A new fragrance in the upscale Hermessence range from French house Hermès always makes me happy, even when I don't love the juice — it's pretty rare that one has bored me, although it has happened. The new Épice Marine is number 11 in the series, and it falls squarely in the very-interesting-but-don't-adore-it category, which makes me even happier; as I pointed out in my review of Jour d'Hermès, the brand has taken the lion's share of my perfume spending already. I will be perfectly happy with the 15 ml travel size I have already purchased, and presumably Hermès will continue to prosper even if I don't shell out for the full-sized bottle.
So, Épice Marine. The fragrance is about spices and the ocean: it was developed in a collaborative process between Hermès house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena and Breton "pirate chef" Olivier Roellinger, and was inspired by their mutual love of spices and the smell of the sea. Ellena referred to it as a 'Pirate Hermessence',1 which seems fitting enough, although it's a quiet sort of pirate — most of you know already not to go looking for a big statement perfume from Jean-Claude Ellena. I do not know the "official" notes for Épice Marine, but notes mentioned in the many articles2 on the subject include bergamot, roasted cumin, mint, cinnamon, cardamom, Sichuan pepper, algae, whiskey (or maybe rum), smoke, sea breeze, fog, oakmoss, polished wood, and maybe some flowers.
If you are familiar with Ellena's work and particularly the Hermessence series, you can probably already imagine the result: it's a mingling of salty sea notes (heaviest in the top notes, and more salty / iodine-y than "fresh" — this is not your father's aquatic cologne) and plenty of peppery spice, but in the transparent style that is Ellena's hallmark. The opening is lively, with the sea notes mingling with crisp citrus; the dry down is quieter, more contemplative. The later stages could be aptly described as foggy, and make a nice match with the grey-blue color of the packaging. There is a faint hint of smoke, but only faint, and I do not notice any whiskey and/or rum, although possibly that is the only meant to be the origin of the smoky notes.3 Yes, the cumin is noticeable regardless, but I did not find it sweaty à la Cartier Déclaration or Frédéric Malle Cologne Bigarade. The base is soft woods, smelling appropriately aged and weathered by the elements.
Verdict: Like all the Hermessences, Épice Marine manages to be both interesting but perfectly wearable — there is nothing weird or difficult about it as a personal fragrance, and you won't feel like it is wearing you.4 I found it very enjoyable to wear but never completely fell for it, although it may perhaps continue to grow on me, as did Brin de Réglisse — I reach for that one far more often than I ever thought I would.5 As is the case with all the fragrances in the series, this is not the place to go looking for a product to last through your work day, which is another way of saying that the lasting power is about average for a Hermessence.
A quick poll for anybody who managed to read this far: name your favorite fragrance that reminds you of the sea? It doesn't have to be an aquatic.
Hermès Épice Marine is available in 100 ml Eau de Toilette, or in a 15 ml bottle sold in mix 'n match groups of 4. There is also an optional leather case, shown above, if you want to pay extra for it.
You can find more reviews of Épice Marine at Bois de Jasmin, Grain de Musc and Sorcery of Scent.
1. Via Behind the scenes of Hermès new fragrance at AMDmode.
2. There is a long article at the French version of Vanity Fair and another at The Telegraph, and you will find plenty more if you Google.
3. The particular whiskey Roellinger apparently recommended to Ellena was the single malt Bruichladdich.
4. Another quote from AMDmode: "...Hermes is different, as they give me the freedom not to be a copy or to follow a trend just to market a product. That doesn’t mean that we produce items or perfumes, that doesn’t work or doesn’t appeal for the market, we always make sure that what we produce is appealing..."
5. And I said the same of Santal Massoïa — maybe it will grow on me. But no, it never really did. I like it when I wear it, but I don't swoon.
Thank you Robin. I have been looking forward to your review of Epice Marine and I am hoping to try it soon.
The quintessential marine fragrance in my opinion remains Dune by Dior. It must be its name obviously but also the strong influence of the ad campaign from the 90s where sand dunes and oceanic vegetation are featured.
Not to be confused with an “aquatic ozonic fragrance”.
I thought it would be more widely available by now…I don’t think it’s on the Hermes website yet, and my local store doesn’t even know when it’s coming. Oh well.
And Dune is perfect!
