Jean-Claude Ellena: 42 posts

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Warm porridge sprinkled with shaved roasted almonds, L’Artisan Bois Farine takes up the gourmand theme from the standpoint of abstraction and minimalism, both of which characterize Jean-Claude Ellena’s work. The fragrance teases slightly with its soft comforting associations, yet in its ability to transport, Bois Farine does not quite bring one to the grandmother’s kitchen. Instead, like in a swift rotation of a kaleidoscope, the elements of the composition rearrange themselves to simultaneously evoke a scent of warm skin and fresh wood shavings. The fragrance simultaneously conjures a picnic on the beach and a sculptor’s studio.

Ellena’s inspiration for the floury veil of Bois Farine was a small red flower of Ruizia cordata from the Réunion island, which sends forth a unique starchy scent, redolent of fresh dough. Bois Farine, introduced in 2003, indeed at first evokes a whole range of starchy associations from fresh wheat flour to cooked oatmeal. Delicate sweetness pervades the soft layer, softening its camphorous dryness. …

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Sweet, warm and delicately animalic aroma of amber is not the only reason why this note is such a popular presence in the modern perfumery. It has an ability to round out other notes, smoothing the progression from one accord to another and fixing more delicate aspects of the composition in place. Its sensuality has a soft quality, which means that amber laden fragrances have a seductive subtlety.

The most beautiful aspects of amber shine in Hermès Ambre Narguilé, which was created in 2004 by Jean-Claude Ellena as a part of Hermèssence range. Like his other amber focused L’Artisan L’Eau d’Ambre, Ambre Narguilé does not merely hint at the idea of amber, but develops it fully. Yet, while being a rich voluptuous note, amber in Ambre Narguilé does not obscure other notes layered over it. It provides a beautiful backdrop against which the radiant and smoky facets of the composition unfold. It is strong, yet delicate, like carved marble screens of Mogul palaces.  …

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Golden caramelized plum on an animalic base is the best way to describe Rumba, a fragrance created for Balenciaga by Ron Winnegrad and Jean-Claude Ellena in 1988. Unlike some of Jean-Claude Ellena’s recent creations, such as his fragrances for The Different Company and Frédéric Malle Editions de Parfums, Rumba is miles away from minimalist. It is vibrant and exuberant, expanding into waves of warmth interspersed by beguiling darkness.

A golden plum note appears once the fragrance unfolds on the skin. The honeyed juiciness embraces a sweet note of orange blossom, which gives radiance and softness. Rumba’s fruit notes are much more impressionistic than photorealistic, revealing just a teasing luscious hint. However, neither like the dance from which it derives its name, can Rumba be called subtle.

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Jean-Claude Ellena, the current Hermès nose, is a creator of an amazing range of fragrances, from elegant Van Cleef & Arpels First and vivid Balenciaga Rumba to ethereal The Different Company Divine Bergamote. Here is an excerpt from one his interviews, in which he discusses the materials he loves.

“I admit that there are some materials I dislike, with which I feel uncomfortable, vanillin, heliotropin, all that is sweetened in general. I prefer salty and bitter. Anyway, I always made sure not to confuse cuisine with perfumery. Among my favorite ingredients are hedione, of course, helional, and those which I like to call “trace” materials, because they are so expressive: violet leaf, lovage, and everlasting flowers.”

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Jean-Claude Ellena’s take on citrus results in a brilliant clarity supported by a minimalistic and subtly sensual foundation. When The Different Company Divine Bergamote first debuted in 2003, my expectations were of a straightforward citrus fragrance supported by a cedarwood base—a common pairing in perfumery. However, from the first explosion of silky sweet and astringent bergamot to the base notes of soft delicate musk, the fragrance never developed like I imagined.

Ellena used 70% of natural bergamot in the composition and fused it with ginger, which highlights the spicy and chilly quality of the top notes. Like Frederic Malle Cologne Bigarade, another Ellena creation, Divine Bergamote is ornamented beautifully with both floral and verdant touches, none of which are distinct enough to be readily recognized. Yet, they weave seamlessly through the composition, modifying and softening the astringency of citrus. One moment, I smell a cup of chilled ginger tea; the next, a crushed flower bud. Through this impressionistic mélange, I notice a delicate scent of skin after a day in the sun. There is a mere hint of warmth, yet it is enough to lend a whisper of sensuality to the drydown and a doze of interest to what could have been just a sparkling citrusy fragrance.

Notes: bergamot (70% of natural bergamot), ginger, orange blossom, leaf green, rhubarb (wood), musk.