H24

(Comparison of the EdT, EdP, and Herbes Vives) Hermes has a bit of an ego when it comes to their flagship masculine perfumes. They style themselves as trendsetters for the market, and have done going all the way back to Eau de Hermes and Equipage, of which there was nearly two decades between them. That’s another mark of Hermes’ approach to their flagship masculines: they take their sweet time. They blew the masculine perfume world apart at the start of this century with Terre d’Hermes, and in general because of JCE’s other achievements with the Hermessence and Jardin lines, and now they feel bold and it high time to have another go. Did they disrupt the masculine perfume world yet again with H24? Well the feedback certainly seems to suggest so, mostly in how divisive and confused many seem to be. So let’s try to clear some of that up at least. The EdT has a hesperidic and floral opening that is completely translucent, as if you are smelling fruits and flowers that are crystal clear. It’s lemony, green herbal, noticeably ozonic, and those greens you pull are no less what is aiming to be narcissus, which is made evident via the heady and honeyed aromas. Into the heart, thanks to the “narcissus”, the sage-not-quite-sage note comes across as sweetened, but this is all likely an effect of this touted sci fi material the brand is certainly not shy of mentioning, sclarene. It is herbal, it is wet, it is sweet, but it has this “incomplete” feeling that makes you think that, again like I mentioned a second ago, that the sage is nearly crystal clear. Glassy with a green tint. The EdP opens with the same cast of characters but is more fruity, more floral, and noticeably but not terribly sweeter as a result. Everything in the EdP is just more, and definitely denser - particularly the narcissus/sclarene material(s) with its heady honey doing a large amount of the lifting for the sweet quality. Of the three, Herbes Vives has more on offer with an opening of watery but rather photorealistic pear, ozonics, and the same cool herbs but made greener, more vegetal, and sharper thanks to a galbanum edge. Needle sharp aldehydes also briefly present themselves here. The heady and honey characteristics of the narcissus are placed a good distance in the background. The heart of the Herbes Vives is drier, somewhere between the EdT and the EdP but more towards the EdT. It will seem drier than this because of the sharper green edges. The narcissus is still there, as is the sclarene, but now we have the addition of Physcool used to provide a cooling effect without clobbering you with a mint note, and it works: the tactile sensation of the perfume on my skin is not “cooling”, but it does have the effect of smelling cool while it works its way through my nose and palate. Neat trick. The EdT ends with a big slug of evernyl that has a damp, only slightly woody, moss-not-moss aroma. The EdP goes heavily dark woody thanks to a dense and slightly sweet rosewood. This is significantly drier than the opening and heart layers. The evernyl is still present but put much further backstage. Herbes Vives errs towards the EdT with a focus on the green mossy qualities but the brighter greens of earlier layers continue to hold on until the end, having this effect of removing all woody aspects before shifting to a green-only piquant and salty vetiver. Note descriptions of all three H24s are necessary and helpful, sure, but this line is equally about texture as they are aroma, to my nose. Particularly in the EdT, there is quite a bit of “Jean Claude Ellena” in its transparency, and light weight lucidity - perhaps a Hermes mandate given how much his signature style drove sales at Hermes counters - but Nagel still sneaks her unmistakable signature on the bottom line. She has this remarkable stylistic ability to texturally evoke glass or cling film - transparent, light, and undistorted but nonetheless impenetrable, like you are kept from truly “getting your nose” into the material and you must observe from a distance. It greatly helps to execute the mandate of a composition meant to blend the natural and the technological very well. The EdP makes it more obvious how Hermes intended to push the boundaries of mainstream masculine perfumes with H24, as this is likely going to be quite challenging for the general consumer. JCE’s stylistic legacy is less apparent in the EdP, and Nagel’s signature is bolder. If the EdT has a glass-like/cling-film-like impenetrability, the EdP is bullet proof glass. It is thick. With Herbes Vives it is more like the EdT, but it’s also with Herbes Vives where the overlap between the three H24s and some of the Jardin line is more obvious and noticeable. Some of the same materials from the Jardin line are used across the H24 line, and, again it wouldn’t surprise me if part of the creative mandate for H24 was to take what made the JCE-era popular - many of those materials and JCE’s easy to wear, light weight, luminous, and transparent perfumes - and just... make them edgy. Push the envelope a bit. They certainly do. I find it unfortunate and unfair how much flack H24 has received. Maybe they pushed the envelope a bit too much too soon or too late. It’s one of Hermes’ best this century, only after Terre and Paddock in my opinion (I can feel the glare of eyes and the raised eyebrows from you Cuir d’Ange devotees, and I might acquiesce on that). Perhaps with more time H24 will find its large deserved devoted following when minds and tastes are better able to wrap around it. I own all three of these in full bottles due to lucking into them, but that is mostly redundant and not recommended for your wallet unless you are the rare bird that find themselves loving all three equally. To my nose Herbes Vives stands out the most by combining the best parts of the EdT and the EdP, giving them a big glinting green edge and adding the interesting pear opening and the Physcool. It seems it has more it wants to say, but that might not mean you want to hear it. So, trying all three before buying is highly advisable because all three are different from each other in polarizing ways, and just plain different and polarizing in general if that is not already obvious. Hermes achieved what they set out to do, and, at least, I’m thrilled to see they are recognizing and standing behind Nagel and H24 for the achievement, and willing to wait it out (thus far). Bravo. P.S. My partner cannot help but think of scorching-summer-hot seat belts from a vintage car when smelling H24, so even our mostly-unified household is divided.

