Hermessence Appreciation/Discussion Thread

cheapimitation · Feb 24, 2024

Brian5701 said:
Hermes has a hand cream "Les Mains Hermes" which Nagel created the scent for. It's a fairly outspoken patchouli scent, but creamy too. Really nice if you're ok with spending $100 on hand cream. It's gotten some negative reviews online based on the scent, which I agree is pretty masculine, but definitely something to try if you love patchouli. Not really a "Hermessence" topic, but I think relates to Hermes and Nagel's recent work.

Thanks for this! I've been curious about it and now I want to try! I've gotten the Malle Iris hand cream before with no regrets so maybe I'll try Hermes next.

cheapimitation · Feb 24, 2024

baklavaRuzh said:
I think you might be? She has an extensive catalog , here are some of the most popular ones

Narciso Rodriguez For Her - Narciso Rodriguez Si - Giorgio Armani
The One - Dolce&Gabbana
Narciso Rodriguez for Her Eau de Parfum - Narciso Rodriguez
Wood Sage & Sea Salt - Jo Malone London
English Pear & Freesia - Jo Malone London
Miss Dior Cherie - Dior
Sì Passione - Giorgio Armani
Twilly d’Hermès - Hermès
Peony & Blush Suede - Jo Malone London

I prove my point as I've not tried any of these besides twilly!

I probably have tried wood sage and sea salt at some point in passing.

Her Hermessence perfumes have such a plush texture compared to Ellena's airiness. If Ellena is silk chiffon, Nagel is two ply cashmere.

cheapimitation · Feb 24, 2024

I finally tried Oud Alezan today, I'm afraid to report it's worse than I thought. I'm not completely tired of oud rose because I've not really bought any, so I was going in expecting to be more charitable than most. But it's got that really harsh nose scratching almost metallic oudy smell. I think the rose accord is also contributing to this as sometimes rose will have that bitter metallic twang to it.

It is very similar to LV Ombre Nomade and it kills me to say it, but I like Ombré Nomade better. It has a lighter airiness to it that I appreciate, the Hermes feels borderline suffocating after two sprays which is something I never expected to experience with an Hermes perfume. I'm a little glad I hate it so much I won't need to worry about affording a bottle.

I've only had it on about an hour, I didn't wear anything else today so I could experience this as my SOTD. So I will report back if there are any developments it dries down, but as of now I almost want to scrub it off.

I was really hoping for something as smooth and elegant as Agar Ebene with an added rose and maybe a mild horse stable oud. But instead this really is as basic as you get with designer rose oud, I don't see any Hermes in this.

GWM · Feb 24, 2024

cheapimitation said:
It is very similar to LV Ombre Nomade and it kills me to say it, but I like Ombré Nomade better.

baklavaRuzh · Feb 24, 2024

cheapimitation said:
I probably have tried wood sage and sea salt at some point in passing.

That was probably more than enough time spent on that fragrance...

cheapimitation said:
. But it's got that really harsh nose scratching almost metallic oudy smell. I think the rose accord is also contributing to this as sometimes rose will have that bitter metallic twang to it.

Isn't that something you can find in several of her newer hermes creations? Jardin à Cythère has this abstract almost metallic warmth, h24 supposedly too. I'm not sure which ingredients might contribute to this feeling. The reason why it was interesting to me to look up her past works, is that I find a lot of the fragrances that I have tried not my favorites and I'm thinking there's a signature that might not be my vibe, even if I love some of her past creations for Hermessence. With Elena, I actually enjoy many of his fragrances across brands to the extent where I would happily blind buy anything that he made at this point if a fragrance sounded interesting.

I'm hoping oud alezan will be good , but my hopes are not high right now.

