Hermessence Cedre Sambac Hermès for women and men

Hermessence Cedre Sambac Hermès for women and men

main accords
white floral
woody
floral

Perfume rating 4.10 out of 5 with 304 votes

Hermessence Cedre Sambac by Hermès is a Amber Woody fragrance for women and men. Hermessence Cedre Sambac was launched in 2018. The nose behind this fragrance is Christine Nagel.

Read about this perfume in other languages: Deutsch, Español, Français, Čeština, Italiano, Русский, Polski, Português, Ελληνικά, 汉语, Nederlands, Srpski, Română, العربية, Українська, Монгол, עברית.

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Fragrance Notes


Jasmine Sambac
Cedar

Fragrantica® Trends is a relative value that shows the interest of Fragrantica members in this fragrance over time.

Hermessence Cedre Sambac News
Cedre Sambac Hermessence: A Review After Five Years 13
Hermessence: Interview with Christine Nagel

Hermessence: Interview with Christine Nagel

by Sergey Borisov

03/13/18 18:31
7
Hermessence: Five New Perfumes by Christine Nagel 16

Perfume longevity:3.16 out of5.

Perfume sillage:2.23 out of4.

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All Reviews By Date

BeckZheng

Such an elegant scent!
The woodiness and white floral scent present like old cosmetics. The cedar wood smoothly cover the indole from the jasmines. Moderate sillage and longevity.
Not fruity
Not citrusy
Feminine
Not powdery
Linear scent
Sillage 7/10
Longevity 7/10
Scent 7/10
Price 3/10
Overall 7/10

smelling.sniffing.swan

Instantly a very enchanting blend of sweet woods, amaretto/almond liqueur, and smooth jasmine dancing around on top.
Maybe a touch of dry incense, certainly a toasty warmth without the smokiness that often accompanies that.
A light leathery under-tone gives this a firmly classy character.
The jasmine is musky-sweet, pushing the fragrance towards a more feminine profile, but the sweetness never feels immature.
In the dry-down an inoffensive lactonic quality sits close to the skin.
My mother used to wear 'Vanderbilt' by Gloria Vanderbilt, and I'm getting some familiarity to that here, so a twinge of nostalgia for me which is very pleasant.
Some may feel this is too 'old-fashioned' but I would argue that it's more classically timeless.

VERDICT: For the elegant woman, or the refined man and those that adore woody jasmine, this is a must-try.

Jabouba

I like this scent my only problem that it’s weak, it doesn’t project well and doesn’t last.

fyre92

Strip jasmine noir of the almond and vanilla and patchouli and yeah it’s super similar

lorem_ipsum

Lots and lots of tuberose here. Hardly any jasmine.

Moonshine_Strawberries

I may need to come edit this later but upon my first try I’m having a hard time disassociating it from one of my absolute favorites, which is Kilian Let’s Settle This Like Adults. It’s pretty much exactly like it minus the sweet “fig milk” element. If you like this but feel like it’s missing something, try the Kilian. If you like the Kilian but feel like it’s a little too juvenile or sweet, try this. I’m going to avoid the Kilian for awhile so that I can better assess how I feel about this sample. Leaving the sweet element out should make it more mature and maybe even professional.

I do feel like I can go ahead and say right off the bat that this is definitely the ultimate feminine cedar - a rare attempt.

cryptid

Two of my favorite notes chiming - lush, pearly jasmine twining around the strength of cedar. Also, and I know it sounds oxymoronic, but there's somehow a pleasant plasticky tone in this synthesis, not really sure how else to describe it. On me, this scent holds for most of the day, gentle and close to the skin through the drydown. I love the simplicity & warmth of it.

MannyOyson

[Feb. 2023]
(... Continued from my review of Muguet Porcelaine.)

Hermessence Sambac is a lactonic floral of which its indole is as creamy as lotion but the flower light as a breeze. It's no sampaguita, and it's not like the jasmines outside the garden either. The drydown reminds me of Do Son, but its nowhere as soapy or tingly-sharp as Do Son. Hermessence Sambac remains lightly warm and creamy for a duration of its run without a hint of greens or smoke, it is mostly a Jasmine solinote but never tiring to me. One of my favourite florals for its delicate balance of appearing lightweight without evaporating into nothing so soon. It lasts for 4-5 hours but on fresh clothes, it remained the next day.