H24 is one of those fragrances that grew on me over time. It’s fresh, aromatic, modern, and has a subtle metallic edge that I actually enjoy. The metallic and slightly synthetic side is what originally put me off when I first tried it years ago. As someone who really enjoys many Hermès fragrances, including the entire Terre d’Hermès line and some of their older scents based os specific notes, such as "citron" or "orange vert" scents, I always take a moment to explore their stand whenever I’m in duty-free shops or malls. Over the years, I tried H24 a few times but never felt compelled to buy it. For some reason, recently, something struck me differently, and I decided to get a bottle for myself. I’m not disappointed. For someone like me, who tends to enjoy more traditional masculine, classy scents, H24 is a very welcome twist. It’s modern, yet still classy and very well put together. Even the slightly synthetic side, which used to detract me, now feels like a deliberate, modern touch without being harsh, overwhelming, or headache-inducing, unlike many other synthetic fragrances out there. Another thing I really like about H24 is how unique it feels. In a time when many fragrances are lookalikes, inspired by shared DNA across brands or from clone houses, this one stands out. To me, it smells like something of its own, and I really appreciate that. It gives me a sense of wearing something distinctive, something most people haven’t smelled before. What I also find intriguing is that, while this fragrance has a modern, slightly synthetic vibe, it retains a side of Hermès that I love: an earthy, slightly dirty, almost real quality. Not unpleasant, but grounded. That earthy-citrus undertone gives it depth and adds an alluring, intriguing dimension that keeps me coming back. I’ll be wearing this a lot from now on. It’s definitely part of my rotation for all kinds of occasions. This could easily be a signature scent, if I didn’t already have a collection of 70+ bottles.