DonBos · Feb 25, 2024

I thought it was superior to ombré nomade, a little more palatable with a nicer dry down. Still not saying much, and the biggest let down since JCE phoned it in with Santal Massoia and paprika brasil. The rose oxide is probably responsible for the metallic smell. I’ll still try and get a sample to give it another shot, but not the best 1st impression

cheapimitation · Feb 25, 2024

baklavaRuzh said:
Isn't that something you can find in several of her newer hermes creations? Jardin à Cythère has this abstract almost metallic warmth, h24 supposedly too. I'm not sure which ingredients might contribute to this feeling. The reason why it was interesting to me to look up her past works, is that I find a lot of the fragrances that I have tried not my favorites and I'm thinking there's a signature that might not be my vibe, even if I love some of her past creations for Hermessence. With Elena, I actually enjoy many of his fragrances across brands to the extent where I would happily blind buy anything that he made at this point if a fragrance sounded interesting.

I'm hoping oud alezan will be good , but my hopes are not high right now.

Yea it's interesting, some people also complain about a metallic note in Galop which I never really got. I also get a berry like juiciness to her rose note in both Galop, Myhrre Eglantine, and I get some of the in Oud Alezan as well. I definitely get metallic in H24 but it works for me there in the modern green steam iron theme.

DonBos said:
I thought it was superior to ombré nomade, a little more palatable with a nicer dry down. Still not saying much, and the biggest let down since JCE phoned it in with Santal Massoia and paprika brasil. The rose oxide is probably responsible for the metallic smell. I’ll still try and get a sample to give it another shot, but not the best 1st impression

Yea I wondered if it's part of the rose oxide smell as it felt like the rose is giving more sharpness than the oud. I will say that while it was quite loud for several hours it did quiet down considerably later in the day and when it got down to the very base I think I detect a hint of real oud. Some designer ouds show their cards when they hit the base and it's nothing left but amber woods, but I felt like I could smell a trace of oud-y smell in the late dry down.

Redneck Perfumisto · Feb 25, 2024

cheapimitation said:
Yea it's interesting, some people also complain about a metallic note in Galop which I never really got. I also get a berry like juiciness to her rose note in both Galop, Myhrre Eglantine, and I get some of the in Oud Alezan as well. I definitely get metallic in H24 but it works for me there in the modern green steam iron theme.

Yea I wondered if it's part of the rose oxide smell as it felt like the rose is giving more sharpness than the oud. I will say that while it was quite loud for several hours it did quiet down considerably later in the day and when it got down to the very base I think I detect a hint of real oud. Some designer ouds show their cards when they hit the base and it's nothing left but amber woods, but I felt like I could smell a trade of oud-y smell in the late dry down.

The comparisons to Galop make me want to suggest that Oud Alezan may likewise be better in the sillage than when smelled up close, which is what I found with Galop. That would also explain why Christine Nagel was able to impress the Hermès execs with it.

My wife complains about many fragrances as being "too stimulating" - often that is when smelled up close or in high concentration. Much lighter, such as from a distance, or dried down to a scent on clothing, and she'll say they're good.

The trick of going very light saved Guerlain Homme EDT for me.

I will be getting a chance to sniff this new fragrance, so I'll keep what you've said in mind. I'm not a huge fan of rose oud, but I'm quite good with rose oxide, metallic roses, and weird roses (e.g., Galop), so this may be fine for me.

I just want to say that I agree with you - I think keeping things centered on Hermèssence is the right approach for this thread, but other Hermès scents, and other works by Ellena, Nagel, etc., and other works in general, will naturally come up, and that's great.

Toxicon · Feb 25, 2024

Just chiming in to say that I really like these house-focused and/or specific line-focused threads. It's a great way for existing fans of the line to talk about favorites and share thoughts and observations that give helpful context, while it makes for a good place for folks just coming to the line to share sampling experiences or ask questions. And of course it makes it a great resource for anyone just curious about following along (or doing research on something that's piqued curiosity). For example, I love the ongoing Parfum d'Empire discussion thread and the similar one that started around "sampling Villoresi". Personally, I'm following this thread because I enjoy a lot of JCE's other work (and some but not all of Nagel's) and I'm generally curious about these higher end curiosities, and the discussion thus far has been great.

