• About
  • Login to comment
    • Facebook
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Menu ▼
  • Perfume Reviews
  • New Perfumes
  • Perfumers
  • Perfume Houses
  • Shop for perfume
  • Resources

Galop d’Hermes ~ perfume review

Posted by Robin on 27 September 2016 22 Comments

Galop d'Hermès brand image

It would not really be accurate to say I was worried about what perfumer Christine Nagel would do when she took over as house perfumer at Hermès. Plenty of other things keep me up at night, but not that. But certainly I wondered if Hermès would continue to take the bulk of my perfume-spending dollars, or if I'd have to find a new BFF brand to empty my wallet every so often. What I think of as the transitional fragrance duo — Eau de Rhubarbe Écarlate and Eau de Néroli Doré — that marked the passing of the baton from perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena,1 added to the uncertainty, given that I lost interest in Nagel's Rhubarbe Écarlate within 30 minutes but fairly quickly bought a small bottle of Ellena's Néroli Doré (and I'm still sorely tempted by the matching body products). 

But perhaps I was too quick to judge. Nagel's first pillar outing, Galop d'Hermès, is darned good, and while it makes its own way, it also eases comfortably into the brand's existing line up. According to Ms. Nagel, she wanted “...a dance between rose and leather,2 and while Hermès already has two contemporary leather fragrances (Kelly Caleche and Cuir d'Ange)3, presumably they can easily afford another given their long history of selling the material in all its possible forms. Ms. Nagel, like Mr. Ellena before her, started with the smell of the Hermès leathers:

The craftsmen always speak about this [Doblis] leather, that it has one side that is flesh and the other side that is rose. When I found this leather, I had this association that I want to find a counterpart for this leather and that would be the rose. What I want is that there will be a balance between the two, which is hard because usually leather overpowers anything else. So it was a lot of technical work to achieve the balance where they are both equal—the rose and the leather.4

All of which might serve to warn you up front that Galop d'Hermès is no more of a leather bomb than Kelly Caleche or Cuir d'Ange. It's an oriental, but on the sheer side, with a lively, slightly quirky fruit opening (quince, berries and citrus) followed by a soft, saffron-y leather intertwined with rose. The leather is more leather-y than that of Cuir d'Ange, but only by a shade: we are still in Birkin-bag territory, not the stable. The rose is likewise more mild than than deep, with fruity and spicy nuances. As advertised, neither material dominates, indeed, a quick, casual sniff might not immediately call up rose or leather. Galop as a whole is warm (and the perfect weight for autumn) but not heavy; the feel is of restrained elegance.

To my nose, it is completely unisex (I found it far less feminine than Kelly Caleche), and the lasting power is reasonable.

Verdict: The stirrup bottle seems to be love it or hate it, but I love it, and as I said above, the juice is darned good. That said, I am not in love with Galop — I would not at all mind having a bottle, but I do not feel any burning need to own it. Good thing, because it's also darned expensive. The 50 ml is $210; for comparison purposes, Kelly Caleche is $119 and Jour d'Hermès Absolu is $118. What justifies the much higher price? It's apparently not the bottle, since the refill is also $100 more than the same size refill of the Jour d'Hermès Absolu. Perhaps it's the Parfum concentration? If so, it's not something I'd pay extra for as a consumer — regardless of what it cost to make, it does not wear differently from the brand's lighter concentrations, nor does it, like some Extraits, smell like it was made with bounteous quantities of rare natural materials.

So, perhaps what I should have been considering lately was not how Christine Nagel's work would change Hermès as a perfume house, but how the brand would respond to the larger pressures on the (hugely overcrowded) perfume market. The money at the moment seems to be flowing at two ends of the spectrum: we're seeing more and more rollerballs and other small sizes from the mainstream brands, but at the same time, an avalanche of products priced to appeal to the upscale luxury market. It may well turn out that Christine Nagel will make plenty of perfumes I am dying to own, but I won't be able to afford them. (As of this writing, Galop is not available in the 15 ml coffrets, and while it might be released in that size eventually, I suspect we'll have to wait for it to be produced in a lighter concentration.)

Galop d'Hermès refill

Galop d'Hermès is available in 50 ml refillable Parfum, $210. The 125 ml (shown just above) refill is $240.

1. Although Ellena's swan song, Muguet Porcelaine, came after.

2. Via Hermès Rides High with the Launch of Its New Fragrance, Galop at Forbes.

3. Or three if you count Bel Ami Vetiver as contemporary.

4. Via Hermès Introduces the Most Hermès-y Fragrance Ever at Elle.

More leather...

Parfum d’Empire Cuir Ottoman ~ fragrance review
Parfums de Nicolai Cuir Cuba Intense ~ fragrance review
Atelier Cologne Gold Leather ~ fragrance review

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: christine nagel, hermes, leather, rose

Advertisement


22 Comments

Leave a comment, or read more about commenting at Now Smell This. Here's our privacy policy, and a handy emoticon chart.

