Saturday Question: What Is Your Hermès Fragrance?

/ AustralianPerfumeJunkies

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Portia

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Hello Fellow Fumies,

At APJ we have a Saturday Question. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it’s a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back regularly and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them. The aim is to generate real conversation and connection even though we are scattered around the globe.

 

Over 100 responses I will draw a Secret Scent Sample Pack (from my collection)

Last Weeks Winner: Didn’t make 100 comments

eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with your address please

Saturday Question: What Is Your Hermès Fragrance?

Woo Hoo! How have I not thought to ask you all this before? One of my favourite houses and it has such a wealth of beautiful fragrance. Their department store offerings, the colognes, Hermessence and their vintage line ups are all very interesting and well though out. From Doblis, Caleche, Bel Ami and Amazone through Jean Claude Elena’s years as Hermès perfumer to new offerings by Christine Nagel; what is your favourite Hermès offering?

It doesn’t have to be one you own or wear. Maybe it’s a vintage that you remember or perhaps your friend wears an Hermès fragrance perfectly. None of that matters, which one speaks to you, no matter how.

My Answer:

This is so tricky. I have a huge collection of Hermès fragrances from very early Caleche to Eau des Merveilles Bleue and Twilly. So I’m going to go with the one I spritz most regularly. It sits in a box behind my desk chair that is full of unboxed favourites. Quite often when I can’t decide what to wear but I want to smell fabulous it’s my pick. So special because it’s originally from Michael Edwards collection, he gave it to me and it’s also special because Mum spent some time wearing it as well. Just a spritz can turn my grey skies to blue.

Vintage Caleche EdT by Hermès

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, Bergamot, Mandarin, Neroli, Orange blossom, Lemon, Cypress
Heart: Gardenia, Iris, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-valley, Rose, Ylang-ylang
Base: Amber, Oakmoss, Musk, Sandalwood, Tonka bean, Vetiver, Cedar

This 1961 beauty by Guy Robert is an aldehydic floriental. Zingy aldehydes, soapy orange blossom tarted up with some greenery and a bouquet of other flowers that run through sharp to creamy and all get their moment in the sun as chorus. All undercut with a deep and warm base of amber, woods and moss. A real big, old fashioned fragrance that enters slightly ahead of you and announces your imminent arrival with a fanfare and flourish.

Though I wear a LOT of Hermès oeuvre, it is this vintage Caleche EdT that has my heart and soul.

My Saturday Question to you is:

What Is Your Hermès Fragrance?

114 thoughts on “Saturday Question: What Is Your Hermès Fragrance?”

        • That’s right!!!! Paprika Brasil!! We both share a love for that one ♥️♥️
          I realize that I don’t really have too many Hermes full bottles. I had EdM but couldn’t smell it, so added lavender oil and thunked it at work with liberal application. While I like a few of the Hermessence like Brin de Reglisse and Vanille Galante they last a nano second on my skin. Paprika Brasil requires a hefty amount of application.

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          • None of the Merveilles, except for Eau de Bleue, last on my skin either. I need to spray them heavily on clothes to be able to smell them for a couple of hours. So sad because they are all great perfumes!

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    • Ummm…..did you know that fragrancenet sells it as a soap? It appears that since we ran out of soap a few weeks ago soap shopping has become my new obsession.😱

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  8. Hey Portia! You must smell AMAZING! I adore Caleche. What I wear most often at the moment are Myrrhe Egalantine and Cuir d’Ange. I wish I could own all of the Hermessences!
    Sandra xo

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  10. I haven’t tried a whole lot but it’s hard to go past Terre d’Hermes. I think I’d have the parfum version slightly above the original.

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  11. The only Hermes I own is Caleche, an older bottle, as well as Caleche Eau Delicate. I had 24 Faubourg in the remote past but gifted away. Just a few days ago I ordered an older bottle of Rouge after reading Neil’s Perfume book boudoir oriental perfumes chapter which is my favorite genre of fragrance.

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  12. Portia, I made an accurate guess before seeing your choice that it would be Caleche for you. In fact, I believe Caleche is to Hermes what No. 5 is to Chanel and Shalimar is to Guerlain. I love Caleche but if the question is most favorite or what would I choose if I could keep only one in my collection, I might have to go for vintage Bel Ami.

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  13. Hermes. Where to start. Late 70’s and 80’s I wore Amazone. Bel Ami and Hiris. Beautiful perfumes with loads of character. I’ve tried most of the Hermessence line and some of them are gorgeous. But I seriously doubt they last on me for more than a couple of hours with very little to no projection. I still have a bottle of Osmanthe Yunnan which I can barely even smell on myself. I gave it to my youngest daughter who favours very light, ethereal scents.
    Eau de Merveilles is one I still have and works quite well. I always get compliments with it, although I am a bit tired of it. I have four of the Jardins series and like them well enough on hot days, but I suppose I consider them supporting cast members. Nice for a while but no real star power. Nonetheless, I’m still a huge fan of those bottles. Beautifully designed. Nice heft, good sprayer and lovely colours.

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    • O MG!! You triggered a distant memory!! We had a big bottle of Amazone in the house in the 70s. Back then it was a splash. My mom didn’t care for it so I wore it. I bet there was real Mysore Sandalwood in it at that time.

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      • it had to have mysore sandalwood. Mysore Sandalwood was a given in perfumes until sometime in 1990s because it was in abundance and reasonable in cost before the demise of mysore sandalwood industry due to excessive exploitation.

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        • Fazal, if I had a crystal ball I never would have thunked all the full bottles I owned in my lifetime of fragrances that contained real Mysore.

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          • I know what you mean.
            I am sometimes amused by the marketing of niche releases with exorbitant prices, claiming the perfume has mysore sandalwood when it is obvious they are lying, due to the restrictions placed by the Indian Government. I am particularly thinking about Xerjoff Richwood in this case and I have seen certain other niche brands making the same false claim as well.

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  15. I don’t have many bottles from Hèrmes, but L’Ambtre des Merveilles is one I really love, especially in the colder months. Other than that, I think I would use Hiris or Iris Ukiyoe a lot, but they don’t last well on my skin, so I have not bought a FB of any of them

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  18. I love Terre d’Hermes. Galop is gorgeous too. I really want to try Eau de Merveilles Bleu and Eau d’Hermes soon. Bel Ami is really special as is the Jardin collection.

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  19. I used to wear Hermes more often than now, but when I do: Cuir d’Ange, Muguet P. and Hiris. I gave away my Jardin sur le Toit, I don’t regret giving it away but I miss it sometimes.

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  20. Id happily accept all Jardin, Merveilles and Hermenessence perfumes if they dropped into my lap, even if some are really fleeting. But if I have to choose I‘d go with Un Jardin Apres La Mousson, which was my introduction to Hermes, Eau de Merveilles Bleue and Epice Marine. I have yet to try Caleche, Bel Ami and Rouge so looking forward to that!

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  21. For me it’s probably Eau d’Orange Verte, in any form. I love that in summer. I have some vintage Equipage that I really like in the cooler months, too.

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  22. Just one favorite from Hermès? Not possible. 24 Faubourg for spring and autumn. Eau des Merveilles, Un Jardin en Mediterranee, Un Jardin Sur Le Nil and Le Jardin de Monsieur Li for summer. L’Ambre des Merveilles for the autumn and winter. Hermessence Santal Massoïa and Vetiver Tonka for whenever the mood suits. And I’m probably one of the few persons who like Jour d’Hermès.

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  24. Mine would be Eau de Pamplemousse Rose and I have also owned decants from Elena’s Jardin series–although all have been likes and not loves. Cardamusc is still high on my want to try list.

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