Bel Ami, a seductive fragrance. The Hermès brand is the luxury boutique known for its famous silk square. Founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermès, the house of the same name earned its reputation through the manufacture of harnesses and various products for horses.
Released in 1986, Bel Ami is regarded as a remarkable and assertive piece of writing. An undeniable leather, devastating and distinguished. While the Bel Ami fragrance references the eponymous novel of the same name by Guy de Maupassant, it displays, like the novel, opulence and character. Against the backdrop of colonial war, Guy de Maupassant’s novel embodies a man deeply rooted in his era. Bel Ami is the representation of a strong personality, of a light that manages to pierce every secret. Here, leather takes center stage, and its composition is signed by Jean-Louis Sieuzac.
Bel Ami, a novel of scents signed by perfumer Jean-Louis Sieuzac
It is perfumer Jean-Louis Sieuzac whom the house of Hermès chose for this highly atypical rewriting. Jean-Louis Sieuzac began his career at the Roure company (which became Givaudan). After several years, Jean-Louis Sieuzac moved on to the Symrise company. Jean-Louis Sieuzac favors powerful fragrances with strong character and is particularly known for having created Opium by Yves Saint Laurent. Jean-Louis Sieuzac is a very discreet perfumer who never seeks attention. He is behind great successes such as Opium, but also Fahrenheit by Christian Dior and Play For Her Intense by Givenchy.
Bel Ami by Hermès, an all-leather scented composition
Jean-Louis Sieuzac here moves from chypre leather to woody leather with exceptional elegance. Bel Ami takes flight on a multifaceted freshness with the presence of mandarin, clary sage, and basil, all heightened by cardamom, which provides power and character right from the opening. Native to southern Europe and western Asia, clary sage grows naturally in many countries bordering the Mediterranean, such as Morocco, Algeria, Greece, and France. Often known as a parson's garden plant, clary sage was first used in culinary preparations before being used for its medicinal properties. In perfumery, clary sage essential oil is obtained through hydrodistillation of the plant's leaves. It releases aromatic, herbaceous, and camphorous tonalities. Then, the heart of Bel Ami combines floral and spicy notes, pairing carnation, iris, cedar, and cumin. Called Jupiter's flower by the Romans, carnation was used to make the wreaths given to athletes. Carnation was introduced to Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century. In the language of flowers, the white carnation symbolizes pure love and fidelity. The red carnation represents deep love, and the mauve carnation embodies whimsy. In perfumery, carnation releases scents that are at once floral, spicy, and rosy. Finally, the base of Bel Ami is opulent and powerful, and the leather accords are truly striking. The base notes combine labdanum, leather, vetiver, oakmoss, castoreum, and styrax. Understated and slender, the bottle displays its masculinity through a heavy, powerful glass base.