Hermessence Muguet Porcelain Hermès for women and men

I can't believe I am discovering this one just now. LOTV is one of my favorite smells in the world. I can't find anything pungent in here, the drydown is a bit musky but that's all. Very much linear LOTV, fresh, clean, and green in the opening, turns sweeter and juicier after a while. Long lasting (all day), moderate sillage. Mood boosting, appropriate for everyday wear on spring or early summer (not too hot) days. Imo absolutely feminine. It's definitely not everybody's cup of tea, if you are a LOTV addict, give it a try. I'm adding it to my favorites.

As someone who typically does not care too much about lily-of-the-valley in perfumes, I was very impressed with this one. It smells artistic, but somehow also real. Such a genius combination of both animalic and fresh aspects. Absolutely gorgeous, highly recommend.

My favourite perfume of the Hermessence line. Truly porcelain-like muguet. A slow, idyllic morning in the palace.
Softly animalic, but tamed, green and fresh, no pungency usual for LotV.
That being said, it's simply a LotV soliflore, there are many to explore and they are going to compare just fine.

Why in the hell is the reception so negative here? this is an absolutely gorgeous green white floral scent, it has this salty fruity opening, and its high quality. Some people here just dont know how to appreciate an artwork like this, and its sad. Oh well, more for me.

Hermes' Muguet was a delight. It's transparent, light and fruity take of LOTV. I get sweet melons and LOTV as its prominent note. Polished, clean and aldehydic even, but still fresh and not stuffy/old at all. Prefect for a pick me up any time of the day.

First of all, I have to say that this is a very, very loose interpretation of Lily of The Valley.
Actually, in side by side comparison with the living flower, which luckily is blooming right now in my garden, this fragrance has hardly anything to do with Lily of The Valley - in case you’re looking for a true rendition of it. So much so, that I would rather give it a different name in order not to mislead customers. Other than that, the fragrance is quite an intricate construction in itself, crisp, fresh, vibrant and multifaceted.

If you’re looking for the LOTV fragrance which smells closest to the living flower, you should go for Muget by Guerlain, which does the job better than any other interpretation of this flower available on the market, hands down. Unfortunately, it’s tragically expensive.

[Feb. 2023]
The Hermes store staff has been kind and patient. Upon purchase of another travel set, included a 7ml sample of Ambre Narguile, a Tonka fragrance in green, and a copy of Le Monde d'Hermes inside a large orange bonded-paper bag. The store's attention to the graphic arts, lighting, and texture is some pleasant thing I like to think about.

My favourites from the Hermessence line were Ambre Narguile, Muguet Porcelaine, Cedre Sambac, and my near-emptied Osmanthe Yunnan.

Nagel and Jean-Claude Elena intend this line to blend well with each other-- layerable-- to make each experience with their creamy-light and watercolor fragrances a unique experience to each wearer.

So far, I love pairing my Muguet with Sambac and Yunnan. It's a nice contemporary asiatic bouquet and turns heads. (At one point, some at the elevator quietly huddled closer to the scent.)

Hermessence Muguet has a pleasant aldehydic soapiness similar to the high quality aldehydes found in Amouage Dia or Frederic Malle's Iris Poudre. However it does -not- at all smell skanky, animalic, or "grandmotherly" aka dusting powder and Nivea.

Muguet Porcelaine is as sweet and tart as a real green apple and has a similar light creaminess to the rest of the Hermessence florals. There is yet again no hint of smoke, ambroxan, iso e, or greens to distract from its purely floral experience. I give a "love" to this fragrance (though yes, its tartness may cross in an especially hot day), because its drydown is a nice creamy rendition of a lily of the valley.

Unlike my first niche purchase: Penhaligon's Lily Of The Valley, the Penhaligon had no feeling of indole, or lactonic impression and was vetiver-sharp. Porcelaine works well to match the other Hermessence line's watercolor impression and never crosses me for its balance of notes that remain true to an idyllic take of lily of the valley, except this smells like a real flower that I had never seen in life before because none of this smells synthetic.

