Eau de Gentiane Blanche — By Hermès
A cologne with no citrus at all, which is the whole provocation.
Bitter gentian, powdery iris and white musk.
Eau de Cologne · 3.4 oz
Ships unboxed — the same bottle, without the orange box.
Full notes+
- Top
- Gentian
- Heart
- Iris
- Base
- White Musk, Incense
- Family
- Musky / Green
- Character
- Bitter · Soft · Clean
- Intensity
- Light
How to wear+
Skin, not fabric. For when you want to smell like someone who doesn't wear fragrance.
The drydown
- Top
Gentian
Bitter and rooty — medicinal for a moment, the way a good aperitif is.
- Heart
Iris
Powdery and cool, softening the bitterness into something close to skin.
- Base
White Musk · Incense
Clean without the laundry, with a faint thread of smoke.
Ellena's counterpoint
Jean-Claude Ellena made this in 2009 as a counterpoint to the cologne tradition. Every classic cologne opens on citrus, so he left it out and used gentian instead — the bitter root behind aperitifs like Suze.
What you get is quieter and stranger than an eau de cologne has any right to be. Bitter, then powdery, then gone into skin.
The most interesting bottle on the fragrance shelf, and the least showy.
Verdict: For men who'd rather be asked than noticed.