Beauty Without Fuss

Thursday 23 August 2012

My Tiny Hermes Collection


My Hermes fragrance collection is small, and almost perfectly formed, at least, for my purposes, anyway.   I didn't realise I really liked the scents of Hermes so much until recently.  I've long been a fan of Eau d'Orange Vert, which is a minty-orange cologne, meant more for men, but I find it to be a very refreshing scent on hot summer days.  Sadly, it doesn't last nearly long enough.


Eau de Pamplemousse Rose is an effervescent sparkling pink grapefruit scent which is the latest addition to my Hermes collection, it's light, refreshing, fruity and simply marvellous for repeated sprays on hot days.  It's not a complicated scent, but it's not sickeningly sweet and it's very enjoyable to wear.  I'm loving it.

I bought Un Jardin Sur Le Nil after reading The Perfect Scent by Chandler Burr, which takes the story of Jean Claude Ellena's creation of this scent, and makes you long to smell it for yourself.  It's a fabulous and fascinating book, which if you get a chance to read, and you're at all interested in fragrance, you should grab it with both hands.  Fair warning, you will end up buying Un Jardin Sur Le Nil and a bottle of Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker as a result of reading the book though.  That said, I find I have less of a connection with this mango-drenched scent than I do with the others.  It's very nice, but ... I don't love it.

Finally we have Voyage d'Hermes in perfume format.  This is an icy-cool fragrance, which has had me and MrLippie fighting over who gets to wear it on particular days. It has rose and amber, underneath a citrus-spicy (cardomom and juniper, mainly) opening, which is hard to resist.  It's hard to say why we like this so much - once it dries down a bit, it smells rather like an expensive barber shop, warm and a little soapy, but luxurious with it - but this one is very definitely back-up worthy.  It's rather sexy, too, in an understated kind of way.

I now want Eau des Merveilles to round out my little collection - I tried some on my skin the other day, and the salty dry-down is simply gorgeous.

All these Hermes fragrances are a little more "diaphanous" than my usual fragrance choices - I usually prefer darker, more heady fragrances, but I'm definitely coming to appreciate the "less is more" approach of Jean Claude Ellena these days.

The Fine Print: Mixture of PR Samples and purchases.
 
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7 comments

  1. Have you tried any of the perfumes that Jean Claude Ellena created for Frederic Malle? http://www.fredericmalle.com/main.cfm#!/perfumers/?sub=323

    I've got BIGARADE CONCENTRÉE, sadly it does not last very long on me :(

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  2. I love Un Jardin Sur le Nil, I don't love fruity scents usually, but I love the way it starts all bright and mango, and then dries down on me to something a bit more damp earthy.

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  3. I love Un Jardin Sur le Nil, I don't love fruity scents usually, but I love the way it starts all bright and mango, and then dries down on me to something a bit more damp earthy.

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  4. Also I'd love to see Mr Ellena's reject pile - that documentary on Perfume on BBC last year showed him developing so many perfumes that just didn't make the cut.

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  5. You must get Eau des Merveilles, it's absolutely divine! I love JCE scents.

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  6. You must get Eau des Merveilles, it's absolutely divine! I love JCE scents.

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  7. Try Elixir des Merveilles as well, which I prefer. My all time favourite Hermes is 24 Faubourg though.

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