In abstract, the colors are similar to the gradients found in Japanese pastel bokehs of a Canon EOS camera picture. So if you prefer a more concrete rendition like that from a Zeiss or nostalgic atmospheric blooms of a Fujifilm, this floral may not be for you but regardless: Wedding-worthy floral.

Vintage Diorissimo, featuring Edmond Roudnitska's groundbreaking synthetic lily-of-the-valley accord that closely resembles the flower, is the gold standard of muguet scents - none other has come close, in my opinion. I recently tried modern Diorissimo, and it doesn't compare to the extraordinary original. I know that the restrictions on ingredients in recent years have posed many challenges for perfumers, and perhaps that is the case for modern muguet scents in general. However, Muguet Porcelaine is one of the best recent lily-of-the-valley compositions that I've encountered. Composed (of course) by Jean-Claude Ellena, famed for his subtle olfactory watercolours, MP is lovely overall.

MP opens with a bold, green lily-of-the-valley note. Initially intense, bordering on harsh, it becomes soapy and fruity after a little while. Pear is an unusual note to include alongside muguet, but here it is restrained, adding just the right amount of juicy sweetness. Green, dewy and slightly sweet, the airy, bright muguet shines here.

As it develops, clean, powdery jasmine rounds it out and it remains slightly fruity, perhaps thanks to a hint of neroli. It becomes musky and animalic quite quickly, adding just the right amount of earthy dirtiness to the base - providing a nice counterpoint to the clean, green muguet. It fades to become a very animalic, dirty, musky skin scent - a little too dirty for my liking. The florals disappear completely here. Sillage and longevity are moderate.

A decent rendering of lily-of-the-valley presented in floral-fruity style, MP is an interesting and pleasant perfume that contrasts the innocence of the muguet with the dirtiness of the animalic base. A feminine-leaning scent for spring days. I'd like it better if the animalic base were dialled down a little. Not a crowdpleaser, but well-composed. 3/5.

I can get the dislike for this fragrance... I experienced it myself, the first few times I wore it. I've owned my sample since 2019, and it's still got half left. Surprisingly, given that the Hermessence scents usually don't last amazingly, this one doesn't require heavy application for it to last or project well. As some have mentioned, the opening is a bit bothersome, but it doesn't last too long. After this weird, quirky moment it develops into a lily-of-the-valley not unlike Parfum d'Ete which was a "like" for me. This one is too.

I can't say I get much from this scent other than lily-of-the-valley, musk, jasmine and pear. That's to be expected, given the simplistic nature of the other JCE scents in the line.

Edit: This layers really well with Ambre Narguile - I was extremely surprised.

It seems a little unfair to blame the perfume maker/crafter/designer for this, but....this perfume makes me ill. Full blown scull-splitting headache. I only give perfumes a 'hate' rating if they make me sick and unfortunately this one does it. Very strong physical reaction within 5 minutes. Recovery time was about 2 hours. Did not put on skin (thankfully).

The lilies of the valley are about to bloom here in Massachusetts. Their white, frilled bells emit one of the most beloved perfumes to come from nature. I have a strong connection with them as they grew in my backyard as a child and they were my mother's favorite flower. They are steeped with much symbolism as well, representing rebirth, humility, joy, and chastity. There is a purity to its complex fragrance as well, feeling crisp, watery, lush, yet ethereal.

Lily of the Valley is what is called a mute flower: one that smells in-situ but cannot produce aromatic materials. These mute flowers either produce no or so little aromatic compounds that it can’t be coalesced into an essential oil (through distillation) or absolute (through solvent extraction). Therefore, all muguet (lily of the valley) accords must be constructed using a composite of synthetics and naturals to approximate its scent as closely as possible. With Muguet Porcelain, Jean Claude Ellena brings into relief the sensation of experiencing the flowers up close and personal. In the face of restrictions to muguet materials such as lilial and lyral, he manages to really bring to life the spirit of this flower perhaps by incorporating newer materials or purely by his stroke of genius.

