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Browsing by tag: hermes

Top 10 Summer Fragrances 2018

Posted by Erin on 8 June 2018 26 Comments

I have never done one of the spit-or-scrape genealogical tests, but I have always suspected that my family has secret Nordic or Baltic blood, as both my brothers are enthusiastic enough about outdoor swimming that they’ll do it in early May or October… in Canada. While I hesitate to frolic in 50F waves, I do sport sandals until snow accumulates, drink Arnold Palmers in January and I’m the only non-menopausal female in my XX-dominated workplace who enjoys our arctic air-conditioning. In a similar fashion, I wear citrus colognes all year. When it is my turn to list summer fragrances around here, I remind myself that normal people generally turn to crisp, refreshing eaux only when the temperature rises. Having exhausted my stable of favored classic colognes in previous posts, though, I thought that this time I’d highlight some atypical choices. Please bear with me. I did test these on myself in the heat, but YMMV…

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Hermes Caleche ~ vintage fragrance review

Posted by Angela on 7 May 2018 47 Comments

Some fragrances have a knack for separating the dabbler from the enthusiast. Hermès Calèche is one. If you sprayed a scent strip with Calèche and waved it in front of people at the bus stop, you’d probably get a lot of wrinkled noses, along with comments like “old lady” and “perfume-y,” even among people who like perfume and happily stock their bathroom shelves with Jo Malone and the latest Dior flanker. Calèche is hard to love.

Unless you’re dedicated to perfume, that is. Then, Calèche is Grace Kelly with a French count for a father, a mother whose linen never seems to wrinkle, and an aunt who’s a nun with a penchant for romance novels. The fragrance aficionado might never want to wear Calèche, but it’s irresistible to explore…

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Hermes Eau de Citron Noir ~ fragrance review

Posted by Kevin on 18 April 2018 29 Comments

Following a path through the olfactory universe of hesperidia led me into a vast world, dotted with surprises, with citrus fruits. Finger lime, Buddha’s hand fruit, Eureka lemon…. So many unusual varieties of citrus appealed to me, but it was the smoky and distinguished black lime that finally stood out as the key note. — Christine Nagel

When Hermès announced Eau de Citron Noir I was thrilled. It was (maybe) full of things I love: citrus galore, black tea, guaiac wood. My nose itched for a sniff but, wisely, I didn’t just up and buy Eau de Citron Noir before smelling it. It has become my most recent and glaring example of the distance between desire and description — and reality.

Black lime (the dried fruit) as a perfume note intrigued me the most. These hard, charcoal-colored limes are used in Middle Eastern cuisine, and have a complex aroma: musty, fermented, charred, sweet and sour (think citrus-and-sugar-spiked rice vinegar); they smell like the inside of a well-used, wooden Indian spice box that’s held a variety of spices for decades…

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5 Perfumes: Orange Blossom

Posted by Angela on 26 March 2018 98 Comments

I once heard perfumer Thomas Fontaine say he considered orange blossom an American note. (Iris and galbanum were French, he said.) Right away, I thought of bars of soap, brides, and piles of white laundered towels. Is that what Americans are about — cleanliness and innocence? Maybe I should have asked, is that what orange blossom is about?

Orange blossom is a lot more expressive than its association with laundry detergent would have you believe. Here are five relatively easy-to-find1 orange blossom-centered fragrances that explore a variety of non-Girl Scout takes on the note:

Serge Lutens Fleurs d’Oranger: Fleurs d’Oranger kicks off as bright and juicy as a grove of Florida Ambersweets in spring…

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Hermes Eau de Citron Noir ~ new fragrance

Posted by Robin on 23 March 2018 17 Comments

Hermès has launched Eau de Citron Noir, a new addition to the brand’s unisex Cologne collection. The last in the series were 2016’s Eau de Rhubarbe Écarlate and Eau de Néroli Doré…

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