Mini Reviews – Hermes

With summer fast approaching in Australia, one of the lines I’ll be turning to for sweet relief is the Hermes Cologne line. In today’s blog post, I’ll review a selection of scents from the line.

Hermes – Eau de Citron Noir – Blue bottle disappointment 4/10

Perhaps the blue bottle should’ve been a warning to me. After a promising, invigorating opening of smoke, citron, lime, and lemon, it quickly falls into the trap of many other blue bottle scents. The unimaginative ambrox base places it firmly in the same category of scents, such as Dior Sauvage, Versace Dylan Blue, and Prada Luna Rossa Carbon. Due to the opening, I like it better than those scents, but it’s a bit of a dud, to be honest. Probably the only dud in the collection.

Hermes – Eau de Rhubarbe Ecarlate – Rhubarb delight 8/10

Christine Nagel’s Eau de Rhubarbe Ecarlate is a sherbet-like cologne that lingers relatively long on the skin. The rhubarb is reminiscent of boiled candy sweets, and the tartness pairs wonderfully with the sweetness and fizz of the red berries. The white musk in the base is airy and ensures the perfume never fizzles out like many other colognes. I detect a faint whiff of vanilla that injects a custard-like effect on the composition. It’s by no means a calorific gourmand, though. Eau de Rhubarbe Ecarlate is a firm summer staple. Great work.

Hermes – Eau de Pamplemousse Rose – Juicy grapefruit and rose petals 7/10

Some folks have this one as their reference grapefruit, but for mine, it just falls short of Atelier Cologne Pomelo Paradis and my favourite grapefruit, Pamplelune from Guerlain. Still, Jean-Claude Ellena is the expert in composing lightweight, translucent perfumes that have enough depth to keep one interested through to the dry down. Grapefruit, tart and fresh, sitting on a bed of rose petals with a hint of spiciness, perhaps from cardamom. A woody vetiver backbone holds it together. Grapefruit can often smell cheap and synthetic, but in the expert hands of Ellena, Eau de Pamplemousse Rose is a hero in the heat.

Hermes – Concentre d’Orange Verte – Upgraded cologne 8/10

The concentrated version of Eau d’Orange Verte is a fantastic upgrade on the original, done with typical Hermes panache. It still doesn’t last overly long. The combination of basil, orange, patchouli, and mint provides an energising herbal, green spark that perfectly evokes the forest green flacon. The cedar and amber base adds some depth. A pick me up scent with a verdant “right out of the shower” freshness that can combat even the warmest summer days. I highly recommend it.

Hermes – Eau de Mandarine Ambree – Magical mandarin 8.5/10

Eau de Mandarine Ambree is my favourite from the line. The simple note structure of refreshing mandarin, sweet passion fruit in the mid and a subtle, warm, and comforting amber dry down works a treat. The transition from the juicy mandarin at the top to the zingy, candied sweetness of the passionfruit to the enveloping amber dry down is superb. Each note is given room to breathe, expertly playing off each other, conjuring up images of a well-spent late summer afternoon, watching the world go by, with the cooling temperatures and turning leaves of autumn just around the corner. Brilliant from Jean-Claude Ellena.

Longevity – The issue of longevity might be important to some, but I enjoy the fact that all these scents last 3-4 hours on skin. It allows me the opportunity to spray something else, or indeed re-spritz as required. If you are after something longer-lasting from the Hermes line, Terre d’Hermes always hits the spot for the warmer weather.

Do you have a favourite from this line?

Note – Bottle images courtesy of Google