Those who detect musk melon and cucumber notes may or may not be familiar to the scent of fresh lily of the valley, as its aqueous quality does indeed have these facets to it, especially when freshly picked. Also, those who are well acquainted with the flowers know that their fresh, crisp quality has a short lifespan, even when in water, so we find that it evolves a tender decay as the blooms wilt and discolor. While Muguet Porcelaine may seem linear, it's as if it actually follows this timeline of withering and receding. The note of pear is the first suggestion of this, only minutes in, only slightly sweet but hinting at ripeness.

It is, however, in the dry down that I experience a civet-like note that enhances the ripening, withering quality beautifully, which is remarkable given the sheer quality of the composition overall. Therein lies the truth of the flower and a testament of its inevitable terminus, ready to return to the earth that is animal, vegetable, and mineral. This one for true lovers of the real-life flower rather than just the abstract lily of the valley perfume accord.

100% unisex.

Tried this at Hermes Boutique, sprayed on a blotting paper and on my wrist. After I got home the scent on my wrist is completely gone, I would say the longevity is less than 3 hours. Muguet Porcelain is a realistic, simple lily of the valley perfume, 80% similar to Diorissimo (current version). MP is greener and fresher, while Diorissimo is slightly more suncreen-y that type of LOTV to my nose.

I am late to the game here. I tried this perfume at an Hermes boutique many years ago, and I liked if, but I got distracted, and never went back to try it again. I wear several Hermes fragrances, and several samples of this were sent with a recent purchase. I love it and will be buying a full size it.

I am actually saddened I am not getting the animalistic notes others mention because that would be fun. I get a fairly accurate lily of the valley with lots of green leaves thrown in, with cucumber and melon (not the sweetest, ripest melon, mind). It feels quite green and delicate, but in a more mature way. Now, where the porcelain part comes in, is anyone’s guess.

This makes me think of spring and cheers me up during the winter.

I don’t believe in gendering perfumes; but I think this would be great on a man — it doesn’t read as a typically feminine fragrance Hollywood stars like to throw at us.
It last all day, but others will only be able to detect it if they lean in. If that is what you are looking for, this is the perfume for you.

A touch weird and almost rotten in the opening but eventually a really beautiful Lily of the Valley accord comes through which stays around til the end. Probably the best modern Lily of the Valley fragrance around.

Hermes Muguet Porcelain (2016) - virtual lily of the valley - #jeanclaudeellena ‘s swan song for the Hermessence range could be one of his best. His transparent style works well in this Lily of the Valley soliflore making it innocent & realistic. At the top I get Neroli mixed with a crunchy pear accord. It’s heart focuses on the Lily of the valley accord that resemble his master’s style for Diorissimo with a heavy lug of Hedione. It remains interesting with his choice of white musks.

Ellena's last Hermessence creation and to my dismay I have to say also his worst. A cheap concoction of lily and a melon like sweetness. Honestly something a low end designer brand could pull off just as good, if not better. It's floral, slightly watery, and green. Nothing in here that could justify the price, and even though I'm fan of Ellena's work, I can't help but to think this one was made in a rush or in order to finalize some contractual agreement. It's versatile and light, but more on the feminine side of the unisex spectrum. A definite pass.

4/10

the smell of a sexy wet cat

The scent of lily-of-the-valley in Muguet Porcelaine is very realistic and is not buried under a complicated pyramidal structure. The opening of this fragrance is very white and bright, to the point of feeling almost like a blinding light. I can detect the faintest shadow of tart fruit bordering on green notes, but I do not perceive it as tangy or particularly juicy. On my skin, the fragrance softens after about an hour and develops cozy, soapy notes. Muguet Porcelaine strikes me as a clean fragrance but it has a lot of depth and even a hint of animalic intensity.

pluviophile below has it completely wrong about Hedione. Of course it'll be used in all kinds of household/personal care products, like almost all molecules. The many fields it's used in don't diminish its aesthetic value.

