Twilly d'Hermès Eau Poivrée Eau de Parfum

I’ve bought my bottle of Twilly d'Hermes Eau Poivree EDP when it was launched and it’s still one of my favourites spicy rose centred perfumes from my collection. Looking at the notes listed, one would expect a simple, maybe slightly boring rose perfume. But trust me, Twilly d’Hermes Eau Poivree is far from being a predictable rose fragrance. I will mention it’s a linear fragrance but it’s blended so well, it’s so intense and rich and it has that addictive scent that makes me sniff myself continuously when I’m wearing it. As name would suggest, it’s also heavy on pink pepper. It’s a warm, balsamic, spicy, peppery, clean patchouli rose forward scent. It’s also very long lasting with moderate to strong radiance in the air and it gets me compliments from ladies often. At its core, it’s a rose perfume and I have/tested quite a few of them. But Twilly d'Hermes Eau Poivrée EDP has that uniqueness about it that makes it stand out from the rest. It doesn’t smell like Atomic Rose, or like Love Chopard, or Porpora, or Scherzo, it doesn’t smell like any of Delina, or the new Creed/Kayali, it smells different than all these other interpretations of a rose perfume. And with only three notes listed in composition, it smells very complex! For me it’s a staple for spring and fall season and I rarely hear anyone talking about it! I think Hermes gets overlooked often because it’s a classic French house with a more unconventional approach when it comes to the fragrances they release currently. Hermes doesn’t follow trends, they create classic masterpieces! Might not be the rose for everyone, because I know patchouli can be very hard for some people in perfumes, but for others like me, this is one of the best/ strongest/ addictive/richest rose centred fragrance releases by a designer brand in the last ten years! Christine Nagel created a glorious rose perfume!!

This is exquisite, lively, elegant and youthful at the same time. For some reason, I think it would suit a beautiful, quick-witted redheaded woman (think "Amy Pond" for example). It's youthful, but not childish or girly. The top notes in particular unfold in an energetic sparkle (pink pepper often gives me this feeling). I also smell something fruity, for example a fresh note of melon - the type of melon that matches the color of the bottle! Sometimes, especially when I smell close to my skin, I get a minty cherry note - maybe the rosy notes mixed with patchouli give this impression. This variation of Twilly shows its best scent in the sillage: In the heart notes, in the right climate and with the right skin chemistry, you will be surrounded by a soft, sensual cloud of many red, pink and purple flowers. Most of them are roses, but I can also sense the idea of a purple orchid and a well-made tuberose. The whole sensation is really exquisite and graceful. The problem with me are the base notes - I don't smell patchouli at this point, but clearly some kind of synthetic wood with no depth. But that's my problem - I know only a few fragrances that bloom to the end on my cold, dry skin, especially in the cold season. For me, it's better in warmer climates or in spring or summer. But I like the feel of the top and middle notes so much that I tend to spray again ... and then it blooms vibrant and rosy from the start. Really something good to increase the energy on gray days.

As irrepressibly charming as the original Twilly. The opening here is a punchy pink peppercorn, warm and slightly fruity, followed immediately by a rose that feels hypernatural the way only a rose perfume can. It brings to my mind the Technicolor heart of YSL's Paris - bold, unsubtle, and hard to resist. The drydown is soft and woody, with amber and crisp cedar tempering the bright floral burst. (If there's patchouli, it's either buried in the mix or not particularly natural, and if this is a chypre then I'm the Queen of England.) Eau Poivrée is a tad drier than the original, and its rose less conceptual than Twilly's through-the-looking-glass tuberose, but overall it isn’t a vastly different beast. They both smell like the olfactory equivalent of a wink. Pick your eyeshadow. [Edit 10/30/2023: The more I wear Eau Poivrée, the drier and woodier it feels, and the more I get the eerie sense of an '80s chypre encroaching on an otherwise modern-plastic space, like Diva or Knowing whispering through the walls of the Barbie Dream House. I still wouldn't call Eau Poivrée a proper chypre, but it does strike me now as at least somewhat attuned to its forebears, like a possessed child in a horror movie reciting the incantations of the Old Ones. Fun and flirty!]

I had such a long time to have an wow reaction. I don't know what's happening in your countries but that joke with 'corona' must end and it's up to us. Time to wake up and go back to our favorite and 'healthy' addiction, perfumes. So, I have seen many times pink pepper being introduced in perfumes. The last good one I would say it rocks the same way is Signorina EDP by S.Ferragamo, but Eau Poivree, it's just amazing! It may give sometimes a powdery vibe of these classic wet tissues but you just can't go wrong. This perfume is not only unique but a signature too with vintage touches. The opening is pure pink pepper in a way you feel like, should I stop inhaling or soon I'll have a sneezing and everybody will tell God bless you? Well, that didn't happen because earthy patchouli balances the spicy rush and a rose comforts the composition. I am not getting crazy when smelling it up close but when I get whispers of it, I really wanna hug the person and relax in his/her arms. Yes, I am thinking seriously of buying it for my mother although she is a fun of citrus/woody perfumes. Soft spicy, classy, fresh, young & mature at the same time, long lasting with signature characteristics, what else do you need?

I absolutely love this gem! You must love Patchouli to really appreciate it. It is first and foremost a Patchouli scent, and then it it is a rose scent, for me at least. I get some fruity notes, as well, oddly! The Pink pepper compliments all of the above beautifully. More than a play dough it gives me an 80's hairspray in a can or a really well scented 70's or 80's soap, luxurious edition, (although clean soapy has been mentioned), the one you buy for your mom or gran for Christmas as a kid with your pocket money! It has a undisputed Hermes top notch quality to it, and that goes for the ingredience selection and mixing of the notes! It is just an exquisite, a bit retro or vintage but a yummy gem anyway! Dry down is very creamy indolic, tuberose almost, which is the best part when the first hit of peppered Patchouli fades down a bit. I just love this as a UNISEX, too! Although lot of people would object to the idea an Alpha male rocking this! LOL! Which I get! I am a bit obsessed with it right now, so a definite LOVE from me! :) P.S. I sometimes layer this with the gorgeous ASDAAF cheapie Majd Al Sultan, which creates an amazing combo or sweet rose patchouli + smokey woodsy incense! OBSESSED!