Eau de Mandarine Ambrée Hermès 2013

I recently joyfully acquired a sample of "Eau de Mandarine Ambrée" blind. Great hopes were tied to the first test. A pleasantly herb-fruity note wafted from the sprayer, so I sprayed myself generously on the left, right, and wrist - a total of three sprays.

Right off the bat: The scent really irritated me, and I didn't quite like what I smelled. This may be because my expectations were on a completely different track. I was expecting a herb-fresh fruity women's fragrance without the usual squeaky sweetness, which would also be wearable for men. I would have liked something like that. But what I got was something entirely different.

Even though I knew better at that moment, my first thought when spraying was: "Honey! For God's sake! Why did you unpack your terrible AXE deodorants again!" I had successfully fought to make these deodorants taboo for my partner, as I find them so overpowering. But exactly that one specific scent, which you smell on every third man, was now in the air. A nasty, artificially scratchy-herb aroma enveloped my nose. AXE! Yes! Oh no! I really didn't expect that. Cry. And now I smell like it myself. And how! Showering - not an option anymore. I guess I have to endure this. Chin up, girl! Pretend this is how it has to be.
Fortunately, the really nasty note faded quite quickly, and a mandarin-blood orange smoothie emerged. "Thank you, honey, that's sweet of you. I need that vitamin kick now!" Yes, the mandarin really stands out. Juicy. Fully ripe. Real. Pure fruit flesh. Nice! ...And still lingering, but softened, is the nasty AXE deodorant. Not nice! The fun lasts about half an hour, and now the scent is moving in the direction I originally expected. The synthetic AXE scratchiness disappears, and the scent becomes herb-fruity without the cheesy sweetness. However, the hint of drugstore men's grooming products remains, whether it's deodorant or aftershave. My nose remains offended. Even now, after 2 hours!

Unfortunately, this scent is nothing for me - and also nothing for my partner. We will sadly not become friends.