Hermes Iris Ukiyoe Perfume Review (SOTD)

Being a huge fan of Jean Claude Elena and Hermes, I was excited when they announced the launch of the new Hermessence Iris Ukiyoe—but I'm on a budget, so it’s taken me a few months to obtain a bottle. A few weeks ago, I ordered a travel bottle (15ml), which arrived in the mail on Thursday afternoon. I had a big road trip planned for the weekend, and I wondered what to do… It’s dangerous to spray yourself liberally with a new perfume and jump into a confined space: you can end up with a headache or nausea or just a plain scrubber. But Jean Claude Elena’s scents tend to be transparent, so I decided to give it a full spray before jumping in the car. I’ve worn it for a few days since then, so I can give you more than just a brief impression, but it still deserves a few more wears before I can do a more serious perfume review.

If you’re a big Hermes perfume fan, chances are that you’ve already read reviews of Iris Ukiyoe. It’s been labeled as a spring scent, with a focus on “iris flower” instead of the more common “iris root” note that you’d find in Ormonde Jayne Orris Noir and Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist. JCE is quoted somewhere as saying this is more about his impression of a watercolor than about iris itself, and he also referred to being inspired by Japanese art. From what I’d read, I worried that it would be aquatic (it isn’t) or too green (it isn’t too green, but it’s definitely green) or too powdery/heavy (it isn’t). I also wondered from the descriptions if it would smell like the one Hermessence that I didn’t like at all: Hermes Vanilla Gallante (good news: it doesn't smell similar to VG at all).

It’s tough to describe. It starts off with a green mandarin note, which is better described as two notes laying on top of each other: one being “green” like fresh broken stems and the other being “mandarin”. The mandarin isn’t the hyper-colored-orange note that you’d find in the Atelier colognes. It’s there, but paired with the greenness, it’s not distinctly fruity to my nose. In a short while, flowers some into play. If I didn’t know that this was supposed to be an iris perfume, I would have guessed it was tulips at this stage. After some time, I get a strong amount of hyacinth, and then later in the base the hyacinth intensifies and takes on a slight cocoa-ish flavor. The cocoa is strange and unexpected; it’s not gourmand and it’s not sweet, and it’s just a hint. I haven’t seen it written in any of the press about Iris Ukiyoe, so I’m wondering if it’s a facet of the hyacinth. But either way, the middle-to-base of the perfume reminds my of the discontinued perfume by L’Artisan Parfumeur called Jacinthe des Bois.

Iris Ukiyoe represents a real departure from Elena’s more common fragrance design. First off, I don’t smell that sharp-challenging-tart-fruit perfume note than you find in some of his Hermes fragrances like Kelly Caleche and Rose Ikebana (I love those perfumes, so this is no insult). And while it’s green, there’s no moment where the note that Luca Turin describes as “vegetable patch” overwhelms it. It’s more girly to my nose than most of his other stuff, though a guy could also wear it.

Photos taken by my husband and myself. All rights reserved.

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Iris Ukiyoe by Hermes
SOTD Perfume Review
Perfume House: Hermes
Creator / Nose: Jean Claude Elena
Year: Late 2009
Classification: Green floral
Perfume Notes: I don't think that the marketed notes are very accurate, but they list: iris, rose, orange blossom, mandarin orange.
What you mostly smell: It starts off very green with mandarin. After a few minutes, you get a pretty floral, with iris flower (not root) and tulips. The middle notes are probably the best: tons of hyacinth with dark, unsweetened cacao notes.
Lasting Power: Not the best. But at least you'll enjoy spritzing throughout the day.
Similar Perfumes: It's pretty unique, and any JCE fanclub member will want to add it to their collection. That said, if you like this, I'd probably check out Byredo La Tulipe or Serge Lutens Bas de Soie (which has an unfortunate milky note on my skin; Iris Ukiyoe is better) and if you can find it... L'Artisan Parfumeur Jacinthe de Bois. Though Iris Ukiyoe doesn't have and scent twins or dupes out there, these others would be interesting to review in comparison.
Other Reviews at: NST Perfume

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Hermes Rose Ikebana (Perfume Review) - compared to YSL In Love Again

Hermes Rose Ikebana was instantly one of my favorite perfumes. I still recall when I first tried it: it was a sunny Sunday in the spring, and I was standing in my bathroom when I first sprayed it on my arm. In the first 10 seconds, it was incredibly strong, with three main notes punching out and struggling forward as if they were each racing to monopolize the scent. I immediately smelled the sharpness of grapefruit, the warmth of rose petals (sans the powder you find in fragrances by designers other than Jean Claude Ellena), and the damp tug of black tea to tie the two together. And then, perhaps the most critical addition, the rhubarb is there. It was not a singular, detectable note in that first sniff—because truly, how many among us can recognize the scent of rhubarb? In the beginning, I believed it to be an odd lemon, combined with the grapefruit, which was sharp and neither sweet nor sour, and remaining incredibly tart throughout the drydown. Only later would I discover that it was rhubarb with the tea that made this Hermessence so unique. Rose Ikebana was, in those top note moments, a powerful scent.

