Eau de Gentiane Blanche (2009)
by Hermès

Eau de Gentiane Blanche by Hermes - Upon application, one is treated to a whirlwind of fresh verdancy with a bitter slant. At once stemmy and leafy, the somewhat mysterious gentian has alighted on one's olfactory receptors. Transitioning to the middle, the crisp gentian commingles with enigmatic iris giving rise to a unsweetened violet aroma, wherein any sweetness is overriden by the bracing freshness, akin to laundered linen. Faintly mothballish and powdery, this refreshing, vegetal blend drifts to the waiting base. A peppery incense dances feebly behind a beguiling white musk which imparts its warm and earthy facets, tinging the drydown with a delicate sweet and chamois leather aura. Albeit a light and pleasant composition, it is severly limited by its lacking projection, becoming a skin scent after an hour, and longevity, 4 hours at most.

5th January, 2012.

Soft, elegant and quiet. I wear this just for myself.

28th December, 2011.

Gentiane Blache is a truly interesting fragrance. It is a cologne, fresh and refreshing, with no citrus. It is clean laundry, mown grass and clover, and the scent of the spray a bell pepper gives when you split it open. It is summer and clean and layers of green.

I really want to love GB, and on first I do. But after thirty minutes on my skin I just don't want to smell it any more. Like eating too much candy as a kid, I feel I'll be sick if I smell it again any time soon.

I gave my sample to my wife who wears it occasionally. And every time she does, I fall in love again for thirty minutes, then ask her to wash it off.

28th November, 2011.

This is now my most frequently worn fragrance. The opening is exciting with fresh cut greens, slightly astringent and bitter. The best comparison I can make is when I'm in the garden taking fresh cuttings from our lemon tree. Not the fruit itself, but clipping the branches. Opens up to a slightly warmer floral but all the while you never lose sight of that impressive opening. Longevity is massive on this. I purchased the 200mL/6.7oz. bottle. Be aware that at this size it comes with a screw-on cap, but also a pump if you prefer. At the time of this writing the fragrance is one of a three-part series of colognes from Hermès. Two (Eau de Pamplemousse Rose and Eau d'Orange Verte) have Concentrés developed, but in talking with my rep I don't believe this fragrance will get any additional development as it hasn't been as successful as hoped.

While this is generally a good idea for *any* fragrance, I especially recommend that you not only try this at your retailer but also ask to have them prepare a sample to take with you. I wasn't immediately sold on this, especially after experiencing the sublime Concentré de Pamplemousse Rose opening, but after enjoying it a few more times out and about, I was ready to make it a part of my collection.

In terms of *when* to wear it, I'm not sure I would classify it as seasonal at all -- it may be suited for slightly mild weather, but I enjoy it so much that it will probably be in rotation year-round. In my estimation, this is best as a day-use fragrance.

20th June, 2011.

A very simple, direct, fresh, green scent, soft but dry. Opens with fresh green notes with a slight herbal edge, then settles into the heart which is dominated by the plant-ichor intensity of violet leaf, and not much else. Drydown fades this green note gradually with the slightest glow of musk to warm it. Sillage is almost nonexistant and persistance is not too great either. But this smells very fresh and pleasant. Definitely not complex enough for me to wear regularly. Has none of the synthetic fanfare of traditional colognes, and I like that. Has a very natural character.

25th May, 2011.

lovely work of a minimalist white musk.
It gives you beauty, serenity, clarity, cleanliness..
simplicity and beauty in a work that reminds the eau de colognes of the past times with a lovely feeling.
I just want to have it !!
enormous Thumbs up for Monsieur Ellena!!

22nd April, 2011.