A new fragrance in the upscale Hermessence range from French house Hermès always makes me happy, even when I don’t love the juice — it’s pretty rare that one has bored me, although it has happened. The new Épice Marine is number 11 in the series, and it falls squarely in the very-interesting-but-don’t-adore-it category, which makes me even happier; as I pointed out in my review of Jour d’Hermès, the brand has taken the lion’s share of my perfume spending already. I will be perfectly happy with the 15 ml travel size I have already purchased, and presumably Hermès will continue to prosper even if I don’t shell out for the full-sized bottle.

So, Épice Marine. The fragrance is about spices and the ocean: it was developed in a collaborative process between Hermès house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena and Breton “pirate chef” Olivier Roellinger, and was inspired by their mutual love of spices and the smell of the sea…

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