Hermès - Jour d'Hermès Gardenia

In 2015, Hermès in-house parfumeur Jean-Claude Ellena continues to stroll in his garden to find a guiding light; one which will transform his 2012 creation 'Jour d'Hermès' into a paragon of femininity and fortunately he has done just that. This year, his eyes have settled upon the gardenia - a flower whose narcotising and mesmerising perfume has won the hearts of millions the world over.




Jour d'Hermès Gardenia represents the dawn of a new day... a whisper of feminine charm laying just below the horizon; the anticipation of the beauteous sun about to breach the skyline before climbing in the filament. Illuminated by a single flower, gardenia serves as the backbone upon which this profusion of florals has been planted... Jour d'Hermès Gardenia is an aria to sensuality. Bursting with intoxicating blossoms of rose, jasmine and tuberose, they are dragged into the celestial orbit of the gardenia - a flower which has remained the symbol of womanly appeal for millennia.

Straying somewhat from the Jour d'Hermès and Jour d'Hermès Absolute trajectory (but still managing to remain recognisable as their younger sibling), Gardenia is resolutely more delicate... the sensation of a zephyr of wind caressing the skin, or the gauzy, diaphanous tickle of silk dragged across the body. Jour d'Hermès Gardenia forms a luxurious vegetal/solar halo around the wearer.

Already launched in Europe, Jour d'Hermès Gardenia will reach retailers shelves here in Australia this September, and as with all scents from the esteemed Hermès stable, it will not disappoint.
Visit hermes.com for more information.

Hermès - Le Jardin de Monsieur Li

In 2003 - under the guardianship of in-house nose Jean-Claude Ellena - Hermès invited us to stroll through a garden in the Mediterrannean; Ellena's first olfactory exploration in the Jardins perfume series. Since then, we have been taken to examine the garden oases of southern Egypt; the fragrant lawns of India after the monsoon; the verdant green of a rooftop Garden in Paris, and now - in 2015 - Ellena takes us for a stroll in a perfectly manicured Chinese garden... Le Jardin de Monsieur Li.

'Monsieur Li' is a purely fictitious character, but it is a name that communicates a sense of maturity and of even-handedness... of an individual whose efforts and dedication to cultivating his garden with such precision and love, culminate in a retreat that is every bit as gratifying to the eye as it is to the nose. It is a name with a certain charm and whimsy... a collision of East meets West; "Monsieur" being devoutly French, and 'Li" being resolutely oriental. Not surprisingly, the name Monsieur Li speaks well of what one can expect in the bottle... that is, a tender olfactory essay in Chinese gentility and refinement, which has been approached in a conspicuously French way; a way which is unquestionably Hermès.

In retracing the route of the inception of this perfume, Ellena visited countless Chinese gardens. He recalls:

"I remembered the scent of the pools, of the jasmine, the wet stones, the plum trees, the kumquats and the giant bamboo. It was all there, even the carp in their pond, taking their time to live to a hundred. The Sichuan pepper bushes were as thorny as roses and the leaves gave off a lemony scent. All that remained was to compose this new garden, one which contained all the others."

The flight of this perfume is a bright citrus with an unusual aromatic green undercurrent... it dances between notes of bittersweet kumquat and jade-colored aquatic accords. There exists a sense of balance and refinement right from the outset... a curious symmetry between components that feels effortless and precise; Ellena's very own Chinese 'masterstock', perhaps. Jasmine is listed amongst the olfactory notes declared on the outer packaging, and indeed one can find it there, but there appears to be an assortment of flowers that are not mentioned in the accompanying pyramid; rose? peony? magnolia? Again, Ellena has woven them all into the tapestry of this perfume with such mastery, that they are difficult to distinguish. The overall feeling however, is one of tenderness, filtered light, and an accomplished marriage of the elements, earth, water and air.
Monsieur Li feels incredibly diaphanous - as thin as Chinese rice-paper lanterns, and as semi-transparent as blooms of coloured ink dropped on wet watercolour paper. Over the hours, it tapers into a fine mist of clean musk and blonde woods.

As far as the Jardins series goes, Le Jardin de Monsieur Li takes up residence comfortably amongst it's older siblings and feels very much a part of the broader picture. Collectively, Ellena's Jardins creations form an aria to genderless perfection, each with a proficient sense of lightness and harmony.

