Concentré d'Orange Verte

In years past, Concentre d'Orange Verte could have been the standard bearer for me. Not necessarily in terms of being a everyday chosen wear, but more so abstract and emotionally - an olfactory illustration of an ideal “day in the life of.” But here on the cusp of what seems predetermined to be a metaphorically cold and dark Winter, it has become a flame in the darkness that signifies bittersweet longing. I’ve heard and read the Portuguese have a word for the same wistful array of emotions, seemingly at play against one another, that this fragrance evokes in me: Suadade. I am reminded of an afternoon of cooking, an activity I truly love, but one I don’t get to throw myself into often these days. The everyday meals I make for myself are usually lackluster, made to strike a balance between optimizing value, nutrition, and ease and speed of preparation. Although I am easy to please, it’s really just a way to placate myself as I am rarely impressed by this artless, pragmatic approach. But cooking for friends, that’s a very different game. That’s where the passion comes out, and my confidence and reliance on the senses become paramount to the moment. I ascend to a trance-like rhythm. The process is as meaningful as the end product, both of which are treasures in their own rights. And the creature of devotion that I am, I am reticent to stray from the tried and true flavors I love the most, so these occasions are routinely dominated by fresh citrus and fresh herbs. Concentre d'Orange Verte is the essence of a summer evening’s dinner party. The whole experience - lovingly laboring over the ingredients while the sun goes down, and sharing the spoils of one’s efforts with friends well into the night. This is an unapologetically simple citrus and basil, perfectly blended as if by accident, as if it were wafting from a freshly used cutting board. It projects a sort of joie de vivre - the perfect blend of the generosity and inherent warmth of high quality friendship and a mutual appreciation for the experience of just spending a wonderful evening together. I have been keeping a decant of this in my pocket for the past few months, occasionally taking it out, resting the nozzle on my upper lip, inhaling deeply, and feeling the rush of dopamine flooding my bloodstream. It is intensely beautiful, and some days lately I feel it’s all I have. I must confess, though, that in a strange way I find myself somewhat grateful for today’s struggles - were it not for the ongoing isolation and amplified sorrow, I never could have appreciated the dreamlike memories and the hope for the future that Concentre d'Orange Verte stirs inside me. Citrus and basil. So simple that it almost invites being taken for granted. But a yield far greater than the modest recipe suggests.

I first smelled this fragrance years ago in a Hermes booth on trip to Germany. the day I bought Terre d'Hermes, sampling about 10 other Hermes scents, loving pretty much all of them and saying I would eventually get to all of them, but i particularly remember enjoy this ultra green tart citrus fragrance that I couldn't recall the name of because of the long tricky French names of the Hermes EdC line. Many years later on the hunt for the ideal citrus, I blind bought Concentre d'Orange Verte on whim because I found it on a legitimate discounter for like 40$. I was actually surprised it is marketed as an orange fragrance when I got it. Sure there is a bit of a warmer zest in the drydown, but the vast majority of it is for me a galbanum/petitgrain-like freshly cut grass note in the very opening with this ridiculously fresh lime note, intensely green aromatic and tart, like sniffing freshly crushed citrus leaves straight off a tree with a bit of green grass mixed in. Right as this intense top note tones down I get a slightly warmer orange-scented expensive french soap-like dry down, think high-end European hotel soap, with a slight woodiness and a touch green floral nuances, definitely smoother and milder than that unrelentingly refreshing top note. Beautiful, smooth, and calming, slightly gentleman-like. I highly recommend people approach this fragrance as a a lime and orange petitgrain fragrance rather than a sweet orange fragrance, in fact the name 'Orange Verte' is likely a bit of a pun on the French word lime 'citron verte', 'green lemon' according to some French-speaking friends of mine. I definitely see this fragrance as a lime counterpart to orange, a green almost unripe orange freshly cut off the tree, together with a big bundle of orange leaves crushed in the process. Performs like a hearty EdC rather than a EdT, but given the online prices and scent quality it's easy to overlook.

