By Thomas
I recall the launch and all the hype about Terre d’Hermes. I read the articles, the ones where Jean-Claude Ellena talked about making a perfume from the earth – with no animalic notes. He talked about getting the orange oils just so from his sources, and all the detail that went into composing minimalistic scents. I sniffed it a few times (was not bowled over) and avoided it like the plague. Hype has that repellent effect on me.
After the samples, and testings, and reading, I could never remember how TdH smelled. I mean, I knew it was orangey, largely from the articles and my sniffs at Sephora, but what else? I had no idea. So Thomas sprung for a bottle. Cause I do that when there is a mystery afoot.
Well. There’s certainly some orange in the bottle. A big orange note, a bit more shrill and strident than the classic Eau d’Orange Vert but still relaxed. Grassy notes (vetiver, etc) and light herbal scents are also along for the ride. The effect is more direct than Eau d’OV, a bit more simple but lending better clarity and focus to the notes. Underneath it all (after quite a few wearings), sits a slate-grey mineral foundation.
The orange starts to fade in a few hours leaving an herbal vetiver that still holds up well – some spices come into the picture to balance the earthy vetiver note. Here, though, is where I tend to lose the script. It’s sheer and transparent, but…that also makes it a bit light. No complaints, being that this is summer and all. But it disappears from memory each time I try to recall it. It’s so…nondescript.
After a short while, other notes become prominent: pepper and cedar give a muted sting, supporting the earthy vetiver. Sometimes I think there’s peach to offset the green in here but it comes and goes. TdH goes a bit flinty on me, but I don’t mind it.
Eventually, towards the end of the working day, we’re left with the faintest traces of vetiver and cedar. Longevity is good for being a citrus-based scent: the lack of animalic notes generally means an early departure. That said, it makes a graceful exit. Now that I have a bottle and have worn it over a few weeks, Terre d’Hermes is kind of the Jennifer Aniston of perfumery: immediately likeable, sunny, nothing offensive. But the details don’t stick in the memory once it’s gone.
Year: 2006
Perfumer: Jean-Claude Ellena
Notes: Grapefruit, Orange, Flint, Pepper, Pink Pepper, Geranium leaves, Patchouli, Cedar, Vetiver, Benzoin
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After the samples, and testings, and reading, I could never remember how TdH smelled. I mean, I knew it was orangey, largely from the articles and my sniffs at Sephora, but what else? I had no idea. So Thomas sprung for a bottle. Cause I do that when there is a mystery afoot.
Well. There’s certainly some orange in the bottle. A big orange note, a bit more shrill and strident than the classic Eau d’Orange Vert but still relaxed. Grassy notes (vetiver, etc) and light herbal scents are also along for the ride. The effect is more direct than Eau d’OV, a bit more simple but lending better clarity and focus to the notes. Underneath it all (after quite a few wearings), sits a slate-grey mineral foundation.
The orange starts to fade in a few hours leaving an herbal vetiver that still holds up well – some spices come into the picture to balance the earthy vetiver note. Here, though, is where I tend to lose the script. It’s sheer and transparent, but…that also makes it a bit light. No complaints, being that this is summer and all. But it disappears from memory each time I try to recall it. It’s so…nondescript.
After a short while, other notes become prominent: pepper and cedar give a muted sting, supporting the earthy vetiver. Sometimes I think there’s peach to offset the green in here but it comes and goes. TdH goes a bit flinty on me, but I don’t mind it.
Eventually, towards the end of the working day, we’re left with the faintest traces of vetiver and cedar. Longevity is good for being a citrus-based scent: the lack of animalic notes generally means an early departure. That said, it makes a graceful exit. Now that I have a bottle and have worn it over a few weeks, Terre d’Hermes is kind of the Jennifer Aniston of perfumery: immediately likeable, sunny, nothing offensive. But the details don’t stick in the memory once it’s gone.
Year: 2006
Perfumer: Jean-Claude Ellena
Notes: Grapefruit, Orange, Flint, Pepper, Pink Pepper, Geranium leaves, Patchouli, Cedar, Vetiver, Benzoin
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