What is the enigma that is Hermes H24 Eau de Toilette? The fragrance opens with a juicy, aromatic (almost melon-like) burst. After a few minutes, the sweet melon smell dissipates, and the fragrance retains a floral, green, aromatic, thirst-quenching character with some light woody and metallic undertones. It remains this way for most of the wearing experience. Towards the end of the experience, several hours later, the fragrance recalls the smell of a hot iron to freshly washed clothes. Christine Nagel’s idea for this fragrance of expressing the modern man is apt. The rugged wood and angular metals provide the foundational essence of a man. The gentler florals and aromatics introduce a softer character of the modern man – one who is open to introspection, unafraid of emotions, and so secure in his masculinity that he can express himself in unconventional ways. This modern man has never been seen until now. This fragrance, too, is one that has never been seen until now. I have never smelled anything like it. It strikes the perfect balance of warm and cool, spicy and refreshing, floral and woody, soft and sharp. It’s clean, refreshing and palatable, perfect for everyday wear, yet maintains intrigue. It’s in its own league – unique, but never obnoxious or in your face. It’s a hidden gem. I’m very excited to have this in my collection and plan for it to be a daily driver. This fragrance reminds me much of myself with all its enigmatic congruence. (On a personal note, this fragrance reminds me of being in my oma’s (grandmother’s) house on a sunny afternoon, her house filled with the fragrance of garden flowers, freshly ironed clothes, and numerous sewing projects. It also reminds me of my first trip to South Korea as a child during the summer of 2007, and the smell of a specific cleaning product from Europe or South Korea. All very comforting memories).

#68 of My Fragrance Journey - Hermès H24: A Neon-Botanical Prism I keep coming back to this one late at night. Quiet. No distractions. And the thought keeps landing the same way: H24 isn’t really a scent. It’s more like... a shift in air. Like the room changes direction and you notice it before you understand it. First spray - yeah, it’s a shock. Cold. Electric. Green, but not leafy or friendly. More like chlorophyll under fluorescent light. Metal nearby. Not sharp in a loud way, just very clear. Almost severe. I keep thinking of walking through an empty city after midnight, streetlights buzzing, pavement still wet-but not rain, not petrichor. Steel. Glass. Something alive pushing through concrete anyway. Then there’s this strange steam note. Hot iron. Fresh fabric ghosting the skin. Clean, yes - but not soap-clean. More like a blank room before anyone’s arrived. A page before the sentence. It doesn’t comfort you. It doesn’t ask if you’re okay. It just... exists. And that’s the point, I think. H24 isn’t trying to charm anyone. It’s linear, dry, metallic, vegetal. Masculine, but not in the usual ways. No woods flexing. No tobacco posturing. It feels like a man alone with his thoughts, fine with the silence. Not lonely-just present. On my skin, it stays close. Intimate. A quiet aura rather than a trail. It follows me like an unfinished thought I don’t mind carrying around. This won’t be for everyone. There’s no warmth to sink into, no amber hug at the end. But sometimes you don’t want to be held. Sometimes you want to be clarified. Sharpened. Seen clearly, even if only by yourself. H24 feels like stepping into your own atmosphere - and deciding, calmly, to stay there. More scent stories and visuals on Instagram - @lavendercloudsjd

In August 2023, I was visiting Munich. Even though it was the middle of summer, it was often rainy and foggy in Munich, with sudden interruptions of brilliant white sunlight and steaming humidity. While killing time at a department store, I tried this out, spraying it quite liberally on my arms and neck. My immediate thought was: whoa, this is fascinating, but this is not for me. Bracing green foliage, glassy reflections, pear juice, herbal shaving cream, a metallic bitterness. Totally weird. Still, there was something intriguing about it that kept me coming back again and again. The strange and changeable weather of Munich was somehow captured in the scent. I would pass by a department store once a week on my way home from work, and spray some more on. At first it was just because the fragrance instantly transported me back to that holiday in Munich, and the memories of the friends I visited there, bound permanently to this scent; eventually, I started craving the scent in its own right. I bought a full bottle of this during a post-Christmas sale and have worn it nearly every day since then. I love it now. It still transports me back to that European vacation, and captures so many of the essences of a stately city like Munich. The green humidity of the English Garden, the crisp and stately architecture of the Maxvorstadt district, trees and flowers reflected in the plate glass windows of the tram line underlaid with the metallic smell of train brakes. This thing is a minimalist masterpiece and I hope it signals a new direction in men's fragrances, rooted in a new idea of what makes something "fresh".