Hi to you Lovers of Fine Fragrance,
My mate Birgit (Olfactoria’s Travels) sometimes has amazing clearances from her Frag Wardrobe and last year I snaffled this little beauty from her. I think she grabbed the Limited edition bottle and knew two was more than she’d ever use. COOL! I have often nearly bought 24 Faubourg but there seemed to be something more pressing at each near buy and it was deferred, now it’s mine (Cue evil laugh and gratuitous hand wringing Mwa HA haaaaa HAAAAAAAaaaa)
24 Faubourg by Maurice Roucel for Hermès 1995
Photo Stolen Hermès
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Orange, peach, bergamot, yalan ylang, hyacinth
Heart: Black elder, iris, jasmine, gardenia, orange blossom
Base: Sandalwood, amber, patchouli, vanilla
What I get in the opening is ylang, peach and sweat, like a beautifully perfumed person has gone a little bit long without a shower and they’ve added more fragrance instead of a bath. Maybe 24 Faubourg even smells like the smell of perfume on a scarf the next morning, beautiful, elegant, memorable and a little tired. It is so good, without being totally in your face, that tiny hint of bed head, that après un rapport sexuel (probably a terrible translation by google).
Photo Stolen Wikipedia
The berries/citrus doesn’t really appear on me till well into the heart and seems woven through the white floral accord so beautifully that it’s hard to separate anything. Currently I am sitting in 31C (88F) inside the house! The fan is doing a lovely job and 24 Faubourg is sublime. I sit in a fragrant cloud of what feels like big money, old money. There’s a dry rustle of patchouli and amber towards the end that I feel is missing some of its buttery goodness from a cool temp wearing.
In this heat I’m lucky to get two hours of fragrant wear before 24 Faubourg becomes a sheer patina of woodsy vanilla that will then stay around another two to three hours and slowly fade away to nothing.
Photo Stolen Wikimedia
By the time you read this I will be in frozen Europe, Paris by now and I have lunch at Guerlain, 68 Champs Elysees booked with Neela, a catch up with Denyse Beaulieu, off to do a private English class at the Osmotheque and stomp around Versailles and hopefully two full mornings in the Louvre. YAY! Sometimes I can’t believe my good fortune.
Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and The Perfume Magazine
You can buy 24 Faubourg online at Hermès Hermès World Site Page<<<JUMP
Surrender To Chance starts at $3/ml
Is 24 Fauberg in your collection? When do you wear it? What magical fantasies does it give you?
Portia xx
I know this is late but I love it. Hermès shoes! YES PLEASE!!!
Australian Perfume Junkies 
I read somewhere that Paul Burrel said that this was a favourite of Princess Diana. Seems a very different fragrance from Diorissimo, which is the other perfume touted as her favourite! I guess maybe the Hermes reflects her maturity, whilst she wore the Dior when much younger?
So jealous of your expedition, and in particular lunch with Denyse. Enjoy!
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Hi jillie,
Maybe Diana had diffrent frags for different moods. I know smetimes I like MKK or Liberte and others Fancy Nights, they are quite different.
As to loving my time in Paris. It’s incredible.
Portia xxx
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I am not a fan of the Hermes scents in general, because on me they are sheer to the point of nonexistance. This warm beauty is an exception. I usually start wearing it in early February because when I was growing up in Louisiana, that was when things started to bloom. What a timely reminder to start getting out my spring scents.
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I bet this smells beautiful on you FeralJasmine. What other Spring scents do you grab out?
Portia xx
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All my orange blossom scents get a good workout in the spring, and it’s the only time of year that I enjoy wearing lily of the valley. I enjoy some cheap thrills like a few of the Demeter florals in the spring, and I begin to love Safran Troublant all over again. I don’t know why this is a spring scent for me, but for some reason it smells like Easter to me. How about you? What do you spray when spring becomes a little more than a promise?
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I wear a whole bunch in Spring. I love Baiser Voile, Blonde, Nicki de Saint Phalle, Silences, Ormonde Jayne Woman, Poivre Piquant, Batacuda, Bronze Goddess and Songes.
