Hermann à mes Côtés me Paraissait une Ombre

The night was very dark and the forest very dark. Hermann by my side seemed like a shadow. Our horses were galloping. Beware of God! The clouds in the sky looked like marbles. The stars were flying in the branches of the trees Like a swarm of firebirds. I am full of regrets. Broken by pain, Hermann's deep mind is void of hope. I am full of regrets. O my loves, sleep! Now, while crossing these green solitudes, Hermann said to me: "I am thinking of the half-open tombs;" And I said to him: "I am thinking of the closed tombs." These are the opening two stanzas of Victor Hugo's poem "A Quoi Songeaient Les Deux Cavaliers" ("What Were The Two Riders Thinking"). This poem was apparently the inspiration behind this offering from ELDO. After wearing Hermann over the past year and finally sitting down to read this poem I must say that I do believe that Mr. Bisch did an amazing job. Just like the poem that inspired its creation Hermann is a fairly dark work of art. This is not a fragrance that will lift moods for the majority of people, Hermann is not only dark but damp, ethereal, and introverted. This is a rainy day fragrance for when you don't need a mood boost but instead want to sit with your feelings. In the opening the Pepperwood really makes it presence known along with the rose. Very quickly the Pepperwood quiets down and a very beautiful Western incense sits in its place. The incense and rose take center stage with Geosmin . The Geosmin in Hermann gets a lot of attention and it's well deserved, it truly sets it apart to my nose. At no point is this fragrance an "aquatic" but Hermann is an amazing example of how a fragrance can replicate the smell of damp earth and petrichor and artistically apply it. This is a fragrance for fall and spring, day or night. I could also see myself wearing Hermann at night during the summer. But generally I think Hermann works best in moderate temps and cloudy days. Hermann has average longevity on skin, It's nothing to write home about but I have at no point felt let down. On fabric however Hermann seems to last incredibly long for me. Projection and sillage are average as well, however I have been noticed a few times wearing Hermann because it truly is unique. So while Hermann may not be leaping of my skin it's so unique that I believe it may stand out more compared to more mainstream fragrances, especially for men. Hermann is especially special for me because it was the first fragrance that really turned me on to rose. I'm a self admitted incense fiend when it comes to fragrances and I received sample of Hermann with an order from Luckyscent last year. It was love at first whiff initially due to the incense but very quickly the rose grew on me and has since led to my love and wear of several rose fragrances and it becoming a note I especially love. In conclusion, Hermann is great. Do I think it will be mass appealing? Absolutely not. Does Hermann tell a story? Yes! Does Hermann set a mood? Yes! Is Hermann unique? Yes! So for those reasons along with my personal experience Hermann is an absolute favorite of mine and I'd urge any fraghead to give it a whif. - 9/10 - Spring/Fall. Summer nights. - Location/Situation: London, England, April, 2AM.... You've stayed up all night working at your desk while it rained outside and now your work is done, you decide to open some windows and light some incense as you wind down for sleep. You notice you're alone and once again ask yourself what you value more, love or peace? - Song: Romeo's Distress - Christian Death

I got my 3.4 ounce bottle from Amazon, and right away it brought me back to being a closeted catholic boy going to midnight mass on Christmas eve. The priest is going nuts with the incense burning, spinning it through the air with his brass chain thingy like a weapon, doing infinity symbols and circles with the smoke, giving us a show. I am appalled and mesmerized. The other priests come through and fling water at us. I pretend to sing the songs and chant the chants. I go home bored, a little cold, and confused as to why he had to throw water at me. That is the smell of Hermann. Upon the first spray, I get mostly the resinous frankincense and rose absolute, though the rose is in no way feminine. It is a rather earthy, wet, genderless rose that kind of smells like the rose pink latte from TAZO, if you heated it up in a saucepan. I suspect that it is rose oxide due to its intense earthy quality, though the geosmin could be a contributing factor. It doesn't smell floral, it doesn't really smell like a freshly picked rose either. It smells like rose water that you would buy from an oriental market. I don't smell a lot of pepper or wood anywhere in the opening here, maybe that's my bottle. After about an hour or so the rose and frankincense are still very present, and they continue to be noticeable, but less so as the fragrance leaves me. The geosmin really takes center stage for the rest of the time and it smells like it does after it rains in the midwest. It's a little sweet, super earthy, ozonic, aquatic, and very pleasant. I don't really get any blackcurrant buds, though they are listed on the ELDO website. Idk about that one. I get a little wood, though I am not really very sensitive to base notes and I have a hard time distinguishing amber, cedar, sandalwood, vanilla, ambroxan, musk, and all of the other "regular" base notes when they're mixed in together. It could be pepperwood, it could be ambroxan, it could be both. Who care not I. Personally, if there was an oil parfum version of this fragrance, or an extrait de parfum, I would buy it. I would really recommend this fragrance for this fall. Wearing this fragrance, I feel like a sexy, mysterious cathedral, if it was a person.