Moreover, Hedione is used in more than half of all fine perfumes these days, more for its feeling (bright and airy) than its smell. So you may dislike this creation, but it's not because hedione's in fabric softeners

Reviewer below really captured the hedione aspect of this perfume exceptionally: getting your hair did. However, this isn't a bad thing. It gives the creamy aspect of lily-of-the-valley and the sweet fruitiness of the pear a sourness to contend with. It's quite lovely to smell this again and like it far more than I did the first time. In fact, I'd call this a favourite from the collection.

As it is LotV centric, this does have something in common with the greats: Diorissimo, Penhalligon's LotV & even N°19. However, not much. Try this if you like scents like those, but something a little different.

Quick disclaimer, I am not a connoisseur of fresh, green or LOTV scents but I do enjoy most of the Hermes line of perfumes.

This was a scrubber for me. What I get first and foremost is the hedione chemical. For those who don't know the scent of this chemical by name, I'll give you a list of where this chemical is used for stability and fragrance; from the Good Scents company site:

fine fragrances
antiperspirant/ deodorant
detergent
hair spray
hard surface cleaner
liquid detergent
permanent wave solution
shampoo
soap
candle
shower gel
fabric softener

What I smell overwhelming any floral or green notes is that chemical smell when you are getting a perm.

At best, the overall effect is a 'green' cantaloupe, or mossy deodorant note.

The initial five minutes were the best for this fragrance in which I did get melon - a very green cantaloup - along with a strong, animallic musky sweet note. This, and the aquatic or watery accord made the perfume smell the gamut of dewy, fresh cut lawn to that stinky, rotten brown water you get from spoiled lettuce or melon. After about 10 minutes the hedione starts to get stronger and then it goes into deodorant/perm chemicals territory.

I'm not at all trolling here - I am a huge fan of Hermes and Ellena - this honestly is what I experienced.

I obtained this sample from a sales presentation at Nordstroms and the fabric strip with the full dry down of this smelled exactly the same so I don't expect the hedione to dissipate at all.

Performance and sillage are strong so definitely sample this perfume before purchasing to see if you like it.

This fragrance reminds me very much of Frederic Malle's (Olivia Giacobetti's) En Passant, in that the lily of the valley here seems to be set overtop a cucumber and a wheat component; En Passant centres its lilac on the same background.

I find it very pleasant, but not a 'pure' LOTV by any means. There's a lot of aerial perspective here. This LOTV comes in for a landing in a bread-y and cucumber-y mist. (The bakery element doesn't last for me; 90 minutes later, it's gone.)

It is not overly sweet, and is perfectly wearable by men or women. It's a great fragrance to wear in a crowd-- or, I dare say, in places where scent is forbidden, if you are as cheerfully lawless in this way as some of us are-- because the vast majority of the planet loves its individual elements, and the impact of the fragrance as a whole is very gentle.

I was given a sample of this in Japan at the airport with a purchase. I have worn this a few times completely blind with no idea of its composition and I am shocked at the actual notes listed, as its almost completely different than what I expected.

This scent to me is summed up with "eating melon at the beach". The topnotes really just smell exactly like a juice muskmelon to me, and even though it makes no sense I get a strong ozone/aquatic background as well. The biggest shock is the animal notes, as I can perceive none of them, even on the drydown, except perhaps as the "musky" part of the muskmelon. There is a biting sharpness to this scent, almost like salty cold air when the weather turns bad suddenly and I am not sure if I hate it or love it, even now.

I don't think scent works for men, but it almost doesn't work for women either. Gender-wise it seems more like an androgynous-looking child with matted hair and an oversized T-shirt running for shelter during sudden thunderstorm after a day at the beach, hands and face still sticky with sweat and sweets. If such a thing existed, I would say this is a neutral perfume meant for sporty adolescents.

For me this works best as a home scent. I ended up getting it all over my cashmere bandana that I bought with it, and it STILL lingers there all these weeks later but in a good way. If I ever bought a full bottle, it would be for the linen closet or for freshening up the dog/kids when there is no time for a bath.

this is the best hermessence performance-wise. the smell might be tricky for some as it turns really animalic on me (i love it that way!) but it is really unique. the smell lingers for hours and hours with a soft projection but still very noticeable (unlike brin de reglisse, that disappears like a magician). i really like this a lot, and im glad hermes gives us the option of 15mls bottles to keep trying its fragrances without breaking the bank

This perfume was interesting from the aesthetic of the bottle but once emitting a healthy burst of its essence I was overcome with the scent of horrible rotten breath. It is perhaps one of the most revolting of all perfumes. I would prefer to wear secretions magnifique every day compared to Muguet Porcelain once.