Then, as I recall, it seemed to fade for a moment. I wondered if the fragrance would be that fleeting… but later in the day, I continually sniffed my arm and caught whiffs of Rose Ikebana on the air around me. It has excellent sillage, in fact, so it’s a fragrance that you can smell in the room, even when you are the wearer.

I also found myself yearning for more of it. It was an odd sensation—I wanted to drink the perfume, wanted to cup it in my hands and keep it pressed to my face and my nose. Because somehow, that fading feeling never leaves the scent for me. It always feels just slightly out of my grasp (though do not take this as criticism in any way). I’ve often wondered if I am anosmic to one of the notes, and if maybe that anosmia is the cause of the feeling of Rose Ikebana rushing away from me. It’s a feeling I have not yet had with any other perfume. It’s even harder to understand when paired with how strong and sharp the notes are: grapefruit, rose and tea are not delicate in this perfume’s composition. And yet, the feeling remains after multiple wearings: it’s a perfume that plays and flirts and dances slightly out of reach, refusing to be owned and fully known by the wearer. It’s a lovely characteristic that I haven’t again experienced.

Haven’t smelled Rose Ikebana yourself? You can get a slight inkling of what it’s like by comparing and contrasting it with other fragrances that you might already know. It has the rose of Hermes Kelly Caleche edp, but is missing the leather entirely, and has the addition of grapefruit and tea. Therefore, you might find them somewhat slightly similar, but they remain drastically different. For your collection, you’ll definitely need both.

I find Rose Ikebana most similar to the now-discontinued Yves Saint Laurent’s In Love Again. Jean Claude Ellena was commissioned in 1998 to create In Love Again as a limited edition perfume to celebrate Yves’s 40 full years as a fashion designer. Remember, this is several years before Ellena was hired to be the exclusive perfumer for Hermes—long before Kelly Caleche, Rose Ikebana or Un Jardin sur le Nil were born. In Love Again is deserving of it’s own full review, which I will post in the coming weeks, but in short summary, I can say that it is one of the best fruity florals that I have found. The main top notes are rose and grapefruit, but several other notes play a critical role, since grapefruit itself can smell too much like cat pee when done wrong, and rose can be so powdery and dull. JCE added black currant to the top, to create that slightly-sweet fruity quality, and sandalwood and musk to the base. If worn in heat, the drydown begins sooner and lasts much longer, with the musk developing larger. I’m not a huge fan of musk, but in the drydown of In Love Again, it remains clean and woody. In fact, the drydown reminds me of the last few moments of the later-created Un Jardin sur le Nil, if both are compared on skin and in the heat. Listed on Fragrantica, Tomato Stem is also listed in the perfume base for In Love Again--- though I admit that I don’t detect it in that perfume at all. Instead, I sometimes think I find it in the middle notes of Rose Ikebana, and it is all the better if true (though I’ve never seen tomato stem listed as a note for Rose Ikebana anywhere).

So, how do Rose Ikebana and Yves Saint Laurent In Love Again compare? Quite simply, In Love Again is the younger version of the same composition. If they were women, I would say that Rose Ikebana is In Love Again all grown up, after she went to Harvard, hired a stylist, and had a nose job. Rose Ikebana is incredibly similar, though lacking the musk in the base, and with the addition of rhubarb instead of berry/currants, and the damp addition of tea. The critical exchange is rhubarb for berry/currants, making it far less fruity. In fact, I don’t think you could classify Rose Ikebana as a fruity floral at all. Rose Ikebana is more formal, and she loves you less. She doesn’t quite trust you and she’s not very intimate. You’ll always love her from arm’s length.

Update: 3 hours in: no tea detectable at this point: mostly pink grapefruit, a tad bit of rhubarb, and rose. Remarkably similar (though less musky by a few hairs) to ILA.

Here’s a surprise: Fragrantica classifies Rose Ikebana as a Woody/Spicy perfume. Perhaps the person performing this classification was only reading the notes, because indeed, it does list Pink Pepper (but it also lists magnolia, which I don’t detect). But it’s hardly a woody/spicy perfume (this calls to mind something more like Poivre Sacremande). I am not sure how I would personally classify this perfume. Tart floral? Citrus floral? It’s a unique niche perfume, defying easy classification.

Rose Ikebana has decent lasting power. I’ve read that others were unhappy with how long it lasts, but maybe it’s because they expect the top notes to last all day, which of course they don’t. On skin, the perfume develops. It looses the tea, develops a very, very slight wood in the base, and mainly keeps the sparkly effervescent grapefruit/rose/citrus/rhubarb qualities. If you would like to extend the top notes, I’d suggest spraying it on fabric. On fabric, Rose Ikebana perfume wafts all day and remains all top. You can still smell the tea two days later. Plus, you can wear a different perfume and keep this gem tucked into your desk all day, or by your bedside, when you get a longing for something beautiful.