Haven’t fallen hard for one from this line. They all seem so fleeting. At those prices, I’d want the scent to hang around for longer than a few minutes. Favorite sea-inspired scent? Probably Kenzo’s Pour Homme. Properly briny with salt, seaweed and iodine – and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Even the reformulation hasn’t hobbled it although it’s current version doesn’t seem to last as much as the earlier incarnation.
Oh, but there are fragrances that you can’t make long lasting without changing their character…if you made Osmanthe Yunnan so it would last, it would not be so perfectly crisp and transparent. (That’s my argument anyway. Somewhere there was a great quote from Patricia Nicolai about how light fragrances become “squat” when you try to make them so they’ll last.)
Ahh, yes…I think this was her reply when asked by Luca Turin why she didn’t offer her wonderful New York in an eau de parfum. But seriously, that one’s a beast…there’s no issue with longevity there.
Good memory! And I do think it’s true. Bigarade Concentree & Bvlgari’s Thé Vert intense (whatever it’s called) are good examples. Still good fragrances, but very different from the originals.
I would add Voyage d’hermes: though the EDP is more gentle and rounded it does not have the effervescence of the EDT.
The reason I dont like short-lived scents though is that I want my perfume to sometimes catch me unawares, and also to be a background. Having to respray somehow makes the experience self-conscious, if that makes any sense!
I totally understand why people want it to last longer and don’t want to buy expensive fragrances that don’t last…I just don’t think people always get that it does affect the design as well. Osmanthe Yunnan in particular I think would be so different in a stronger form that I probably wouldn’t like it.
OY grows and grows and grows on me, and lasts until I get a skin graft!
I look forward to trying this – it’s been a while since I stopped by the nearest Hermes boutique. I am a big fan of many of the Hermessences too, OY and Ambre Narguile being favorites. I don’t think I’ve tried any proper sea-inspired/scented fragrances, the saltiness of this one sounds interesting.
Ambre Narguile, come to think of it, might be the closest thing to a “big statement” Hermessence, right? And maybe Vetiver Tonka too. Since then seems like they’ve all been transparent.
Robin, it hurts when you call Paprika Brasil “boring” … imo, it is the best Hermessence (even though they are all excellent), and possibly my very favorite fragrance at the moment. I think it needs quite a bit of listening before it can be appreciated …
Marine Epice sounds interesting, and I definitely want to try it — thanks for another great review (except the comment about Paprika Brasil ;).
(Some of) my favorite fragrances that remind me of the see are Eau d’Italie (original) by Eau d’Italie and Sel de Vetiver by The Different Company.
Oh, but it should not hurt — everybody has different taste, right? You might find my favorites boring!
And you’re not alone, anyway, I know quite a few people loved Paprika Brasil.
Ah yes, Eau d’Italie had a lovely salty seaweed note, didn’t it? I need to locate my sample again!
I like quite a few salty/sea fragrances including my very much missed Diptyque Virgilio which evokes a Mediterranean coastline to my nose, but I want to put in a note for L’Artisan Cote d’Amour, Heeley Sel marin, and Andree Putman Preparation Parfumee. All three of which get good use during Miami summers.
It is a shame they axed Virgilio, it was a great scent that didn’t quite work for me but that I liked to smell. And will 2nd the Andree Putman, which does work for me and which I also like to smell
I miss Virgilio, too, and also love the Heeley and Cote d’Amour.
The one that truly reminds me of the ocean is AG’s Vetiver edt…it has a salty/briny facet that isn’t the usual “aquatic.” I believe now it comes as an edc, which I haven’t tried. Think the edt is actually better on men.
Yes, that’s a great scent! Don’t know how it is that we’ve never reviewed it. Sort of inky, too.
This is my favorite vetiver (and I have many)! I also thought of it, although it’s not actually aquatic, just seems like it works in an ocean context (as it does in many others).
Where did you buy the set of 4 travel sizes from? Anyway the smell of sunscreen figures heavily in my olfactory memories of the sea…
Chandler, I bought one single bottle from someone else.
For sunscreen, you need CB I Hate Perfume At The Beach 1966!
I know it’s not fashionable and it may sound strange but the one fragrance that always hits me like ocean breeze and sea spray in the face – in a good way – is Eternity. I grew up by the sea and it takes me right back there to the wild west coast of Ireland. So for me it’s a great guilty pleasure.
Hey, everyone needs a guilty pleasure! My beach guilty pleasure is Comptoir Sud Pacifique Aqua Motu.
