Bel Ami Vetiver by Hermès

This flanker is perhaps the best fragrance from Hermès I have tried so far. An elegant aromatic composition with sweet and herbal leather. The leather is light, nothing abrasive, and towards the end, the vetiver really shines through with a rich touch. It wasn’t noticeable like this in winter, but now it has surprised me. If this is what the flanker is like, I can’t imagine what the original must be. I bought it in winter and it didn’t perform much; my bottles are from 2021 and as it was discontinued, I decided to buy another. Its performance didn’t favour me then, but in summer/spring in Baja California, it behaves very well. It seems like a ‘light version’ and frankly, I have loved it. I recommend it for warm temperatures; that is where it truly shines. A shrewd blind buy.

It caught me by surprise, wow. Smelling this makes me wonder what I’m wasting my time on with Rabanne, YSL or Armani. Yes, they smell great and everyone likes them, but this is another level. LEATHER, VETIVER, AMBER and a thousand nuances. A story is told here and I only have 100ml left to finish it. It’s complex. On the Hermès website they say it’s a chypre, but for me, at first yes, but 90% of the duration feels more amber or oriental. Surprisingly, it’s an EDT. Now they put fantasy with extreme EDP concentrations to convince us we’re getting more quality, but this ‘simple’ Bel Ami Vetiver EDT hits your skin and brings you down to earth. Let’s not deceive ourselves, concentrations are no guarantee of anything. To summarise, I won’t spoil it. Try it if you can: it’s a hidden gem, it clears your nose of all the trendy stuff and don’t miss a work by Jean Claude Ellena, who never disappoints (well, even the best master makes a mistake, but not in this case).

Elegant, sophisticated and comfortable. It makes a direct reference to the original Bel Ami, with that soft and distinct leather that I do not find in other fragrances, managing to be striking without being aggressive. Moderate projection but excellent longevity, making you feel lightly perfumed and highlighted for many hours. An elegant, classic and timeless fragrance!

Smells wonderful, warmer and more intimate than the original Bel Ami. They keep the leather and florals but add vetiver and a sweet touch that ‘orientalises’ it. The blend is perfectly balanced. For me, it has everything: elegant, long-lasting, versatile and uncommon. Surprisingly, it doesn’t draw much attention and stays in the background compared to other more famous scents (and how good that it remains, like a hidden treasure). It’s a timeless aroma that will become a classic over time. Although it’s a more modern version, I think it suits people aged 30-35, of course, it’s subjective. For me, it’s a masterpiece by J.C. Ellena.

A flanker of the classic Bel Ami by Jean-Claude Ellena. Clearly modernised and minimalist (something very logical from such a famous French nose). Lechu’s opinion is spot on and I add nothing more: the leather and bitter orange remain as protagonists, with a support of sweeter notes (logically) that give base to the vetiver, justifying its name. For me, it is more muted and wearable than the classic Bel Ami, which feels a bit heavy to me. Although it is good, its notes tend to mix a lot, giving a sensation of a dark hole, but not therefore elegant or sensual. Anyway, I always prefer this version by Ellena: it is more transparent and does not lose its essence.

Starts citrusy and orangey, then the vetiver becomes more noticeable. In the dry down, a floral sweetness emerges; it doesn’t smell like the vetiver in Terre, which is earthy and rough, this one seems more pleasant. Sometimes I notice a burnt note, I’m not sure what it is. It seems like a rather mature fragrance. Projection and longevity, having applied quite a few sprays, were high: I could still smell it after more than 8 hours with a good trail at the beginning.