Hermessence Agar Ebene

I received a sample/tester of Agar Ebene when I purchased a bandana at an Hermes boutique, and I later bought a bottle. This is the scent that changed me from never wearing fragrances to all-in with Hermessence. As you might know, Hermessence scents are infamous for not always lasting that long on the wearer. Some view this as a negative, but I actually prefer it. I've never had any "stale perfume" smell on my clothes from anything this line, and I can easily change scents over the course of the day. At first smell (from the bottle), I actually disliked this one; it had a doctor's office/latex element to it. Boy did my mind change soon. On my skin this is an ecstasy of exotic smoky wood and leather that smells like sophistication incarnate (can you tell I love it?). It's the kind of fragrance I just sniff on my skin all day to be enveloped in bliss. I can't identify all the scents by name (I presume this is what agar and fir smell like together), but it's a joy for me from start to finish. Sillage is close, but if someone gives you a hug, they will probably get an extra treat. This one lasts quite a while on me (as a skin scent) - around 8+ hours. It's never loud, but an intimate, personal scent. It doesn't fade quickly like some of the floral Hermessences tend to. It does pair nicely with some of the other Hermessences - I think my favorite is layering Myrrhe Eglantine on top. I (male) love Agar Ebene so much, my #1 favorite scent. To me, this fragrance smells like Hermes: somehow everything in the house has been distilled into a wonderful, wearable elixir. I think this could easily be worn by someone of any sex, so if a rich and smooth woody/leathery kind of smell interests you, check this one out!

Agar Ebene is just wonderfull. I dont see or follow "style of the house" in fragrance, all i care for is how pleasant(interesting), naturally smelling and long lasting it is. Agar, i think changes that, in case of Hermes at least. Oud, oud here is light, watercolor is exactly the first thing that comes to mind. Contrary to usual description of oud - this one is very elegant, never stinky, firmly woody but never suffocating. It has depth. It is like a fresh breath of wind that flew through agarwood market, and delivered ever so light spirit of this mighty tree. And this is exactly where the BRAND joins in, since hermes to me is a definition of simple elegance. Its like a man wearing ever so casual blue pants and white shirt. And from afar, nothing special, but when you come up close you realize the quality of materials, fit and finish. Talking about materials - most likely oud is synthetic, but it is done extremely well. I would dare to say better than any other oud. Longevity is where it fails, as indeed its edt, so max 3-4 hrs. And silage is minimal. And after all this, i do really want it. Its for the times when ur done with all dense perfumes and extravaganza. Its a nice, peaceful break from the busy world.

Big bundle of contradictions which somehow adds up to less than the sum of its parts overall. This is far darker, butcher and male-er than most of the Hermessences - yet still fascinating to try if you can't yet imagine oud as a balsawood-light, airy, outdoor experience rather than just a big heavy stinky tree-trunk. First half hour is stone love for me: the beautiful paradox of a gentle, almost transparent oud, sweetened up just a very tiny bit with conifer resins. Despite the light texture it's still a very BROWN, definitely timber-based scent, with ebony adding a real tang of even deeper, darker woods. Presents both warm and cool faces; to my mind it would be good all year round, though it might not be robust enough for winter. Unisex for those who love forest. One of my very favourites in the entire Hermessence line, along with Poivre Samarcande. BUT: just like nearly all the others, its longevity is deeply disappointing (barely detectable after 2h, though the lingering trace on skin is also lovely) and the sillage never powerful. A very refined sepia watercolour, for men or women who don't mind respraying every few hours.

SirCharles gives an excellent comparison below to Jo Malone's Oud and Bergamot a very original fragrance that to me smells like dark, sodden & modern wood, kinda synthetic but also some of the qualities you get from oud of certain origins. Then the bergamot which doesn't smell like bergamot, but doesn't smell enough like any other citrus not to be either. Enough about that though because although I definitely get the association, the delivery is about as different as one could possibly imagine. This has a subtlety to it, and broadly woodier theme's with a light ethereal spice to it. Light top notes, but enough to catch my interest when I sprayed it in a Hermes boutique and a mellow heart. My description doesn't do it justice, Agar Ebene is very good though. I was compelled to buy a mini travel spray.

ok I don't think I'm going to be the only one who thinks this, but as soon as I put my nose to this I immediately thought of Salvatore Ferragamo's Tuscan sent line of Incense Suede, but I think this one is a little softer and more refined, I love SF I.S and how big the sent cloud is and how it projects, it also last a long time probably cause its an edp and this one is an edt however this one is so much better, this is just like I.S a calming smell to me this is something where I can see my self sitting in an old leather arm chair sipping on a glass of 18 y/o scotch with a nice cigar by a fire place in a cabin and just relax. I will prob get a bottle of this once my tester runs out, just a fantastic sent.