It does recall the newly discontinued Tom Ford Santal Blush, but Cedre Sambac doesn't smell like powder, smell sharp, or tingle the nose like the former. It also doesn't smell "cute" like Santal Blush (peach note?) Though not the same, I feel this made a good replacement for Santal Blush. Much creamier.

Regardless, my go-to fragrance to pair with Muguet Porcelaine from my travel set. And with Osmanthe Yunnan, an enjoyable asiatic-styled tea bouquet experience.

alphairone

Shadows and light: the contrast illuminates the spirit and draws attention to its inner depths. In Cedre Sambac, perfumer Christine Nagel demonstrates the importance between these two contrasts in bringing to relief the whole picture.

Jasmine Sambac, voluptuous, seductive, but also white hot, is pulled in a drier, shadier direction through cedar. As if by some trickery, one brings out qualities in the other that wouldn’t be as noticeable if they were to stand alone. Maybe in addition to these two, Nagel included tuberose and sandalwood—or maybe, just maybe, one or the other is creating these illusions through their partnership.

Above and beyond that, there are suggestions of charming scents that tickle my memory: pencil erasers (rubbers), brand new paperback books, hotel soaps, the interior of a hope chest, visits to Grossman’s (a now defunct chain similar to the Home Depot of today) with my Dad as a kid.

But then it we go back to the shadows and light of the subject matter. Flowers and woods. Yin and Yang. Even maybe Ylang Ylang. While indoles are here, they are more oblique, and over time become unapparent. The subtle but persistent dry down, is more billowy, creamier, and it’s as if the cedar, rather than giving splinters, could melt in your mouth like one of those mints your grandmother would give you.

Sometimes Nagel’s compositions elude and frustrate me, but much like Galop d’Hermes and Mauboussin Histoire d’Eau, this pleases me tremendously.

Now I must try Violet Volynka and Archives 69.

DariaFrancesca74

Hermessence Cedre Sambac by Hermès, Christine Nagel's masterpiece fragrance: magical alchemical duet between Sambac jasmine and cedar wood. The white floral notes evoke warm spring atmospheres blend with the warm enveloping amber / boises notes of cedar wood. An enveloping, seductive and sensual blend of great charm.

lostinsiam

First Review of any fragrance ever. So bear with me. Based on first impression of a spray sample. Starts off as strong floral bloom Reminds me strongly of my grandmother's white bouquet of flowers. As it settles it has more of a soapy smell. Dove dial or one of those types of soaps when you first open up the box. Seems like a romantic type of fragrance for an established relationship. Good for a cozy drive in the county, or a visit to the parents house. [Not an "I'm thinking of ending things visit" a nice visit.] Perhaps good for going traveling the world. I would suggest adding this in one of the gift travel packs, but not as a $450 stand alone for the reasons I gave above. Definitely old fashioned, floral delicate and smooth. It may be good if you're depressed or sick. For me it's like a dream, love lost, ships departed, and a slow motion spring coming to an end.

Claire Dessert

WOW! Starts with a bang of burnt plastic and hospital desinfectant to then morph into an animalic jasmin. Explosive. Dirty. Fecal.

Post orgasm it becomes a rather demure but long lasting skin scent. Creamy jasmin (and definitely tuberose!) on a fluffy cloud of cedar. With a subtle tang of salty skin. Sultry summer nights in a bottle....

freeze_siesta

To me, it smells like new books and I love it!

DGouveia

In love with this one. It’s very clear and feels very familiar but the nuances just make it distinct. The jasmine is there but it’s just indolic enough to be generous, creamy, skin-like; against the severe cedar that also has a spicyness to it.
It feels very dual. Strict but generous, sober yet free.
The harmony of the bitter sharpness with the warmth makes me think of Chanel 19 although it has nothing to do with it.
03/22 - Compared it with a vintage parfum bottle of Patou's Joy just to see the difference between two indolic fragrances. This is has a very balanced salty indolic note. Joy is through the roof piss/fecal indolic and fades into a more floral powdery musk.

brokesta911

Hermes Cedre Sambac (2018) - indolic woods - #christinenagel creates a focused thought combining Indolic, creamy and human-skin smelling Jasmine with a Cedar accord. On Fragrantica, you just get 2 notes, but I’m getting more than that. If Ellena’s range were Haikus, these are more the longer form Tanka. Reminds me of new rubber shoes, salty human skin, bushes of fallen leaves, an animalic musk accord, and pencil shavings. But don’t fret, dear reader, it’s technically good with a nice balance.

harperhilton

let’s color it Santal Tuberose and call it a day. very nice (and i’ll be wearing my sample and might even buy a bottle) - but no cedar nor jasmine within sniffing distance.

