Rivegauche

The Hermès employee at the Paris flagship store at 24, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré described it to me briefly as "Cuir Aromatique" a few weeks ago.

I was only able to test the fragrance on my skin once right there in the store, strolled through Paris with it all day long...and also kept at least the lavishly sprayed fragrance strip in my jacket for several days...so far, the durability is quite excellent.

But for me, unlike the blogger "Persolaise" on YouTube (the only one I really like to watch) who is enthusiastic about "Paddock | Hermès", it's not quite the fragrance.

I perceive animalic leather, unfortunately with slightly oudy (for me synthetic) facets. It seems to me like a combined melange of traditional and modern leather notes. The animalism naturally plays with the idea of sweaty riding horses.
The fragrance character does not change much.
Notes of hay and carrot seeds are added to the leather note, it is somewhat bulky, dry, almost rough and dusty, warm, spicy & woody. A tart green and almost scratchy facet joins in, something like violet leaf...which I don't particularly like...but is often combined with leather. Amber seems to give the fragrance a warm, rounded atmosphere. The fragrance always remains dry and tart, never becomes sweet, which is good.

however, "Paddock | Hermès" was too intense, rigid, dense and compact for me personally, I missed a breath of air.
I feel the same way about Bel Ami...somehow "Paddock | Hermès" also resonates a bit with "Bel Ami (Eau de Toilette) | Hermès"...it's a Hermès.
Of course, with a Hermès fragrance that was launched on the occasion of the annual Hermès equestrian event "Saut Hermès" at the Grand Palais, a leather fragrance is the obvious choice. But I was not entirely convinced. After "Hermessence Violette Volynka | Hermès" (beautiful, but not new) and "Hermessence Oud Alezan | Hermès" (leather, oud, rose...nope), another leather fragrance from Hermès that seemed somehow familiar to me, yet represented something new and unique, which I should have liked with its green, tart and somewhat bulky nature, but I wasn't really enthusiastic about it. At least I could have bought it, because it is/was strictly limited. I was in Paris for four days, so the pressure was on: "Now or never."

According to the information I was given, "Paddock | Hermès" is/was only available exclusively in three Hermès boutiques in Paris for a total of six weeks.
It appears in the regular Hermessence "Outfit" with 100 ml for 285.00 EUR. The label is undoubtedly witty & imaginative, but I got the impression that the label design was forgotten and only decided on at the last minute.

Hermès surprises people from time to time with limited and not really publicized editions, such as "Eau de Ginza | Hermès", which was released for the opening of the grandiose Hermès boutique in Tokyo, designed entirely from glass bricks by Renzo Piano.
Or the Voyage (not to be confused with the regular Voyage...) launched exclusively for the Hermès stores on the Côte d'Azur in 2010, a variation of "Calèche (Eau de Toilette) | Hermès" in which the formula was varied with a harvest of mimosas...that was a good one!

I didn't buy "Paddock | Hermès", the "but" outweighed the "but" and my cupboard is also too full.

Some time ago, I discovered the new and wonderfully clear & contemporary website of the brand Jean d'Aigle by chance. As a friend of traditional French craftsmanship, large eau de cologne bottles and the necessary touch of nostalgia I spontaneously ordered a few bottles for a little money. It is shipped quickly to Germany for 22.00 EUR, each bottle currently costs 14.00 EUR for the 250 ml. The bottles have been somewhat modernized with black Bakelite lids and slightly changed labels.

The first fragrance of the company originally founded by the Swiss Jean Soutter and now located in Aubagne near Marseille was probably Chypre of 1945. Until today, since the company was founded, the fragrances are allegedly produced in the old barrels.

The not very appealing sour rumpy and somewhat clumsy top note fits almost quite well with the casually interpreted country life of southern France...and the price. It is restrained fresh, little citrusy and diffusely floral, mossy & earthy.
The fragrance continues to evolve through a delightfully old-fashioned, creamy soft and floral soapy character that is just slightly green. Rose soap, buttery ylang-ylang and green lily of the valley seem to exude your aura. Patchouli, violet, moss & vetiver contribute a restrained herbaceous woody spiciness & the typical earthiness until the base.

As it progresses, Chypre gathers, seems serene and peaceful, exudes charmingly nostalgic sixties flair and seems quiet and close to the body due to its Eau de Cologne concentration, but the durability is good. It reveals the familiar character of old chypre scents in the style of Madame Rochas, some Miss Dior and the old Y by YSL..as if they had lent their aura to the fragrance to persist so in restrained soft eau de cologne interpretation. I like that very much.

One should not expect a big throw, but that was probably never the claim of the brand with their Eaux de Cologne range. But those who want to spend a small amount of money on handcrafted fragrances that not everyone has and for the fun of it, could enjoy some French lifestyle with the fragrances of the brand.

As a source of inspiration to Orphéon probably served the eponymous night bar, which was directly adjacent to the parent house Diptyque's on the Boulevard Saint-Germain, admittedly at the less bustling lower end of it.