Oof. I consider myself to generally be a fan of LOTV for the fresh yet simultaneously sinister edge that I find it imparts to fragrances, particularly when it's used to cut through florals and aldehydes. This take on LOTV is primarily aquatic, opening with a nausea-inducing blast of calone, followed by a drydown that smells to me primarily of melons and rotting pond water. I tried to ride it out, but these molecules are just completely wrong for my chemistry and it ended up being a scrubber. Maybe one day I'll find an Ellena that works!

AMAZING , it smells like sweet cucumbers , i smell some florals after a good 5 minutes , very fresh , very cold creamy , greenery goodness, nice !

a bit simple but simple is better sometimes !

Very green, very floral, very dirty, and very feminine if that makes any sense. The opening melon is quite lovely. I don’t think it’s possible for a man to make this work except under the most limited circumstances. (Maybe if one is wearing a crisp, white, collared shirt at the beach for example? That has never actually happened to me, so...)
Still and all, a very nice frag; simple, but meticulously composed. Longevity is about 4 hours.
3.5 out of 5 for me.

I've had mixed feeling with Muguet Porcelaine until recently. I found it a transparent, watery, melon-infused lily of the valley very much in line with the general aesthetics of Hermessence. But there is also a strange fuzzy warmth that makes it surprisingly not as fresh and crisp as other green, aqueous lily of the valley.

It's not until I read the astute and poetic review from Patrice Revillard, the perfumer behind the blog Musque-Moi, that I finally realised : yes, it's the civet (or something with a similar effect)! From then on, everything just clicked and fell quickly into place.

Even though Mr. Ellena himself doesn’t specifically affirm, it’s now impossible for me to smell Muguet Porcelaine without referencing Roudnitska and Diorissimo. The iodine-infused melon can be found in quite a few Roudnitska’s creations, especially Diorella and Le Parfum de Thérèse, while civet-laden lily of the valley is one of the most intriguing characters of Diorissimo (although I perceive it more like an indolic jasmine, despite the intention of its creator).

That being said, the smell, the texture and the mood of Muguet Porcelaine are entirely different, notably because Ellena incorporates these tropes into his haiku “writing” style, contrary to the short story of Diorissimo. Arguably, Muguet Porcelaine doesn’t have much significant evolution. The fairly transparent and watery lily of the valley and melon can be perceived right away, with the civet purring in the background with its furry warmth and a touch of saltiness to complement with the melon. However, the tension between the animalic dirtiness and the floral and fruity innocence persists deep into the dry down, where the fragrance eventually manages to unify these two aspects into a sensual skin scent.

I got a 10-hour longevity and a soft sillage.

I have to admit that I’m not among the biggest fans of Ellena. I admire his vision and commitment to perfumery, and many of them are very enjoyable, but I was rarely awed or emotionally touched by his compositions, even though it must not be easy to transform heavy materials into feather-like airiness. But his latest creations for Hermessence, first Cuir d’Ange, and now Muguet Porcelaine, challenged my preconceptions that perfumes can’t be airy, watery or transparent, and sensual animalic at the same time. And the results are fantastic, even though they sometimes don’t seem apparent at first glance. Therefore, I would highly recommend giving Muguet Porcelaine a try, especially if you happened to be looking for a modern airy animalic floral.

What it says on the tin - a soft, dewy lily of the valley scent with pear juice and a musky white base. Lily of the valley often goes oddly screechy or soapy on me. Muguet porcelaine doesn't, but it makes me realize that I'm just not a fan of muguet notes, no matter how delicately handled.