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Perfume Review: Rose Ikebana
Perfume House: Hermes
Creator / Nose: Jean Claude Ellena
Year: 2004
Classification: Woody/Spicy, according to Fragrantica.
Perfume Notes: Rose petals, peony, magnolia, pink peppercorns, grapefruit zest, green rhubarb, vanilla, honey, and black tea.
What you mostly smell: Rhubarb, rose at a distance, balanced with tart grapefruit, and black tea
Lasting Power: Moderate
Similar to: Very similar to Yves Saint Laurent In Love Again
Overall impression: A tart floral perfume: formal, beautiful, and brilliant. A must-smell for any fan of Jean Claude Ellena and perhaps the most remarkable out of all the Hermessence line.

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Hermes Pamplemousse Rose: More than just another rose & grapefruit perfume

It's September now, and I am trying Hermes Pamplemousse Rose again after several months of it laying forgotten (but organized) in my large perfume sample stash. I received a spray sample of it as a birthday gift from my mother, and I liked it enough when I tried it initially, but it paled in comparison to Rose Ikebana (which had inspired me to seek out the other rose and grapefruit fragrances created by Jean Claude Ellena).

But now, after several months of letting it sit idle, I am sampling it once again. Why? Because Pamplemousse Rose just hit the discounters, just 4 mere months after it's initial launch, and I wanted to see how that could happen. Plus, there's an additional 20% off sale through Labor Day, meaning that I could score a 3.4oz bottle for just $50. That's roughly half what it initially sold for at Hermes boutiques.

It's an eau de cologne which comes in a large splash bottle, and according to JCE, is meant to be splashed and not sprayed. Rather than a true rose and grapefruit scent, on me, Pamplemousse Rose is a tart sparkling pink grapefruit scent, with hints of orangle, grapefruit pulp, orange rind, and a slightly sweet floral touch. It's labeled unisex, and I would agree-- much more so than the other Hermes which I enjoy. However, like other Hermes fragrances, I find that "unisex" means something different than with other houses: on a woman, I would find this feminine. On a man, I would find it crisp and clean. And the smell of it reminds me of my grandfather, who ate a pink grapefruit nearly every morning of his life, along with a large cup of tea.

Grapefruit is a tough note. On many people, and in many compositions, you'll get the dreaded "cat pee" smell. Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune did this on me. I found it completely unwearable.

But the Hermes Eau de Pamplemousse Rose is quite different. It never veers towards cat pee. It reminds me slightly of the Frederick Malle Bigarade Concentree. There's something slightly... sexualized... in this perfume. I would estimate that comes from the ingredients creating the "orange" accords. But it's cleaner and less softer than Bigarade Concentree, and more feminine.

Where before, I felt I could live without it, I've spent the entire day today with my nose glued to my wrist, sniffing and reapplying.

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Perfume Review: Eau de Pamplemousse Rose
Perfume House: Hermes
Creator / Nose: Jean Claude Ellena
Year: 2009
Classification: Citrus Aromatic
Perfume Notes: Grapefruit pulp, orange rind, lemon, pink grapefruit and rhubofix
What you mostly smell: Mouth water, tart grapefruit (with a hint of not-yet melted sugar dusting the top)
Lasting Power: Sadly Short (it's an eau de cologne) but a joy to reaply
Similar to: Distant cousin of Bigarade Concentree, with a cleaner and more metrosexual happy tartness
Overall impression: A refreshing, tart fragrance that would work equally well on either gender. True pink grapefruit.

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Hermes Perfume Reviews

The iconic Hermes brand is known for far more than just designer niche perfumes, but it is the fragrances that made me an Hermes follower. Jean Claude Ellena is now the in-house perfumer for Hermes and has developed a long line of popular unisex and feminine fragrances for the house, including the infamous Jardin line. I consider the Hermes line to be one of the most innovative and luxurious perfume brands on the market today, and it was this brand which really hooked me into the hobby.

Hermes Perfume Reviews:

• Hermes - Eau d'Hermes (brief mention)
• Hermes - Eau de Pamplemousse Rose
• Hermes - Iris Ukiyoe
  
• Hermes - Kelly Caleche EdP vs EdT
• Hermes - Rose Ikebana

Hermes Perfume in my Collection

• Hermes Iris Ukiyoe
  
• Hermes Rose Ikebana
• Hermes Osmanthe Yunnan
• Hermes Ambre Narguile
• Hermes Eau d'Hermen
• Hermes Hiris (designed before Jean Claude Ellena joined them)
• Hermes Un Jardin sur le Nil
• Hermes Un Jardin en Mediterranee
• Hermes Un Jardin Apres La Mousson
• Hermes Kelly Caleche
• Hermes Voyage d'Hermes

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