Tuberose is not your average flower. It has a heady, intoxicating aroma with an allegedly erotic power. In the Renaissance respectable young ladies were forbidden to walk in gardens with tuberoses. It is not demure and has a loud personality. Just smell Giorgio Beverly Hills and Dior Poison, two icons of the eighties that feature the diva of all flowers. Nowadays tuberose makes a comeback. One of the most striking examples is Twilly d’Hermès. Tuberose is often used in most perfumes as an accent, but it takes the lead in Twilly.
Twilly d’Hermès, a fragrance for modern Lolita’s
What makes Twilly d’Hermès modern -unlike its colleagues from the eighties- is that it’s a full, but not heavy fragrance. Although the communication is clearly aimed at young girls, I don’t find this excessively youthful. When you smell it blind, it has a certain softness and naturalness that is ageless. Christine Nagel – the house perfumer at Hermès– wanted to avoid the standard ‘young girl scents’ path that systematically leads to candy or fruity floral scents. She chose tuberose – usually associated with femme fatale scents – because of its ‘carnal’ side. A perfect choice to translate the sensuality young girls have when they’re growing into a woman.
What you smell
First impression? A good dose of ginger! As if you’re grating fresh ginger in your tea: fresh, but above all spicy and a little soapy. Especially on paper. Be sure to try it on the skin, where the creaminess of the flower stands out. It vaguely reminds me of Cacharel’s Anaïs Anaïs. Above all, this surprising opening gives character to the perfume. In the heart, everything merges into a soft, creamy floral bouquet. The creaminess is enhanced by sandalwood in the base, which results in a pleasant skin scent that smells natural.
Conclusion
Honestly? It wasn’t love at first sight. I’m not very floral minded, in particular the more sensual ones, like tuberose. Yet Twilly d’Hermès intrigued me. Because of its originality and quality. Gradually I learned to appreciate the fragrance and continued wearing it after testing.
Bonus points for Hermès to try something different in their attempt to attract young people. But the charm of Twilly d’Hermès has a much wider reach, I think. Not only the daughter, but also the mother should give Twilly a go. And why not (open-minded) men? I’m a cool lover of marketing talk and target groups. After all, nobody sees the brand, nor the bottle or the advertising when you wear perfume. What counts is that you smell good. And you will.
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