Paprika Brasil is the latest fragrance to join the Hermessence Collection at Hermès. Like the others, it was developed by Hermès house nose Jean Claude Ellena. Paprika Brasil was reportedly inspired by the 1955 Claude Lévi-Strauss book Tristes Tropiques, which recounted his travels in the Brazilian interior. The fragrance notes include pimento, clove, paprika, iris, green leaves, reseda, ember wood (aka Brazilwood or Pernambuco) and woody notes.
My initial trials of Paprika Brasil cannot be described in any way other than disappointing, and the experience points to the dangers of building up expectations based on the fragrance name, back story and notes. I suppose what I was expecting was a deep woods scent with exotic spices, something that would evoke the jungles of Brazil before the impact of globalization, where Lévi-Strauss was said to have found “a human society reduced to its most basic expression”.
I wouldn’t necessarily know such a thing if I smelled it, mind you, but Paprika Brasil certainly doesn’t call up any such picture. It is first and foremost an iris fragrance, and a sheer one at that. The top notes have the same feel of rooty carrot that you find in Hermès Hiris, but without the sharp metallic twang. There is a slight whisper of green, and a dusting of dry paprika, and yes, there are woods, but the whole is extraordinarily muted, and easily has the least presence of any of the Hermessences so far.
As a rule, I like sheer and muted. It is one of the reasons I admire Jean Claude Ellena: he can work magic without shouting, and while using a very limited palette. But Paprika Brasil feels almost wan, and so entirely fails to live up to its name that it is hard, quite honestly, to find a way to approach it with an open mind. Last night and again this morning, I tried it next to a group of my favorite iris scents, and it failed to make much of a showing. Ah well, thats $180 (or more? did I hear they raised the price?) saved.
For two more (not radically different, I’m afraid) opinions, see Victoria’s review at Bois de Jasmin and Marina’s review at Perfume Smellin’ Things. If you have tried Paprika Brasil and loved it, do comment, I’d love to hear another side.
Paprika Brasil is exclusive to the Hermès boutiques. Other fragrances in the Hermessence collection: Vetiver Tonka, Ambre Narguile, Rose Ikebana, Poivre Samarcande and Osmanthe Yunnan.
19 Comments
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Almost wan is exactly right. I agree that the name does not help, but frankly no name and no backstory would make me more interested in it. I was also very disappointed.
Well, that's one less fragrance to worry about.
:)
Hugs!
V, did you mean would not make you any more interested? Or that you'd be more interested?
Ha, like you're not going to try it anyway! Hugs back
Don't know whether to be disappointed or relieved about this! I love the Hermessences so much, a new one with this name seemed a surefire winner. But doesn't it seem odd that Hermes would put out a perfume that everyone considers odd and unfinished? The others in the line are nothing if not elegant.
The biggest disappoinment of the year so far
Wan, what a great word!
Well, don't know that 3 bloggers are a representative sample of the perfume buying public. For all I know, it will be a massive big seller. But I would be surprised if many perfume freaks with large iris collections fall for it…and now I'll just wait to be proved wrong!
M, can't decide if it was the biggest disappointment of the year. Or more precisely, don't have a good enough memory to be sure, LOL…I am probably forgetting some massive disappointment from early spring or something.
Agree with everyone else. Meh. I was so excited about this that I bought a decant off the web (even though I could have simply gone to my Hermes boutique and sampled first). I will now send it on to a friend who is similarly excited–and who, i think, is about to be similarly disappointed!
Hey, at least you didn't buy the whole bottle unsniffed, like I did with Osmanthe Yunnan — although that one worked out very well for me, in fact, I've grown to like it even more. I will try PB again some time, but seriously doubt I'll ever want to own a bottle.
Ah, but what three bloggers they (you) are! You're usually spot-on, and if NST isn't impressed by an iris scent, it can't be much of an iris scent!
That is very kind
Still, I wish they had named it something else, so I'd be more sure I wasn't just disappointed that it didn't live up to its name. Hope eventually it will find a fan who will come here and comment and set me straight…
When I sprayed this on a card, it was one of the few I really, really wanted to try on my skin, despite all the warnings. I mean, dry paprika? Yum.
And so I sit here sniffing myself. The top notes excited me: the root-y, vegetable note, the rush of paprika. The dry-down has stuck me. Ever smelled Heeley Iris d'Nuit? Add a pinch of subtle spice and a branch of faint wood and you've got Paprika Brasil.
Now, I didn't know what to make of Id'N. It didn't have any grounding to it and it was far too… I don't know. It was just aloof; it didn't want to look my way. Paprika Brasil is a little better; the subtle smells of the other notes give it a little more substance. I like it insofar that I'd use my sample. I'm not convinced that it's worth $180, seeing as I'd probably end up spraying it often to get that rush of paprika. If you can mix and match in the Discovery scent and I like this at least more than three of the others, I might come into a small bottle. Otherwise, it's just not worth it.
You know, I actually don't smell the JCE-ness in this as much as any of the others. It's a lot louder than the others. Maybe it's because I've smelled something so similar, but, after the top notes, it just seems less innovative.
So, that's what I thought of Paprika Brasil. Now, have you ever encountered a more substantial red pepper perfume? I think I could really go for something like that.
M'kay, hours later, the iris is fading and the spices and woods have amped up. Maybe it's because I'm wearing it in the crook of my elbow and it just got a little heated (Ever notice how sweat/heat brings back a bit of the top notes? Maybe that's just me….). I'm liking it even more. xD
Substantial red pepper -> Comme des Garcons Harissa, although in that one too, most of the fun is in the top notes.
Alrighty. Thanks.
You know, I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to so many comments.
De nada
To me it smells like bonbons mauve! Why oh why such a title? The back story is great, though, and I did not know that this is what Ellena was drawing from… If someone could interpret Tristes Tropique successfully (well, to my nose, at least) I would be over the moon!
It has some serious fans, but I don’t get it either.