Jean-Claude Ellena's magnificent Muguet Porcelaine is a beautiful rendition of that most delicate of spring flowers - the lily of the valley, or muguet. Green, sappy and dewy, with a hint of pear, the lily of the valley here is truly exquisite.

As Bois de Jasmin author Victoria Frolova pointed out in her excellent review of Muguet Porcelaine, Ellena was clearly harking back to the work of Edmond Roudnitska, whose Diorissimo set the standard for all lily of the valley perfumes to follow. What made Diorissimo so incredible was not only its beautiful composition, but its technical mastery - because no natural essence can be extracted from lily of the valley's flowers, it takes a skilled perfumer to recreate the scent, molecule by molecule. One of Roudnitska's innovations was to use the aroma chemical hedione, with its jasmine-like facets and surprising tenacity, to recreate the waxy green scent of muguet.

Ellena has followed suit, using hedione prominently in his very green composition. His muguet also adds a juicy, almost under-ripe pear note, which lends a hint of sweetness to the bitter verdancy. The dry down here is thoroughly modern, with prominent musk underpinning the composition. Overall, Muguet Porcelaine is a nostalgic, bucolic scent with wonderful presence and a pitch-perfect balance of notes and accords. Truly stunning.

Baigneuses ( Bathers ) by
Paul Cézanne 1879-1880

I am getting something terribly disgusting out of it. It starts almost immediately and lasts long both on my skin and blotter, so it's not skin chemistry, it's how my olfactory system reacts on some component, I wonder which one. Definitely won't recomment to buy without testing!

I don't know what lily of the valley flowers smell like, so I can't comment on accuracy of representation here. But when I briefly tested this perfume along with others in the Hermessence line at a Hermes boutique, it really stood out as very naturalistic compared to most of the others, which seemed more abstract. To me, the opening of Muguet Porcelaine smelled exactly like I had just stuck my face into a bouquet of flowers resting in a vase -- I could clearly smell not only the young and somewhat indolic blossoms but also the freshly cut stems and even the faint aroma of the greenish, slightly musty water in the vase. I was only able to smell the opening, so this is not a full review. But this vivid and realistic blast left more of an impression on me than any of the other Hermessences.

5/10

First of all, Fragrantica misspelled the name as "Porcelain" while it should be "Porcelaine" （I had trouble when searching the name).

Second, fans of the perfume may wish to skip my review. I will probably be the only one who gives thumbs down to the very LOTV by Jean-Claude Ellena.

Let me start with the fact, I love LOTV in general—even though I never smelled the true flowers—and I LOVE the legendary Diorissimo by E. Roudnitska which sets a benchmark of LOTV for me. To be more clear, I own vintage (80's or 70's) EDT, parfum and the current version of Diorissimo. They all smell wonderful with the texture of wind chimes: crispy and melodious. Also I have tested other LOTV, including Lily of the Valley (Yardley & Penhaligon's), Muguet du Bonheur (Caron), Muguet en Fleur (Yves Rocher), Muguet des Bois (Coty), Don't Get Me Wrong (Etat Libre d'Orange) and Parfum d'Ete (Kenzo) so I guess this would somehow make me qualify to say a thing or two about LOTV and Muguet Porcelaine.

Whilst all the aforementioned quite true to LOTV (and some amplify one or two factors of LOTV), MP, on the other hand, is much more vegetable, fruity and aquatic, most dominantly it is cucumber which is not listed in the notes pyramid, hence explained the difference. LOTV is there at the first 4 or 5 minutes maybe less, even at the stage LOTV is not the leading actress but a sidekick to the melon-like cucumber. Around 10 minutes, the whole gets GREEN in a very RAW way—like fresh cucumber juice splashed on newly-mowed grass, and trust me it does not smell pleasant. 30 minutes later, it sets into some aquatic white floral vibe with solid green backdrop turndown to proper volume, likable yet far from a masterpiece.

In conclusion, if you want a TRUE LOTV blind buy any one aforementioned and sample this one before purchase.

Ah -- it does smell like springtime. To me, it smells like a true lily of the valley, set within a mandatory green context; just like if you picked a bouquet and added some leaves / forest plans to it. I have done that as a child -- and that's what it reminded me of.

