Galop d'Hermes

This is an odd one. I have enjoyed this fragrance, spraying it from time to time from the Hermès concession in Manchester, England and it's always been on my want list as a creamy soft rose that's not really that leathery unless you count the very finest ladies' kid gloves: not that I'm averse to a skanky leather being a fan of Leather Oud, Cuir Cannage and Bandit. It's always been very pretty, luxurious and unctuous when I've tried it before. As it was again yesterday when I gave it a spritz from the concession thinking 'Too expensive but maybe I'll find it cheap one day'. Then to my astonishment when I walked into another Manchester department store to check if there were any budget Guerlains in the sale there was Galop on the first stand I looked at reduced to just a THIRD of the price. Boom! Bargain of the century. I bought a bottle and rushed home in anticipation smelling my right arm on the bus and probably fairly wafting it around the other passengers too. Home; cellophane off; spray; strongly bitter fruit smell; no rose but maybe leather poking through eventually. I kept comparing the two samples hunting the rose till I was anosmic. Today I went back to the Hermès concession for a cheeky second opinion (helps that I have bought stuff from them too) and the perfume rep who came down from the office confirmed that my bottle was genuine but on handing her two strips I'd sprayed with their bottle (half full and stood in strong daylight) and mine (new out of the box but probably been in warehouses for years) she confirmed there's was softer and lighter and the bottle I'd bought was darker and denser but definitely genuine. Again I have the two samples side by side and they are performing as yesterday now maybe 5 hours after being sprayed. If I bring both wrists together and smell both I get a perfect balance of the rose, the leather, some soft musk and the tart citrus. I have yet to decide whether to wait a few days to see if my bottle softens and keep it or return it (as it was bought from a bona fide department store that's not a problem). At £57 it was still very cheap and bottles do change after being sprayed a few times so we'll see. So, finally,if you like Galop beware of jumping on offers of cheap bottles on eBay which are now cropping up. As per my experience you might not be getting what you thought you were getting and it might be fair to say that this perfume is in some way unstable. There are better representations of suede out there too such as Tom Ford's excellent Ombre Leather and much classier roses for less money such as Ormonde Jayne's Ta'if for instance. In fact maybe I should layer those two and see what happens... Update 10 Feb after spraying over three days the fragrance has attained the correct balance. Meanwhile Hermès sent me a leather chord which otherwise only comes with Galop if bought from a Hermès shop.

They say that when a perfume suits you and you enjoy it, it simply works. The sillage is good, the longevity is good, it feels simply good wearing it. They say so, or am I saying so? I didn't have high hopes for Galop, and frankly I wasn't even interested in trying it, mostly for the price which is around 240€ for 50ml pure parfum. Plus, even though Hermès is quite elegant and distinctive, I'm not a fan of JCE, nor his transparent aquarelle signature. I feel that a house with such history could opt for a bolder trademark. But I'm afraid that belongs in the past with legends such as Doblis, Equipage, Bel Ami, Caleche... No matter how good or bad the reformulations, the quality is there but something is not; boldness. And surprisingly I found it in Galop. First standalone creation of Christine Nagel, it clearly follows the path created by Ellena in transparency and watercolor but it adds something more; a kick. While following the codes of Hermès, it adds a bit of sensuality, and shows that the nose behind follows the path but leads the way. And that's a good thing because Nagel isn't Ellena, and her creations have to show that. Galop opens on my skin with a rose water accord. Rose water that smells honeyed. I would have preferred a darker rose, but then again I'd also have preferred many things that aren't allowed in perfume today. Rose water, middle eastern style but without the cliche of oud, spicy saffron in small quantities and a leather accord that brings to mind older but not vintage Cuir de Russie, with a somewhat dirty soapiness, a facet of leather sometimes found in older creations that didn't rely on isobutyl quinolene. I don't get the quince and the osmanthous is barely there, just adding a slight juiciness in the same way Ellena's creations added a watery note. (The Nagel difference?) Although quite linear, I find it interesting. The interplay is between the rose dominance, the leather dominance, and a spicy ménage a trois that shows different facets during the day. I get the same notes along a nice not-so-clean musk that appears during mid development and stays throughout, finally showing a bolder leather at drydown. While modern and pleasing, it echoes the older Kelly Caleche and manages to smell elegant, slightly dirty, and appropriate for most occasions. It feels as a timid first attempt, but underneath it there are some interesting aspects that make me look forward to what mrs Nagel has to offer in subsequent creations. On my skin, there's excellent sillage and all day longevity, which I appreciate given the price asked. Don't approach it expecting a powerhouse because it is not, but there is something that shakes the image of the house a bit, and I'm sure it's just the beginning. Perfectly unisex (at least in Spain it's being promoted as such) and work friendly.