Djedi

I know the notes listed are only jasmine and cedar, but that's basically what you're getting. Opening is heavy on the jasmine, while the drydown is more woody. It's quite indolic on me. Maybe the slightest whiff of tuberose as well but that's it. I'm not a big fan of white florals, but I have to say it is blended very nicely. It wears quite smooth and the indolic nuances aren't too intrusive or overpowering. The cedar/woods will become more pronounced as you wear it more, but all in all it's a rather simple fragrance. Unisex, but more feminine leaning. Performance is on par with the others done by Nagel. Average, but it will linger for some hours on skin with restrained, but controlled projection. Not bad at all, but for me personally a bit too indolic.

6,5/10

tandem_4x4

Smells exactly like Jasmine and Cedre. Jasmine is not as indolic here as in A La Nuit by Serge Lutens or Joy by Jean Patou. Smells like real jasmine, which is hard to find in the perfumery.

mirrorghost

i don't find this jasmine to be indolic in the least, so it's interesting that others have. skin chemistry is so fascinating! the cedar and jasmine are perfectly balanced here. i get a hint of powderiness. it honestly reminds me of a lush scent a bit, which i love, so this is fine by me. it starts with about equal parts jasmine and cedar but the cedar slowly takes over. there is something else here too, i feel, but i can't place it. i find this comforting.

cranky137

I bought this on a run watching only the positive rating on Fragrantica (never do this!). The scent is very sambac indolic jasmine and yes, ceder is also very strong. I don’t like jasmine for that much in order to keep this in my collection. If you like indolic sharo jasmine, give this a try!

I am biased towards Christine Nagels work, I feel a bit jealous that Jean-Claude Ellena had to quit and been replaced by a younger perfumer.

Houdini4

This charmed me to begin with and that's what made me buy a small travel spray but I find it fascinating from a technical standpoint.
The Jasmine note (accord even) is very interesting in that it's clearly emulating nature but from messing with Jasmine aroma chemicals (of which there are many) myself, I can sort of smell the genesis of this Jasmine note.
For starters it seems less like a jasmine sambac to me, and although has traces of indole, which make it natural smelling, it's not a full whack of jasmine skank. This has that...inside of a banana, exotic, tropical fruit, funk and trace of ylang to it.
It feels like a white flowers accord with aspects of tuberose too, and it's an interesting exercise for someone like me who is constructing recreations of florals like this to see how master perfumers like Nagel do it.
Not only that but how it's carefully and skillfully blended with a woody base, that has the complimentary creaminess to accent the florals.
The delivery...well it is mainly a jasmine fragrance to be honest and it lasts well and opens room filling but mellows well.
I like it but it's not the most uplifting heavenly jasmine I've tried in my life.

ramin1215

spring evening in komoro by ito shinsui
++++++++
The Strange Case of Angelica by Manoel de Oliveira 2010
Pp+++

brokesta911

Marketed as Cedar & Jasmine accord.

Indeed it starts with a blast of indolic Jasmine Sambac, then moves to a Cedar-like accord, but falls into a Woody Tuberose with hints of Jasmine. It has some “funk” due to the indole and not everyone will appreciate it, so I recommend that you do not blind-buy and make sure you smell on your skin at least 10 minutes after application. Do not judge this on paper.

Can be used throughout the year, but heat makes the fragrance shine. A nice-to-have in the Hermessence line, if you are a collector.

yerushalayim

it is usable. do i love it? no. do i like it? yes. it is not disturbing smooth, nice smell. not overwhelming fresh flowery santal. it worths giving a chance i think.

marios4

It reminds me of Tom Ford 'Santal Blush', slightly softer and less full.
In both there are Jasmin and Cedre.....

tania200

I get an initial acetone note at first spray, but thankfully it dries down quickly into something enticing: dry, savory, papery. Elegant and serene; not the sunny, innocent disposition I associate with many white florals. The wood and white floral are beautifully proportioned-- the jasmine nestled in a cedar tree, the cedar grounding but looming large. Very much a skin scent, like others in this collection. It has the silage and longevity of a splash cologne. I need at least 5 sprays and then carry the 15ml with me to spritz throughout the day.