Just simply outclasses nearly every other orange-centric fragrance ever, in my opinion. So much so that, as a female devotee, reading the comments below about it being "not right" on a woman made me feel personally slighted and a little punchy! This is the big leagues. Truly a masterpiece. It has the real sharp zesty smack of bitter orange oil, the herbal/peppery edge of orange leaf, the freshness ofthe fruit's juice, the warm spicy woodiness of the orange tree itself, and that bewitching sweetness which evokes orange blossom. A passionate love from the very first time I sniffed it (and I am happy to admit that Terre d'Hermes is way too butch to work on me, and I also agree that Concentre would be sheer perfection if only it lasted longer, so I am not an all-out fangirl unable to see any fault in the house or this scent.) What to say about it, that wouldn't be dull and obvious? Yeah, yeah, timeless classic, true unisex, unarguable quality, fine control of fine ingredients, all of that. But none of that does it justice. I'm not worthy! The best I can do is: this astonishing formula will take you on a glorious walk through a sun-dappled orange grove, wherever and whoever you are. Just try it. It is *wonderful*. The only things even fit to come near it that I've tried are Bigarade Concentre (which does have better longevity, but is vastly more expensive), Noir Epices (which is much more macho and spicier, as well as pricier) and Shay&Blue Blood Orange, which has a wetter juicier feel but none of the wood or warmth, and no more longevity either). So I will concentrate on Concentre for as long as Hermes keep making it. And you should too.

This was my first Hermès and my first serious perfume purchase and it was love at first smell. Simply put this is THE summer fragrance by excellence ! The name conjures up the idea of something simple yet exquisite. A beautiful stroll through an unripe orange grove in the cool shade of the lush green fragrant orange leaves by a warm summer day. As for the fragrance in itself, it opens up with a blast of electrifying zingy green citrus that feels like a cheerful blast in your face, a whack of optimism to shake you out of the humid torpor of a searing hot summer day ! It is followed by a mild minty coolness that eventually dries down to a very very delicate powdery black currant bud note. Very soft and distant. As you can imagine this perfume, which is really a cologne, performs very poorly in terms of longevity (basically gone after 1H) and sillage (dare I say nonexistent). But none of that matters because this is made to lovingly overindulge and splash, splash, splash and keep on splashing ! Unpretentious yet chic, cheerful yet sleek and elegant as you would expect from Hermes, this classic cologne will suit any person of any age and is guaranteed to put a big smile on your face. Note that this mood lifting quality also works in winter so don’t hesitate to take a whiff during the grey days of the cold season. To sum up, Concentré d’Orange Verte is the smell of happiness.

What else do u need to say when its a HERMES !!!! My first purchase of Hermes frag was Rocabar, I still use it thou it's from the early 80's...TIMELESS. last year I purchased Terre d'Hermes Hermes for men, a real spicy, fresh and cozy fragrance which is one of my signature frag now. Concentre d' Orange Verte is also another MASTERPIECE which is best during the summer/fall days. The first time I sprayed it on my skin it was a rush of Orange/citrus scent which stays on that way over several hours. The aroma stimulates your senses and re energizes you becoming very up beat. After the aroma of Orange settles ever so slightly then you are able to smell amber with a touch of patchouli. This frag has a tremendous base of both basil and cedar combined with the top notes makes it a really impressive fragrance. Longevity is NUMERO UNO...FIVE STAR, well past 10 hours. Sillage is superb, you can smell it more then 5ft away without it being heavy. Overall, there's nothing else you can say about a top-notch fragrance which both sex's use it and find it a gem. This fragrance is worth every ounce, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another bottle. I leave you with a question; How could you ever get tired or bored of this fragrance? My response is Forza Concentre d'Orange Verte...LIVE FOR EVER...10/10

