H24 Herbes Vives
Eau de Parfum, Hermès (2024)

H24 Herbes Vives by Hermès (2024) is a very interesting flanker, and far better than the H24 Eau de Parfum (2022) that preceded it, being more than just a "thicker, sweeter, more mass-appealing" retool of the avant-garde original H24 by Hermès (2021). With Herbes Vives, the avant-garde futuristic experimentation returns, delivering another gloss-white pebble-shaped utopian domed-city future that the original H24 promised us, but some feel it failed to deliver. Whether or not Herbes Vives delivers on this promise will be up to the individual, although I think it does. The basic premise of this is to be a cooler, greener, punchier, but fresher take on the pear and herbs accord that was introduced in the eau de parfum. The sweetness is still there of course, but it is much more evenly-matched by the grassy chlorofil-like green notes that swim up top, and the new chemical du jour that sits in the scent's base. Some people may tire of brands dropping new aromachems as a selling point, and I can see it being a bit like "Intel Inside" on an old PC, even if it works here.

That novel material is called Physcool®, and it's a captive material created by Mane SA, used in both food, drink, and now fragrance applications, providing a long-lasting coolness without the minty after-effects of traditional menthol or actual mint additives. People joke about things like Jacques Fath Green Water (1947) smelling like toothpaste, but Physcool® has actually been used in real toothpaste, alongside other oral care products, and chewing gums. Here, the "coolness" divorced from the mint which derived it, is utilized as a contrast and long-lasting base material sitting under returning sclarene, narcissus, and sharp aldehyde notes, with the pear, cis 3 hexanol, and galbanum forming the sharp "herbal" top. Traces of what feels like vetiveryl acetate, a hybrid fraction of vetiver oil to remove the bitter or leathery aspects and leave behind the green. It wears well, but H24 Herbes Vives will cause much ruckus among hardliners in denial about Ellena leaving. Performance is good, although this is not a thick scent like the previous EdP.

For me, this is every bit as exciting and boundary pushing as anything Jean-Claude Ellena put forth for the house of Hermès. I don't want to accuse every voice of dissent with a broad-brush statement, but I have half a mind to think a lot of the noise stacked against Christine Nagel has to do with the fact it's a woman in charge as house perfumer to a brand like Hermès, that has dominated the minds of tastemakers in the men's online frag-o-sphere, instead of a man. We see similar dissent to a lesser extent with Delphine Jelk's appointment at Guerlain (she's still too new for much noise yet); but again, I think that is fairly only a portion of it. There have been misfires, with H24 Eau de Parfum being one glaring example, so indeed she had big shoes to fill and a long shadow to walk in; I just think H24 Herbes Vives knocks it all out of the park. Green, fresh, cool, earthy, and every bit a futuristic take on a classic men's grooming scent, H24 Herbes Vives is just the return to form I was looking for. Thumbs up

This fragrance is a sweeter take on the original EDT and a fruitier version of the EDP. While the EDP leans greener and mossier, this one brings out a more pronounced fruity vibe. Think of adding a bit of Sur Le Toit to the EDP, and that's what you get here.

As I smell this scent, I'm growing to appreciate the original EDT more. Herbes Vives opens similarly to H24 but dries down into something reminiscent of Sur Le Toit. The original carries a unique elegance with its metallic and mineral qualities, but its performance is on par for such a scent.

Personally, I'd go for the EDP since it keeps some of the green and aromatic aspects of the original while boosting performance. Herbes Vives is nice but a bit too straightforward, lacking the complexities of the original. It's more wearable and a better choice for those looking for a summer scent. I'd prefer going with Sur Le Toit and getting the original H24 or EDP because Herbes Vives strays quite a bit from the original.

The EDT is likeable, but not bottle worthy for me yet. I enjoyed the metallic and musk quality of it and the banana vibe was at bay, slightly green. The EDP was horrible dreck with the smell of unripe organic bananas and spice. This is an improvement, but still not sure it's bottle worthy. Would have loved to tweak the EDT with the developer before release.