Rose Amazone by Hermès

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

It’s worth noting that yesterday I wore it mixed with two extra sprays: one of Jardin Li and another that smelled stronger, Rose Amazone. I’m mentioning this to rule out interference, but the reality is that with those quantities, I could still smell it for seven hours or more. The rose note is the most prominent; in fact, 20 hours later it still smells of rose, as one would expect. Basically, it’s the scent I described before, but this time I sensed more sweetness, especially as it dried down. In my opinion, it’s a very good rose perfume because it doesn’t dry down to a softener or soap-like scent. It’s a gourmand rose due to the red fruits, although the potency does fade after the third or fourth hour. However, it retains the best of those initial hours, which are quite noticeable. Citrus and acidic nuances at the beginning complete another great Hermès fragrance.

This has left me wanting to try it again, especially to wear it without interference from other perfumes and properly applied. The opening is good and complex; I detect a strong vegetal tone from the blackcurrant leaf, along with acidic and slightly sweet facets of redcurrant, blackberry, and raspberry. The house describes it as acidic, and that is certainly true; when I smell these fruits, that is exactly the sensation I get, far from the artificial sweetness of sweets or non-alcoholic liqueurs. Then, a pleasant rose begins to emerge and lasts for a good while. I really like this fragrance, but as it dried down, it left me feeling a bit colder. I’m not sure if it’s because I smelled it all day, because I was wearing something more potent underneath (Manifesto Le Parfum), or simply because the perfume is like that. Anyway, it doesn’t look like it will be a beast in terms of longevity.