Yes, you’re remembering correctly: Robin did write a brief review of Rose Amazone when it was launched in 2014 as a flanker to Hermès ‘s 1974 classic Amazone. Rose Amazone was developed by Jean-Claude Ellena, Hermès’s in-house perfumer at the time, as a modern interpretation of Amazone: “a sparkling, tangy and tender perfume, brightened by citrus fruits, currants and raspberries.”
The idea of a young and fruity flanker was already a cliché in 2014…
He describes his approach thus: ‘I don’t recall ever having challenged a scent in this way. Firstly, in a physical, hedonistic way, because I wanted to snatch the fragrance of these flowers from the dawn sky, together with that of the foliage that envelops them. And then, in a cerebral way, I worked on the coolness of its aura, the delicacy of its opalescence and the ethereal nature of its existence.’
[...] Sadly, 'Muguet Porcelaine' is Jean-Claude Ellena’s final perfume as Hermès’ in-house perfumer, but it’s a sparkling swansong: this is what we call going out on a high.
— Read more at 'Muguet Porcelaine': Jean-Claude Ellena’s sparkling swansong for Hermès at Wallpaper.
A fragrance for wanderers drawn to wide-open spaces. — Jean-Claude Ellena1
During my Now Smell This years, many men have written me asking for a review of Hermès Rocabar.2 I’m wary! I assume the guys writing me love Rocabar; what if I don’t? In that case would Rocabar fans prefer I keep quiet? Hermès is one of my favorite perfume houses so why was Rocabar unknown to me? Maybe I tried it ages ago and didn’t like it? Was it just a case of Fate — Rocabar and I always just out of each other’s reach? But last week, at the Hermès boutique inside my local Nordstrom, there was an easy-to-sniff tester bottle of Rocabar and I finally wore it. (This review is based on the current Rocabar formula; I assume late-1990s Rocabar was different).
Hermès says the name ‘Rocabar’ is a “contraction of ‘rug’ and the French words ‘à barres’ meaning striped.” Rocabar…
“There’s so much subtlety in lily-of-the-valley that I’ve often dreamed of sublimating it. I dived right into its fragrance in order to reproduce the beauty and supply voluptuous quality of this flower which is fragile as porcelain.” Jean-Claude Ellena
Muguet Porcelaine is the latest to join the Hermessence range at Hermès, and the choice of subject, lily of the valley, was something of a surprise, to me at least.1 Perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena widely cites perfumer Edmond Roudnitka as his mentor, and Roudnitska, of course, made Diorissimo, surely (if you think otherwise, don’t tell me) the reference lily of the valley.2 It struck me as highly unlikely that Ellena would wade into those same waters, so I was expecting a sort of meditation on lily of the valley, not really a soliflore or even something I’d necessarily recognize as lily of the valley.3
But no, surprise surprise, what we have here is exactly what the name suggests…
Hermès has launched Muguet Porcelaine, the 13th fragrance in the unisex Hermessence range. The last in the series were 2013’s Épice Marine and 2014’s Cuir d’Ange…