***Update since purchase on 2/23/26 one month in*** So after owning this amazing fragrance for a month now, and although I do find it quite similar to L'eau Bleue D'Issey (which I also own), "Herman" is most DEFINATELY the better fragrance, although for the price L'eau Bleue D'Issey is superb for its pricepoint. Besides "Herman" smelling more refined, and probably leaning more "Center Unisex" vs Unisex-Leaning Masculine like L'eau Bleue does, the tenacity/longevity is FREAKIN' INSANE for "Herman" which is really surprising considering how clean and light this thing wears! I mean no joke, just last night I did 2 spritzes on my arm maybe an hour or 2 before going to bed and now it's nearly noon the following day and I can STILL smell it on my friggin' arm! Also, on clothes?? FOGETABOUDIT!! Lasts SEVERAL DAYS on clothes! I think folks may be giving "Herman" a "Moderate Longevity Vote" bc its NOT a super strong, in your face fragrance and again, it wears somewhat intimate and clean, yet has tons of nuance and is super well crafted. Im thinking my bottle must've Maturated quite nicely during the month since I first used it when I'd first recieved my bottle, but even then I was quite impressed with the longevity. My only regret is that I did NOT get a full 3.4.oz bottle vs the 1.7 oz bottle I ended up grabbing. Anyhow, "Herman" would make THEE PERFECT signature scent for guys and gals bc its super unique, interesting, innofensive and tenacious. "Herman" is giving my all time FAVE "Cold Incense" fragrance Serge Luten's - L'orpheline a run for its money that's fo sho! Lol! A 9 outta 10 fragrance within its genre Excellent work ELDO! Thanks to whomever took the time to read my review! CHEERS!!

This is something you smell on the favorite coat of your deceased humanities professor husband. Very sad, and somehow intelligent. I guess it could be unisex. It feels sexless, but in a way that reads to me at least as “faded” or subtle masculinity. It radiates a gentle camphorous menthol peppery scent at a slight distance, not so much “petrichor” as “humid breeze” but it still has that fall smell of wet leaves on pavement, and you’ll notice a faintly dark and woody musk when smelling head on. On someone else or in the air it smells like a slowly wilting rose on a sandy trail. Fresh, inoffensive, mineralic. I don’t know how to explain why it reads so intellectual. This is something Herman Melville (the name is quite a coincidence) would have worn, it smells like an undying passion for the sea that expresses itself through long hours sat scribbling in candlelit cellars, fleeting and charged and mysterious like a ghost or maybe a will o the wisp. Like a vampire but certainly not Dracula, more of a romanticized androgynous gentleman vampire who’s starved themselves of blood out of shame for existing. It’s got self loathing and manipulation written all over it but genuine rather than performative, like you can’t be anything except what you are and what you are is something born to sob and hide and then be extinguished. And it somehow does all that while feeling vast and borderless, like what a soul smells like, or an aural recording of 10,000 sleep deprived nights curled up beside a book with your nose turned at the world, it simulates some kind of vast inland empire, and it accomplishes all this while smelling most distinctly like a cough drop or printer ink or maybe pencil shavings

ELdO know how to make some really intriguing fragrance compositions, but this one especially stuck out to me (alongside trash, that's beautiful too). I'm not one to pick out specific notes except for the ones I dislike, but here, there is nothing to dislike. It's like a symphony where every note does it's own share of heavy lifting (except the rose: that one lingers like a dried bouquet in the corner of a castle room, in the sense that it doesn't really do much at all.) In memory, it reminds of a sauna, that's the first thing that came to mind, like a sauna where the colognes of the men in your family mingle with the sticky joint-pain-like balm covering the wood walls, soaking in the smoke and the smell of earth seeping through old baseboards. There's an airy smell of some local natural shampoo (sweetnes from calypsone and black currant.) Essential oils dropped into the water to be thrown onto the hot rocks bringing up the smell of patchouli. A very nostalgic and enticing fragrance that keeps making me sniff my tester and arm even more. On paper, Hermann is much sweeter (dried down), but from the bottle and freshly sprayed it's a deep deep, mysterious scent, very asexual, if that's a way to describe it. But I do get where people get the church, mossy woods sorta vibe - could actually use some insence or woody notes then though, other than vetiver. Anyway, love this, absolutely need to get it now. Good for both events and everyday, imbues into skin, gets very intimate when dried down. More a summer scent sure, but would also wear in the winter. All-rounder.

