Hermes H24, Akro Smoke and Eris Mxxx – Skin Time April 2022

Hermes H24

I’m not writing about any new scents for this month’s instalment of Skin Time, because April saw me pull myself away for a little while from the whirlwind of perfume releases. After what felt like an age, Madame Persolaise and I were finally able to jump on a plane and visit a few far-flung shores (including Oman, the home of Amouage) which meant that I had to do something I find extremely difficult to do: choose no more than 3 perfumes to pack into a suitcase.

The first one I reached for, with no hesitation whatsoever, was Hermes H24*. I’m sure this had a great deal to do with the fact that we were heading in the direction of extremely high temperatures, but it was also because I continue to find Christine Nagel’s work here extremely enjoyable and easy to wear, despite the naysayers. A ‘light’ scent that eschews obvious citrus effects, it taps into both classical fougere codes as well as edgier, more sci-fi inflected aesthetics without drawing excessive attention to itself. I hope the great buying public will come to appreciate it, and that Hermes don’t pull it prematurely. If it’s allowed time to find an audience, I suspect it may well turn out to be a key success. Incidentally, it was perfect in 38 degrees Celsius, cutting through the heat like a needle of ice piercing the flesh of a grapefruit.

Akro Smoke

Another must-have was Akro Smoke*. As this particular journey was going to bring me closer to Iran than I’m likely to be for many years, I decided I had to be accompanied by the composition that continues to remind me – with almost frightening clarity – of the smell of a sheesha pipe being smoked by a relative in the south of the country in the late 70s or early 80s. I was very pleased to discover that the strength of the recollection was not diminished in any way by being experienced in the Middle East.

The scent’s creator, Olivier Cresp, has long maintained that his skill lies in capturing and recreating smells that already exist in the world. But he outdid himself when he made Smoke. The photorealism of the composition is nothing short of astonishing, to the extent that it even manages to convey the whiteness of the coils of tobacco-scented vapour as they twist their way up to the ceiling. I have never had any interest in smoking, but for some reason I’m more than happy to indulge in this particular form of nicotine. (For my review of the brand’s new Ink*, please click here. And to watch my interview with Cresp, in which he talks about the creation of Akro, click here.)

Eris Mxxx

Finally, I found myself being drawn towards my bottle of Eris Mxxx*. For every foreign trip, I need at least one unashamedly nocturnal piece of work: a dense, smouldering composition that revels in sly debauchery. This time, I decided it would be this 2019 composition by Antoine Lie. An animalic, yet entirely sophisticated leather, it may not have projected through the humidity with as much power as I might have hoped, but it certainly stuck around with impressive tenacity, presenting its delicious purr each time the balmy winds changed direction. (For my interview with brand founder Barbara Herman, please click here. And for my interview with Lie, click here.)

A quick postscript. In case you’re wondering, no, I didn’t pack any Amouages, having convinced myself that wearing one of the brand’s scents while visiting its factory would be a touch too weird and cringe-inducing. I now feel this may have been the wrong decision. I guess I’ll just have to go back one day soon and make amends. 

Persolaise

* sample provided by the brand
** sample obtained by me

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