xvxmatthewxvx

the top opening is like a fresh honeysuckle floral preview of what's to come & then quickly it becomes a large dose of indolic jasmine...

suede accord-note yes
subtle wood but its hard to pick out

to me it shifts back and forth between night jasmine which i believe is where sambac comes from & being "figgy" which isn't to my particular taste

some folks say indoles in addition to sometimes smelling fecal, urinous, or like mothballs, can also smell inky with tones of over ripe fruit ....this leans in the category of inky over ripe fruit ...

i used 4 sprays ...it's the 2nd in the Hermessence line that verges on medium projection but is mostly a skin scent

it's a miss for me but only because of personal distaste for the over ripe fruit smell in some types of jasmine - indole fragrances

prada_man23

I've had more time with cedre sambac. First off I think it is an all season fragrance that performs more like an eau de parfum than a edt.I get an intoxicating tobacco nuance right off the bat. That hooks me in but fades away quickly, then the slightly skanky jasmine comes to the front. Cedar is lurking in the background enough to make me want more of it. There is also a creamy suede accord underneath it all.I keep seeing the color beige. Like a thin suede beige leather jacket. Thin enough to wear in spring and fall.

giampaolo.baldoni

Beautiful, very chic and perfectly Hermes. I can also smell Leathery osmanthus in the drydown.

شيطونه.علي

Nice perfume I think there’s honey

prada_man23

Hits my fragrance funny bone.
Stuffy/dusty floral/cedar that I want to like. Wish it was more woody than floral instead of the other way around. Missing some sort of redeeming note to smooth things over.

I could see a man saying this is too feminine and a woman saying it's too manly. It's an androgynous alien.

A_Friendly_Robot

A very 'high definition' cedar made to the usual high standards of the Hermessence line. An inoffensive, woody, unisex fragrance that, in my opinion, is best purchased in 15ml form via the 'set of 4 Hermessences' on the Hermes website. I couldn't see myself wearing it everyday, personally, but for someone who likes sophisticated cedar scents, this may well be a grail.

damienthoresson

This is a smooth, non-abrassive cedar. It's not what you'll find in Sauvage or Bleu de Chanel... but it's different. Hard to describe. There's a strange chemical, almost plasticky, smell to it that creates something akin to a doll's head. As I sniff my wrist, I try to understand why I might be smelling that. I can see below that people have made comments on tuberose which could possibly explain something rubbery / plastic-like, but it's still very strange. The jasmine itself is very toned down, but still remains very true to it's natural essence.

Bear with me as I say this, but I genuinely think that this is somehow comparable to Eden from Cacharel. It's no where near as strong, no where near as tropical (although at a stretch, this could be called such a thing) but it does have this odd feeling to it that has only ever been evoked by Cacharel for me. It lingers on the skin for quite a long time and sometimes even becomes unbearable, despite the lightness. As most of the others in the Hermessence range create a softly scented cloud around your skin as they fade away, Cedre Sambac creates a slightly suffocating film that holds onto it's structural integrity until the very last breath of life.

In saying this, I love it. Who couldn't love a bizarre thing like this?

lastcenturymodern

What I love about cedre sambac - and feel is almost ground-breaking, actually - is that it really plays with jasmine's characteristically inky, mothball-y, grandma's closet-y, naphthalene smell. Most perfumes try to tone this aspect down with sweet notes (even the greats like lust, songes, a la nuit) but the cedar and other synthetic cdg-esque woody nuances here somehow both enhance and cancel out the naphthalene, so that it's no longer unpleasant but rather a special scent of its own. Sinus clearing, for sure, but still really pleasant.
Like some of Nagel's recent creations it has a distinctly clean, hypermodern feel. Not a crowd-pleaser but a totally unisex and unique take on jasmine.

Leonyarra

I very much agree with Suganadaraja’s review - not much cedar here if any. More so an oily, leathery sandalwood accord with a soft white floral element. Gradually it dries out after a few hours and the leatheriness comes to the fore.