  1. nozknoz says:
    27 September 2016 at 3:16 pm

    I think this is very nice, especially the rose side of it. I have to really concentrate to see why it might be considered a leather scent. Rather, it seems more like what I’d hoped for from Rose Amazone (which I find too harsh).

    Galop will be good for fall. I’d be tempted to buy if I wasn’t trying to save money right now. That refill bottle is made for splits. :)

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      27 September 2016 at 3:20 pm

      I will agree with ‘very nice’, and yes, the refill bottle is definitely the way to go for splits if they don’t come out with a 15 ml.

      Log in to Reply
  2. Coumarin says:
    27 September 2016 at 3:35 pm

    I can’t wait to try this, though honestly I still haven’t tried MP. They built a new Hermes in Houston and I haven’t felt fancy enough to visit. I’m glad to hear this one is at least successful on the scent front

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      27 September 2016 at 3:42 pm

      Neiman Marcus has it too, at least my local one does. I feel easier going into Neiman Marcus in flip flops, although perhaps they do not appreciate that sentiment.

      Log in to Reply
      • austenfan says:
        27 September 2016 at 3:44 pm

        :)

        Log in to Reply
  3. mikeperez23 says:
    27 September 2016 at 3:55 pm

    Oh I am dying to smell this. I didn’t realize it was that much more expensive than the other fragrances – that is not good news. I can’t wait to sample this.

    One more thing: Isn’t Eau d’Hermes a leather scent also?

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      27 September 2016 at 4:41 pm

      I do guess they’ll do an EdT or an EdP eventually, but I wish they’d done it first. This way, it just looks like they are trying to reposition themselves by a step or two.

      And yes, and so is Bel Ami. Just wasn’t including them as part of the “contemporary” line, that’s all.

      Log in to Reply
  4. cazaubon says:
    27 September 2016 at 4:57 pm

    I didn’t care for it, there was a urinous note that ruined it. Don’t like Cuir d’Ange either, the only one I can appreciate is Kelly Caleche. I liked Bottega Veneta’s take on leather better overall – and lucky me, it’s cheaper too. :-)

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      27 September 2016 at 5:06 pm

      Really? In the opening, or the dry down?

      But the Bottega Veneta, good call, it’s less than half the price. If in fact it cost them twice as much to make Galop I’d be surprised, but I’d also say that in that case they wasted their money.

      Log in to Reply
      • cazaubon says:
        27 September 2016 at 5:28 pm

        Mostly the opening.

        Log in to Reply
        • Robin says:
          27 September 2016 at 9:06 pm

          Gotcha. I wonder if there’s some grapefruit in there that I’m not noticing.

          Log in to Reply
  5. gravity says:
    27 September 2016 at 8:14 pm

    I’ve only tried Galop once, so cannot speak nuances. On my skin it started as quite a dirty leather, which then went quiet and served as a background to rose. Yes, a fruity-spicy rose.

    I don’t know if it will be very popular (doubt it, really), but I think it could be an instant classic. I’d say it is interesting, intriguing even, queitly beautiful, and yes, very Hermes-y.

    The best bit: it’s not “me” :-) I won’t lose sleep about not being able to afford it. Will probably buy a bottle of Bel Ami, which I should have done years ago.

    I have to say though that this new market strategy (if it is a strategy) is making me increasingly grumpy. Hope it won’t last.

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      27 September 2016 at 9:09 pm

      It is Hermes-y (and loved the article title from Elle that I referenced above).

      I kind of doubt it will be a huge seller either. Maybe that’s not even what they want, who knows, or maybe they’re planning an “easier” followup in a lighter concentration. I didn’t think this one was difficult, exactly, but it’s not as overtly feminine or “pretty” as I expected.

      Log in to Reply
  6. floragal says:
    27 September 2016 at 9:15 pm

    I tried this on skin once and liked it a lot. I really enjoyed the opening and kept smelling my wrist – the citrus & berries were very cheerful to me and lasted longer than I would have thought. I don’t own any rose/leather scents, so happy to add it to my collection via a split from Sat.’s splitmeet! That larger size is certainly more economical. Perhaps one day I’ll splurge on that fantastic bottle.

    Great review!

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      28 September 2016 at 9:24 am

      The bottle really is lovely. I hope if they do a lesser concentration, they keep the bottle.

      Log in to Reply
  7. MikasMinion says:
    27 September 2016 at 10:35 pm

    Well, the Neiman Marcus display of the little bottles was lovely but the tester was “lost” so I didn’t get to sample. Perhaps it was too obvious that I was tire-kicking and had no intention of buying anything. For that price I could buy a bottle of something on my wish list and snag a “full-sized sample” of something fun from a discounter.

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      28 September 2016 at 9:25 am

      Ha, at this point I really need to start wearing a disguise in Neiman Marcus. I do an awful lot of tire-kicking there. At my store, the Galop display was the largest for a single fragrance, which surprised me.

