French luxury goods house Hermès has launched a unisex summer cologne collection comprising two new scents and a third that is celebrating its thirtieth year. Included are the classic Eau d’Orange Verte, newly created Eau de Gentiane Blanche featuring gentian, white musk, iris and incense, and my favorite, Eau de Pamplemousse Rose, created by Hermès perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena.
I tried Eau de Pamplemousse Rose at the fragrance counter at Neiman Marcus last weekend. It is sophisticated, like so many of my favorite Hermès fragrances, striking me as sparkly and tart, with grapefruit and a little bit of rose. I’m no fragrance expert – I just know what I like – so here is an interesting review of the complete set at Now Smell This, and an article about the perfumer.
Company founder Thierry Hermès was a harness maker in 1837, and leather, silver and equestrian themes still figure heavily in the firm’s success, as evidenced by its handbags, watches and jewelry, as well as its fragrances. Perfumer Ellena was inspired by the scent of fine leather in the creation of my current Hermès favorite, Kelly Calèche, a scent named for the famous Kelly bag and the 1961 Calèche fragrance.
On the men’s fragrance side, I love Terre d'Hermès (and have worn it myself) and my husband currently has a bottle of Bel Ami, a mix of cardamom, amber, patchouli and leather that is really rich. Give Hermès a try yourself.