To my nose, the middle phase is similar to Kilian’s Sacred Wood. Like Sacred Wood, Cedre Sambac smells like a base rather than a complete fragrance, even kf it does exhibit a mild degree of development.

pauroj

male , male , male all over dude , it is nice i don´t want to smell like this is too much dude for me , but i would not mind it on someone else , really nice and sillage is good!

mmcdonald36

I don't like this on me. It has a very uppity, dusty floral aspect to it that screams "don't come near me, peasant, or I'll cry out in pain." I'm a guy, and it makes me smell like a spoiled and pampered momma's boy. I say this is better for the ladies

Sugandaraja

A creamy, oily, splinter-free sandalwood note merged with a warm white floral that's hard to pin down. The flower here is less animalic than poet's jasmine, less fresh than sambac, not mentholated or green the way tuberose is, nor mushroomy like gardenia: it's a white floral UFO that pleasantly - if anonymously - parks on the sandalwood throughout this fragrance's lifespan. The effect is simple and supremely wearable, and so well-blended and polished it wouldn't surprise me if this fragrance had two ingredients or two-thousand.

Feli15

Oh wow! What a chameleon this scent is! I totally get the contrary reviews below that clame to smell tuberose and sandalwood when apparently there are none.

The petrol like sharpness of cedar is absent here and sambac jasmine shares some facets with tuberose so in synergy you get very smooth, creamy, milky smell, only slightly animalic that envelops you like the finest silk on bare skin. It feels very luxurious, warm and smooth. Wears close to skin but with good longevity.
I keep smelling myself, it's very addictive and distinctive aroma and I thought I didn't like cedar. Oh well, i guess I changed my mind;)

Calvini

This smells of REAL sandalwood to me—the actual chips for incense! I find a hint of jasmine but no tuberose. Not only is this my favorite of the new trio, it has made into my Top 4 for the mini coffret I purchased!

*Tuberose & jasmine grandiflorum absolute are both at least twice as expensive as sambac, so from a marketing standpoint there's no reason why to omit such selling point, which means the sandalwood I smell must also be an illusion :(

PianoDan

I'm glad I'm not the only one!

When the SA at the Hermes boutique first showed this to me, she was reading from the provided marketing card and detailing the notes listed. I was shocked, I said " This is tuberose if I ever smelled it!"

She said, I think it's Jasmine, it doesn't say tuberose.

I am thinking don't be rude, maybe this Jasmine smells exactly like tuberose in this creation ;. ) I mean, Carnal flower has both right, so I'm sure their is jasmine in here as well, but for Tuberose to not be listed seems impossible.

I'm not at all trying to have a snobbish nose here, but I was really shocked.

This is a Tuberose scent, right?!?

What do you all think?

cocolover56

Reading the reviews below, I didn't know whether or not to dare believe that there was finally a tuberose Hermessence scent with woodsy base notes and was able to be pulled off comfortably by men ... but here we are.

It actually seems as though Christine Nagel can not only do no wrong, but also exceed expectations. That isn't to say that this is a ridiculously new scent, but it is very well done and does tie in with Twilly.

The tuberose here is a little rubbery and very creamy, which melds well with the slightly spicy and synthetic nature of the cedar. The jasmine is a bit indolic, but not so much so as to make it unpleasant.

All in all, this scent, along with her additions to the range, is much more intense than its former counterparts. It's not very intense, but it's less airy and light than the rest. I could see this being layered with Cardamusc or Musc Palida. Kudos!

mmcdonald36

A tuberose fragrance that is powdery and floral, but somehow i can see a man wearing this. The cedar base must be the reason for this having a unisex smell

Update: this would be awesome for a young metropolitan businessman in a white dress shirt

Update: I don't like it on me. It has a very uppity, dusty floral aspect to it that screams "don't come near me, peasant, or I'll cry out in pain." I'm a guy, and it makes me smell like a spoiled and pampered momma's boy. I say this is better for the ladies

antonpan

Cedre Sambac is a masculine tuberose on my skin. Dry and a bit peppery it reminds me of Diptyque Do Son which I adore. A must have for a guy tuberose lover.

missingpuzzle

I do not want to tell whether it is good or bad but I expected it to be fresh and it is definitely not. It is musky, slightly dirty jasmine, with that "old-lady-BO" vibe, you know. And a bit soapy and retro. IMO, no resemblance with Do Son, but it is just my opinion.

Mooniq

A very nice unisex-scent. On my skin I get warm Cedar with light and airy Jasmin. A bit skinclose and in this case - totally ok.

antonpan

Cedre Sambac is a masculine tuberose on my skin. Dry and a bit peppery it reminds me of Diptyque Do Son which I adore. A must have for a guy tuberose lover.

 
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