Rose Amazone by Hermès

Rose Amazone has nothing to do with trendy perfumes. It opens bright and sparkling, perfect for summer. Even though it features berries, the heart feels more vegetal than fruity: a green, transparent rose very much in the Jean-Claude Ellena style. The base notes add balanced sweetness and depth without losing freshness. For me, spring-summer is its moment: polished, ideal for enclosed spaces and not intrusive in the office. It conveys elegance and sophistication, mature but not old. On my skin, it lasts over eight hours with a moderate sillage. The presentation is beautiful and simple: Hermès’ classic orange box and a delicate illustration on the back of the label, where the colorless liquid is clearly visible. For me, a perfect rose.

A few notes: yesterday I wore it mixed with two other sprays, one of Jardin Li and another that smelled stronger: Rose Amazone. I mention this to rule out interference, but the reality is that even with those amounts, I could still smell it for 7 hours or more. The rose is definitely the standout; in fact, 20 hours later it still smells like rose, which is logical. Basically, it’s the scent I described before, but this time I felt more sweetness, especially as it dried down. In my opinion, it’s a great rose perfume because it doesn’t dry down to a laundry detergent or soap scent. It’s a gourmand rose thanks to the berries, true, but it does lose some punch after the third or fourth hour. Still, it has the best of those first few hours, which you can smell with plenty of intensity. Citric and acidic nuances at the start complete another great Hermès perfume.

This one has left me wanting to try it again, especially for wearing it on its own, well-chilled. The opening is good and complex; I notice the strong vegetal tone of the blackberry leaf and the acidic, slightly sweet facets of red currant, blackberry, and raspberry. The brand mentions acidity, and it’s true—when I smell these fruits, that’s exactly the sensation I get, far from the artificial sweetness of candies or non-alcoholic liqueurs. Then a nice rose starts to emerge and lingers for a while. I really like the fragrance here, but as it dries down, it felt a bit colder to me—I don’t know if it’s because I smelled it all day, because I wore stronger scents over it (Manifesto Le Parfum), or simply because that’s how the perfume is. Anyway, it doesn’t look like a longevity bomb.