This, out of a few hundred I own (mostly EDP) and my 40 years of perfume life experience and unlike my usual reviews this is simply described in a few words. Most people overcomplicate the description. It is THE GO TO for an orange based scent. It is: 1) a soapy sweet orange with a dirty base 2) a classic - the origin for Terre d’Hermes 3) relevant today as it was in the 70’s As it is a concentre it is obviously not as strong as an EDP however it is stronger than you think. I have had this on my top 20 rotation for about 10 years and for a while was very much my signature. My interesting story is that during my childhood I had lots of free travel on Qantas (courtesy of my fathers job). I remember splashing the bottle of unmarked cologne supplied in the QAntas aircraft toilet liberally when ever I went to pee. Much to my parents amusement - they thought I was pretending to be grown up but it was as much because it had this amazing smell. It was a memory time stamp, especially refreshing when everyone in the plane smoked and you were stuck on board for upto 30 hours or more to get to London or Frankfurt. I just found out it was Hermes Eau D’orange Vert (it’s weaker cousin). Explains... EVERYTHING... weird...

Hermes CONCENTRE D'ORANGE VERTE is a beautiful citrus aromatic which opens bright and juicy, just like a ripe orange. Both the peel and the fruit are represented here, and they smell quite appealing. This is not, however, a sweet composition; it is clean and fresh--not sticky--on the skin. The fragrance develops relatively quickly to a greenish-woody drydown, which is equally beautiful. I find the drydown to be aromatic enough to make CONCENTRE D'ORANGE VERTE seem a bit on the masculine side, though many women would still feel comfortable wearing it. This is definitely a perfect summertime scent for anyone who loves fresh, authentic-smelling orange and equally fresh basil combined harmoniously with cedar and patchouli. I have a purse spray of this pleasing composition, but may have to acquire a larger bottle, as I find it most addicting! The only other fragrance I've found with this nice of an orange presentation is Bond no 9 LITTLE ITALY, but I'm not sure yet which I like most... The longevity of this concentrated version does seem quite a bit better than the cologne.

This is my signature perfume, although I didn't use it for a while now because it makes me feel a bit down when I wear it - the complete opposite to what I used to feel when I started using it. This fragrance is best worn on warm summer nights (summer nights where I live are humid, hot and sticky and Concentre d`Orange Verte is better than air-conditioning for cooling down). The problem with this fragrance is that it's too strong when you apply it (almost like peeling an orange and getting it's juice in your eyes) and after the strong smell is gone (after 5 min) the rest fades away very quick, mostly after 20 minutes on my skin. Nevertheless these 20 minutes are beautiful. It reminds me of old airports in the 80s and I love it. I still don't really understand why I feel so low when I'm wearing it, maybe it has something to do with the fact that it's very bitter, or because I have bad memories from the time I used my first bottle of Concentre d`Orange Verte, or maybe it's so potent and promises so much that life itself seems gloomy in comparison.

I bought this in my 30’s only to be told by the then girlfriend it was more suited to the ‘older gentleman.’ Now that I’ve danced the stones in the bed of that rubicon I have to say I think she was right. Nothing says you’ve tried every flash in the toilet pan designer citrus and found them wanting quite like Orange Verte. This is the thumb in the rind, the single stream of orange oil programmed to seek and destroy your eye, the scent that tells everyone in the office someone is eating an orange even when they’re nowhere to be seen. But.. Buy the biggest bottle you can afford. Decant some into a dedicated sprayer and take it wherever you’re going because it’ll need to be refreshed. I get, maybe an hour, an hour and a half on clothes and then it’s a skin scent. Alternatively, buy the body cream. Let it dry before applying the scent. You’ll get a little more projection from bare arms and maybe another half an hour of life. Just quietly, layer over Jo Malone, Lime Basil and Mandarin to give that fragrance a sharper edge.

