Hermes: 35 posts

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

The trend of bespoke perfumery which has been growing steadily over the past few years has never interested me much. After all, almost the entire classical Guerlain line feels as if it were custom made to reflect my taste, from the bittersweet beauty of Après l’Ondée to the windswept elegance of Sous Le Vent. Yet, if I were to name my ideal fragrance, it would be Hermès Doblis. Its soft and gilded presence is always perfect, notwithstanding my mood or the occasion for which it can be worn. The harmony of the composition is almost mesmerizing. From the camomile accented aldehydic top notes that brush like warm sand against the skin to the supple leather base, Doblis never loses its luminousity. If it were music, Doblis would be Beethoven’s Cello Suites. If it were a painting, Doblis would be Raphael’s Fornarina. …

Continue reading →

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

Inspired by the introduction of oriental and American spices to Europe, Hermès Paprika Brasil lost me before it even managed to set its sail. The watery and cold effect of the top note was rather anticlimactic, if one expected the vibrancy of spices and the richness of paprika. Instead of searing heat, at most Paprika Brasil conjures a damp morning mist of an autumnal day, a character it retains as the composition develops.

The dominant presence in the composition is that of iris. Its dove grey outlines are noticeable under the transparence of the vegetal top note. However, the iris is pale and sheer, a ghostly shadow of its rooty sumptuousness that one can glimpse in Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist. …

Continue reading →

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

Fougère and chypre are the fragrance families that share some similarities in their classical interpretations, the main of which is the reliance on the fresh top notes and the somber richness of patchouli and oakmoss in the base, which result in a surprising juxtaposition of sensations. While both possess quintessentially masculine notes, the fougères tend to be more common in men’s fragrances. Indeed, masculine perfumery includes plenty run of the mill fougères (usually copies of highly successful Cool Water by Davidoff), which are so ubiquitous that one can hardly be excited by them. Yet, the best of this category present such a fascinating olfactory journey that they must be tried just for that experience. Such is Equipage, created by Guy Robert and Jean-Louis Sieuzac in 1970 for Hermès. The list of fragrances attributed to these perfumers reads like a compilation of perfume legends: Robert created Hermès Calèche, Christian Dior Dioressence, Madame Rochas; and Christian Dior Dune, Fahrenheit, Yves Saint Laurent Opium were composed by Sieuzac. Not surprisingly, Equipage is another treasure.

Continue reading →

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

Named after the address of the Hermès flagship store in Paris, 24, Faubourg immediately conjures an image of luxury, supple leather and expensive scarves. Although the excess of good taste can be just as unfortunate as its dearth, 24, Faubourg avoids the clichés, toning down the decadent richness of florals with the dryness of patchouli. The sensual ambery radiance that pervades many of Maurice Roucel’s fragrances is evident in 24, Faubourg. Created just a year after the jewel-toned Tocade (1994) and two years before the chilly Gucci Envy (1997), 24, Faubourg is a beautiful compromise between the red lipsticked glamour of the former and the aloof stance of the latter. …

Continue reading →

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

Terre d’Hermès proves that the best non-niche releases over the past year are taking places in the masculine perfumery. Dior Homme, an iris wrapped into warm, sweet leather, Lanvin Arpege Pour Homme, a velvety violet-iris fougere are among some of the recent examples. Likewise, the new fragrance by Jean-Claude Ellena, Terre d’Hermès, has a number of qualities that make it exceptional—chiseled refinement of its elegant structure, unconventional, transparent take on the woody notes and remarkable quality of its ingredients. The composition conjures the intensity of sunlight reflected against the white stones of Roman ruins.

Jean-Claude Ellena’s theme of multifaceted transparency explored in his other creations, from Cartier Déclaration to Hermès Un Jardin sur le Nil, will be immediately recognizable in Terre d’Hermès. Nevertheless, it seems as if the theme has received further polish, luminosity and elegance. …

Continue reading →