Martine

Why have I not managed to write down my thoughts on this fragrance until now? I've owned it for years and every time I use it I think it suits me, it's my "signature". And then it slips out of my sight again. It's just a cologne. That can't be "signature-suitable" at all, they're only supposed to refresh briefly, are strongly lemony and without depth.

But here the case is then but clearly different. Two things come together:

First, Eau Mandarine Ambree has an incredible quality and uniqueness, which has already been elaborated here. It is definitely "fresh" and natural with its often commented realistic mandarin. And yet, right from the start, the amber gives depth and warmth that one tends to expect from perfumes. I smell out a hard-to-specify and exceedingly elegant and subtle spiciness that I find far from one-dimensional. And the kicker, just when you think that's it after three four hours, you're surprised again after about six to eight hours (similar to Eau d'Hermes, by the way). The fragrance comes alive again, this time with a more animalic, physicality radiating amber note. Wonderful Love is...

Secondly, it shows once again. A fragrance itself and stand alone is nothing, it is always the connection it makes with the personality of the wearer or wearer. If a fragrance does not fit, he does not convince, there he may still be so high-quality and long-lasting. If he fits it is heavenly!

All in all, what I think is an underrated fragrance. He is more durable and more present than you think, but without losing the restrained character of a Colognes. He is a good alternative for all those who love the Eau des Merveilles, for example, but have smelled it too often on themselves and others. It clearly has Hermes DNA and in my view can really be worn for all seasons and occasions. A signature cologne at its best!

Everything has been so intense and fast in recent years, including fragrances. Hoping not to get lost in the flood of new releases, perfumers seem to be doing everything they can to stand out. The creations are either getting more and more outlandish (Memoire, Gucci) or more and more floral loud (everyone else, actually). I can hardly stand a new fragrance for more than a few days. Everything too much, in the end also always too synthetic. But I remain driven, full of hope to find the Holy Grail, the ultimate signature fragrance, my unmistakable aura.

As if by chance, while cleaning up a few days ago, I found a hotel bottle of Hermes Eau d'orange verte shower gel. Still half full. Wanted to throw it away almost, I had this fragrance but something very altherrenhaft in memory. But try it can not hurt! And I was again expect enthusiastically. How tangy, lemon at the beginning, good old oakmoss at the end. Close to the body, lockdown-worthy. Memories of holidays in the South of France, of times when you just owned the one fragrance that is inseparable from you and your own experiences.

You guessed it, I was hooked. A detailed study on Parfumo followed. And so also the Concentré slipped into the field of vision. Always ignored, never tried. Yet it suddenly seemed to promise everything I dreamed of. Softer, not quite as angular as the Eau (though in some ways that makes it unique), more amber, perhaps creamier. And touted as a no sillage scent and not as long lasting...in my translation, definitely not overbearing, skin tight...

Somehow I managed to acquire a bottle as soon as possible in the lockdown. And revel since a few days...the basic note of the Eau I can clearly perceive, nice that it has remained, the composition is indeed warmer and rounder. After a fresh citrusy opening, it quickly becomes cozy, but without slipping into the wintry-gourmand. The impression of forest (cedar) comes up. Always accompanied by a touch of coolness (mint, basil). Everything actually takes place close to the body. As if it were steaming gently close around you, like after a summer rain. This very effect reminds me of Christine Nagel's Un Jardin sur la Lagune with its truly unique powderiness. But also of Ellena's colognes that follow Orange Verte, all of which I adore.

Here, dear perfumos, you will find Hermes' primordial soup. Everything is already contained in the Eau and especially in the Concentré. The unmistakable elegance, the understatement, the lightness of life praised by Hermes again and again. And all of this is completely "natural" and timeless. And last but not least, contrary to many pronouncements durable until the next day.

Back to the roots, dear Parfumo friends! When if not now!

I've been working on this scent for days. Not immediately convinced, I always reach for my specimen. And slowly come to a conclusion. This scent is highly interesting and very well wearable! Why?

