I loathed this one as soon as I smelled. The dreaded Ambrocenide thrust its toothbrush up my nasal cavity, and I couldn't smell anything else... At the time, I imagined how Jean-Claude Ellena would feel about it - he was never big on spiky woods, was he?
He is not a frequent user of them but he had Karanal in the original Terre (perhaps the best woody amber until it was removed from the market) and has Ambermax in Heaven Can Wait for Frédéric Malle. I agree it lacks finesse and not really in alignment with Hermès but I appreciate the opening.
Ohh nice to know about the woody amber in Heaven can wait, I wondered which one it was. I like the role it plays in that perfume, gives it a modern feel I reckon. Thanks!
Besides Terre, I've noticed some woodyambers in the Après la Mousson. The aqueous minty-melony top contrasted the dry heat of woodyambers nicely - it does evoke the humidity of monsoon rains.
Not a fan of this one, I dont like the fuzzy and heavy musk/coumarin-like feel on the drydown. It feels too much like a 5 o'clock shadow after a few hours. Is that the ambrocenide too? But I respect the originality of the top and mid phases.
There is added coumarin (including from some naturals) plus 3.5% muscenone, trace of ambrettolide. It might be the Fixateur giving that impression though. Not from the Ambrocenide for sure.
Very interesting! I have tried Eau de. Citron Noir before but I will definitely sample it again next time I’m at the Hermès counter. It seems rude to request a fragrance. But let just say I wouldn’t mind to know more about the current version of Eau d’Hermès. I think it was reformulated by JCE. Maybe it has been reformulated since
Thank you for another great article! I do enjoy the initial smell of Citron Noir! But I echo other readers here that it was the ambrocenide that prevented me from really enjoying it. In trace amount I think it can add some energy to a perfume. I can smell it in Heaven Can Wait but it somehow doesn’t overshadow other material, and it doesn’t just dry down to pure ambrox either. Similar to Theria that Ellena made for Le Couvent. Have you smelt that one?
Heaven Can Wait contains a different material called Ambermax which is not as powerful (though just as lasting) and it is dosed around 0.02% neat, below the 0.1% Ambrocenide here. Maybe I should do an article on Heaven Can Wait. I have not smelt that one from Le Couvent.
aha, yes, I should have used proper names. usually I can't tell them apart from just smelling it from perfumes. It would be interesting to compare them. though I have to say, I can't really smell them much at first, only after I already washed the clothe, then it is actually strong to me, such curious ingredients. Thank you!
The reason you smell them after washing is that many make it into the perfumer's palette for their persistence in wash cycles, because that makes them useful for laundry products. This is the case for Ambermax for example, which performs excellently on fabric. Many fragrances' woody ambers do not stick out initially because other materials are hiding them but these inevitably evaporate and leave behind the woody ambers. A lot of fragrances are built on trying to nicen woody ambers with materials like ethyl vanillin, vanillin, coumarin, ethyl maltol...
Ohi! It seems I’m the only one among your readers to appreciate this ‘Eau’. But I insist, it’s a remarkable citrus, and even if it was the ouverture which had me too, I like also its fade to black (and it doesn’t stick to you so indiscreetly, come on). These deconstructions of yours… it’s a bit like what Poe did with ‘The Raven’ in ‘Philosophy of composition’, with you playing the role of many Poes (it’s a compliment, just in case). I enjoyed and learned. Thank you ❣️
I loathed this one as soon as I smelled. The dreaded Ambrocenide thrust its toothbrush up my nasal cavity, and I couldn't smell anything else... At the time, I imagined how Jean-Claude Ellena would feel about it - he was never big on spiky woods, was he?
He is not a frequent user of them but he had Karanal in the original Terre (perhaps the best woody amber until it was removed from the market) and has Ambermax in Heaven Can Wait for Frédéric Malle. I agree it lacks finesse and not really in alignment with Hermès but I appreciate the opening.
Ohh nice to know about the woody amber in Heaven can wait, I wondered which one it was. I like the role it plays in that perfume, gives it a modern feel I reckon. Thanks!
Besides Terre, I've noticed some woodyambers in the Après la Mousson. The aqueous minty-melony top contrasted the dry heat of woodyambers nicely - it does evoke the humidity of monsoon rains.
Not a fan of this one, I dont like the fuzzy and heavy musk/coumarin-like feel on the drydown. It feels too much like a 5 o'clock shadow after a few hours. Is that the ambrocenide too? But I respect the originality of the top and mid phases.
There is added coumarin (including from some naturals) plus 3.5% muscenone, trace of ambrettolide. It might be the Fixateur giving that impression though. Not from the Ambrocenide for sure.
Very interesting! I have tried Eau de. Citron Noir before but I will definitely sample it again next time I’m at the Hermès counter. It seems rude to request a fragrance. But let just say I wouldn’t mind to know more about the current version of Eau d’Hermès. I think it was reformulated by JCE. Maybe it has been reformulated since
Thank you for another great article! I do enjoy the initial smell of Citron Noir! But I echo other readers here that it was the ambrocenide that prevented me from really enjoying it. In trace amount I think it can add some energy to a perfume. I can smell it in Heaven Can Wait but it somehow doesn’t overshadow other material, and it doesn’t just dry down to pure ambrox either. Similar to Theria that Ellena made for Le Couvent. Have you smelt that one?
Heaven Can Wait contains a different material called Ambermax which is not as powerful (though just as lasting) and it is dosed around 0.02% neat, below the 0.1% Ambrocenide here. Maybe I should do an article on Heaven Can Wait. I have not smelt that one from Le Couvent.
aha, yes, I should have used proper names. usually I can't tell them apart from just smelling it from perfumes. It would be interesting to compare them. though I have to say, I can't really smell them much at first, only after I already washed the clothe, then it is actually strong to me, such curious ingredients. Thank you!
The reason you smell them after washing is that many make it into the perfumer's palette for their persistence in wash cycles, because that makes them useful for laundry products. This is the case for Ambermax for example, which performs excellently on fabric. Many fragrances' woody ambers do not stick out initially because other materials are hiding them but these inevitably evaporate and leave behind the woody ambers. A lot of fragrances are built on trying to nicen woody ambers with materials like ethyl vanillin, vanillin, coumarin, ethyl maltol...
So interesting! Thank you for your explanation! ☺️
Fabulous article and comments, thanks!
Ohi! It seems I’m the only one among your readers to appreciate this ‘Eau’. But I insist, it’s a remarkable citrus, and even if it was the ouverture which had me too, I like also its fade to black (and it doesn’t stick to you so indiscreetly, come on). These deconstructions of yours… it’s a bit like what Poe did with ‘The Raven’ in ‘Philosophy of composition’, with you playing the role of many Poes (it’s a compliment, just in case). I enjoyed and learned. Thank you ❣️