A lucid, rain-soaked rose with a mineral spine and a modern musk trail. In the heart, rose oil meets incense, so the petals feel rinsed in rainwater and cooled by stone. There is a smoky, arcane quality here. Geosmin adds a rain-on-stone zing that feels sharp yet deliberate, and the whole build stays coherent and well put together. It calls to mind Pioggia Debole by Filippo Sorcinelli, Citizen X by Ex Nihilo, and Orphéon by Diptyque. Hermann is muskier and wetter than all three, closer to the storm itself than to a bar, a chapel, or a gallery hallway. If you like this DNA, you will likely enjoy the ones I mentioned. At heart, this is rose, but an electrified rose. Think petals rinsed in rain and brushed with earth, bright and mineral rather than plush. There is no vanilla to soften the blow the way Decision by Amouage does. You could say Bisch learned his lesson there, or perhaps he was reined in by the creative mandate. Here he lets the rose, the damp mineral sparkle, and the musk speak without a cushion. It is a rose without an umbrella, drenched to the stem, unshielded in the rain. Seasonally it shines on bright autumn mornings and in early spring. The mood is meditative and a little occult, for days when you want to smell unusual in an interesting, introspective way. If you enjoy the cool incense and grayscale hush of L’Orpheline by Serge Lutens, this feels like its rain-kissed cousin.

The first time I tried this I was drawn to the scent that my unaccustomed nose identified with the stalks of truss tomatoes like those that grew in my late grandmother's greenhouse. Later on, it was the combination of rose and patchouli which due to its coolness nevertheless smelled very un-grandmotherlylike. Partially thanks to its name, a shamelessly pretentious literary reference, it seemed designed to be worn by 20-some young men wearing signature black turtlenecks and complex if not sometimes disturbing predatory relations (in both directions) with women. Great. I check all those boxes, except that I aged gracefully into my early 30s. This fragrance had already convinced me and earned my undying loyalty, yet it didn't fully click until I wore it as my daily fragrance during my visit to Florence in late autumn last year. Florence after a rain is an unexpectedly sensual place. Hermann smells like a lover you encountered abroad and later regretted, whose smell lingers in your memory long after it disappeared from your bed. It will leave a lasting impression that you cannot just cast away, it follows you like your own shadow.

This is truly gorgeous. Exactly how my dream man would smell: dark, poetic, mysterious, effortlessly cool. Sharp, a little distant. Fresh but shaded. Spicy but never loud. There’s a cold edge running through it, like rain on a black leather jacket, radiating that confident, controlled, untouchable kind of masculinity that doesn’t need to prove a thing. The rose is barely there but crucial. It softens the steel and leaves a trace of warmth. That one note changes everything. Makes it all deep, intelligent, and quietly sensual. It definitely leans masculine. And yeah, I wore it myself, but I’ll just say this: it’s a scent I’d rather breathe in from his neck right before he leaves, when the air between you still feels electric. This could easily be a signature. A scent that doesn’t seduce, it just exists, and you’re drawn in. Works anytime, anywhere, and still feels like nothing else. Totally unique. It’s complex, incredibly layered, and unapologetically composed. Quentin Bisch absolutely nailed it with this one. Easily top five from ELdO. ◾ 4.5/5. Smells like a man who doesn’t say much, but somehow never leaves your head.

This is among some of the most interesting scents I have ever tried during my journey into fragrances, and it's also the scent that made me understand why ELDO is famous for being this non conventional parfumerie house. Its sexy, bold, and is beautiful without even trying too hard. Projection and sillage are ok, not too heavy, perfect for work or everyday use, and on my skin it stays for a decent 5-7h (more on clothes) and is not too aggressive despite being so unique. A true masterpiece and so far one of my favourites from this house. Defo better to sample this before, although I doubt that if someone blind buys it would ever regret this. This is more suited for day use, although I can see myself pulling it out at night too in certain situations. Its in intermediary season smell, I think autumn (the time of writing this review) is the best time of the year to pull this kind of scent out, although I successfully wore it in spring too and it was a big success. Summer is also fine, but with the heath it didn't last so long on me. Sillage 6 Projection 6 Longevity 8 Scent uniqueness 10 Versatility 7 Final vote: 8.5

It's always funny to see how people voted for the notes of a fragrance, like here, where the majority of votes goes to "geosmin" and "pepperwood", that despite my trained nose, I have no idea of what these smells by themselves. What I get is a very strong peppery note (a mix of pink and black pepper, to be precise), with a metallic/aquatic rose behind that and a hint of green/woody notes (supposedly geosmin). It is, without hesitation, a black/pink pepper-centirc fragrance, but here the creative ELdO opted for 'pepperwood' instead. Anyways, a very mysterious and airy fragrance, vaguely reminding me of Cartier Declaration d'Un Soir, but taking a totally different direction, and possibly more interesting. A very original fresh/aquatic fragrance that beginner noses will probably struggle to appreciate. Totaly unisex, Spring days, 25+ Edit: notes according to the brand: Blackcurrant buds, black pepper, galbanum, calypsone, geosmin, frankincense, pepperwood, petalia, rose absolute, patchouli, ambroxan Now yes, it makes sense, since black pepper, galbanum, frankincense and rose are clearly dominating this fragrance.