Galop takes time to develop and grow . For me it was a blind buy, like at least 60% of my collection. It has become nearly impossible to find, I suspect it’s discontinued since even Hermes website doesn’t sell it any longer, not the bottle, nor the refill. I came across a bottle of refill Galop in an online shop where I’ve been shopping for many years. It was more expensive than an Amouage, and still, I decided it was then or never. My bottle arrived, and my first reaction was to dab a little. It was disappointing. Plain leather, something woody animatic, not much rose, no quince, no fruit - immediately I thought I should have gotten another bottle of Kelly Caleche edp, since I love that one, I don’t have much left of it, and it would have been less expensive than Galop. I should say that it was the note of quince which made me take the decision in paying this much money, since quince is a very rare and hard to find fruit here in Canada, but I grew up with it in Europe and I love it. I was so upset. I decided to find an empty decant with a sprayer, and sprayed. Lots. On skin, and on my clothes. And magic happened. With a glass of St. Germain in my hand, (my favorite liqueur, it’s an elderflower blossom sweet potion), I was enveloped in the softest leather, jammy roses, a hint of smoke, and, St.Germain liqueur which does smell and taste like elderflowers, lychees, and quinces. Absolutely magic. Was the fruit coming from my drink or from Galop? The guilt left me. I love it. It was worth the investment. It’s funny how when you acquire a large collection such as my own, it’s much easier to feel upset when spending money on a new perfume, because you did not need it, and there’s a good chance you have something similar already. Galop is not similar to anything else I own, and I have over 350 bottles. The silage is moderate, the lasting power is excellent, all to be expected from pure parfum concentration. Second day, my skin still smells like it, and so does the shirt I wore yesterday. It’s morning now, so no more booze, but a couple of more sprays of Galop, and, half an hour later, it’s back in full beauty. It is unisex indeed, but leaning more feminine as the time passes. I love it, and I can see myself wearing a lot. It’s very special, and to me, worth it, and addictive, but it was not love at first sniff. Don’t judge it only by the top notes.

A rose leather. Ugh. Again? Are we really going to have another one, Hermes? Yes, yes we are, and it’s going to be an expensive parfum concentration too. Despite my initial eye rolling, I will admit a good amount of curiosity to see what Nagel was going to do here being a big fan of her work for a long time. My curiosity was well rewarded: I got some things I expected and some things unexpected. Unexpected: a sour, slightly hot, and citrusy tropical-fruity quince note paired alongside a soft, hay-like, and woody saffron. Saffron certainly isn’t new in roses or leathers, but its pairing with the unusual quince is definitely interest piquing and beguiling. They lead to a rose heart that steers more towards osmanthus than generic rose by a long shot. It is pink and golden fruity in a tropical and slightly sour way, gently pink and white floral, woody and tea-like. Pretty. Again, not anything new for a rose-leather perfume but not exactly what I was expecting from a mainstream designer house either. Expected: The leather in the dry down is a gentle, powdery suede-like leather, very light on the tanning chemicals and animalics - no doubt evoking the smell of Hermes’s ultra-high end handbags. Lastly, Galop smells like a Nagel composition. Galop has her signature style of keeping proceedings light weight, rich, pleasantly modern with well-handled if sometimes overt synthetics, and the elastic and slick texture of cling-film or gelatin. Galop doesn’t necessarily go the extrait mile in terms of longevity, but the other facet of the high concentration is very pleasing in that it relays its message slowly, patiently, clearly, and calmly like a good parfum should. It stays close to the skin, not much happening in terms of sillage or protection, but that makes it feel like it is whispering sweetly, happily, and a bit sensually into your ear. Most rose leather perfumes are loud and pushy divas that want to make their voices heard by yardstick measurements in cool weather, but not Galop. This is a perfume for the wearer, and it is very versatile in its style appeal and wearability. And, most importantly and quite simply, it smells great. This is another win for Hermes, and a win for Nagel as well who found something fairly unique in a very crowded genre.

Out of this bottle comes freshness, pure cleanliness and at the same time dirt and rubber. I'm rolling on the grass and then my nose is sniffing some old notebook where i kept notes back in university, realistic paper. His drydown consists of all these scents plus the following which is the best part: I enter my grandpas car, leather seats inside. Twenty years ago and I was reminded of the scent because of Galop. Leather leather leather. Real leather. This is it. Galop is ten times harder than Bottega Veneta Bottega Veneta, if you have given it a sniff. Bottega Veneta is clean, soft leather gloves maybe, Galop is male leather. For that, I think he's unisex; seriously, men can easily pull this off. Citric opening, then it's a hint of sweet, is it the saffron? Still it's not prominent. Quite honestly none of the notes is prominent except LEATHER. Now that I'm informed of the nose behind the perfume, Christine Nagel, I'm impressed she didn't use pink pepper( which i have noticed in some creations of her, yet again don't quote me on that); I would love it with pink pepper too! True leather that intensifies more and more as you wear it. Projects for the three first hours and then it becomes more of a skin scent. It is then when Galop starts to fade slowly and become Bottega Veneta Bottega Veneta. I'm willing to wear him on his own, but also very eager to layer with other perfumes. The leather is so strong that he can't be overshadowed. A scent strictly for grown ups. Not because he's too heavy, or reminiscent of old-time perfume. But because he's mature in a serious way, belonging to a serious person, man or woman, not to a giggly lady of Fruity berry coconut from bath and body works (nothing against them, but you get the point). Galop is hard, somber at times, has the I'm-grown-up-and-I-know-what-I'm-doing expression on his face. I refuse to believe Galop is female, he is male. Rubbery car tire leather freshened up with paper forgotten in a library alley. For me a haunting scent. Yes, I love it.