Le Jardin de Monsieur Li is available internationally from March 2015, and will launch here in Australian department stores, Hermès boutiques, and on the Australian Hermès website this September.

Hermès: Hermessence - Cuir d'Ange

This October, we are honoured to receive more prose from the perfumed pen of Hermès nose Jean-Claude Ellena, as the house gives flight to Cuir d'Ange, the twelfth creation in its exclusive Hermessence line.

In 2014, Jean-Claude has found his muse between the pages of a book - one that has touched his life profoundly. Twentieth century French writer Jean Giono refers to 'angel leather' in a passage from the book "Jean le Bleu", and it was from there that Ellena's inspiration took seed.

"Two words, two smells: the smell of angels, the smell of leather, and already the name of a perfume".

In keeping with strong House traditions, Cuir d'Ange is devoutly Hermès through and through... it tips its hat to the historic Hermès scents of the 1950's, whilst in the same breath feels strikingly contemporary. If one were asked to trace its ancestry, one could not look past the cardamom-laiden citrus flight of Eau d'Hermès, and the delectable bittersweet leathery qualities of Doblis. Moving forward along the timeline, the floral/leather treatment of Kelly Caleche springs to mind, though Cuir d'Ange feels a little more mature and sophisticated. I wonder too, if Ellena has borrowed from his recent creation Épice Marine, perhaps with a rearrangement of it's salty ozonic accords included here to suggest vast and infinite space overhead. After all, is that not where angels reside?

Cuir d'Ange darts between the ethereal and the earthbound. It's enchanting florals - heliotrope, iris, violet and daffodil - steal glances through a more grounded leather/musky veil. The sandy pink calfskin lid and nude blush hue of the flacon communicate a certain tenderness... the napped suede caress of an angel, maybe.

Two words is all it took for Ellena to make tangible a scent that is genderless and appealing, and observes the traditions of the House. As an author of perfume, his words are his smells, and here he has written a poem of unearthly beauty and the sublime.

Cuir d'Ange is available in Australia at Hermes.com, and internationally online and in Hermès boutiques in 15ml, 100ml and 200ml sizes.

Terre d'Hermès Eau Trés Fraîche

The most successful masculine to emerge from the house of Hermès in recent times is irrefutably J.C Ellena's woody/spicy triumph Terre d'Hermès... a scent launched in 2006 that went on to win the FiFi (Fragrance Foundation's) Men's Fragrance of the Year accolade in 2007. Ellena's proficient nose produced an eau de toilette that simply won the world over. Now, some 7 years on, Hermès have revisited Terre and breathed new life into its lungs with the launch of Terre d'Hermès Eau Trés Fraîche... a woody aromatic comp with an engaging thalassic slant.

Just before I continue with my review, I would like to pause for a moment to address the Hermès house accord that seems to have become more conspicuous in Ellena's recent work. To my mind, Jean-Claude has looked to the house's past to unify the modern Hermès perfume stable; particularly with the masculines. If one looks back at Roudnitska's masterwork Eau d'Hermès (1951), a genderless spiced-citrus splash with leathery animalic undertones, one can distinctly hear an echo in the opening notes of Ellena's latest 'Pirate' Hermessence Épice Marine. Similarly, Bel Ami Vetiver  (a new addition to the perfume portfolio in 2013)  opens with a distinct Eau d'Hermès bergamot / cinnamon quickstep before veering off into classic Bel Ami territory. The house's unique fingerprint - or Hermès DNA - appears to be more prominent in contemporary releases, which I - for one - am excited to see. It may come as no surprise then, that it also makes an appearance in the arresting flight of Terre d'Hermès Eau Trés Fraîche.

Eau Trés Fraîche, out of the gates, feels a little like one of the Hermès Eau de Colognes... in fact, Eau de Pamplemousse Rose springs to mind in the cursory moments it dances on skin. Grapefruit and bergamot meet the nose with a zesty tang that is somewhat less sweet than the pulpy orange opening of Terre d'Hermès... it already feels more sheer and diaphanous than its older sibling. Moments later, the familiar Eau d'Hermes prickle of spice, pale woods and leather wash over the nose, infusing it with evocations of yesteryear. But it is in this next phase that Eau Trés Fraîche starts to shift trajectory... a pelagic, watery facet shifts forward, proffering an almost saline quality. (I wonder whether the ocean-like algenone accord Ellena used in Épice Marine might have been re-introduced here)? The heart is awash with geranium that is both citrusy and aromatic, but the whole composition remains translucent and somehow feels almost blanched.
Interestingly, the dirt, slate and ozonic aspects that made Terre d'Hermès a hit feel all but absent in the Fraîche version... my nose struggles to  draw parallels between the pair, save for the warm woody foundation that both have in common and that both have been built on. Base notes notwithstanding, this scent is noticeably more fleeting than its big brother.

