24, Faubourg by Hermès, 1995

This huge floral chypre registers as an Oriental, too. It smells convincingly like a vintage perfume. It is so richly complex, so old-fashioned and heady, that it hardly seems it could have been launched in 1995. Many of my favorite notes are here--hyacinth, orange blossom, gardenia, jasmine, patchouli, oakmoss, sandalwood, amber--but the sum is greater than its parts. 24, Faubourg produces a rich, floral fragrance that melds fruit and flowers together. The hyacinth is sweet, fresh blooming and springlike. The orange blossom smells of creamy orange and peach, neither citrusy nor candylike, but creamy and woody. This perfume smells like the "big" fragrances of the old days, unabashed and sensual. I tried it along with many other samples, and it stood above them, in a league of its own. Highly memorable, nostalgic, and evocative of wealth and taste. Underneath all the classiness lurks a huge growl of animal attraction, in the form of ambergris or dirty musk, which makes 24, Faubourg sexy and memorable.

It has creamy balsamic sweetness, like the finest, white floral cream with honey, no aldehides, and very feminine. It smells rich and opulent, not cold or aquatic, green, but although very pleasant, there is something old fashioned about it.......

While 24 is very nice, with its big chord stretching from balsam to iris and everything in between, it feels shapeless and faceless, like a big puff of powder you could walk right through without ever noticing.

24, Faubourg genuinely caught me by surprise. This fragrance is striking, and is never anything less.

I bought this after reading the reviews and, especially, because Princess Di wore it. Love it, but not sure I wear it as well as somebody in pearls and high-heels. A very high class scent with huge sillage. I don't get the oriental feel that other remark on, seems completely floral to me, but it's really beautiful.

I agree with the nice things others are saying about this scent. It is ladylike to the extreme and very "rich" smelling, both in the sense of complexity and preciousness of ingredients. My husband loves it on me, and he has never really remarked on my perfume before. Unfortunately, and I'm sure it's just me, I am halfway through the bottle and I can't stand it anymore. The "powdery" aspct of it in particular gets to me now, and the high sillage has become too much. This has happened to me with other fragrances in the past. Sigh. What to do with this half bottle....?

Lovely! Feminine, soft, classy but not anywhere near common. An undefinable warm, womanly fragrance with a touch of spice. A very comfortable scent. A joy to wear.

Thumbs way up! This is incredible. Definitely on my top five or so. I didn't love it at first, but it didn't take long either. For me, 24 Faubourg is the perfect combination of clean, classy, and elegant. While my jeans and t shirt way of life doesn't seem to do it justice, it's not a very serious, uptight scent either. The effect for me is relaxed and low key. I hesitate to use the term soapy, with its vague and possibly negative connotations, but for me the "clean" aspect is unmistakable. It feels clean and relaxed and put together. This one I would wear not to impress others but rather to please myself. It isn't what I would normally think of a warm, cozy scent (it's not very warm in my mind), but I somehow find it both relaxing and invigorating after a warm bath. Despite its seeming elegance, what I most want is to wear it during thoughtful moments alone, in my best lounge wear, after cleaning my house and myself, and curling up with a good book. But that's just me. (This one is too good to share!)

After reading the reviews of this, I was curious and as I had not heard of it, I doubted I would find a sample to test - I fortunately did. The result is that is a perfume I could live in everyday - soft & feminine - it's great for special occasions and casual wear. I receive compliments from everyone that smells it on me. It is an old fragrance but my new favorite. I Love it.

Got a sample of this from theperfumedcourt and tried it on. At first wasn't sure if it would suit me but I have fallen in love. In not for everyday but at least for me a nice evening but not too special. A little on my pulse points and my scarf and it lasts the either evening. Great sillage and very classy :)