Other than other lily of the valley scents, this one reminds me of L'Eau Par Kenzo -- it has the same delicate and fragile floral note that doesn't really dry down to anything more exciting than that. Or perhaps it is the watermelon note that makes me think of it.

I won't be purchasing this after using up my sample for several reasons:

* Limited longevity and sillage. It just doesn't stay on. This would make it a great perfume for work for a formal environment -- it will give one a joy of putting perfume on when getting ready for work and it is likely to have dissipated by the time one reaches one's office. It is also not too sweet or strong -- it is just a pleasant scent.
* To me, this is a limited-use perfume. I don't like using obvious florals like that in the spring or summer -- while I do enjoy seasonal scents, I would much rather have a bouquet in my living room. I like wearing these scents on crisp and sunny winter days, when it seems startlingly appropriate -- but doesn't warrant buying an entire bottle. It is such a clean and happy scent, it transports its wearer straight into spring.
* It is just not complex enough -- I want to layer this with something else to feel that I am wearing a more finished product. It's akin to having one flower in a nice vase -- it's great, but one wishes for a more ornate, complex bouquet.
* I am not convinced that the price tag is justified. It is a nice perfume, yes, but it is not outstanding. I love many Hermes perfumes and expect *more* from them. This one is not *more* -- it's *less.*

I wouldn't say this is a true unisex perfume. I wouldn't call is a very feminine scent, either -- it mostly hints at nascent femininity. I always think of these as a good gift idea for very young women, as they are not too suggestive, yet clearly feminine. I myself was a recipient of similar perfumes when I was much younger, and it was very age-appropriate.

Beautiful, delicate, fresh dewy lily-of-the-valley. It is sublime. I love the light wateriness of Hermessence Muguet Porcelaine. It is so sweet and fresh and pretty and light-hearted, and makes me feel soft and gentle and very very feminine. It's absolute bliss in a bottle for me. I adore it.

Also, it lasts incredibly well on me, for such a light perfume; it's still there quite noticeably after 16 hours! Amazing. Very amazing.

It is one of my favourite, gentle perfumes. I adore lily-of-the-valley, it's one of my favourite flowers, and notes in perfumes, and this one is superb. I love the transparency. It is heavenly. Truly heavenly.

I got four Hermessence samples courtesy of a very generous Hermes salesperson (I was in the shop randomly browsing things I cannot afford) and this was one of them.

I was wearing Diorissimo all through my teenage years so LOTV is a very familiar note. I really like this take by Hermes: dewy and transparent but somehow the lily of the valley is still recognizable for what it is (unlike, say, Carillon pour un Ange, in my opinion).

I think that Muguet Porcelaine is to LOTV what Un Matin d'Orage is to gardenia. Dewy but elegant.

Longevity and sillage are low, which is why I won't be buying a full bottle. I might get it in 15 ml if I ever decided to splash out on the coffret.

Nicely done, the lily of the valley is definitely crisp and green, almost limonade in a way, to the point of being screechy in the top notes, still, very authentic smelling muguet, top quality scent, having grown up with a mom who wore Diorissimo all the time and loved everything lily of the valley, I can say this is a real nice and quite unique interpretation of muguet. Feminine in my opinion

I was so ready to love this, but it just smells of synthetic melon... How did Jean Claude Ellena come up with this? Because I know this is not typical of him...

I made the mistake to dismiss this new Muguet Porcelaine a bit too easily at first but then a couple of friends whose perceptions and tastes I keep in good regard suggested me to give it a second chance and I did. I've to say I partially changed my mind but I'm still not completely sold on this new Hermessence. Probably because, when it comes to fragrance, muguet is not exactly one of my main focuses.

