Terre d’Hermes EDT by Hermes

Alright, I am revisiting this fragrance a handful of years. Also,10 years after my initial review. I know how popular and well loved this Hermes release is since its 2006 release. However, I pretty much hated it the multiple times, I wore it back then.

Now, I have hundreds upon hundreds of other fragrance reference points since then, and my nose has become much more adept at picking up details. I started to wonder, if I would still not like Terre D’Hermes? Wearing it today, would I change my tune and begin to love it? Below is my updated thoughts on this fragrance (over multiple years).

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What does Terre d’Hermes Smell Like?

Notes include: mineral note, Grapefruit, bay rose, pepper, geranium, Atlas cedar, benzoin, patchouli, vetiver, orange.

Click here to try: Terre D’ Hermes By Hermes For Men. Parfum Spray 2.5 Oz / 75 Ml

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My Full Review

When I first tried Terre D’Hermes, I had pretty high expectations as to what this fragrance would be, and afterwards, I was really disappointed.

The opening act featured a strong orange note, which is sharp, and joined by an equally sharp and very bitter grapefruit note. On my skin, the opening smells like this old citrus scented cleaner/polisher, that I used to use on my furniture.

That’s exactly what I though of back ten years ago, with the initial review.

Update: Today, I don’t really feel that way, and I can definitely detect some more nuance here.

It’s not as sharp, as I once found it. I’m much more used to these sorts of smells, than I was back in the day. The citrus actually feels balanced here, sweeter with the orange than the bitterness of grapefruit.

Plus, you get a spicy black pepper note, bay leaf, and a mineral aroma. I actually have begun to enjoy that spice. Particularly, the lighter bay leaf note. It gives it a kick without dominating the composition.

I still don’t really enjoy most ‘mineral’ accords. In AdG Profumo, it works. Here, it’s not too distracting, either. When I first tried it, that’s a big part of what I could smell and why I hated this Hermes fragrance. But, this time around it doesn’t play a major role. Great!

There is also a certain level of smokiness here from the vetiver and perhaps the benzoin. I think that’s what it is, because I get a similar feeling from Kouros Body. Sort of fuzzy, smoky, but that YSL scent also had incense too.

I still get a lot of the pepper, but with more patchouli (decent), and a really fresh cedar and vetiver blend (I like this part). On top of all of that, is the orange note, still adding a sweetness.

The scent has less of that vetiver smoke, but I dig the touch. It’s a sweet orange and wood with an earthy quality and the remaining notes dancing in the background.

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Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of Terre d’Hermes is strong. Not super powerful projection, but still very good. I’d say that it settles into something noticeable, slightly above average, but not going to blow the doors off. Unless you really go heavy with the sprays.

The performance of this fragrance is great and the longevity hit 8 hours on my skin, during this latest trial run. Update: Here in 2023, still getting 8-ish hours from it. So, if you dig this scent, you do get your money’s worth.

The other strength of this fragrance is its versatility. It’s got an almost unisex quality to it, but it definitely leans more masculine. It’s clean, citrus/woodsy aroma, is safe for work, casual wear, formal situations, etc.

Terre d’Hermes is one that can be worn daily and works well in just about all climates, excepting the high heat of a summer’s day. It’s works in warm weather, but wearing it on a hot day, was an even worse experience for me.

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Overall Impression of Terre d’Hermes

Overall, I’m still not a massive fan of Terre d’Hermes. However, it has gone from a complete dislike, to something that I can enjoy from time to time.

I still don’t really want a full bottle or to wear it all of the time, but I appreciate it more.

Eau Intense Vetiver, is another flanker of this that I like. Eau Tres Fraiche is one is still really don’t like.

This time around, I’m getting less of the mineral note, less sharpness/bitterness from the citrus, and highlights of the aspects of Terre d’Hermes that I like.

The orange seems to have more control in this batch, versus the grapefruit.  I prefer the orange, playing off of the other notes. The vetiver is great, as is the bay leaf, and benzoin.

Now that I get a better opening act with this one, the entire lifecycle of the cologne feels much smoother and something likeable. I’m never going to completely be one to love this fragrance, but it’s worth checking out for sure.

Others, have always been into it more than me. These days, Terre d’Hermes is something that has sort of won me over, just not entirely.