Hermèssence Cèdre Sambac
Hermès (2018)

Shadows and light: the contrast illuminates the spirit and draws attention to its inner depths. In Cedre Sambac, perfumer Christine Nagel demonstrates the importance between these two contrasts in bringing to relief the whole picture.

Jasmine Sambac, voluptuous, seductive, but also white hot, is pulled in a drier, shadier direction through cedar. As if by some trickery, one brings out qualities in the other that wouldn’t be as noticeable if they were to stand alone. Maybe in addition to these two, Nagel included tuberose and sandalwood—or maybe, just maybe, one or the other is creating these illusions through their partnership.

Above and beyond that, there are suggestions of charming scents that tickle my memory: pencil erasers (rubbers), brand new paperback books, hotel soaps, the interior of a hope chest, visits to Grossman’s (a now defunct chain similar to the Home Depot of today) with my Dad as a kid.

But then it we go back to the shadows and light of the subject matter. Flowers and woods. Yin and Yang. Even maybe Ylang Ylang. While indoles are here, they are more oblique, and over time become unapparent. The subtle but persistent dry down, is more billowy, creamier, and it’s as if the cedar, rather than giving splinters, could melt in your mouth like one of those mints your grandmother would give you.

Sometimes Nagel’s compositions elude and frustrate me, but much like Galop d’Hermes and Mauboussin Histoire d’Eau, this pleases me tremendously.

Now I must try Violet Volynka and Archives 69.

The Strange Case of Angelica by Manoel de Oliveira 2010

At first: a clear, unfussy, bell-like jasmine, not screechy, not sharp, its edges rounded off with soft woods. Simple! Serene! Elegant! Not going to rock anybody's world, but enjoyable to smell and easy to wear. Perhaps the jasmine I've been searching for...?

After 6 hours: mothballs.

Initially I am getting more of the jasmine. Quite a fresh jasmine, at times with components of stems, wood, and undertones of an nigh waxy-indolic characteristics. and also a gently spicy undertone.

With time the spices develops into more wood; and a cedar impression present towards the end.

I get moderate sillage, good projection and six hours of longevity on my skin.

A pleasant and quite bright scent for warmer autumn days, which is quite synthetic but not disturbingly so. It is a bit thin at times, but not without its charms, albeit not particularly original. 2.75/5.

Cedre Sambac by Christine Nagel for Hermessence by Hermes is a perfume that arrives with intrigue by exposing an uncommon pairing indolic naphthalene jasmine sambac with a powdery sandalwood / cedar. There is a feral wild elegance from this unlikely combining. Almost otherworldly. This is a daring blend of oriental florals and woods that immediately is a feminine statement, but the audacity and wild blending is intriguing for anyone to wear. Cedre Sambac is a very non Hermessence character from the nose for Hermes, Christine Nagel. I am not sure about this one.

Hermes does Tam Dao except it costs twice as much and is half as good. Utterly inexplicable.