      Log in to Reply
  8. Kathryn says:
    28 September 2016 at 10:33 am

    I agree with all you wrote. I like the sample of Galop I found online well enough, but didn’t find it compelling enough for a full bottle even before I knew how pricey it was. My favorite part is the effervescent opening which does smell like it has some grapefruit in it to me. I don’t think I’ve ever smelled an actual quince so I couldn’t quite locate that note. However, once the top notes dissipate, which doesn’t take long on me, it smells like a nice, but unexceptional, woody rose. I think it shares a lot of DNA with Nagel’s earlier and much less expensive Chopard Madness.

    I do confess some nervousness about what direction Hermes will take after Ellena. Galop would fit into the new Vuitton perfume line quite nicely, and now I hear that Christian Laboutin has some perfumes out, too. It does seem that there is a trend of luxury leather companies selling the idea of luxury at a steep premium that doesn’t seem quite justified by what’s in the bottle.

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      28 September 2016 at 10:41 pm

      Ah, and I don’t know Chopard Madness.

      I read something about LV releasing perfumes because their sales of leather goods are down, no idea if it is true. But makes sense, everybody wants to get in the fragrance market now that the expansion is all at the high end.

      Log in to Reply
  9. tiffanie says:
    28 September 2016 at 2:43 pm

    Wonderful review. The comments are enlightening, too. That bottle is a stunner, and it’s great there is a refill.

    I’m just barely coming to an enjoyment of leather in fragrance, so Nagel’s treatment is appealing. I was surprised to read of a fruity/berry note. Somehow I missed that when I read about Galop’s release.

    I have not tried it, but will look forward to crossing paths with Galop someday. As always, I say “Yes to Hermes!” But perhaps not to a full bottle.

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      28 September 2016 at 10:42 pm

      I think the only “official” fruit note is quince, so you’ll have to see what you think!

      Log in to Reply
  10. Andreea says:
    5 January 2017 at 10:17 am

    I do not think they will make alighter (and cheaper!) concentration. The release was held very exclusive so I think it is owned to the new strategy of the houses in general. The next scents will be probably also expensive :-/

    As for the scent – I managed to get a huge sample from my friend but… it does not strike any chord?! It is definitely very well made and a masterpiece. The women wearing it kicks ass, but very polite, so it is something that reminds me of Mme Lagarde…

    I would not buy it or want it though. And that is a major turn in my perfume history! What do I buy now?! It was so easy to have a go to brand where people could just buy a gift (my husband…) or you could just blind buy based on description. Sigh.

    Log in to Reply

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Advertisement


Luckyscent

Search

Browse by…

Topic

Perfume talk New fragrances
Shopping Books :: News
Body products Home fragrance
Polls Another subject

Date

December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
Prior months

Author

Robin Jessica
Angela Kevin
Erin Guest Author

Tag

Celebrity perfumes
Cheap thrills
Collector bottles
Perfumista tip series
Video
The complete tag index

From NST at Twitter

  • Headline of the day: "Gwyneth Paltrow’s vagina-scented candle almost burns down home of woman who won it in a quiz" https://t.co/F6bvZtoSXl,
  • "Jo Loves adopts refillable technology for Fragrance Paintbrush" (cosmeticsbusiness) https://t.co/sn2tZ1cguT,

Recent reviews

Atelier Cologne Love Osmanthus
Moschino Toy Boy
Arquiste Misfit
Diptyque Eau Capitale
Zoologist Bee
Parfum d’Empire Immortelle Corse
Comme des Garcons Series 10 Clash
Frédéric Malle Rose & Cuir
L’Artisan Parfumeur Le Chant de Camargue
Yves Saint Laurent Grain de Poudre
Régime des Fleurs Chloë Sevigny Little Flower
Chanel 1957
Gallivant Los Angeles
Amouage Portrayal Woman

Blogroll

Bois de Jasmin
Grain de Musc
Perfume Posse
The Non-Blonde
More blogs...

Perfumista lists

100 fragrances every perfumista should try
And 25 more fragrances every perfumista should smell
50 masculine fragrances every perfumista should try
26 vintage fragrances every perfumista should try
25 rose fragrances every perfumista should try
11 Cheap Perfumes Beauty Outsiders Love

Favorite posts

The Great Perfume Reduction Plan
Why I Love Old School Chypres
New to perfume and want to learn more?
How to make fragrance last through the day
Fragrance concentrations: sorting it all out
On reformulations, or why your favorite perfume doesn’t smell like it used to
How to get fragrance samples
Perfume for Life: How Long Will Your Fragrance Collection Last?

Upcoming

List of upcoming Friday projects

TBA April ~ freebiemeet

Back to Top

Home
About Now Smell This :: Privacy Policy

Shop for Perfume Online
Perfume Shopping in New York
Perfume Shopping in London
Perfume Reviews
New Perfumes
General Perfume Articles
The Monday Mail

Glossary of Perfume Terms
Perfume FAQ
Perfume Links
Perfume Books
Fragrance Awards

Noses ~ Perfumers A-E :: F-K :: L-S :: T-Z

Perfume Houses A-B :: C :: D-E :: F-G
H-J :: K-L :: M :: N-O :: P :: Q-R :: S
T :: U-Z

Copyright © 2005-2021 Now Smell This. All rights reserved.