If there was a Midnight Poison for men, it would smell like this. First I get rose, but a masculine rose, a dark red rose boutonnière worn by a muscley hunk of a tall, dark, handsome, strong, silent, man in an all black impeccable designer suit. A former mercenary who is now chief of security for an oil baron. Peppery, earthy. As it develops the image is of an encounter with this man in the highest luxury hotel in Dubai on a bed covered with fresh rose petals. I’m a straight-ish woman who wears a lot of unisex frags and ones marketed for men but I can’t see wearing this myself. I would be obsessed if I came across the right man (or woman) wearing this in the wild. It doesn’t fit my partner’s style or I’d get it for him. As much as I love him, I almost feel guilty at how much this frag excites me. I’m trying it layered with Midnight Poison which feels like a little bit of a crime for that DCed frag that is one of my all time faves and absolutely does not need anything adulterating it. But the pepper and galbanum really work with MP and make it even more dangerous and overall makes it more unisex.

Starts off like an herbal after dinner liqueur mixed with tonic water: bitter, peppery, with fizzy and sweet undertones. Sharp and leaning masculine not necessarily mind blowing. It slowly and smoothly evolves into a wet rose, something less sharp and edgy. It is an autumn rose on a wild bush in a rainy day, its perfume perfectly mixed and enhanced by the bitterness of rain-soaked soil. Rain is all around the place: it doesn’t have a smell of its own but pervades the air. It is the kind of rose that fits perfectly masculine skin although I use it and love it as a woman. The dry-down softens in a much sweeter woody and ambery scent. Still very unisex leaning masculine. It is not a compliment getter, but has a DNA of its own. I sprayed it on the inside of my elbow and can’t stop sniffing it. It is a journey that takes me all the way from spring to fall with a lot of mixed feelings involved. Definitely not for everyone. I understand both the love and the hate it gets. You must be a certain kind of person to let it speak for you and it will say much more than your words possibly could.

Review of Hermann à mes côtés me paraissait une ombre (Etat Libre d’Orange) I understand that this review might not give the clearest idea of what the perfume is like, but it is my very personal interpretation. Hermann has a mystic quality and feels deeply nostalgic to me. It takes me back to my teenage years, on the balcony, lost in my thoughts as the rain poured down, carrying me into a peaceful, almost meditative state. The opening captures that exact moment: the freshness of rain, the damp earth, the shimmer of wet leaves. A sharp, peppery nuance—like wild nettle in the air—keeps everything vivid and alive. When the rain finally stops, the meditation ends with it. That is when a feeling of melanconia (melancholy) arises, knowing that the serenity has reached its end. And yet, in that moment, I also recall my mother watching me quietly with a smile. That fleeting, tender memory is the rose in this perfume—appearing and disappearing, soft and deeply human. Hermann is not just a perfume to me—it is an experience, a mirror of memory and emotion.

let me open this up by saying that this is my favourite one from the sample set. I'm still quite new when it comes to perfume and the reason I got the set was to learn more about my interests. this one immediately opens with a deep and mysterious vibe, it's quite aromatic, incense-y and green but in a way that feels wet and ominous. the image I picture in my head when I wear this is that I'm a knight deep into a pine forest after a rain on my way to a quest, I decide to rest near some rose bushes after sunset to rest for the day. there's a church nearby that's in the middle of service and I can smell the fire plants they're using. I find that I particularly dislike perfumes that have rose in them but in here it's used in such a beautiful and transporting manner that it only makes sense for it to be included here because it adds to it. it's a moody, gothic and sort of melancholic perfume so it's right up my alley. I associate this scent in my mind with the song Black Roses by Charli XCX. 9/10

From the very first spray of a decant I received as a gift a few days ago, I knew I’d be getting a full bottle of this. What really hooked me was its dichotomy—peppery and fresh, yet also dark, earthy, and distinctly masculine. That tension is what makes it so compelling. It opens with a sharp, wet soil note that blends with pepper and blackcurrant—strange on paper, but surprisingly magnetic in person. There’s something in it that reminds me of the masculinity of the 90s and early 00s. It doesn’t scream, but it carries the same confident DNA of fragrances like Paco Rabanne XS and Cartier - Roadster sport (sadly discontinued) - just grown up and stripped of the sugar. And maybe that’s why my wife immediately liked it too. She’s never been into sweet or overly modern scents. This has that no-nonsense, manly vibration—moody, introspective and grounded. Hermann feels like a quiet masterpiece. If you want something that whispers strength instead of shouting it, this one’s worth discovering.

