Perfume Review: Hermès Eau d'Orange Verte

By Tom I must write that the holiday weekend kind of crept up upon me, leaving me high and dry in a couple of ways. I lazily left that Saturday to hanging out, going to SIP to pick up my bottle of Musc Botanique (which was not available at the time that I visited). This visit went from "pop in for two minutes" to a long chat about everything from ice cream to whether LA has seasons. Suddenly it was 5pm, and I still had to get to Pasadena to feed my friends cats since she was away for the weekend. I've put more miles on my car this weekend than I think I have in the three previous weeks. But hey, gas dropped to under $4 and it's good to log some freeway miles once in a while, right? Of course having wasted so much time this weekend there were a couple things that slipped my mind. Like getting the car smogged. I don't know how the car inspections are where you live, but in California you must get your car smog tested every two years. It actually seems to be the only thing that needs to be tested; I remember in Massachusetts they inspected the headlights, brakes and other mechanical systems. In CA, it's smog. Fine, but I forgot about it and it's due Tuesday. Being a government sponsored thing, they basically have bankers hours. Grrr. The other thing I missed is that some stores have the gall to close on labor day. Don't they know it's all about me? Grrr. So, after lazing away the weekend with "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" on DVD I realised that I needed to review something. Looking in my closet I espied the green bottle of Hermes Eau de Cologne and lo and behold I've never written about it. Much. My bottle is the older version, apparently it was renamed Eau d'Orange Vert in 1997. Like Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien, it's a light and refreshing citrus, this time bergamot and orange peel with a touch of mint and barely discernible jasmine. Actually most of the listed notes (including patch, oakmoss and cedar) are barely discernible; this is as finely blended as a good whiskey. It's as refined as it is refreshing and as coolly chic as a seersucker suit. However, unlike that suit, I will be wearing this long after Labor Day. So should you. Eau d'Orange Verte is available at various etailers at some great prices, I've seen the gigantic 13 oz splash bottle for as little as $60, which should allay the fears that the cologne is fairly fleeting. Note: I find the top notes are, the rest is just very close to the skin.