…to set the moment, to set the scene, and most importantly to set a memory.
With spring trips to Savannah, Boston, and New York in the planning stages, the first step in making anything happen is in selecting which cologne will usher in the Spring 2019 season. To that end, I’ve begun researching some possibilities, starting with three main contenders from the houses of Tom Ford and Hermes respectively.
First, ‘Beau de Jour’ by Mr. Ford is a fabulous fougere with a lavender tint that seems tailor-made for an anniversary stroll in Boston, as befitting a gentleman or two married for, say, nine years or so. Second, and perhaps first depending on the way the wind blows, is a new take on a classic Hermes fragrance – in the form of Equipage Geranium – which would work equally well in the Boston Public Garden or Savannah’s Forsyth Park en route to the Mercer House. I haven’t had much luck in finding something I adored from Hermes since Jean Claude Ellena departed after a few delicious Jardin creations, but as a whole they tend to veer toward the elegant and wistful, even if they lack in sillage and oomph. Spring is a time when it’s ok to be softer. There is enough noise from the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees.
Third is the brand-new Jardin entry at Hermes (set to debut in March 2019 but available in certain secret circles already). Un Jardin Sur La Lagune is reportedly a white floral – featuring magnolia and sea salt, but since Ellena is no longer at the helm of the Jardin line, I must try it before ordering it blindly. I trust in Hermes, but fragrance at these price points is not something to, well, sniff at, so to speak. La Lagune, like all in the Jardin series, has an interesting inspirational back-story (I tend to take these as fanciful yarns rather than organic tales of literal truth, but if the end result is beautiful, what does it matter?) I won’t bore you with it now; if it happens to tickle my nose in a good way I’ll save the story for another write-up.
We’ve seen this battle before, the one between Hermes and Ford, and it always ends in glorious fashion because how can one go wrong with either house? Listen to my nonsense – I’m acting like one must choose between the two, when clearly the easiest solution is to get both so the choice may be based on the mood, the moment, and the magic at hand. Dilemma solved. Planning and preparation may commence. The scent of spring will soon carry on the wind…