This one actually really does remind me of Cuir d'Ange. Out of all of Nagel's additions, this is the most connected to Elena's. In saying that, perhaps its a little too much like Cuir d'Ange. That left me a bit bored. Though, as it changes, the fir sings. The agarwood takes on a strange route and becomes something entirely unusual. Any way you look at it, its a very high quality scent. Maybe not worth a purchase if you have CdA and a similar skin type to myself.

In my quest to find a masculine Hermessence fragrance I tried this one and loved it. All Hermessence are marketed as Unisex (I myself enjoy Sandal Masoia) but I think this works perfectly on a man. It doesn't smell like the typical oud fragrance. I read @cumulnimbus review before buying it and it is truly as stated: sillage is polite. Longevity is fine. A great fragrance for winter but it could also work well in other seasons.

Like @Commodore64, a couple of comments below, I am also a huge fan of this and Santal Mossoia. I don't think of "typical men's fragrance" with this at all, but it definitely works very well for men. My only complaint is that like many other Hermessence frags, the longevity is quite weak: for me, almost undetectable after a couple of hours. But I am a big fan of this.

Soft wood and suede and it smells delicious, elegant and polished. Complicated isn't necessarily better and this is a perfect example. I wear this by itself and also layered with other scents and I'm never disappointed. It feels sensual and beautiful. It leans masculine but I wear it often.

Agar is not about oud.. Personally I don't detect oud here. The fragrance is leathery with some osmanthus in the base. The quality of leather is very, very high! This one is for those who like Cuir d'Ange but want it to be fruitier and more "yummy".

I really love this perfume. There's something in it that reminds me of the wood smells of old victorian buildings. The only downside with it is it fades so quickly, and while there is a warmth of smell quite close to the skin it doesn't carry.

Intimate, minimalist, modest, refined, sophisticated, elegant. Very versatile and posh. Unisex. There is something very appealing about this one. I enjoy wearing it; even though it’s a skin scent and almost limited projection. Shukran Habibi!

Fragrance, balsamic, fresh, flaky, of rare elegance, background of Oud, which magically harmonizes without dominating. A refined, dynamic blend, which brings together masterful balance and harmony. Fragrance of great charm.

Beautiful fragrance. Soft spicy woods and fir. No where (but on this site) does it claim to be Oud. It is agarwood, and it smells nice and “fuzzy”, warm and cozy.

oud doesnt last long but the spicy wood that follows is super nice and warm.just lovely.the price is insane.best barbershop fragrance ever!!

I loved the smell of it after it cooled down the first time I smelled it and went back a month later to get it

this one reminds me of ramadhan and eid, an indescribable feeling

this would be a wonderful one from Lovely Hermes

Much as I love Hermès as a fragrance house, and in-house perfumer Christine Nagel (as well as her predecessor, Jean-Claude Ellena), I have yet to smell a Hermessence perfume that I truly love. Agar Ebène is a pleasant woody scent, pared-back and minimal, but lacks the wow factor. The performance is fairly limited too, as is the tendency with the Hermessence line. That aside, it is a good quality, well-rendered woody scent - natural-smelling and aromatic, featuring a nice suede drydown. AE is woody from initial spray, albeit light and transparent. I get the dry, green pine note early on, adding a forest-y nuance to the woodiness. There is a hint of oud, but it is subtle, blending in nicely with other soft woody notes. A slight hint of animalic amber emerges as it dries down, perhaps thanks to the development of the oud note. It gives a soft leather edge to the drydown. It fades to a woody-leather skin scent after about two hours. Sillage is intimate and longevity is surprisingly weak, given the profile of this scent. Unisex to my nose, AE is a transeasonal day scent. Elegant and easy-to-wear, it is ideal for everyday use. An unusually sheer woody-amber scent, it is subtle and inoffensive, but really good stuff if you get close enough to appreciate it. 3/5.

Well... this smells exactly like the notes listed in fragrantica. Oud and tree. When it settles, it does start to smell a little sour. Like bergamot... and tree? But that sour note does fade, and I am left with the smell of a freshly chopped tree. Smells masculine. Smells like my dad. I like it! I doubt I will ever wear this, as it smells like a lumberjack, and that is not the look I am going for, but I would wear this fragrance on a morning run, to make suburbia smell more foresty. Or at bedtime, when I feel homesick. And I would love to experiment putting this under other fragrances. I don't do a lot of experimentation with layering, but there are times when I crave a wood note in a fragrance, or wish a fragrance had a stronger wood note, so it would be interesting to smell this under some of those fragrances. FOR SCIENCE! Edited to add: I thought I wished for a stronger wood note under Kilian Princess, but nope! Turns out I don't! Just goes to show, you shouldn't fucking mess with perfection. I'll use Agar Ebene for running, sleeping, and lumberjacking. Just as the perfumer intended.