at all since my first testing of them a while back. Well, maybe just a little... HERMESSENCE OSMANTHE YUNNAN (2005) I may have mentioned somewhere before that I am not that keen on yunnan tea, despite being an avid tea drinker in general. It's definitely more inviting to me than either jasmine or oolong tea—or, say, pu-erh—but yunnan is a kind of meh tea experience for me. Small wonder, then, that my least favorite of the Hermessences turns out to be this one. This may simply be a case of “familiarity breeds...” well, not exactly contempt, since I do not positively dislike wearing this fragrance. Still, I don't dream about it. The tea note...

In today's episode of my ongoing Jean-Claude Ell é na love fest (see Hermessences 1 , Hermessences 2 , and The Alchemy of Scent ), I consider two of the Hermessence perfumes which did not go over that well with me the first time I tried them. Since then, I have discovered the real reason why the house samples of this line contain a generous 4ml. To know the Hermessences is to love them and, as is the case with any successful relationship, that takes some time—and milliliters. The beautiful, sleek vials in which the Hermessence samples arrive are a pleasure to behold, but the truth is that the liquids inside play out much more beautifully when sprayed than when dabbed. Fortunately, a while back I ordered a supply of atomizers and have been pouring my Hermessence samples into those vessels so that I can get a full sense of the complexity of these creations. “Hand decanting,” as they say in the gray market trade, is easier said than done in this case because Hermès top...

HERMESSENCE ROSE IKEBANA (2004) Each time that I don Hermessence Rose Ikebana I am reminded of The Different Company Rose Poivrée (2001), which in some ways is very odd because I do not like that perfume at all. Yesterday I decided to dig out my nearly full sample cube of Rose Poivrée just to refresh my memory about why I retain such a negative image of that perfume in my mind. It can all be summed up in one word: cumin . That's what I smell, whether it's in the composition or not, and it completely overpowers the rose, reminding me more of Alexander McQueen Kingdom than any rose perfume I've ever met. Until yesterday, I did not realize—or had forgotten—that Elléna also composed Rose Poivrée , but now it at least makes sense why I am reminded of it every time I don Rose Ikebana . I would describe Rose Ikebana as a refined, finished version of Rose Poivrée , with about a tenth of the spices, and more fruit added for sweetness and vibrancy. Whereas Rose Poi...

I have really fallen for the Hermessence series perfumes, which appeal to my aesthetic sensibilities much more than do  Les Jardins from this house and perfumer. It's not that I dislike those creations, but they have never really spoken to me in the way that the Hermessences do. Each of these two series constitutes an independent, beautifully crafted set expressing a distinctive aesthetic vision, which is why liking or disliking or being indifferent to one of them (as I am to  Les Jardins ) implies nothing about the other. When I think about how the various members of each of the two sets fit together with one another while remaining individually unique, I am amazed at Jean-Claude Elléna. It appears that I may have been won over to the cult after all. I recently read Elléna's book Perfume: The Alchemy of Scent (2011) , which no doubt facilitated my conversion... HERMESSENCE PAPRIKA BRASIL (2006) Let me begin with the biggest surprise of the ten Hermessences: P...

I think it's fair to say that reverence has never been my strong suit. Nor has the term blandishment often, if ever, been associated with my name. So when I hear people talking about figures who supposedly walk on water and the like, my quite natural reaction is one of skepticism. I am particularly wary of such claims as applied to human-all-too-human beings by other human-all-too-human beings in matters regarding values, as opposed to factual hypotheses. In the case of alleged empirical facts, there is at a possibility of some form of testing, so the claims being made can be either confirmed or disconfirmed. In the case of values? The closest we could get would be a popularity poll, but I've never been one to support ochlocracy. People like to have role models, it is clear, and in extreme cases such as those involving religious cults and nation states, people have been known do some pretty ridiculous things in the name of false idols. Even wildly heinous crimes have been comm...

Hhhhmmmm.........I've never smelled this until this sampling. I scored a 7.5ml mini in perfect condition at my local thrift store. Yes....a Goodwill to be exact. It's not the first time a gem has reared its head in my direction as I scour the local thrift stores for treasures. I spray instead of dabbing if at all possible. I get a truer gist from the dispersion and that's what I did with Caleche. An immediate greeting from aldehydes and citrus with woody undertones. I get the illusion of green and there's no doubt that Caleche is a chypre. My first thoughts are that Caleche is a more mature scent, but that's a good thing here. As the opening gives way to the floral heart, the impression Caleche is giving me is one of a confident scent, yet more relaxed than reserved. This really is old school charm at work. The heart accord is an array of floral notables, but what comes front and center on my skin is a combo of rose, jasmin and violet. There's still a beatin...

Released in 2006, I have just recently sampled this fragrance. I  procrastinated since I am a fan of vintage Equipage and Bel Ami and this release is fairly new. I haven't fared too well with newer masculines, but I'm always hopeful. Terre D'Hermes EDP opening on me is a mild citrus with patchouli. This is an earthy patch and gives whiffs of moist soil. If I smell very close, I get a very sublte pepper, but I can't discern any floral notes in the heart accord. The drydown is a wispy cedar that's not very noticeable in the midst of the citrus-patchouli duo. Musk, flint, geranium and vetiver that are listed escape me in this scent. The pepper becomes more apparent as Terre D'Hermes goes into extended drydown, but I find this masculine unremarkable. There's nothing wrong with it, however it doesn't move me one way or the other. I have other passive patch scents I prefer over this. I have read some glowing reviews of this masculine and truly, I don...

This 1998 woody from Hermes is a pretty smooth fragrance that hasn't garnished much attention. It's set on low volume from the onset, but it finds a way to work as a spiced up woody comfort scent. I find the heart accord of all wood to be pleasant and present from the initial spray. It seems to be co-joined with spice, a bit of lavender and berry. The heart is listed as cypress, atlas and virginia cedars. The base is supposed to be a balsamic vanilla, however I do not get the balsam in this. The vanilla is very low key and appears to me well into the drydown. Rocabar is simplistic, pleasant, wearable and a gentleman. This rendition of a relaxed masculine is far superior to modern takes of the ozonic and aquatic variety.

Hermes released this beautiful Leather Chypre in 1986. There has been at least one subsequent reformulation that I am aware of and it's not a flattering one either. This review is for the original version. Opening is super smooth with spicy citrus that is an orange-basil-sage combo teamed up with petitgrain. This smoothness is a Hermes signature for the time period. Flat out rockin. The heart accord is even more excellence consisting of cedary florals supported by earthy tones of vetiver and patchouli. The base of this scent is somewhat restrained......and that is in keeping with the overall feel and volume of Bel Ami. Leather, anamalics and moss threaten to steer this in another direction, but the judicious use of vanilla keep this on a leash and it works splendidly. All in all, what we have here is an outstanding spicy chypre that is a worthy addition to any wardrobe.

This elegant and subtle Spicy Oriental arrived in 1970 from Hermes. Wearing Equipage brings to mind quality. Not necessarily a formal fragrance, it works well in that setting. Equipage opens with a very smooth citrus accompanied by spicy rosewood. Rising from the heart immediately is Lily of the Valley and influences all the notes already here and to come. A crafty use of Pine is used next to bring a rougher texture that LOTV creates, but the Lily wins out. It's a nice contrast however. The base is a traditional Oriental and it does not disappoint. Think "seamless and well-executed" and that sums up the original release of Equipage. The same cannot be said for the reformulated version.