Terre d'Hermès Eau Trés Fraîche is a surprising departure from the original Terre, but one cannot feel disappointed with this fragrance that promises to deliver a cooling aromatic respite from the heat over the coming European summer. Terre d'Hermès Eau Trés Fraîche comes as a 125ml eau de toilette which is already available in France, and will be soon rolling out to other European retailers.

Unfortunately for us Aussies, we can expect an August / September 2014 release to coincide with the start of our southern spring.

Hermès - The Classics Collection - Bel Ami Vetiver

This December, Hermès are launching The Classics Collection - a selection of eight classic scents from the iconic French perfume stable that have been repackaged in the iconic 'carriage lantern' flacon.

The lineup will include one Jean Claude Ellena newcomer - a flanker to the 1986 masculine Bel Ami, aptly titled Bel Ami Vetiver. A vetiver / patchouli twist on the much-loved original, Bel Ami Vetiver will be available in Hermès boutiques and at Hermès.com from December, and will roll out to selected retailers in 2014. A special feature includes a discrete artwork seen through the bottle printed on the back of the label.

Other repackaged scents in the series will include: Eau d'Hermès (1951), Calèche (1961) in both Soie de Parfum and Eau de Toilette, Equipage (1970), Amazone (1974), Bel Ami (1996), Rocabar (1998), Hiris (1999) and Rouge (2000). 

I personally look forward to exploring the newcomer to the Classic family.
And it's time to rework my Christmas wishlist!

Hermès: Hermessence - Épice Marine

In October 2011, Hermès nose Jean-Claude Ellena visited Cancale, a seaside commune situated in Brittany in northwestern France. In a region close to Saint-Malo (known historically for its sea-faring trade and piracy), Cancale is a scenic fishing village that is perhaps best known for its farming of oysters... an astonishing 7.3 square kilometres of oyster beds dominate the landscape, clearly visible on the tidal mudflats along its shores. Ellena was en route to meet with "Cuisinier Corsaire" (Pirate Chef) Olivier Roellinger - a three-Michelyn star chef, and Concale resident since birth.
The reason for this meeting between a man who lives by his taste, and a man who lives by his nose... to engage in a discussion that in 2013, has culminated in the first 'Pirate Hermessence': Épice Marine.

Roellinger's distinctions and career accomplishments read like those of culinary royalty. Through his cuisine, he recounts maritime history from the Mont-Saint-Michel Bay, using local fare combined with exotic spices he has collected from around the world. His inventive "spice powder" creations have seen him open his successful Épices-Roellinger outlets in Cancale, Saint-Malo and Paris. So, who better for Jean-Claude to liaise with, whilst contemplating a new Hermessence? Their shared passion for delighting the senses came into sharper focus whilst strolling the Bay, and it was here - overlooking the bleak channel awash with monochrome hues - that Ellena found his inspiration.



Épice Marine unifies the warmth of spices with the cold of the barren ocean. It opens with a brisk sparkle of bergamot, which feels both energising and lively. Its flight incorporates a feeling of green... something sharp, incisive and slightly salty... one can almost sense the taste of brine drying on your lips. A beautiful toasted cumin note sails up from beneath - it smells woody and also a little nutty, and resides in a register of astonishing sensuality. As the perfume washes over skin, one can recognise algenone - an accord Ellena has used to furnish the fragrance with an oceanic quality... not a synthetic blue "marine" accord common to many mainstream releases, but rather, one that exemplifies the majesty and vastness of the ocean. It hums with a seaweed-like intensity; it feels blue-green and fathomless.