Even as a young child, I always liked the scent of oranges in the summertime. This is why I have been super excited to snatch Hermes Concentre D’Orange Verte at an affordable price. Even before I had purchased this perfume, I knew that its weakest points were poor projection and longevity, but I couldn’t care less. Finding out just how natural was the aroma of green oranges couldn’t get out of my mind. Here are my 5 quick takes: - The best orange-based perfume of all time - A citrus aromatic fragrance with average longevity - Created by Jean Guichard in 2004 - Best used during warmer seasons on any occasion - Poor performance keeps it from getting bigger appreciation Hermes Concentre D’Orange Verte is a great citrus-based fragrance for an affordable price, but with poor performance. I believe that those who enjoy the art of perfumery will enjoy this perfume the most, as it tells a beautiful story, and refreshes your mind. Read the full review at scentgrail.com

Concentre d'Orange Verte is simply the best orange chypre I've encountered. It is zesty, almost eye searing, with sweet orange, key lime and lemongrass up front, yet inviting and calmingly woodsy underneath with notes of oakmoss, cedar, sweet patchouli, wet earth and pine. Wearing Orange Verte is like walking along the edge of a brook barefoot on a dappled forest floor and finding an orange tree growing there. You pause for some minutes admiring its beauty, then go on your way. Orange Verte is often criticized for its poor longevity, but it lasts well enough if you spray liberally on clothes and don't expect much sillage. And if you miss the orange after an hour, simply reapply— Orange Verte is so classy and understated, no one will ever guess you are wearing 12 or 15 sprays by the end of the day. And anyway, who cares. Orange Verte is a fragrance for the wearer. Wear it when you want to feel happy or soothed. Wear it to bed.

One of the best citrus scents in existence, Concentré D'Orange Verte plays all the cards right. From the get-go, it's all about fresh, fruity citrus. Oranges, limes, mango, and some basil combine to create and extremely cooling citrus and projects quite well and lasts a good 4 to 5 hours projection-wise. Kinda reminds me of Froot Loops, actually. Perhaps my only gripe about Concentré is that it can be quite "perfumey", but it's so pleasant and refreshing that anything negative gets usurped for the most part. Completely unisex and makes an amazing everyday scent in the summer. It's a bit fruitier, sweeter, and not as stuffy as Eau d'Orange Verte, in my opinion. I also love the bottle. Frosted dark green glass looks so cool. FYI, this one is less of a nod to the classic Eau de Colognes than it is more like Eau Sauvage. Really, this is Eau Sauvage, but with more oranges and fruitier, if you want something to compare it to.

This is.... One of the greatest citruses I ever smelled. I mean... An "herbal" orange, just that, nothing more. Simplicity at its finest. The name doesn't lie : Concentré > Concentrate > Yes, very strong, but not awful, not loud... Just enough strong to smell it without to be disturbed. Orange > Orange... ORANGE ! That pure orange, that strong orange, but delicate too. A juicy one, full of sun. Yummy. Verte > Yes, green. A green background, just behind the orange, without it, the orange would be boring, classic, I think. Calm, quiet, but present, just for the orange to be brought to arm, very well blended to make a greeny/spicy orange, a very special orange juice cocktail. Honestly, I thought citruses ones would be too acid, too boring, too generic, but no. This one is yummy, gourmand, green and orange, sweet, refreshing and strong but delicate. Perfect, just perfect.

Though I have my cozy moments, it’s pretty much summer in my mind's eye all year long. Some of that is climate related, but mainly it’s my own outlook. Hermès Concentré d’Orange Vert (2004) supports this vision, but with incomparable European quality. It calls to mind the Côte d'Azur in high season with it’s endlessly deep orange liquor heart laced with an equally bottomless and lasting basil note infused with all the characteristics of the herb from crushed, green pesto to tarry, black anise seed. All of this seems to lie fixed on a sunny mat of cedar, patchouli, and amber, taking the sum total effect to the highest peak of summertime euphoria and holding it there indefinitely. Delightful and authentic in every way, this is my endless summer fragrance and vote for best of the best of Hermès alongside Terre d’Hermès and its earthy, burnt-orange addictiveness.

