Our take
What does Eau de Mandarine Ambrée smell like?
Hermès added Eau de Mandarine Ambrée to its Colognes collection in 2013, alongside Eau de Narcisse Bleu. Jean-Claude Ellena, then the house perfumer, signed both. The formula rests on three ideas. Mandarin opens fresh and sweet, closer to clementine than to bitter citrus. Passion fruit then brings an exotic note, juicy and slightly sour. Then the amber arrives, soft and velvety, and the mandarin seems to melt into it rather than vanish. That is the real find: a cologne that ends warm. Everything stays sheer, true to Ellena’s style. Compared with Eau d’Orange Verte, the historic 1979 Hermès cologne, it feels rounder and less brisk. A bit more daring would have been welcome, yet the result is lovely. It also lasts longer than a classic cologne.
When to wear it
A cologne for cooler seasons, at work or on weekends. Use it generously, on skin or on a scarf.
It belongs to the Citrus family. Eau de Mandarine Ambrée is one of 47 creations by Hermès in our encyclopedia.