When consulting with Roellinger on taste and smell, it was suggested that Ellena try a particular scottish whiskey - Bruichladdich - which Roellinger felt in some way was pregnant with odours and flavours that typified the region... that of mist and pebbles and smoke. Ellena agreed, and, after procuring a bottle, wore it for a time on skin. He then composed an olfactory 'sketch' of the beverage which was later worked into the heart notes of Épice Marine. One can distinguish this facet clearly as the scent dries down... it brings a hazy, smouldering warmth to the composition... one that doesn't feel at all out of place on this 'pirate perfume' canvas. Épice Marine is quite simply astonishing in its soberness and intensity... for anyone who has lived near the sea (particularly through cold winters), or has fond memories of hours spent fossicking along the low tide line first thing in the morning, they will find much to love in this bottle. This, the eleventh  Hermessence in the Hermès portfolio manages to capture all the odours of the bay on a cold evening, and the coziness of returning home to sit near an open fire at night. Épice Marine really does showcase the talents of Jean-Claude Ellena as a master of his craft.

Épice Marine is available from October 2013 in Hermès boutiques, and is rolling out internationally in Hermès online stores.

It is available as a 100ml eau de toilette with saddle-stitched marine-blue leather cap, and a special presentation with an exquisite matching leather sheath.

One to be cherished.

5 Hermès' in 5 Days - Day V: Bel Ami

A simple pencil sketch by Gustav Klimt was used to accompany the press launch and advertising of the 1986 Hermès masculine Bel Ami... an erotic depiction of one of Klimt's wives, mistresses or whores seen lying spent, with legs splayed. Promoted with the evocative headline "Bel Ami est un grand seducteur" (Bel Ami is a great seducer), one could predict - long before a scented mouillette was lifted to your nose - that Bel Ami was going to be bold, commanding and unapologetic.

Likely inspired by the 1885 Guy de Maupassant novel Bel Ami; the story tells of Georges Duroy, a young man who rose to power by manipulating and bedding a string of powerful and influential mistresses. This fictitious scoundrel perhaps served as the muse behind the Bel Ami man... a self-assured, daring lover who leaves a string of women swooning in his wake. Originally presented in a faceted amber glass flacon in the form of a cocktail shaker, Bel Ami is resolutely suave, masculine and unrepentant.

Classified as a Woody Chypre, Bel Ami was composed by perfumer Jean-Louis Sieuzac in an era of gratuitous excess... it embodies all the brawn and overt masculine energy common to many men's perfumes released in the 80's, but with the expected Hermès DNA of luxury and finesse.

Straight out of the bottle Bel Ami bowls you over with an infusion of woods and citrus. A fresh lemon / petitgrain / mandarin flight is rendered ombré with toasty, warm nuances of fragrant cedar. Notes of herbaceous sage and dusty, peppery carnation emerge that blanket the scent laterally like a fragrant mantle of  husky grey-green. As the fabric of this fragrance unfolds, a rich, earthy patchouli reaches up from below, partnered with a sensuous ribbon of comforting vanilla bourbon...  the entire composition feels thick and leather-like, like a man's body, slick with sweat. Dry mosses and resinous styrax lend an enduring fieriness and a generous dose of castoreum, an overtly sexual, animalic undertone. Not surprisingly, Bel Ami feels unafraid, extroverted, and openly sexual. A scent that epitomises gruff masculine vigor, and still observes the traditional conventions of the house of Hermès.

Bel Ami in recent years has been relaunched in a tidy rectangular flacon (above). Whilst I have not smelled the more modern release, I suspect it might have had the Jean Claude Ellena treatment, which is to say, I imagine it may be slightly more transparent. It is important to acknowledge that many perfume producers have a legal obligation to discontinue the use of restricted ingredients such as castoreum (a product once harvested from beavers) which is now re-created synthetically for ethical reasons. Whatever the case may be, Bel Ami remains to this day, one of the house's most loved and most venerated masculines.

Bel Ami is available in 100ml size at Hermès boutiques and online at Hermes.com .

5 Hermès' in 5 Days - Day IV: Eau de Mandarine Ambrée

If there is one thing Hermès nose/perfumer Jean Claude Ellena does with exceptional flair, it's a good eau de cologne. His clever studies in the Cologne Hermès series are proof positive of his proficiency. In a 2009 interview with L'Express.fr, when asked to give three adjectives to describe a good cologne, Ellena commented:
 "...cool...simple.... and especially generous. We do not count with cologne, we can put a good shot in the palm of your hand to rub on. I love the gesture of splash that accompanies it - like no other perfume".

