Note Pyramid
Terre d'Hermès
Few modern men's fragrances are as widely owned as this one, which makes the Hermès Terre d'Hermès Eau de Parfum Gift Set an unusually safe present.
The composition is recorded in full, and it is the most complete note row in the range. Orange and grapefruit open it, the first round and sweet, the second tart and bitter at the rind, and between them they give the bright start the scent is known for. Black pepper and geranium work in the middle, the pepper dry and crackling, the geranium rosy and green with a slightly metallic snap to it that stops the sweetness settling in. The base is where it earns its reputation: vetiver brings dry roots and a faint smokiness, cedarwood adds a clean, pencil sharp dryness, patchouli darkens everything with damp earth, and benzoin rounds the lot off with a soft, faintly burnt sweetness.
The move from bright citrus at the top to dry earth at the bottom is the whole architecture, and it is why the scent has lasted when so many of its imitators have not. The eau de parfum is denser than the toilette version, holds for most of a day and reaches a reasonable distance without ever being overbearing. It works in any season, in offices and at dinner, and while it is sold to men it is worn by plenty of women. As a gift set it arrives ready to hand over, and the fragrance is all we have been given, so judge the box on the scent rather than on imagined extras.
Hermès has been trading in Paris since 1837, when the harness maker Thierry Hermès founded it, and six generations later the family still owns it. Perfume joined the business in 1951 and has never been the loudest part of it.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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