Eau d'Orange Verte (1979)
by Hermès

This is how heaven probably smells like. It's the most refreshing perfume you will ever find. It exudes class, innocence and beauty.

Not to be confused with an EdT from which one expects longevity and complexity, EdOV is fantastic for what it is - an old time cologne 'tonic' - and this is reflected in the low price. I acquired a bunch of 1oz travel bottles and I keep them cold in the fridge. When I come back home from walking the dog in 100 degree Texas heat, I splash it liberally on my face and head. The tangy citrus is a perfect refresher and I am instantly cooled down. I suppose it's a little obnoxious, washing up with water made by Hermes, but whatever.

When I go through my 1oz bottles I will buy the 13.5oz flacon.

Top note: Orange, Lemon, Mandarin, Orange Blossom
Middle note: Mint, Papaya, Mango
Base notes: Patchouli, Oakmoss


Eau D'Orange Verte (EDC) is a classic citrus scent which exhibits characteristics typical of such scents: its fresh, its tangy, its fun, and it suffers from poor longevity. It has also been offered as part of a gift package in various airlines to cure passengers of air sickness and smelly co-passengers.

The lemon and orange top provides an inviting opening - its a bitter citrus blast but is not bitter citrus. Rather its a top quality citrus note punctuated with lemon edges to give an aromatic and bitter but still refreshing aroma. From there the scent unravels into a "smelling the fruit and the whole tree with twigs and all" phase.. the mango and papaya salsa comes forth with a light fruity vegetal freshness to temper the bitter citrus opening but in the background the march of mossy undertones can be heard. And it stays that way .. quite distant. The alluring moss and patchouli combo never increases in intensity; instead, Orange Verte silently peters away to a very light mossy drydown which wont be perceptible unless you splash 1/4 of the bottle on your head. Which you should anyways, considering how refreshing and wonderful it feels. That said, it does share some characteristics with Chanels pour monsieur, which is more dense, spicy and mossy. Eitherways, splash on a bottle and jump out into the 98 degree heat...let your body heat conjure the wonderful aromatic-mossy aroma of Orange Verte.

Rating: 8.0/10

One of the best citrus scents I've come across but its longevity is utterly crap.

Such a pity...

Eau d’Orange Verte is marvelous. It has a beautiful, even ‘yummy’ lemon-orange opening. It is crisp, fruity, tasty, invigorating, and refreshingly acidic. The citrus mellows with the floral and green tones which follow. It drys into a lovely light moss, with mint and bergamot. There is also a light wood tone with a hint of patchouli. There is also some kind of very tangy green note in the dry-down that I can’t identify. It may be due to the patchouli/moss interaction. It is something like celery leaves: a nutty-sweet aspect, slightly tangy. Eau d’Orange Verte is not as herbal or complex as Eau de Rochas pour Homme or O de Lancome pour Homme, which are other citrus-chypres. But it is much greener and crisper than Concentrée d’Orange Verte.

Smelled it in the store yesterday and was instantly beguiled. I'd gotten to the point of expecting to crinkle my nose and cringe at everything I smelled, but this one was a huge surprise to me. Love at first sniff. Salesman said the scent fades very quickly. My cousin said it smelled like an old man to her. Discouraged, I tried something else. I was wrong. like MacArthur, I shall return.