H24 is Hermes’ first new men’s fragrance since Terre de Hermes, which was fifteen years ago already. It’s also Christine Nagel’s first on her Hermes tenure after taking over from Jean Claude Elenna. I think this would be an interesting barometer on where the house is headed. And from what I have read, this scent is being billed as a fougere, which makes it more interesting – will it smell retro-like or very modern?

It seems like it is a little bit of both. There’s something old-fashioned about it, like an old man’s cologne, but instead of it lavender, Nagel uses a sage note. This sage is bitter-sh and citrus-y, and I could swear I could detect a tinge of grapefruit in the beginning (an homage to TdH?) As the scent develops, there’ that rosewood, and yes, I do smell the sclarene note (which is described as the scent of fabric being ironed) And in the end, we get a kind of watercolor kind of fougere. In this sense, it is very Ellen-esque, with a very appealing white sage clarity that never leaves. I like it a lot, and I would think that on summer months, this would be nice and ‘refreshing.’ (I hate perfumes that are described that way, but this seems fitting) Okay, I like this enough that I think I will eventually get a bottle of it 0 I bet it becomes very popular, though.

If for anything, the sage would help clear unruly spirits.

Is there such a thing as ‘old man’ fragrance, akin to when someone describes a woman’s fragrance as old-ladyish. If so, Hermes’ original Bel Ami probably fits that bill. I love the original’s leather richness, with just the right amount of dirtiness to make it rugged and earthy. But I bet it doesn’t really have a lot of fans beyond the die-hard users and perfumistas. So voila, Jean Claude Ellena was tasked to do a more modern interpretation of this in 2013, and he added a note that would make it instantly wearable for today’s standards: vetiver.

And I have to say that it works. The sparkling effervescent note is just the thing that makes this a lot more accessible. The leather is still there, tan and masculine as it always has been, and the spice is a little bit toned down – the cumin is faint though the civet still lingers. Still, this is perfect for someone like me who lives in Southern California – there’s enough classic fragrance here with just the dash of modern element.

Warmer days are coming, and citrus scents will be back in front. I am now wearing Terre de Hermes Eau Tres Fraiche, the flanker to Terre de Hermes. Signed by Jean Claude Ellena (one of his last for Hermes) this was released about four years ago but I did not pay much attention to it, though I should have because Terre d’HErmes is one of my favorite citrus fragrances of all time. But, to my untrained nose, there isn’t much difference here. I know this is supposed to be a lighter, more ‘watery’ version of the original, but why would you want that? I wear my perfume strong and citrus fragrances are normally weaker anyway. A nose once tweeted that you should never search for a citrus fragrance that lasts hours and hours, because really they do not exist. But I won’t take anything away from Terre d’Hermes Eau Tres Fraiche – this has a nice aromatic orange leaf note that is beautiful, and combined with other citrus notes (grapefruit, mandarin) is the perfect coolant on a hot day. I don’t know if I will want to own a full bottle – regular Terre d’Hermes works just fine, thank you – but if someone gave me a bottle I would be happy.

I haven’t really followed all of Christine Nagel’s work for Hermes, but Twily has become a minor staple of late, as it is one of the bottles I brought with me when I moved.  Eau de Citron Noir intrigued me because it sounds like a summer scent I would like – a citrus with a little bit of heft. And at first spritz, I liked what I smelled – mostly lime (the black lime) which smelled like a dry citrus. This is no fleeting light citrus, I thought, and perfect because most days I want something heavy. There were hints of mandarin there just to round up the citrus, and I even smell, faint as it is, the promised black tea note.

But it all disappeared and we get this drydown that is all woods and and aquatic. And you know what? It smells like that synthetic dry down that Jo Malone sometimes has, and now I wonder if this is just Nagel repeating herself. It’s not bad – I bet it gets compliments – but it is screechy and fake and I absolutely detest it.

So here I have a conundrum – how do I really feel about this? I love the top notes but hate the drydown. It’s a wedding of extremes. What will finally win out?