Indeed, Ellena has an incredible ability to exploit transparency and a certain 'olfactory temperature' in his creations. A cool, refreshing tonic applied in the summertime does much to lift the spirits and rouse the senses. In 2013, Hermès added 2 new Eau de Colognes to their treasury, Eau de Narcisse Bleu and Eau de Mandarine Ambrée; the former a study of daffodil and soft woods, and the latter, an examination of summer fruits and amber.

Eau de Mandarine Ambrée is a lip-smacking scent that excites from the outset. Zesty mandarin instantly meets the nose, and one can easily recognise the aroma of both the fragrant oil-carrying peel, and the fluffy white pith. I suspect a bittersweet measure of grapefruit has been introduced here also. Whilst it does feel instantaneously citrusy, the saliva-inducing sharpness is somehow diminished by a sweeter, pulpier facet pressing up from below... a syrupy, sun-yellow note of passionfruit brings with it a sense of tropical warmth. Here is where Eau de Mandarine Ambrée makes a departure away from traditional citrus scents, and introduces a balmier, more temperate feel. A honey-like seam of amber snakes its way up from the base and gives the cologne an almost caramel-like quality. There is a slight vanilla texture there that feels silken and luxurious, like an ice-cream dessert or sorbet composed of fruits from the tropics.

It is testament to Ellena's efforts that the whole composition feels both diaphanous and 'cool'. I wonder if the formula includes a cooling agent, like the cheeky crinkle of mint found in Eau d'Orange Verte - a little something hidden that keeps it brisk and energising. Whatever the case, Eau de Mandarine Ambrée plays a spectacular game of chase across boundaries that are both sweet and acidic, tropical and arctic.
One to be applied with mad abandon, just as Ellena intended.

Eau de Mandarine Ambrée is available in larger department stores and at Hermès boutiques in both 100ml and 200ml sizes.

Tomorrow's post: Bel Ami

5 Hermès' in 5 Days - Day III: Hiris

Irises have something of a sentimental significance to my family. They were my maternal grandmother's favourite flower, and in turn, one of my mother's. As a child I grew up around bushels of indigo blossoms arranged in vases and growing in our garden, but up until just a few years ago, had you asked me what they smelled like, I sincerely doubt I could have told you. The perfume of a single iris is not the same as that of a single rose, nor of a single gardenia blossom... one cannot get a true sense of iris from one or two stems alone. You must smell them in profusion.

Last September, my wife and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary, and to memorialise the day I presented her with 40 irises all on stems of almost a meter long. In the days following, their tight paintbrush-like buds unraveled into spectacular triangular florets of abundant blue. Visitors to our house gasped at the cornucopia of colour as they entered our living room, and many commented on the perfume... one which - as far as they were concerned - they had never truly experienced before.
Perfumer Olivia Giacobetti's spectacular study Hiris for Hermès (launched in 1999) is perhaps the most faithful rendering of irises I've come across to this day.

In 1999, I distinctly recall the Hiris launch at a local department store. A multitude of purple flowers arranged against bright orange Hermès packaging made for a memorable spectacle, but at the time, I found the scent itself a little too mature for my liking. I was perhaps looking at things in a very literal sense: "...this doesn't smell like any iris that I know of!" whereas now - upon reflection - I perhaps should have admired the artistry. You see, Giacobetti's creation is more of an impressionistic oil painting of irises - full of vivid hues and broad strokes... a 'sketch' of sorts. One of those renderings where one must put some distance between themselves and the canvas (as I have, over time), to make the overall picture become clearer or sharper.

Hiris now in 2013 somehow feels more relevant than it did in 1999. Today, in a world full of countless perfume launches, complicated press releases and serpentine explanations, Hiris is now something of a standout. Once the frequently-overlooked orphan amongst its older and younger siblings, it actually represents the first and most enduring soliflore in the history of Hermès, proving that often, simplicity is key, particularly when handled in a luxurious and carefully-considered manner. If Hermès and Giacobetti deemed the iris worthy of their examination and reflection, then so should we!

