Terre d'Hermès Eau Intense Vétiver Hermès 2018

Vetiver can stand for much different fragrances. The classics elegantly showcase the beautiful dark green note of this exotic grass root. However, more contemporary interpretations often show their own approach. Terre d'Hermès Eau Intense Vétiver is one of the latter.

The fragrance opens citrusy and fresh, whereas the note denominated as bergamot lasts unusually long. I sensed it somewhat differently, not completely typical. One may come to the conclusion that a synthetic fragrance ingredient may have been used instead of natural bergamot oil. Behind the citrus stands a fresh green note which I perceived as cucumber-like. A strange combination for a gents' fragrance.

By and by, the citric note becomes more rooted. The freshness steps back for a somewhat rough woodiness. This intermediate section of development will be passed through within an hour or so. A modern, dry wood note remains, partly still with a citric undertone. We already know that kind from another perfume flanking the original Terre d'Hermès : Terre d'Hermès Eau Très Fraîche.

Standing in the tradition of Ellena one may not expect overly complex perfumes by Hermès. A few well-chosen fragrance ingredients - and that should be it. Also Christine Nagel follows that path, but with some limitation. I find the head with its cucmber note quite quirky. It does not appeal to me.

Obviously, Ellena's Eau Très Fraîche was the blueprint for Nagel's Eau Intense Vétiver. In the base note, both meet in a presumably identical wood note. But whereas Ellena shows that a puristic concept - citrus meets dry wood - can be completely sufficient, Nagel's opus appears to me as a disimprovement.

By the way, whoever is looking for the characteristic aromatic note of the popular original fragrance may be disappointed by both. Dry and synthetic woodiness has taken its place. Both have nothing to do with the original.

And what about the intense vetiver? Well, I hardly smell any. If at all, I sense a certain roughness or robustness in the middle section of the fragrance development. This reminds me of a not so elegant aspect of vetiver. In many classic vetivers, the perfumers have successfully covered this aspect.

Vetiver always sounds good - this must be the reason for the use of it in the perfume's name. I am not fond of such a naming if the denominated note does not stand in the focus or is even hardly perceivable. This causes irritation, especially for perfume beginners.

We know beautiful fragrances by Chrstine Nagel. It seems to me she got the stipulation to closely relate to Ellenas Eau Très Fraîche. However, some things should be left as they are.

… and in my opinion, it’s the best one. I had to LEARN to appreciate scents like the Guerlain, but after I “understood” the vibe, I can’t get enough of it.

I love how this one is done. Immediately after the first spritz, I got a little bit of the Guerlain vibe, but that immediately disappeared. The bergamot adds that citrus feel, and that really rounds the corners off and smooths this one out. I couldn’t stop smelling my wrist. Eventually you’ll recognize the TDH dna on the dry-down, but it’s definitely got its own vibe. I also noticed that the airborne scent is different than the one you get when you sniff skin, and that airborne scent is absolutely GORGEOUS.

The perfect scent for a confident, well educated gentleman… but the one that KNOWS HOW to get exactly what he wants, when he wants it. The CEO, or the President of the company. That’s the vibe it leaves. “Don’t mess with THAT guy, he runs the show”. Not for a youngster, or anyone lacking confidence. This scent is proud.

Performance wise, absolutely epic. A decent 3-4ft projection bubble that leaves a LASTING sillage trail that lasts an easy 8 hours. What more could you ask for? For those that say it doesn’t last, try spraying less; you probably turned off your olfactory sensors.

The Terre d'Hermes line of fragrances may well be one of the best designer fragrance lines out there. Eau Intense Vetiver takes what the original did so well, and changes it up just enough to make it more unique, and a bit more 'classic'. I found this fragrance to act almost as a distant, younger cousin to the iconic Guerlain Vetiver, which to me is a good thing. TDH Vetiver opens up with a very bright and extravagant combination of lemon and bergamot, giving it a very fresh, but elegant edge right off the bat. As it dries these citrus notes remain quite present, but we also see the use of pepper to give it some spice, and of course, the titular vetiver note here. The vetiver here is quite present, and contrasts the citrus and spices nicely. It has the usual damp-earthy feeling of vetiver which also helps it lean into the TDH DNA quite well. The result is a fragrance that manages to tick almost all of the boxes for me, modern with touches of classic DNA, mass appealing but unique enough to stand out, alongside of the good performance.

I understand why so many people praise the Terre d'Hermes lineup like they do. They are some of the finest examples of simple yet effective perfumery that niche lovers and casual wearers can both enjoy. Being a big fan of vetiver fragrances, I found this one to be a near perfect addition to my collection, and one that I see myself wearing quite often in the coming days. I highly, highly recommend this fragrance.

The evolution of pepper in this fragrance can be summarized in these steps:
1st Lemon and pepper
2nd Bergamot and pepper
3rd Pepper and vetiver
After which the pepper tends to vanish and patchouli makes its appearance which, together with the incense, tries to counteract the always protagonist vetiver.
You don't need many olfactory notes to create an excellent perfume, as long as they are the right ones and the raw materials used are of high quality, as in this case.

This is one of my favourite fragrances in my collection.

Terre D'Hermes is a classic, but it took me a moment to come around to it. Not so with this - I found the citrus in this to be more in line with what I was used to when I bought it, and of course the vetiver in this is intoxicating.

I bought this at a time I was looking for something to replace one of my favourite fragrances that was discontinued - Illusione for Men by Bottega Veneta. This doesn't really smell exactly like it, but it has a similar vibe.

This turns down the earthiness of the OG Terre and brightens up the citrus. It's also a bit floral, and though it's not listed, I get something that reminds me of ginger - probably the pepper note. It's a very bright scent, and I can imagine that this is what walking through an orange grove in bloom on a sunny day smells like.

In many ways, as well, it feels like a modern interpretation of Guerlain Vetiver. It's not as dry, and the citrus is much brighter and harsher. The vetiver there leans much more into the dried hay aspects of vetiver than this ever does. Overall, this is much easier to wear than the Guerlain, but still excellent. An excellent introduction to vetiver fragrances!

Absolutely delightful, this never fails to make me happy whenever I catch a whiff of it during the day. At 200 AUD for 100ml at full retail, this is a little bit pricey for a designer fragrance, but I think it's worth it. I will keep buying this as long as they keep making it.