Orphéon should now take us into the atmosphere of this long-defunct bar, probably the second living room of the three founders of the company. And if this fragrance is indeed to remind us of this bar, it is no wonder that it no longer exists.

The fragrance itself is described relatively quickly. The already often smelled fruity fresh start (currant as a reminiscence of L'Ombre dans L'Eau?) is followed by an innocent floral touch of jasmine, here made almost unrecognizable from all humanizing facets, stirred in a base of restrained shampoo musk, which at least slightly powdery cosmetic facets of made-up faces in the semi-darkness recognizes....and airy light woods with moderate sweetness, which fortunately do not seem sugared. Tonka bean will contribute the naturally creamy sweetness while dry cedar keeps everything in check, juniper probably contributes the light aromatics. Orphéon retains throughout a rather light-hearted clarity, which is after all long-lasting.

But where on earth is Parisian nightlife now? This fragrance should take us back to a night bar, in a night bar of the hip left bank of the Seine, the rive gauche in Paris...so in the Paris of the sixties to eighties. In the time of sexual liberation, the Paris of YSL, the Paris of Karl Lagerfeld, Sonia Rykiel, Sartre, Gréco, Gainsbourg, Hallyday etc, the couture, the chic of the Café de Flore, the Deux Magots, the first great drug experiences, the Paris of wine, champagne...and most importantly: the smoking Paris!
This fragrance unfortunately conveys the complete opposite, it is Paris in times of Corona: everyone is at home, the bar is closed and no one smokes anymore, the air conditioning works great and vegan food is eaten anyway for a long time.

I'm already aware that not every night bar lived permanently unbridled life, but at Orphéon any passion is missing. Not even one to three sparks of smoke may glow in this fragrance...at that time, but all have permanently squawked everywhere what the stuff held, especially the French with their Gauloises and Gitanes. Also the jasmine used here is unfortunately free of undesodorized physical close to ang standing human facets in the evening, and dark (dark!) Orphéon is not at all, here shines the 100 watt clear glass bulb.

Do not misunderstand, the fragrance is quite wonderful uncomplicated and easy to wear, tends to be probably more feminine. It is carefully composed, well blended, appears high-quality, is well durable and has enough radiation. Lovers of Philosykos, Eau Rose or Eau Mohéli might like it, also the Hermès Gardens or the more innocuous Maison Dior fragrances still come to mind.
As you could read he does not like me so, because I just find the theme completely missed...and the fragrance just unfortunately also rather boring. But as a big long-time fan of the brand I may also find what not so great.

Right at the front, Rose & Cuir is neither really rose-heavy nor really concentrated on leather notes.
The top note opens tingling sour, fruity & fresh with grapefruit & black currant, so that one can immediately recognise Jean-Claude Ellena's style to continue with a rather reserved heart note of rosy germanium, accompanied by stony & herbaceous green facets, where pepper seems to contribute a fine and somewhat reserved spiciness. Elegant! At this point I feel for the first time tempted to call the fragrance "Un Jardin pour Frédéric", because everything from the famous universe of Ellena's by Hermès seems present: naturalism, airiness & reduction with fruity, fresh and woody, spicy & green facets...and not only the black double looped leather bracelet in the video on the Frédéric Malle website immediately gave me the feeling "Hermès reloaded."

The base only slowly reveals the typical leathery facets of Isobutyl Quinoline, the synthetic substitute for once natural birch tar, to achieve the scent of leather in perfumes. I perceive Isobutyl Quinoline here as wonderfully bitter brown and smoky woody. Actually I feel a bit reminded of Aramis, Bandit & Cabochard here...but more like a vague reminder of the past times of Jazz Age, as you can read on the Frédéric Malle website...here apparently still in the base flanked by green earthy woody vetiver and certainly some musk to enhance the durability. Often I have a problem with the for me rough leather notes of Aramis and his cronies, I am more inclined to the softer leather notes à la Cuir de Russie, Cuir Cannage or also the wonderful Mont de Narcisse. The airiness of the fragrance throughout and the overall sparing use of the leather note "like a brushstroke" help to turn this aversion into affirmative approval.

And even now I think it's a "Jardin pour Frédéric"? The fragrance, with its short and precise formula, clearly bears the signature of Ellena, but the execution is clearly Frédéric Malle. Fréderic Malle seems to have created his perfumes like Vetiver Extraordinaire, Bigarade, Geranium pour Monsieur, Monsieur. and last but not least French Lover for himself, because he wears them himself as he said. Rose & Cuir shows a consistently clear and cool freshness with naturalistic green leathery and floral contours, is durable & present (not very Ellena), is grown up and absolutely unisex, quite cool, it combines modernity with timeless classicism (sounds like Bauhaus, if I think about it further) and is far away from any cosy cuddliness, which wouldn't even fit to Monsieur Malle himself...and scents of this character are also fortunately almost in vain in the Mallschen fragrance portfolio.

Since Rose & Cuir neither reveals really dominant rose facets nor has a really strong leather character, it seems to be labelled almost wrong. Even those who expected a delicate rosy fragrance with warm leather notes will be disappointed. But if you're looking for a friendly markance, you might find it here.