Terre d’Hermes is meant to be an olfactory journey through the elements of earth, air and water (wait, no fire?). It was composed by Hermes Perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, famous for his transparent fragrance structures and launched in 2006. TdH has been massively popular and is the second most reviewed fragrance over at Basenotes (behind A*Men). It famously contains 55% Iso E Super in it’s formula.
Opens as a harsh and loud bitter Orange with a tiny hint of Grapefruit. Fortunately, this part is shortlived.
As the citrus subsides, earthy, scorched, dry Vetiver appears, but is dominated by the Pepper notes – which are just lightly spicy and nose-tingling. Soft and elegant, with a tiny hint of Patchouli, which has also been given the Ellena touch (a ghostly presence). There is also a minty-herbal note, which is possibly Geranium, and Benzoin, dry, resionous and vanillic, making me think “smoke”.
After this comes the ‘mineral’ smell, a cold, sharp crystalline note. Like breeze over a rocky desert (the advertising for Terre d’Hermes is perfect in this regard). The sparkling clear-ness reminds me of Paul Smith Story.
The long drydown remains crystal clear and Cedar like, projecting for miles with fantastic longevity. It performs particularly well in the heat of summer.
Top: Grapefruit, Orange, Flint
Middle: Pepper, Pink Pepper, Geranium leaves, Patchouli
Base: Cedar, Vetiver, Benzoin
Tags: Hermes, Male, Paul Smith, Review
nioi 
October 28, 2009 at 7:17 pm |
sheez, don’t review this bottle after you’ve seeen the commercials and marketing craps, you’re blindly reviewing this product. at first it smells like burnt hyper orange. then at mid and base it smells like bugspray going full force. The sillage makes me churning as if it’s medicine for warts. My god, peoples are blinded by commercial lies.
November 19, 2009 at 4:27 pm |
As we don’t sell this in my store, and I don’t read any men’s monthly magazines, I hadn’t *actually* seen the advertising until I was writing the review, when for some reason unknown to me I looked it up.
But thanks for your comment.