**Initial Impression/New bottle** Smells BEAUTIFUL yet quite familiar! Although the "Popular" comparison seems to be Perles de Lalique (which is why I purchased Herman) I completely dissagree! As soon as Id sprayed "Herman" I was reminded of L'eau Bleue D'Issey, hands down without a doubt! I will say that "Herman" does smell a bit more refined and of higher quality, but the similarities are very clear imo. Clean, Blue-Green-ish, Incensey, Unisex and really beautiful. I also believe that the performance is quite similar, but I just recieved and.opened "Herman" so the performance and possibly even the scent itself may change so I cant rate ut honestly yet, but yeah! My initial thoughts are that L'eau Bleue D'Issey can be had for less than half the price of "Herman" for practically the same experience. That said, Etat Libre D'Orange is such an AMAZINGLY creative house with the most gorgeous offerings, plus I also feel they have super fair prices especially for a respected "Niche House."

Quentin Bisch is one of the most hit or miss perfumers for my personal taste. When he is a miss, he's a major "get this away from me" miss. But when it's a hit, like with this, I gladly wallow in it. The balance of earthy, mineral-like elements with a gauzy, velvet petal rose and a peppery mahogany seal makes this a treat for warmer conditions. Diffusive without being dense, Hermann's foremost virtue is that its almost tactile crispness, igniting olfactory receptors like the tiniest sparks and sizzle. Musk bubbles float, frankincense puffs twirl. Then there is smoke in the bubble, or bubbles in the smoke. I can't really decide, but it stirs with a magnetic sillage around my personal space. This is a modern perfume that I agree with. It doesn't always need to nod to classical or vintage composition, it just needs to coalesce and feel evocative, and this does it. I feel good wearing this, it is a dopamine reward, a stimulating wear, and feels effortlessly watery and colorful.

I spent a long time looking for a perfume that smells like a rainy day and Hermann is the one that delivered for me. Tt strikes a perfect balance between moody, wet, earthy, aromatic and floral. The opening hits quite herbal/medicinal but it also has an airiness and openness to it that many other petrichor-adjacent fragrances lacked for me. Hermann makes me think of standing at the edge of a pond during rainfall when the air smells mostly wet but also carries the other notes on it - galbanum, rose, olibanum, patchouli. It leans somewhat more masculine for the first hour or so with a rather strong aromatic aspect on my skin but after that it settles into a perfectly unisex blend of musk, smooth patchouli and light vetiver. The overall effect is moody and mysterious and makes me think of a noir sorcerer-detective prowling across Manhattan at night. I think it works in all seasons. Performance-wise: 5-6 hours longevity and medium sillage.

How much I love this perfume, even though it's completely synthetic! Cold, metallic, with an ozone breeze like sea mist and somewhat melancholic. It's what its name says, "like a shadow", it follows you everywhere and always without you even realizing it! From the moment you put it on, you're never sure if it's there and you wonder if you didn't spray enough... and yet it's on you and will be there for several hours, like a silent and slow exhalation! It smells like a rose bush (and not like a rose) full of closed but ready-to-open buds, after a brief rainstorm that scattered small splashes of wet black potting soil on its leaves. Very elegant, fresh and discreet fragrance that concerns all genders, with moderate visibility, far from any need for impressing and compliments and a very good choice for corporate environments. It is very close not in smell, but in style and tone, to Sartorial by Penhaligon's.

i want to start by saying that this is my first fragrance in my collection so im not very sophisticated how many others are when they are reviewing their perfume. im very proud of my choice to start with etat libre d'orange, this will always remind me of an experience, not just a simple first smell; it's perfect for spring time, i always imagine myself exploring the true beauty and the rebirth of a pure green world, this is my opinion on this perfume. im kinda disappointed on the longevity and sillage; i will never forget the first time i wore it, not even my classmate that was sitting besides me didn't notice it, since then i started overthinking about the sillage and began to accept and to enjoy it by myself. since this is my first opinion on a perfume i would not finish it with a conclusion, but by just saying that i still love this one, i still imagine a place, warmed by the rays of the spring sun.