For brands like Hermes and Chanel, where the mainline fragrances already get discussed quite a bit, but the exclusive lines have their own character separate and apart from the mainstream stuff, I think it's perfectly reasonable to keep a discussion focused on the exclusive line.

cheapimitation · Feb 29, 2024

Wearing Vetiver Tonka, something about cool rainy weather always puts me in the mood for this one.

I've realized over the years I don't particularly like tonka forward scents, recent sampling of Guerlain Tonka extrait and Tonka Imperial confirmed that.

The Guerlains go in a more almond direction but Vetiver Tonka has a nutty almost roasted sweetness too it that provides such a beautiful warmth and contrast that to the vetiver. Something almost like roasted hazelnut.

I'm always amazed at the way Ellena plays with opposing textures and qualities to create something that is much more interesting than the simple notes list may imply. Vetiver Tonka is creamy, sharp, grassy, nutty, sweet, sour, and it’s all so perfectly balanced.

GWM · Feb 29, 2024

I like Vetiver Tonka a lot. Makes me think of tweed and fall.

mr. reasonable · Mar 3, 2024

I have tried all of them except this new one over the years, usually buying the 4 in 1 Box Sets and then going for full bottles as when I need new ones.

I always have Vetiver Tonka on hand - an extra bottle at home and a few 15mls so I can always grab one when I'm travelling around the region - perfect calming influence going thru the whole customs, immigration nightmare (and on the plane when the food smells drift down the aisle).

Osmanthe Yunnan is beautiful, love it in the HK spring-time when the real Osmanthus flowers bloom. The precursor of this one is simple 'Osmanthus' which Ellena created with his daughter when they founded A Different Company (prior to him signing on with Hermés). It's a pure delight - no frills, just sparkling Osmanthus.

Anbre Narguille is sort of a 'classic' inasmuch as it's worth having a bottle so you can wear it at Xmas (along with Lutens Arabie). I have bottles of both, wonderful that time of year!

The only newish one by Nagel that gained any traction with me is Santal Massoia - nice enough but happy to have the odd 15ml to bang in the travel bag.

Sultan al Hindi · Mar 3, 2024

cheapimitation said:
Didn't want to make this just about the new oud but that was on my mind when I started the thread. I'm indifferent about another rose oud, it doesn't bother me or particularly excite me but I'm wiling to give it a chance.

Hermessence sits in a weird place in my wardrobe. On one hand I think I could be totally content wearing nothing but the line, there's so much variety and all are easy to wear. But then I tend to forget about them and probably wear them the least of anything I own, thus why I wanted to initiate a discussion about the line and give them some love.

They are also very underrepresented in terms of reviews especially on YouTube, which is a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. I appreciate the lack of hype, it's like an insiders secret.

Still, I remember feeling frustrated when looking for reviews that the only comprehensive review of the line was from the Fragbros channel, and they really do not get what these fragrances are about.
It's a bit of a shame to have that as the lone voice about these fragrances on YouTube.

Sebastian Furtado has added some great videos to the discourse, but they still feel underrepresented (sorry if I'm losing those who do not watch YouTube).

Anyhow, I plan to update here more on each fragrance as I wear them. Overall though, I think it's a fascinating and artful body of work that really allows you to get in the head of one of the best perfumes of our time, Jean-Claude Ellena.

Check out Persolaise's channel, its better than anything elsd you'd find on youtube

pfranka · Mar 4, 2024

I never really clicked with any of the Hermessence line enough to buy one until the recent Violette Volynka, and now this new one (Oud Alezan). At first it reminded me of Micallef's Bruckner Aoud 1 with a more prominent rose. The very beginning wasn't my favorite part due to the slightly medicinal oud. This was the only part of the perfume's development that had sharpness and it passed within 15 - 20 minutes I think. About an hour in, the clothing it got on reminded me of Roja's Pierre de Velay No. 1 - with that furry, animalic (civet?) - and the scent of the sillage was very nice. It went through different phases, a brief one of which was a bit like FM Lipstick Rose. Hours later the base became sweeter with musk. This has gone to the top of my wishlist.