Wow this is nice! I didn't expect it to be so elegant for some reason. It's perfectly blended and presents itself as one. On paper: I can smell very realistic freshly cut lemon with the resins ejecting from the lemonskin still lingering in the air, something herbal in the background. A while later the lemon very slowly transforms in to a very sour orange. Only the tiniest hint of something floral, must be patchouli. The cedar appears in the end and blends in nicely. I think it's the basil that ties it all together and gives a wonderful green accord. Within an hour or so it turns in to a really beautiful ultra dark green. It is a bit cold. Let's see if skin makes it bloom. On skin: Less lemon and more beautiful dark green orange. There's more depth to it. It's a well rounded refreshing and somewhat serious blend.

I love Hermes colognes, Eau d'Orange Vert was my first, and it became the standard by which I measured every other fragrance of this type. It took me some time to add Concentre d'Orange Vert to my collection, I'd read many reviews which said it was so similar to EOV that if you had one you didn't need the other. I find them to be similar only in the sense that they are the same type of fragrance. Concentre smells quite different on me, greener, and less orange. It's a sharper citrus at first, bitter in the very best way, then mellows just a bit, allowing tiny sparks of something sweeter (the amber maybe?) to pop up under the citrus. The longevity is surprisingly good, I've been wearing it 6 hours now, and am still getting a noticeable scent. Sillage is moderate. It's a pleasure to have it in my collection.

A frosty, minty, orange. So uplifting and invigorating, it's almost therapeutic really. The orange here is amazing. So natural and fresh. I detect a little lavender sometimes too. I like this better than the non concentre version, it's a little bit more masculine with the extra mint and lasts a little longer, but not by much. Longevity and silage is its downfall here. I get 2 hours max. I purchased the smaller 1.6 oz bottle (beautiful frosted green glass) and it's small and discreet enough to slip into your coat pocket or purse (this is a unisex scent) for resprays throughout the day if needed. I'm also using the Hermes D'orange Verte body lotion as well, and its scent may actually last longer than the cologne itself! A shame about the longevity, but I still love it. My signature scent for now.

As the summer reaches its last exhale, I turn to Concentre d'Orange Verte, just as intensely green as it is orange, like a bitter aperitif to prime the palate for the imminent autumn. Though many may favor Eau d'Orange Verte, it is the addition of herbs, mainly basil, and the juxtaposition between the citrus and cedar that is the appeal of Concentre. It is more satisfying and dynamic, and tells more of a story. It's light, yet robust, glissando in form, where there is the illusion of juicy and zesty is apparent even in later phases where the wood and musk are certain to have taken the lead. It is not ephemeral, but is one that may warrant two or three applications throughout a day, unless one is like myself and is happy to enjoy it for its duration and move onto something else.

I first got a whiff of this when I was staying in a hotel in Paris in 2013. The bathroom toiletries were all Hermes d'Orange Verte. I used the shampoo and conditioner before going shopping. Every time the wind blew through my hair, everyone behind me complimented me on my "perfume". The next day I used the body wash and lotion. I was hooked!!!! I stocked up on the ones from the hotels during our travels and used them "sparingly" because I didn't want to run out too soon. Fast forward 8 years. I found the the Concentre and Toilette at a reasonable price and purchased both of them. The Concentre is closer to the fragrance I remembered, but the Toilette is just lighter. I am a woman and I don't feel the scent is masculine on me, just fresh and joyful.

So much better than eau d'Orange verte, not just in longevity but in it's entire composition. It smells just so much more natural. I also like eau too, but I can sometimes find it a little cloying. Concentre on first application is like the incredible aroma when someone peels an orange, except it is as different as what a satsuma is to a tangerine. It is like a wonderful fruit of the orange family you never knew existed. The dry down is more mossy and green and slightly woody and whenever I spray it on my sleeve, I bury my nose into the material throughout the day and escape to a place that is beautiful and serene. It is the one fragrance that universally attracts the most compliments and generates the most smiles and I love it beyond measure.