A beautiful, haunting, melancholic, meditative fragrance that you wear for you alone, as the longevity and sillage are extremely weak :( It barely lasts 2-3 hours on me and doesn't project at all and I'm considering that maybe it's a dupe since I bought it online? But even when I tried it on a department store, it barely lasted 4-5 hours max and without any sillage. Still, it's so lovely that I think I'd happily rebuy it (not online this time). Update: Apparently I get used to it that's why I can't smell it, because I had 2 coworkers in 2 days ask me what amazing fragrance I was wearing, 2-4 hours after I had sprayed it on. Also, upgraded from Like to Love, I can't stop sniffing my wrist, it's so beautiful and calming I can't get enough of it.

First impressions: This is super undefined, mysterious and melancholic! I love how quickly transitions from the fresh zingy pepper to the rosy olibanum (I mostly notice the olibanum here, it reminds me of local orthodox churches) and dewy/moisty air with some freshly cut woods in the background. There is some minerallic smell also, it makes me think of concrete/stone. On my skin, the rose is quite hidden and just there to smooth the edges and bring a softer side to this fragrance. Will write more after more wears, however, I'm loving it already. Update: Longevity and projection are quite there. After the opening, it leaves a watery-green transparent feel that last for a good 6-7 hours, very calm and soothing fragrance.

This is such an unusual one. The perfumer succeeded at making a scent that smells like a shadow, because this is truly a mysterious enigma. I cannot really describe what I'm smelling. I look at the notes and don't really get pepper, rose or wet earth per say. It's sort of a sour, dirty rose, maybe? But I can't put my finger on it. Very interesting for sure. I think it will take a few wears to truly appreciate it though. I don't hate it, but I am also not thinking that it smells amazing either, I really don't know what to think of it. Will need some time to digest it. Definitely unique, that is for sure. I actually like that I cannot wrap my head around it. It's an original smell. That is the mark of a good niche frag.

Ohh my goodness this is sooo beautiful and melancholic, but in the best possible way!! I’m not usually a fan of florals, but this is such a well balanced, emotion evoking scent Immediately after spraying my first thought was spring rain at sunrise, beautiful florals mixed with wet soil and airy, humid notes that somehow embody a feeling of heartache, like missing someone. The wet soil gets stronger for a while as the rain gets stronger until, after wearing it for a couple of hours, it fades into the smell of a freshly watered garden, fruity and solar, as if the rain stopped and sun came up. This is such an incredibly done petrichor, strongly provoking of emotion and thought, I’ll be on the hunt for a full-size now

I'm really liking this fragrance from what I've smelled of it so far. To my nose, I get gorgeous doses of black currant with an intermittent rose note. This fragrance reminds me of drinking black currant juice on a rainy day in a rose garden. The fragrance definitely leans a touch masculine to my nose, but the fruitiness and florals definitely let it go both ways. For some odd reason, I find this very similar to Tommy Hilfiger's "Tommy", which I don't particularly enjoy, but this doesn't have that same sticky synthetic floral as that. This fragrance is something I will wear for sure, and I highly recommend this for somebody who likes a berry like fruitiness and soft realistic florals. 9.2/10

a sexy dark spa. a bathhouse in a rich gay neighborhood. the man in a suit at the corner of the bar that you make eyes with. clean... crisp... intricate... androgynous... addicting... we all know ELDO loves a rose, but thank goodness that it sits on the sidelines for this one. fans of the brand desperately needed this woody green. finally something that stands out and makes a name for itself, non-commercial, niche, totally intoxicating. the mintiness of black currant and the fresh dirt really shine, it lingers subtly on the skin. perfect for year round. this is the kind of fragrance I'd want to smell on my lover. brava ELDO brava! searching "rich gay bathhouses near me" to test my theory.

Hermann à mes Côtés me Paraissait une Ombre is truly a work of art that lives up to its atmospheric promises. Imagine you are walking through a thriving, green, wet, mossy, and ethereal forest. That is this fragrance. Off of the initial spray i find a peculiar non-listed note that is very ginger-like. The ginger note mixed with the woodsy, peppery rose is magnificent and like no other fragrance that I have come across. I find this fragrance to be cooling and comforting, but in a reminiscent way. Hermann lasts around 6 hours on my skin and projects moderately. It has become a favorite in my collection, and i cant wait to see what else Etat Libre D'Orange has to offer.