Anyway, Muguet Porcelaine opens with a bizarre muguet and melon combo that while sounding as intriguing as the pleague and cholera at once, it actually works. From one side there's the bitter green floral facets of muguet but they're juxtaposed to a fresh and slightly sweet melon note that makes of this opening something novel enough to hold my attention while still not resulting overly bizarre or exactly weird. In fact, it's very likable. As usual with Hermessence, the fragrance fades pretty soon to evolve into a more conventional "pretty muguet" where the white floral facets are enhanced together with the general *inoffensiveness* of these light concoctions. Something I believe it would be very easy to wear for anyone into light modern florals done with enough class and taste to not fall into overly predictable territories.

Now, even though I'm a fan of Ellena and more generally of Hermes, I'm still not particularly fond of this new launch. I'm not bothered at all by its transparent / waterecolory character but I probably would have appreciated it more if it was launched as part of the Les Jardins series in which, in my opinion, it would have been more properly contextualized. Anyway, despite being far from the genius of other Hermessences such as Cuir D'Ange or, say, Osmanthe Yunnan, Muguet Porcelaine is still worth exploring for representing a nice twist on a genre I'm personally not particularly interested into.

Rating: 6.5-7/10

Sublime lilly-of-the-valley...

I have always been ready to try out the Hermessence line by master perfumeur Jean-Claude Ellena. To date I have tried and worn every single one of them.

With this one (which I am surprised he is still making them as I heard he was leaving the house of Hermès), he has made a beautiful, water-like lilly-of-the-valley composition which I find green and sheer and beautiful. I must stress that this is made in his own very transparent, sheer style. Compared to other lilly-of-the-valley fragrances I think this is a little inadequate. By that I mean that it seems to fit in with the rest of the Hermessence line, but as a standalone fragrance focusing on that particular note I can think of others that deliver more for the money you would pay.

If put in the context of the rest of the line, then this one makes sense and fits in perfectly. If you are familiar with the rest of this series then you will see that he has made another hit. But if you are looking for something practical which will last all day for less money, then look elsewhere. Beautiful but fleeting, Muguet Porcelaine is a delicate wonder that if you can afford will delight you, but if you want something substantial then go for other "muguet" style fragrances.

I have a sample spray that I've been testing. It's beautiful! I don't smell cucumber or melon or watermelon or bubblegum. Note: I love Ellena's Jardin series, so if you don't like Ellena's style, our opinions may diverge. I do like the transparency and sheerness of his Hermes fragrances and I like them in this one. I've smelled Muguet Porcelaine shortly after smelling real lilies of the valley growing in a garden, and it is quite true to the flower though perhaps a little more watery, as if the flowers were wet with dew or raindrops. One small spray lasted for two hours on my wrist, though it remained light and green. I'd love to experience Muguet Porcelaine in a parfum concentration.

Watered down Jo Malone (if that's at all possible) Lily of the Valley and Ivy.Nothing spectacular here at all.
Five minutes after spraying it becomes a skin scent.
Pass.

No no no no no!!! I was REALLY looking forward to this one! If anyone could do a close-to-live LotV I thought it'd be Ellena! (considering the success of Cuir d'Ange)
It has a really odd synthetic sweetness to it (watermelon & cucumber) making it really unpleasant especially in the beginning...
There goes my dream to actually purchase something instead of drooling over Guerlain'$ Muguet :(

Tried the new Hermessence today. The smell is surprising to me as I was anticipating a green/floral muguet, though got a fruity/floral mainstream muguet. The fragrances starts off with a traditional Diorissimo-type lily-of-the-valley (green and “plastic”), but just 20 seconds after it transforms into sweet melony bubble gum that strongly reminds of Victo & Rolf Eau Mega. On a whole I would describe the fragrance as a melony bubble gum with sweet and milky undertones on a base of ISOe Super-y lily-of-the-valley. The fragrance is powerful and lovely, I do like sillage and longevity. However that’s more a Kenzo type of scent, not Hermes and especially not Hermessensce. A man could wear it.

This is a soliflore with a true smell of lily-of-the-valley. Feels like standing in a meadow with lush emerald green grass wet from the summer rain with lily-of-the-valley all over as far as your eyes can see. Stunningly beautiful!

I didn't have the chance to test performance but it seems light like the other Hermessence fragrances. If it projects and lasts OK enough I will probably put it on my to-buy list.