The essence of Hermès
Think Hermès and the touch of fine leather and the delicate rustle of silk come to your senses. And then its elegant perfumes excite your sense of smell.
Its collection of scents started in 2004 with Hermessence. Every emblematic lantern bottle embodies a unique imprint with its leather cap, with the signature saddle stitch.
Its latest scent, Ginseng Biloba, unveils mysteries beneath the earth’s surface, along with Vetiver Tonka, Iris Ukiyoe and Muse Pallida.
Ginseng Biloba
For Christine Nagel, creative director of Hermès Perfumes, to inhale the scent of ginseng is to follow its meandering roots, with their deep, woody aroma and promise of longevity, toward one of the most stimulating olfactory mysteries.
“The handcrafted natural extract we have pioneered in collaboration with a French partner company pays tribute to the precious nature and gentle bitterness of ginseng,” she explains.
As she followed the labyrinthine undulations formed by ginseng roots, the perfumer was struck by another image: the graphic lines of golden ginkgo biloba leaves, characterized by their distinctive fan shape.
This venerable tree, as old as time and known as the “maidenhair tree” because of the golden color of its foliage in autumn, presents a form of botanical eccentricity: its female and male organs are found on different trees. It was the memory of the scent of crumpled leaves from a male ginkgo that inspired Nagel.
Ginseng Biloba eau de parfum is the woody, radiant result of an unprecedented marriage in which ginseng roots and ginkgo leaves combine their mysteries, mirroring the graceful ripples of their botanical structures.
The bright yellow, refillable 100-ml bottle echoes the golden leaves of the ginkgo biloba tree. The Swift calfskin cap, with beige saddle stitching, reflects the color of ginseng.
Vetiver Tonka
The harsh, rough, earthy scent of vetiver has long appealed to the perfumer, who has adopted and reinvented it here. Combined with delectable tonka bean, vetiver reveals depth and warmth. Aromas of caramel, praline and blond tobacco leaf surround it with softness, while its familiar woody notes become rich and creamy.
Iris Ukiyoe
Irises depicted in the Japanese ukiyo-e (“floating worlds”) works of Hokusai and Hiroshige inspired this radiant composition, structured around powdery iris. The perfumer has eschewed the classic approach to iris, focusing instead on the scents of flowers with lesser-known notes. The delicate fragrance fluctuates between precious rose, orange blossom and mandarin, all expressed in small, impressionistic touches.
Muse Pallida
Like an alchemist heating gold to shape and mold it, the perfumer blends powdery Iris pallida with caressing musks in a masterful gesture that imbues the fragrance with a captivating character. This musky, sensual pairing is an ode to the pure and the precious.
Hermès perfumes are available at Hermès stores in Greenbelt 3 and Solaire Shoppes, and at Rustan’s.
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