Terre d'Hermès Eau de Parfum Intense

Terre d’Hermès Eau de Parfum Intense opens on bergamot, makes licorice and coffee its heart and rests on burning wood and the mineral notes of lava stone. Hermès does not divide these materials into tiers: this reading takes up that of Persolaise.

Fiery bergamot

Bergamot opens the fragrance. Hermès calls it fiery and places it first among the three materials it highlights, ahead of burning wood and lava stone, as a burst of brightness against the depth of the rest.

Licorice and coffee

The heart pairs licorice with coffee. Christine Nagel says she used coffee to support the licorice without the whole smelling of coffee; Persolaise hears a striking accord in it, set on the familiar framework of the Terre line.

Burning wood and lava stone

The base brings together burning wood and the mineral notes of lava stone, which the house places in support of the whole. Persolaise sees the fragrance leave its core of licorice and coffee here for territory more familiar to Terre.

What stays out

Black pepper, often attributed to its opening, remains outside the notes retained: neither the house nor the perfumer names it.

What the label declares

The ingredient list has seventeen entries. After alcohol, fragrance and water come a solvent, dibutyl adipate, two UV filters, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane and ethylhexyl triazone, and an antioxidant, pentaerythrityl tetra-di-t-butyl hydroxyhydrocinnamate.

It also declares regulated allergens, including limonene, hydroxycitronellal, hexyl cinnamal, citronellol, linalool, geraniol and citral, as well as oakmoss extract. No colorant appears on it.