H24

Persolaise, February 2021

On February 18, 2021, Dariush Alavi welcomes Hermès’s first masculine pillar since Terre d’Hermès. He finds the opening irresistible, so well does Christine Nagel balance the optimism of the narcissus, the floral inflection of the rosewood and the green, almost pastoral energy of the sage.

The base, dominated in his view by sclarene, lets a bitterness rise that he approves of: it evokes the chypre sensibility of Chanel’s Pour Monsieur and leads into little-visited territory, between urban edginess and retro elegance. Some, he warns, will find it too glaring.

Now Smell This, March 2021

Kevin, on March 15, 2021, finds Terre d’Hermès more contemporary and the natural materials retouched beyond recognition. After a neon green of crushed leaves and citrus, a murky, metallic water note reminds him of a dry cleaner’s. He likes H24 without adopting it: a rich herbal fougère where sage replaces lavender.

The Candy Perfume Boy, March 2021

On March 23, 2021, Thomas Dunckley first smells a soft wood with rhubarb accents and a freshness of dry herbs, which remind him of two Nagel creations for Hermès, Terre d’Hermès Eau Intense Vétiver and Un Jardin sur la Lagune. The narcissus seems creamy to him, the rosewood supple and auburn.

Sclarene adds a metallic sheen, a creamy texture and a soapy note. He finds the steam-iron image well rendered but somewhat familiar, Penhaligon’s Sartorial having taken it further. He sees a fragrance of texture, affable and easy, approaching familiar themes from a new angle.