GWM · Mar 4, 2024

I think the Hermessence line is unfairly critiqued for being sheer and short-lived (not necessarily in this thread, just conversations I've seen over the years). I'm wearing Brin de Reglisse today, and 8 hours later I can still smell it. In a lot of ways this line was way ahead of it's time.

baklavaRuzh · Mar 4, 2024

@GWM I agree, the most common take I see is that people think they have bad performance because they are labeled as edts.but I have had Ambre Narguilé lingering for weeks on textile. Some of them are much more short-lived than that and they aren't 'beast mode', but have never thought about them as particularly shy.

Oviatt · Mar 4, 2024

Not a huge fan of the line and of the ones I own, the only one I wear regularly is Poivre Samarcande. I gave my Cuir des Anges to my daughter and also still have but rarely use Brasil Paprika.

The thing that never gets discussed is that at their launch, the collection was meant to be a mix and match layering collection (Think Pavilion, Celadon and White Linen). When these first came out, the head for the fragrance department at the Hermes on Rodeo had just come back from the Paris mothership where they were trained about the launch. They were given all sorts of secret recipes to layer them to create new scents (sort of like the secret menu at In-N-Out). She sprayed three on my arm and the result was amazing but the cynical side of me though "now she is trying to sell me THREE bottles...."

cheapimitation · Mar 4, 2024

mr. reasonable said:
I have tried all of them except this new one over the years, usually buying the 4 in 1 Box Sets and then going for full bottles as when I need new ones.

I always have Vetiver Tonka on hand - an extra bottle at home and a few 15mls so I can always grab one when I'm travelling around the region - perfect calming influence going thru the whole customs, immigration nightmare (and on the plane when the food smells drift down the aisle).

Osmanthe Yunnan is beautiful, love it in the HK spring-time when the real Osmanthus flowers bloom. The precursor of this one is simple 'Osmanthus' which Ellena created with his daughter when they founded A Different Company (prior to him signing on with Hermés). It's a pure delight - no frills, just sparkling Osmanthus.

Anbre Narguille is sort of a 'classic' inasmuch as it's worth having a bottle so you can wear it at Xmas (along with Lutens Arabie). I have bottles of both, wonderful that time of year!

The only newish one by Nagel that gained any traction with me is Santal Massoia - nice enough but happy to have the odd 15ml to bang in the travel bag.

Osmanthe in HK summer sounds lovely!

I'm quite sure Santal is by Ellena, did you mean something else?

mr. reasonable · Mar 4, 2024

cheapimitation said:
Osmanthe in HK summer sounds lovely!

I'm quite sure Santal is by Ellena, did you mean something else?

Oh, OK - just thought it was one of hers. She released a couple of vaguely 'Attar' styled ones not long after joining and I thought the Santal was around the same time. It is a nice one - just don't figure I need a full bottle, still have a coupla 15mls.

cheapimitation · Mar 5, 2024

GWM said:
I think the Hermessence line is unfairly critiqued for being sheer and short-lived (not necessarily in this thread, just conversations I've seen over the years). I'm wearing Brin de Reglisse today, and 8 hours later I can still smell it. In a lot of ways this line was way ahead of its time.

To that point, I sprayed a few blotters with Osmanthe Yunan, Cuir d’Ange, and Agar Ebene two days ago and I was just smelling them again and the scent is still there and recognizable. What’s so impressive is unlike a lot of perfumes where the base several days later is some vague and indistinct smell, these all smell exactly like the perfume. I’m sure they have lost some of the details, but they are still entirely legible even after a few days.

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