YUMMY!!!!
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This is one of my great treasures, for the perfume and for the bottle. I got to know and love it in the summer so I do identify it with heat, although perhaps not the heatwave conditions we are in at the moment. Mine is the EDP (were you reviewing that or the EDT?). I love it in particular because although it is warm and lush (from vanilla and amber), it is not especially sweet, and the scratch of patchouli always reminds me of raw silk. There is an Hermes-like austerity and reserve in 24 Faubourg, I think. Its more relaxed cousin is Givenchy’s Ysatis. The coconut is what makes the difference.
Great to hear from you – you lucky duck!
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Hi there AnneMarieC,
I am not sure of the strength, I’ll check when I’m back in Sydney for you.
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Now and then when glorious spring weather demands it, I like to wear Ysatis on one arm and 24, Faubourg on the other. They complement each other in an interesting way.
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Hi Portia! This must smell so amazing on you. I used to use this in my uni years and loved it most in winter and spring. Have fun in Paris. xo
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Hey Sandra,
I like it so much and when home it gets quite a bit of skin time. You must have been the best smelling schoolgirl in history.
Portia xx
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Please post about your visit to Osmotheque. What fun!!!! As an art history major, I loved, loved, loved the Louvre. It wasn’t the famous, well known pieces that stuck in my memory. It was chancing on pieces,like the Sumerian artifacts, that I didn’t know much about! Amazing!
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There will be a full post on the Osmotheque when I get home. Honestly, I am soooo excited about the class and can’t wait to get there.
The Louvre is so incredible, we are hoping to see the Musee d’Orsay too.
Portia xx
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I loved the Musee d’Orsay and I also really enjoyed the musee de Cluny. I have a weakness for gothic illuminated manuscripts and it was a real joy to see them at the museum
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WOW! I haven’t even heard of the Cluny. Probably too busy this time, bummer.
Portia xx
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I love 24, Faubourg EDT (I haven’t tried the EDP but hear that may be even more gorgeous), though on me it works best in cooler weather. While it feels expensive and dressy, I don’t feel like I actually have to be dressed up to wear it. It just makes me walk taller 🙂 I love Annemariec’s observation that Ysatis is its relaxed relative.
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Hey SarahK,
Great way to put it. I love something that straightens my back and yes wearing it can be dressed up and down.
Do you have others like this?
Portia xx
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24F and Ysatis have some notes in common, orange blossom in particular, but there is a creamy/coconutty/custardy element to Ysatis that makes it less crisp and a bit more wearable, to me at least. But I love them both.
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Annemariec, I love them both too! Portia, good old No 5 makes me feel the same way.
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Oooh, I love both Ysatis and 24 Faubourg… great spring scents indeed! My favourite museum is the Musée d’Orsay, I could sit for hours looking at my favourite painting, L’École de Platon. Have a great time with Neela and Denyse and give them my love!
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I will do ssso Tara C,
We hit the Musee d’Orsay on Thursday. It will be my first visit, so excited.
Tomorrow Versailles and the Osmotheque. Woo Hoo.
Portia xx
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I tried to like this one (because of B. and because of several limited edition bottles I wouldn’t mind buying) but it doesn’t work for me. It’s not bad-bad but I know I will never find time to wear it since there are so many other perfumes that I like much more. But it’s great that it works for you.
Enjoy Versailles!
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Undina,
It would be totally impossible if everything worked for us equally. Imagine the trouble picking each day, it’s hard enough already.
Ah, Versailles. So excited.
Portia xx
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I have a generous sample from Nina at nordstroms that I love to smell. I occasionally wear Caleche for day, love it it smells like Clairol herbal shampoo from the 70’s! Amber Narguile is on my wish list…
Enjoy your trip! How amazing!
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Ambre Naguille is on my list. I have the dregs left of a decant I bought in a split. Super great fragrance, Mum had Caleche for a while and when I smell it I’m taken back to a very specific time.
The trip is AH MAY ZING!!!!
Portia xxx
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