Hermès will launch Epice Marine, the latest in the Hermessence series, in September. The theme, as captured in the name, is spices and the ocean, and the fragrance was developed in a sort of collaboration between Hermès house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena and chef Olivier Roellinger…
Eau de Mandarine Ambrée is one of two new 2013 offerings in the unisex Cologne Collection at Hermès, the other being Eau de Narcisse Bleu. Both were developed by house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, who notes that Mandarine Ambrée “is quite immediate, the other [Narcisse Bleu] is more complex.” The same contrast might be drawn between the last two additions to the series, Eau de Pamplemousse Rose and Eau de Gentiane Blanche,1 and once again, I find that I prefer the immediate: Eau de Mandarine Ambrée is easily my favorite; Eau de Narcisse Bleu, like Gentiane Blanche, is arguably the more interesting of the pair but was just a tad too mild for my tastes.2
Mandarine Ambrée, which features mandarin, passion fruit and amber, has a similar sparkling start as the Pamplemousse Rose, albeit with much less (but surely some) grapefruit. It’s bright and cheerful, with a beautifully juicy and tart mandarin note that gradually gets fruitier, fuller and sweeter, and then slightly woody, with a sheer amber base and a slight dash of vanilla. It isn’t heavy…
Perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena talks briefly about Jour d’Hermès. If you missed the fragrance commercial, it is here.
More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.
From Jo Malone, Red Roses in a special edition (300 numbered bottles were made) by style editor Charlotte Stockdale. Due at Selfridges and the Jo Malone boutique on Bleecker Street (New York) in April, in 100 ml, around $180…
What is it: a 35 ml refillable bottle of Voyage d’Hermès, courtesy of the kind folks at 99Perfume.
How do I get it: For a chance to win, leave a comment on the website telling me that you live in the US. Also tell us a) your favorite Hermès fragrance or b) your favorite unisex fragrance or c) what voyage you’d like to take with your new fragrance. Or go ahead and tell us all three.
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