Gorgeous early work from Quentin Bisch. A predecessor of fragrances like Decision. Opens spicy, metallic-fresh with fruity undertones. The mid features an interesting earthy rose, like a freshly cut rose stem and frankincense. Towards the base, the fragrance is smoothed out with vetiver and grounded by patchouli, while still retaining it‘s airy metallic quality. Very tenacious in terms of longevity with moderate sillage, which is a nice break from overbearing „beast mode“ fragrances. In 2026 it‘s an absolute bargain on discounter websites, if you like Bisch‘s work, I highly recommend getting your nose on this. Contemporary, easy to wear, with a special edge.

this is such a unique and alluring fragrance. normally rose is a note I find off-putting in fragrances, but it’s so beautifully balanced here and more earthy and fresh-cut rather than powdery and blooming. the petrichor notes and the incense create a unified duality that captures perfectly a sense of longing. it’s like a comforting memory that is bittersweet to return to. for me this fragrance expresses the complexity of the truism that it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. it brings to mind the Portuguese concept of saudade. timeless, easily a signature scent. a new favourite for me :)

A beautiful and evocative fragrance. Very wearable. For me I feel it has a very melancholic, but meditative atmosphere. When I smell this I feel like I am transported to an open damp field looking up into the eye of a hurricane (a bit dramatic, but you get the vibe). There is a quiet but somber catharsis to this scent. I may just be projecting, but I never leave reviews; this scent has really spoken to me on a personal level. I highly recommend reading the poem this fragrance is based on as it really helps you encapsulate the vibes this scent brings. I will most certainly be buying a full bottle as soon as possible.

When folks go to review something different - why is it their go to to hit you with this berage of blunt, unemotional dislike or contemptuous belittlement? Honesty and preference is one thing, but to bash something bc it's not your lane is wild. Anyway I love this scent - airy but heavy, rosy but earthy, intense and full of somber. I wear this hiking and when I'm out on the lake bc that heat and sweat genuinely make the geosmin and Watermelon notes POP in such a unique way. Best for rainy gloom, but applicable anywhere imo. Signature scent potential. Another "damnit, Quinton did it again" from me...

This was was strange and almost repulsive at first sniff, but it grew on me over time. It's an abstract synth bomb, a genre that's hard to pull off, Quentin does this well. As it diffuses into the air, it becomes clear that this is a contemporary, abstract, cool, and dry fragrance that plays with chypre-like ideas. Smell the trail on someone you like as opposed smelling it close on your skin. I think this brilliant scent and one of ELDO's best. I'm not usually a fan of their avant garde approach with cheap materials(their rose is criminally offensive usually), but this one stands out.

What a MASSIVE blind-buy regret!! I hate it when this happens! I should've purchased the 3.4oz INSTEAD of the 1.7oz bottle! Dangit!! Lol! No, but all jokes aside, This fragrance is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! ITS Fresh, Unique (although it does strongly resemble L'Eau Bleue D'Issey) and has amazing longevity! My only gripe (Besides my bottle size blunder) is that I do go nose-blind to this scent, yet after a while you will begin catching whiffs again as ya move around. An 8.5 outta 10.. Love (Hermann à mes Côtés me Paraissait une Ombre)!! Brilliant! Oh and its a compliment getter!

If love at first smell was a thing, this would be mine. It's a melancholic, beautifully dark experience, a perfectly blended chaos. It's peppery and sour, and has a strong rose without any hint of sweetness. Like the scent of a victorian castle a stormy night, with ghosts haunting the attic. The performance is also wonderful. One spray goes a long way. It reminds me of Liquides Imaginaires L'île Pourpre, if it had less of a fig note and more sourness, and I think this may be even better. It's simply gorgeous. Definitely a signature for me.

Imagine a dewy rose garden, overcast skies and the bells of church ringing. Peppery, rosy opening that dials down into an aquatic, metallic heart. No doubt that it's beautifully aquatic. Geosmin is there somewhere, but not as pronounced. I'd like there to be a little more of "petrichor". It is an introverted scent, and a great one! Unique too! Best when you wear it on evening walks full of introspection. Not suitable for a blind buy! I find myself begging for forgiveness and delve deep within inner dialogue whenever I wear this.

So, I deleted my initial review when I got a first sample of this because I kept thinking that this can't be it. My first sample was too rosy, and I bought it second hand, so maybe it was old or not properly stored or something. All I was getting from it was pungent rose. I wanted so bad to like this perfume, I just had to try again... I am glad I got a different decant of this to properly try it. Now, this is what I expected, a very unconventional rose scent, earthy and airy, powerful but not pungent. Wonderful scent.

sooooo extremely earthy absolutely love it. i first had described it as floral but i showed it to my dad and he said it reminded him of ferns he used to rub on stinging nettle and poison ivy to stop the pain and itching and i think sweet fern in a forest smell is a really good description. clean in the way washing your hands in spring water is clean and reminds me of the smells that hit your face when taking hikes all over washington, some sort of sweet green scent for a minute before a gust of wind

This fragrance delivers outstanding performance and impressive longevity, easily lasting all day. The scent is absolutely mesmerizing—rich, well-balanced, and addictive. It has the kind of quality and sophistication you'd expect from a high-end designer release, yet it comes at a fraction of the price. Honestly, if this were released under a major designer brand, the price would be at least four times higher. A hidden gem that punches well above its weight. Highly recommended! Rating: ★★★★★

This is like Dior Sauvage's Scholarly Cousin. If you have Dior's imagery of Johnny Depp and Sauvage in mind, imagine Hermann as Daniel Craig sitting in a library, by the window on a rainy day with a vase full of roses on a table nearby. The smell of petrichor and soft roses, something earthy and unmistakably dark. It clung to me for over 6 hours and I overheard a group of people behind me on an escalator talking about how good I smelled. This might be my favorite perfume I've ever tried.

