Hermessence Cardamusc

For ages, I have struggled to find a Hermes scent I truly enjoy. Though I have formerly owned bottles, I eventually let them go as I found them too thin, austere or serious. All I have tried are missing that sweetness and sensuality that I was after. Even Ambre Narguile was short that little something. This is why Cardamusc came as a complete surprise. I had previously tested Musc Pallida and enjoyed the uniqueness of its wear. Interesting, but I wasn't drawn to its powdery nature. The name Cardamusc kept me at bay as it sounded prohibitively spicy, until I took that first swipe. I found a gorgeous, superbly wearable scent and I take true comfort in. Cardamusc evokes the sweet sensuality of a gourmand scent without being 'cheapened' with food flavourings. It's easy to make anything smell good with vanilla! Coincidentally, its discovery comes at a time where I'm finding more use out of oils too. Rather than opening with spiciness, there's a coolness to the cardamom, lending contrast to the sweet amber-y mix of labdanum and musk. There is refined balance between amber and musk, as the latter augments and elevates what would otherwise be flat sweetness. Amber and musk combinations are a dime a dozen, yet it smells completely original here. Though musk plays a small opening role, gradually its volume increases as the burgeoning amber fades, enveloping the wearer in a warm musk bubble. It's not buttery, not soapy, but slightly powdery, tinged with faint yellow florals. Again, I found myself surprised enjoying a completely different musk from what I'm used to. Cardamusc wears well for about 8 hours, but wears closer to skin, projecting intimately as a personal scent. Whilst normally I would have complaints about performance, the nature of oils means it's to be expected. This is something I've had to slowly accept in my oil explorations. I won't beat around the bush, Cardamusc is prohibitively expensive. However, the sheer comfort I derive means I may very soon graduate from a decant to a full bottle. Extremely versatile scent barring warmer weather, so I definitely will be mixing and matching to explore layering options. Not often does a scent remind you of why you started exploring perfumes, spending hours on this relentless pursuit. Cardamusc is that scent to me and I hope you might enjoy it as much as I do.

Cardamusc is a beautiful aromatic cardamon softened with powdery musk. The scent develops and strengthens a bit as the oil warms on your skin leaning in to a sweet, spicy and long lasting powdery scent. As others have said- it's meant as a layering item. (But I like it on its own also). It is very expensive, true. But also, if you have only tried a decant or a store sample (the bottle in store are fully open), the real one you buy from the boutique comes with a specially sealed top so that only a drop or two come up top when you open the cap. It's not meant to be "slathered" on. If you use it as it was probably *designed* to be used (and as Nagel has recommended swiping a drop or two) with the closed top that dispenses only a few drops at a time, then this bottle will last you a very long time. It is an oil, not a spray. Think of it more like a rollerball oil where you will actually be using very little at a time, and no waste from spraying. This, to me, is the hallmark of Hermes. The perfume that taken care of and used wisely, will last years and years. The purse or scarf that taken care of, can be passed on to future generations decades later.

Haven’t tried this enough yet to be able to give a full notes breakdown, but my word. This is the only time that I have sniffed a perfume for the first time and my honest reaction has just been “wow”. I crave this. I need to bathe in it. It’s just absolutely glorious. A hymn to cardamom sung by a choir of angels

Quiet elegance ... this is everything that is Hermes bottled up. Pure perfume oil that last ALL day but very inoffensive as it sits closer to the skin ... cardamom and Musc. Heritage luxury at its finest with master perfumer Christine Nagel at the helm.

Cardamusc is a warm green spicy/aromatic beauty. Perfectly balanced as one would expect. It pairs very well with many of the Hermessence EDTs, both the complementaries (Epice Marine, Ambre Narguille, Agar Ebene) and more contrasting ones (Osmanth Yunnan, Myrrh Eglantine, Vetiver Tonka). It is also lovely on its own, but it's a skin scent for sure (on me at least). It also extends layered fragrances' lifespans a bit (but don't expect a beast). It is beautifully unisex, and it's something that I could see taking on traits of the wearer. I think more people might prefer this to Musc Pallida (but I like them both equally). Even though it's quite simplistic (Nagel's straightforward and focused style), it is still a unique fragrance (to my nose) that I have not smelled on anyone before (and not just due to the lack of sillage). If you've been through all the main Hermessences, I would recommend trying this one on and I'd say it should be tested on the skin and rubbed warm. Smelling the bottle will give you a better idea than paper application.

Cardamusc is cardamom oil with a small dash of ambrox, enough ambrox to titillate the wearer while remaining disguised as Hermes secret “musk”. Because to charge $495 AUD for a small vile of cardamom oil and ambroxan would be scandalous. If you like, you can buy a 100 ml bottle of Escentric Molecule’s Molecule 02 for a quarter of the price and you can enjoy the most intoxicating aspect of Cardamusc at full strength, guilt-free.

I bought this as a gift for my husband, and I use it myself sometimes. To put it in simple terms, it smells good. And expensive. It stays close to one’s skin, so it is more of a private pleasure. It lasts all day and opens up as your body warms up throughout the day. I don’t smell it on my husband unless I get very close (close enough for a kiss) — he likes that because he doesn’t feel like he is wearing obvious perfume. Once again, a very expensive private pleasure. It’s like having an Hermes handkerchief — a Kleenex will do the job, but you know what you have and feel elevated just by having it. This is the best way to do spices — it doesn’t have that heavy oriental feel, but more of a expensive restaurant kitchen feel (and not even dessert, this is not a sweet perfume). I am reasonably confident I had an amuse bouche at a 3 Micheline star restaurant that smelled like that, and it was a milk-cardamom concoction. Personally, I don’t layer it, I like it as is. Hermès have me a ton of Hermessence samples when I bought this, but it is just too fussy for me. Would I recommend buying it? Probably not, unless you can truly afford it — once again, it is a great perfume, just very freaking expensive. There are great olfactory experiences to be had at a fraction of the cost-per-ml.

This was a surprise find -- I'd been in the Hermes store about 6 or 7 times, and every time I asked an attendant, they all said that it was out of stock or that they'd never heard of it. Anyway, as luck would have it, today someone searched and they found the tester! It's a 20 ml oil, and it's REALLY expensive. Not worth it at all. I get a Nasomatto style musk (I forget which scent of his features this musk) and a cardamom syrup combo -- once in Singapore, in little India, I found a store that sold this Cardamom syrup and that's what this reminds me of. I'm happy I got to actually sample it, but I don't see myself spending 4 or 5 hundred dollars on this...

Cardamusc and Musc Pallida are supposed to be worn as a "foundation" layer. Smooth over 1 or 2 drops on your skin, followed with the Hermessence of your choice. Since each retails at over USD 400 for 20ml (that is USD 20 per ml), why don't we accidentally pour a few more drops as we try the testers? Each on the left and right arm, if you will. We will be all smiles as we leave Hermes's only front door. Shameless & curious, -AB-

i will be harsh because i must , this is super overpriced , is not as clean as i thought it would be , it is very very sweet , it is supposed to be a layering oil but i think it would be too sweet and not enhancing at all , but then is just IMHO ! I prefer bruno acampora for a musc

A clean, pleasant, and very "safe" sandalwood, cardamon, and white musk scent. Completely blameless but a little boring, and the weaker of the two between this and Pallida. Lasts a very long time and wears quite close to the skin.

Christine Nagel please make a perfume from this magician, rich in its ingredients, is extravagantly wealthy. 10/10

It is very beautiful, but it is extremely green. Green to the point of astringency.