As the citrus and pepper notes fade, we’re revealed a floral bouquet featured rose, juniper and sweet jasmine. The juniper adds an almost herbaceous note reminiscent of cedar yet the cardamom continues to persist throughout the heart. Base Notes I also agree with grapefruit and something slightly mineralic but do you also get something like ( very clean) vetiver? Maybe it’s the combination of other notes that’s creating the illusion. I do think my age factors into it; I probably seem pretty young for someone into perfume, especially for a man. Even when I say, “Oh, that must be the rhubarb I read about,” they tend to look around like I’m beneath them. Sometimes I feel like screaming, “I like perfume and I’m actually willing to pay what you’re selling it for. Would you please at least ACT like you’re paying attention?” Voyage d’Hermès features a very interesting and unique flacon. Said to be designed for travelling, the glass swivels inside a metal frame so that it can’t be accidentally pressed when in your luggage. However, I’m not quite convinced that it’s a practical solution.

It is, as advertised, perfectly unisex: anyone could wear it. It isn't my absolute favorite of what Jean-Claude Ellena has done at Hermès so far, but I loved it at first sniff and went right on loving it over the course of subsequent tries. I think fans of his work will be pleased. My guess is that non-fans will not be converted. These images have achieved a sort of internet fame in the years since his passing, and are often used as prime examples of the masterful art style he used throughout his career. One thing that is rarely noted however is that these images were not typical of his work, but were instead a bold, late-career experiment. Moebius crafted the entire set digitally on a Wacom Cintiq, a technology he adopted only a couple of years prior, after a lifetime of pen and paper. Elderly and ailing, Moebius was still experimenting with his craft, and with Voyage d’Hermès reaching new heights. Above: The 9th and concluding plate in the Voyage d’Hermès folio. We see juniper and angelica join a dry lemon, with the former replacing pepper and lime of olden varieties, but delivering that same dry bracing opening, but with a touch more floral character. This is honestly the best part of Voyage d'Hermès, and lasts the longest. Once all of an hour passes, we go into a rather reference-grade cedar smell, which isn't quite "hamster cage" level, but very evident. The final phase gives us some pink pepper, Australian sandalwood, and the expectant dry white musk filler. Thankfully, this is devoid of any norlimbanol or ambroxan abuse shenanigans, but if you know anything about Jean-Claude Ellena, you'll know that sort of bludgeoning sillage isn't his style. After four hours this is all but a memory on skin, albeit a pleasant memory, I'd call this a casual all-season scent as well, so wear it anytime, anywhere you please, outside maybe formal occasions. I'm also not sure how you would refill the supposed refillable bottle, as the only thing I see sold at the Hermès counters most places is the bottle and stand together, so there's that to consider as well. Others also enjoyed the bouquet of spices and woody notes but since the cardamom is firmly fixed in the limelight, it’s the one that receives all the glory. Of course, if you don’t let the smell of cardamom, this isn’t a fragrance that you’ll enjoy!What Hermès (and the world) got out of their investment was Moebius at his purest; clean, precise lines and a vibrant, electric palette straight from the first moments of an acid trip. Above: Plates 6 and 7.. Both the time of day and season play large roles in when to successfully wear this fragrance. Firstly, its cardamom and spices aren’t something that you’d wear for winter despite being deep and sensual. In fact, it fares far better during the late spring and summer.

Being a very deep and sensual fragrance, it was better received by more mature people from their thirties and above. However, it’s a very contemporary if classy blend. Conversely, it came across as a little too prominent for younger people. Nevertheless, it’s a fragrance that both men and women find attractive and this universality is probably the secret to its success. What I *love* about this fragrance is its changing character, described so wonderfully by you, Robin, but also in my own experiences listed above. It’s impressionistic the way notes appear and recede, moving in and out one’s perceptions. And Voyage never feels totally like the same fragrance twice. The endless quotations of Ellena’s other creations works terrifically here. I think this perfectly matches the imaginative power of the “voyage” theme – the idea that you (or anyone, female/male, etc.) can be transported anywhere (place, time) through one’s own varied imaginings, including to another (familiar) perfume for which you associations, memories, etc. Again, I LOVE this fragrance and I think it will become one of my favorites…in a way, it already is.

Closing Thoughts

Following the success of the 2010 eau de toilette of the same name, Hermès released the parfum edition in 2012. Also created by the in-house nose, Jean-Claude Ellena, the parfum promises an enriched experience with a composition of citrusy aromas, spicy blends as well as herbaceous green notes and precious wood. With a rich floral heart over a woody and musk base, Voyage d’Hermès is a proud member of the Woody Floral Musk olfactive sub-family. Head Notes