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Most Favorite/Least Favorite: Hermessence

post #1 of 15
8/8/10 at 7:17pm
Thread Starter 
I've been bought several decants from this line, and I'm loving most of them, however there are some that are just "bleh" or that I'm not as enthusiastic about. My favorite as per what I've tried thus far would have to be Vetiver Tonka. Not often do I find a fragrance with emphasis on the tonka bean notes, and Hermes does an excellent job with this and mixing it up with just the slightest amount of vetiver. My least favorite is Vanille Galante. Surprisingly, since I'm a vanilla fan, but this stuff just reminds me of rubber gloves and hospital beds. There's definitley some medicinal and herbal thing going on in there, but I find it to be disturbing. Not a fan, and the worst Hermes fragrance I have tried to date. Of course, it would be dumb to comment on the longevity and sillage, because we all know how Hermes rolls in that department.



So.. which are your favorites? Or which would you like to try? The only crappy thing about all these is the price tag, especially if you decide to drop nearly 600 on the limited edition leather bottles :/
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post #2 of 15
8/8/10 at 7:24pm
I own all of them and I would have to say my favorite is Brin de Reglisse. My least favorite is Osmanthe Yunnan
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post #3 of 15
8/8/10 at 7:37pm
I didn't like any of them enough that I would want to buy them - even a decant or small bottle.
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post #4 of 15
8/8/10 at 7:45pm
My top three favorites of the Hermessences are all bunched up closely together fighting for the number one spot. They are Vetiver Tonka, Ambre Narguile, and Vanille Galante. If I'm forced to pick one, Vetiver Tonka would probably come out on top. I really like them all though.

My least favorite is Poivre Samarcande. It doesn't really do anything for me and I'm not a big fan of pepper notes.
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post #5 of 15
8/8/10 at 7:50pm
Vetiver Tonka and Ambre Narguile.
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post #6 of 15
8/8/10 at 8:21pm
I bought a travel size of Ambre Narguile at the Boston meet-up (4 of us split up a travel set). That was the only one which made my eyes roll back in my head.
Brin de Reglisse was an immediate scrubber on me.
Poivre Samarcande really nice on my skin but that's a "maybe buy later" scent. The remaining were nice; smelled better on others.
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post #7 of 15
8/8/10 at 8:22pm
Easily Ambre Narguile.
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post #8 of 15
8/8/10 at 8:42pm
quick question, can those 15ml travel ones be "refilled", ie is the top crimped on or just a plastic "fanged" snap on thing...

I ask because the bottles cost about $50+ and they hand out 4ml samples (2 at a time) like water... so... well, yeah.
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post #9 of 15
8/9/10 at 2:49am
In this order..
Brin de Reglisse
Vanille Galante / Vetiver Tonka
Ambre Narguile
Osmanthe Yunnan
Poivre Samarcande

haven't tried the other two...
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post #10 of 15
8/9/10 at 2:58am
+1 to Vetiver Tonka as a favourite, truly beautiful fragrance. On my skin it has a very sexy post-cigarette hint that I really love.
I like Rose Ikebana, although not groundbraking. It is a very gentle and elegant rose centered scent, certainly not a hold-me-back purchase though.
Least favourite is Poivre Samarcande, which is a very watered down and spiced up Terre D'Hermes.
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post #11 of 15
8/9/10 at 3:15am
Ive only tried vetiver tonka and ambre narguile both of which are lovely and possibly future purchases . I am intrigued by
Brin de Réglisse and would like to give that a try too
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post #12 of 15
8/9/10 at 3:24am
My list, top to bottom. The ones at the bottom are just "meh" for me - OK, but no need. At the top, VT and PS were must-haves, although I didn't need the full bottle.

I like the way you can pick your own travel size gift set. That was a frequent request from folks here, and it's nice to see that Hermès listened to us.

Vétiver Tonka
Poivre Samarcande
Ambre Narguilé
Rose Ikebana
Brin de Réglisse
Paprika Brasil
Vanille Galante
Osmanthe Yunnan
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post #13 of 15
8/9/10 at 2:31pm
I find Brin de Reglisse absolutely fantastic, albeit short lived. Vetiver Tonka is another I really enjoy, though it shares a certain tendency to go cloying on my skin that Ambre Narguile has as well.
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post #14 of 15
8/9/10 at 2:45pm
I've yet to find one I need to own and wear. The closest one I've come to considering is Osmanthe Yunnan, for it's delicate perfection. I thought I liked Vetiver Tonka, but a co-worker has taken to wearing it, and it really can be unrelenting and strident. The other Hermessences seem to either have amazing top notes that last for 60 seconds and then the entire fragrance is gone, or they stick around for ever in the most synthetic manner, like a polyester shirt that doesn't breath.
Ellena really hit the mark with Terre, the Hermessences all seem like preparatory sketches compared to that masterpiece.
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post #15 of 15
8/9/10 at 9:22pm
Vetiver Tonka is my favourite.

Osmanthe Yunnan is exquisite, and Ambre Narguille is nice if you like ambery stuff.

I like Vanille Galante - it's an odd one and part of the reason that it surprises people used to better known vanilla scents (as I understand it) is that JCE used a natural vanilla derivative and did not use vanillin (?) which is used in most vanilla inclined scents. That, plus the fact that like most of the Hermessences it is play on two notes and the floral - can't remember which - offsets the less immediately familiar natural vanilla. Or so the press materials would have me believe.

Poivre Samarcande is not a favourite - not a fan of pepper, but if you are then it does the job nicely.

The reason I keep an eye on this line is because JCE seems to have a direct line into one of the more specialist suppliers (Remy Laboratory in Grasse?) and can get hold of, or actually specify work to extract/concoct, ingredients that are not out in the general marketplace. Hermes clearly has the financial clout and patience, it would seem, to get what it's house perfumer wants. I read that Guerlain & Chanel also have their own private sources for materials, and in this day and age of mass production when a lot of members here can 'spot the molecule' and say whether it's from IFF or Givaudan etc. I find it interesting to at least sample stuff that (hopefully) is unique . . .
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