It’s not every day that we get a new ‘pillar’ from Hermes, and it certainly isn’t every day that the pillar is aimed at men. Indeed, it’s been 15 years since that last happened, when the world was presented with none other than Terre D’Hermes (well done, Hermes, for taking your time and not rushing the next one). Now it’s Christine Nagel‘s turn to give us her olfactory take on the Hermes man, and she has done so in commendable fashion with H24, which I reviewed in a recent episode of Love At First Scent. To watch the video, please click on this link – Hermes H24 review – and for more thoughts on the scent, please keep reading.
Let me repeat what I said during the broadcast: thank the Greek gods that H24 does NOT contain a massive dose of woody ambers, aka the materials that seem to blight pretty much every single ‘masculine’ release from mainstream brands at the moment. This, in itself, makes it worthy of our attention. That said, I wonder if its drydown will turn out to be its most divisive feature, despite its lack of those dreaded ingredients.
H24‘s opening is blissfully easy to enjoy. The optimism of the narcissus, the gently floral inflection of the rosewood, the green, outdoorsy energy of the sage — Nagel’s skill has balanced them all so beautifully, I defy anyone not to be won over by their charm. But things become more complicated when we approach the drydown. As the base materials – dominated by the sclarene mentioned in the press notes? – take up a larger section of centre stage, a marked bitterness begins to come into the limelight. In my book, this gets an admiring thumbs up. It echoes the chypre sensibility of the likes of Chanel Pour Monsieur and, when paired with the gentler, fruitier aspects of the earlier sections (shades of the much-maligned Dior Higher) it pushes the composition into relatively unvisited territory for masculine scents: uplifting urban edginess contrasted with retro elegance.
However, some may find it a touch too glaring, and indeed, when viewed from certain angles, H24 does appear to be over-lit by excessively dazzling ingredients. But I’d assert this is all part of what it makes interesting. Yes, the metallic aspects of the sclarene don’t mind making their presence felt towards the end, yet they’re modulated by the soapy tenderness that runs through the whole fragrance, and to my nose, they never tip over into harshness.
In answer to a question I was able to put to Nagel myself about potential influences on H24 (which, by the way, she calls a “high-tech fougere”), she cited Germaine Cellier‘s Vent Vert for Balmain. And perhaps that’s the perfect scent on which to end these initial musings on what will probably turn out to be a heavily-discussed release. Cellier’s green masterpiece is now rightly seen as one of perfumery’s finest expressions of windswept naturalness, but we mustn’t forget that it was also considered quite shocking for the uncompromising way it conveyed its hyper-verdant vision. H24 is less ostentatious, but at its core lies a similarly bold intention, and I hope that buyers give it the time, thought and appreciation it deserves.
Persolaise
[Hermes H24 review based on a sample of eau de toilette provided by the brand in 2021.]
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Beautiful review, Mr. P. I certainly appreciate the way you’re able to put into writing the thoughts and emotions provoked by art, such as perfumery. In the case of H24, I was able to give it a whirl yesterday for the first time (as I continue to wait on a decant I purchased to test it out in a more detailed manner). It is certainly a breath of fresh air! And a BEAST performer at that (after two showers, I can still smell remnants of it on my skin, which I find extremely surprising). One particular concept did appear clear for me throughout the wearing experience, which is the oh-so-dreadful adjective: “clean”. I have to give Nagel her due credit for accomplishing that particular smell of a “dry cleaner shop”, or as she very accurately described as “hot iron on wet clothes”; it started off feeling soapy on my skin, but the “sclarene” experience became available, aware and prevalent throughout. I would dare say that – if oversprayed – this could well choke everyone (oneself included). I do not think it should be called “fougere”, as it steers away from the name definition; chypre would be a more definitive and accurate descriptor. Nonetheless, I do think that I will enjoy this release and possibly reach for this one more often than I thought I would. I can appreciate this being a new “definition” of what a “masculine”-targeted fragrance CAN be; and an ode to GREAT execution of creativity. I would like to return once I’m able to test this out in a more complete manner; but first impressions for me also gets two thumbs up.
David, many thanks for this wonderful comment. Yes, let’s see if H24 ends up being seen as a new direction for men’s scents. I think it deserves to do well.
Thank you for sharing your insight.
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