I was almost sure I would love it and I did – I like the delicate spices (I get quite a lot of cardamom in the beginning) and the impression of the ocean. If someone had asked me, I would have voted for even more ocean-ness, but I’m pretty happy as it is.
TDC Sel de Vetiver has so far been my sea scent. I have this fantasy of wearing it on an empty late autumn beach in Brittany.
You know, that’s interesting, because I think I like it about as well as I thought I would too.
Oh, is this finally in the shops then? It feels like it’s been forever since I last asked about it and the SA couldn’t give me a date when it would be available. I might have to pop into Hermès soon.
It might be a weird choice, but I always think of Terre d’Hermès as seaside-y since it smells kind of salty/earthy/driftwoody to me. It’s a more melancholy kind of beach.
It is not in my local shop, but I understand it is in some shops in the world. My local shop had no idea when it might be there.
I do love Terre d’Hermes. I think this one is more melancholy, you’ll have to see what you think.
Can’t wait to meet Épice Marine’s “quiet pirate” (love that line!)
Favorite marine, which I happen to be wearing today: the sadly discontinued Fougère Nakh by Soivohle. Saltwater, iodine, woodsmoke – so beautiful and complex.
Oh, I have not tried that one — sounds interesting!
The word pirate is maybe getting overused, I was thinking. This is not what you’d expect Johnny Depp to wear in his next Disney outing
Have you seen the Jack Sparrow parody of the Brad Pitt Chanel No. 5 commercial? “Rum… inevitable!”
Yes, that guy really does a good Jack Sparrow!
Nice review, Robin.
I just happened to have a sample waiting for me in the mail tonight.
After reading your post I gave myself a quick spritz and my forearm smelled of old celery. Blech!
Sat down for dinner and afterwards went in for another sniff.
Oh, my! Glorious! The saltwater is the scent of your skin and hair after a day at the beach. Like maybe after your best day at the beach. It’s not a real time scent. It has the melancholy and slight regret of saying goodbye to the perfect day and greetings to a tender memory.
I just love it.
Oh, what a nice ending to a bad beginning! So glad you love it.
Interesting – sometimes Timbuktu smells like sweaty celery to me, sometimes not. One of those tricky notes.
Always willing to give Elena a sniff, but I’m guessing this will be another one that’s too subtle for my loud self!
I didn’t like it, but I did feel that the briney-ness of Womanity aptly smelled of sea salt, with a hint of gutted fish.
Yes…I didn’t love it either, and actually thought they should have made it even brinier than they did. Maybe not so much gutted fish though, LOL…
Bulgari Aqua: for my nose, the quintessential salty sea essence.
G of the Sea by Gwen Stefani is also a really good salty sea scent but doesn’t last for more than minutes. Too bad!
Lys Mediterranee (Malle) is a pretty good entry for this topic but I find it too strong.
DSquared He Wood Ocean Wet Wood. Much less sweet than the female version.
I do wish Gwen Stefani would do more Harajuku Lovers! The G of the Sea was also adorable, glad to hear it was a decent scent even if it didn’t last.
I ordered some of the Roellinger spice blends after reading the review on Bois de Jasmin – they’re great! Only drawback is that the shipping from France equalled the cost of the spices; nonetheless, I’m likely to order some of the summery ones next year.
Between the wonderful spices, unusual notes and intriguing reviews, I’m very curious to try this. Oddly, the Hermessence that I like best is Iris Ukiyoe, which I did not expect to love as Iight florals aren’t usually my thing. I guess it is like Japanese art that manages to both delicate and compelling.
Oh fun…I should do that!
Wonderful review, Robin. You always manage to suck me in until I calm down and remember that if you really like something, I probably won’t.
Your poll question made me realize that I don’t actually have a perfume that reminds me of the sea! I’m more of an elegant drawing room (or dining room with the footmen serving crème brûlées) kind of girl – perfume wise that is! I don’t actually live that way.
Ha, but if I like something but don’t love it, where are you likely to be?
That’s tricky, and we *do* overlap on occasion. You keep me guessing!
The original Eau de Merveilles is my ultimate beach/sea scent. In fall/winter, it reminds me of New England/Mid-Atlantic shores. In spring, I’m reminded of the Calif coast. In summer, I’m taken back to the tropical beaches where I grew up. How does Epice Marine compare to EdM?
To my nose, barely related, other than that there’s probably some light amber in the base of Epice Marine.
Miller Harris Fleurs de Sel!
Nice pick!