Hiris is classified as a floral green fragrance, and to my nose, it's bang on the money. Many scents using iris as a starring note tend to focus on or exaggerate the dry, powdery qualities of the root... bringing out a lipstick / face powder facet that does not always sit well with everyone (Dior Homme, I'm looking at you)! With this Hermès creation, Giacobetti has recognised the husky nature of iris, but has given it a real sense of the environment from which it has grown. Iris, carnation, coriander and cedar give a sense of both an earthy springtime dampness: whilst amber, neroli, honey, rose and vanilla; a sunny springtime warmth. The feeling of coldness and austerity common to numerous iris scents is completely absent here... Giacobetti's interpretation incorporates green leafy fronds, speckled sunlight, and morning dew evaporating in the air. As a soliflore, there is nominal evolution from top to bottom, but this, I feel, is to its merit. Hiris is worn close to the skin, just as one might, an exquisite indigo-coloured Hermès carré. I sometimes wonder what other treasures might have emerged if Hermès and Giacobetti had continued to follow this intelligent and enchanting soliflore trajectory.

Few scents have the wherewithal to feel both earthy and grounded and yet infinitely luxurious in equal measures. Hiris dances delightfully between artistry and convention... it feels somehow both introverted and energized.
Re-discover her and you will more than likely succumb to her cultivated charms and whimsy.

Hiris is still available in Hermès boutiques and online at Hermes.com.


Tomorrow's post: Eau de Mandarine Ambrée

5 Hermès' in 5 Days - Day I: Eau d'Hermès

In the same vein as my earlier popular posts on Guerlain, and to coincide with the launch of the new Hermès Hermessence Epice Marine (which will be reviewed here soon), each day this working week Sorcery of Scent will be casting light one Hermès fragrance a day. Today I begin with the house's signature scent, and personal favourite of mine, Eau d'Hermès.

Eau d'Hermès, was the first commercial perfume that the house launched in 1951 - a collaboration between master perfumer Edmond Roudnitska and Émile-Maurice Hermès. In a time during his management of the brand, Émile-Maurice summarized the fundamental Hermès philosophy as "Leather, sport, and a tradition of refined elegance".
In the 1920's, Émile had been responsible for first introducing accessories and handbags to the Hermès universe, and when presented with the challenge of creating the perfume that would soon carry the house's name, Roudnitska turned to them as his inspiration. In creating this scent, he recalled
"...the fragrance wafting from the interior of a Hermès bag... a note of delicate leather coated with the fresh scent of citrus fruits and flavoured with spices".
This became the palette from which Roudnitska began authoring a perfumed page in the history of this house. At the time, this exceptional 'eau' was offered exclusively in Hermès boutiques in crystal flacons - a service still available today, more than 60 years later.

Perhaps because of its exclusivity, for many decades Eau d'Hermès seemed to have slipped beneath the radar. I find this astonishing, as I feel it represents some of Roudnitska's best work. Born just a few short years after the exceptional Femme de Rochas, one can recognise Roudnitska's DNA in this Hermès creation... his use of leather and spices run parallel in both and give rise to a heart that is both earthy and animalic. It opens with a brisk shot of bergamot and lavender, followed by a huff of cinnamon and a sweaty, wanton infusion of cardamom and peppery spices which are slightly bitter to the nose. These notes work in unison with the incredible leather accord and smell resolutely sexual. Positioned as an "eau" which traditionally is to be worn with abandon and applied generously, it feels decidedly thicker, richer, and feistier - more of an EDT or EDP, perhaps. Interestingly, for all of its erotic innuendo, Eau d'Hermès' sense of luminosity and transparency are not compromised in the least. Roudnitska masterfully married the overtly carnal characteristics to those that feel bright and diaphanous. Light blooms of jasmine and geranium furnish the fragrance with a shimmering summer warmth... it is this very sense of transparency that I recognise as a tradition still being observed in the creations of Hermès in-house nose, Jean Claude Ellena today.

To my mind, Eau d'Hermès is the Jicky of the Hermès universe.... it is a pivotal scent upon which a house's name and its reputation (as far as perfumery is concerned) has been built. It rivals the best "house scents" of many other esteemed and time-honoured brands, and unreservedly embodies the Hermès spirit.

Eau d'Hermès is available in Hermès boutiques the world over, and online here in Australia at http://australia.hermes.com/

Tomorrow's post: Eau de Cologne Hermès