A beautiful, somber, and unique earthy rainy fragrance grounded by a slightly sweet rose. It has a kind of weight, thickness, and humidity that gives it a certain presence. Absolutely delicious if it weren't for the fact that the ambrox or whatever base note it has begins to radiate out around the two hour mark and will genuinely stay for two days. Unfortuantely this ambrox dry down is terrible on me as much as I would've liked it. Let me know if you want to exchange a 99% full bottle.

Moody and earthy sexy man perfume. Can't tell if I want him or want to be him... If I wasn't so obsessed with floral perfumes this would be my signature scent (at least for the moment). Hermann is great. There's full commitment to all of its constituent elements: the dirt, the plants, the mystery watermelon fantasy, rosy tincture, tiny whisper of resiny incense, everything is palpable and together it just WORKS. Definitely unisex but also definitely a hot guy. Woohoo

The opening gave me a lot incense and amber, somewhere in all that smoke theres a rose peaking trough giving it a softer edge. About an hour after, the fragrance settled into a more clean yet still dark and mysterious place. If i had to describe a visual id say a dark dim lit forest, herbs hiding behind trees but making their presence known via scent. Roses washed up in the wet soil. This fragrance likes to make its presence known but doesnt demand attention.

Not usually one for earthy or rose scents but Hermann took me by surprise. It’s very different from others I’ve smelled, but I get a damp soil mixed with rocks, pepper and a very faint rose, however the rose is so faint this tends to lean more masculine. The damp soil smell reminds me somewhat off Empty Wishes Well by Toskovat but this is much more wearable and less experimental. It’s interesting and in my view very wearable as it doesn’t project too loudly.

The aquaticness of flueve tendre. Just less musky and spicy. Geosmin, patchouli and rose oil give a floral earthyness, but very acquatic. The incense also remind me of flueve tendre bit its different overall. It reminds me of a grandma bathroom. The oldish vibe of incense and patchouli make It very mature. Not so versatile, night sting people noses for its earthyness. In the dry down the patchouli become a barbershop patchouli I Hope It macerate well

I have owned this fragrance since December 2025, my thoughts: It opens with roses like give a champagne like feeling, I another thing I get in the opening is very marine and earthy notes. This fragrance has no lasting power on my skin, even with 9-10 sprays I get no projection and, it lasts around 2 hours on my skin! The opening is beautiful and the dry down is perfect 👌, overall I rate this a solid 9.6/10 smell, lasting power is 3/10.

This perfume smells... like ennui. Not that it is boring, no, because it’s anything but, but the story it tells is so deliciously slow and sigh-inducing. The fruity sweetness washes away in the rain to reveal a forgotten rose... the memory of someone who, for all intents in purposes, seemed like a shadow to you. Me paraissait: in the imperfect tense. It is a little sad, but very, very refreshing, and a thoroughly unique take on rose.

Okay umm I'm sorry this may sound weird- but : That main character in your fantasy book smells like this. This is extraordinary. Very unisex and so breathtaking. I'll probably gonna gift this to loml. It's comforting but in a way that makes you fierce and more confident. Not those cliche confidence fragrance ofc but it smells just like a shadow, a walk on a hill where your lover is on your side and the war is over. Poetic and unique.

Oh, I like this one. This is one you breathe in slowly to appreciate it. These are the kind of notes I really like, and I don't have many of them (the majority of my collection until last year were gifts). This smells bright, like Vicks VapoRub, but without being overpowering. On the dry down, it gives this beautiful earthiness that's just as addictive. Man, I REALLY like this. I dare say I love it.

Rain, soil, wood, wet granite, a rose hidden somewhere in the backround. A castle, since abandoned. There is an electric rose left on the altar. Long lasting on my skin. A somber, mysterious vibe. I love it. I agree with the previous reviewer this is a fragrance you wear only for yourself. All the d'orange fragrances ive smelled have a strange rubber-ish tone, that works well in this case

This is how aquatic perfume should smell like. It is amazing. Smell wise it might be in my top three perfumes. It just doesn't last that well (average). Up close it can smell a bit weird in the beginning but in the air it truly does smell like wet dirt and rose bushes in the best way possible. You can often find this one on discounters for quite "cheap". I would really recommend to try it