I always associate scents with colors. It happens every time, I synaesthetically assign a smell to a color. I already reviewed a pink fragrance (Rose Ikebana), an orange one (ELdO Like This) and today I am in the mood for purple!

Interestingly, I expected Ambre Narguilé, realeased as one of the first four Hermessences by Jean-Claude Ellena, to be totally different. I´ve read lots of reviews and articles about it, I thought I had it down pat (from the notes and descriptions) as a BROWN scent. All this talk about cinnamon, apples, cloves, foody associations galore, I was sure I could imagine exactly how it would smell, and that I would love it. I finally obtained a small travel bottle and – surprise! – the first sniff instantly revealed a different color for me, PURPLE. This scent was purple to the core. No apples for me, almost no cinnamon, what I smell is chinese plum wine. I´m sorry if this is heresy, but I do. And I still love it.

Ambre Narguilé is very different from my expectations, but it is a beautiful scent none the less. It opens with a boozy burst of (I racked my brain, but I can´t come up with any better impression than) plum wine. Soon a darker, almost chocolatey note steals in and expands, warming the scent and deepening it. Whiffs of cinnamon float around the edges. Finally the drydown, lasting the entire day on me, is a more dry amber, less gourmand. It feels soft, and warm and cozy, I constantly want to rub my nose in it. It is supposed to represent cashmere and that is a perfect simile, one could cuddle up in front of a fire with a good book with this scent blanket, this purple scent blanket.

For fall and winter it is a perfect match to keep out the cold, just like plum wine is, actually. 😉

Hermessences are exclusive to Hermes boutiques.  Ambre Narguilé is available in 100ml and 4x15ml Travel Set.

picture sources: fragrantica.com, commons.wikimedia.org, dailyasiaessen.de some rights reserved, thank you!