It begins soft, smoky, almost a bit woody, with a completely independent non-floral scent of its own, which I find difficult to put into words, but which somehow has something "skin-like" about it. It's nice that the Eau des Merveilles hasn't really hit you here yet. One has the feeling of holding a new perfume by Hermes in one's hands. Sometime after about half an hour the scent becomes more powdery, maybe a little warmer, I easily discover metallic, mineral. The memory of the smell of warm stones has been mentioned in one or the other review. I completely agree with that, even find the scent ingenious in this respect. I have never smelled stones in this clear, precise form in perfumes before. Wonderful! The stone motif is then played through for a few hours, stones in the sun, stone landscapes at night under the starry sky, stones by the sea, in the spray. New facets are added again and again. Nothing is linear here... It's almost a pity that the Eau des Merveilles is clearly visible at the end. This is for me the most boring because known part of this fragrance experience. And from my point of view it could have been well done without. The fragrance could have done it also stand-alone.

All in all beautiful, independent, very light and subtle, much, much lighter than the Eau. Very close to the body and really completely unsweet and yet very feminine. I do have a small downer, but there's a little bit of synthetic, artificial seaweed or something like that slumbering somewhere, just like with all the other creations of Christine Nagel. She is a trained chemist and obviously loves to create new, unknown and somewhat strange notes that challenge us. But here I can somehow smell good over it. I am even inclined to say that it fits perfectly here. This is probably the smell of the hypermodern 21st century, with its technical possibilities but also its slowly growing realization that we humans are nothing else but part of nature...Thank you, Hermes!

I love scents. I'm crazy about it. It's terrible that I've been plagued by a fragrance allergy for the past few months. Hardly any of my favorites are walking anymore. When I stand in the subway in the morning, I almost feel shortness of breath with all the department store smells around me. Haven't I noticed before how aggressive many scents are? How much chemistry and synthetics are contained? I can smell it out like never before...and it almost repels me and I don't like most of the scents anymore.

With restrained interest I then came across the Couvent des Minimes fragrances. They are now available at Karstadt, but I had already read about them. Of course, also because Jean Claude Ellena has recently got his hands in the game here. One propagates a very high proportion of natural fragrances and they are 100% vegan. On instagram the aspect of green perfume is very much in the foreground.

First I tried Smyrna, rose with pepper. From the "Exceptional Fragrances" series. Surprisingly tolerable for me, but not one hundred percent convincing. A slightly synthetic note hangs in your clothes for days, even washing does not help. It goes like this...

But then I switched to the new line of Parfums Singulaire, created under Curatel by Jean Claude Ellena. Hattai has attracted me from the beginning. Gentle, gourmand, lots of amber. Above all close to the body, not too strong, but very subtly perceptible and elegantly restrained. And yes, I can actually tolerate him. It has almost nothing synthetic, nothing pungent, and yet it is extremely durable and present. No comparison with other natural perfumes I have tried so far. What magic has been conjured up! I am very impressed! I recognize the handwriting of Ellena and I am happy every day to have a scent of him around me again (you miss him already...).

And the best thing was the first comment of my beloved, to whom I did not tell that I have a new fragrance: Ah, you have brought out your Hermes fragrances again...beautiful!

Let's see. I am not able to estimate how natural the Couvent fragrances really are. But I have the feeling that something is being kicked off here with the help of Jean Claude Ellena. The perfume industry may now also have to deal with the issue of "green" and "clean". I find it exciting. And the world of fragrances is one facet richer again. You must try it!

We're in the experimental lab. The task is to create a completely new type of fragrance that contains the best of the past and at the same time serves what the discerning perfume lover wants, but cannot yet express. There is an infinite number of attempts. Guerlinade with contemporary molecules added, Guerlinade aquatic, Guerlinade only from extremely natural ingredients and and and. Everything is discarded. Until, yes, until one comes to the rapidly intelligent thought of forming the guerlinade into something that is actually no longer a liquid, but powder, perfume in powder form, ingenious. It is no longer sprayed, but powdered. A subtle freshness (apple?) and a hint of rose are then added to the whole thing, and the best thing is: you keep it very close to your body so that the scent, which sometimes reaches your nose or that of other people in small incalculable powder clouds, does not wear off under any circumstances. Here we are dealing with one of the most modern Guerlains ever. Already made for the next generation. Clean without any artificiality, subtle, there without sillage, but nevertheless present, fragrant without ever even a hint of sweetness. For the better marketing one tells the old-fashioned story with the make-up pearl powder. You couldn't do better! Golden times are dawning!