Hermès Kelly Calèche Eau de Toilette courtesy of the brand
It’s customary for me to peruse which perfumes we at ÇaFleureBon have reviewed over the years, those to which we’ve alluded and the ones we simply haven’t included as yet. I am often surprised which ones they turn out to be. In the case of master perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena’s 2007 Hermès Kelly Calèche eau de toilette, it’s fun for me to confess a complete about face regarding a fragrance which left me cold at the time of its release: today I love it, which goes to show how our olfactory palates may develop and change with the passing seasons. Frequently the perfumes I choose to review are riddled with controversy, and that alone fascinates me: vastly differing opinions, the debate with respect to which notes are included, which particular format is the best-loved (especially when a fragrance exists/existed in eau de toilette, eau de parfum, and extrait de parfum). We perfume aficionados are an impassioned lot, and the conversation can become quite heated.
Jean-Claude Ellena from Michelyn’s 2009 interview courtesy of the perfumer
No perfumer, however highly-esteemed, can please everyone all of the time. This includes one of my personal heroes, Monsieur Jean-Claude Ellena: if you read multiple reviews of his various oeuvres, you might very well go mad! Whose opinion do you favor, and why? And if you sample these fragrances for yourself, do you agree? Even seasoned reviewers don’t necessarily concur. It can become quite confusing for someone seeking guidance about which perfume might present a suitable fragrant fit. In such cases, I urge you to trust your own nose and instincts: I’ve frequently sampled perfumes which other noses whom I respect adore – and found that I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what the attraction was.
AP photo by Bill Ingraham of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace in 1956 with her Hermès Kelly bag
Hermès Kelly Calèche right off the bat, the very name summons Guy Robert’s preceding masterpiece, while the reference to what was to become Princess Grace’s signature handbag conjures the smooth and seductive fine leathers upon which the House of Hermès has built its deserved reputation. When Kelly Calèche appeared upon the scene I genuinely wanted to like it – but I simply couldn’t. It resembled a tart fruity chypre (nothing amiss with that!) on the blotter, but a hot mess upon my skin: unduly sour, confusing, and chaotic. It was neither the heavy hitter of First de Van Cleef & Arpels nor the watercolor loveliness of so many other Ellena compositions. What precisely was it attempting to be? I applied it over and over again over the years, trying to decode it and/or wrest its secrets, which frankly eluded me. And it wasn’t until 2025 that I realized how smitten I was – a 180 degree turnaround from my initial encounter.
Kelly Calèche ‘s first presentation was as an eau de toilette, which was followed in 2008 by a perfume concentration, and in 2009 by an eau de parfum format. It’s intriguing to note that Hermès seems to follow a pattern well-known to Chanel fragrances: each concentration of the scent (all sharing the same name) is a variation on a theme. It is not merely a matter of concentration, but a question of which particular facets are highlighted in spite of a common lineage. Regarding Chanel, Cristalle is a classic example; in the edt it is crisper, greener, more limpid – and the edp is much more floral, rich, and less sparkling. One smells this in the different iterations of Hermès Calèche, 24 Faubourg, Rouge Hermès, and beyond a doubt in their astonishing Eau de Merveilles collection.
Courtesy of Ida
Kelly Calèche appears to be best loved in the edp formulation, which is more floral, powdery, and vanillic in tone; it also includes violets. The now-discontinued parfum carried on the leather theme with a rich, balsamic feel (jasmine and benzoin deepen it considerably), to which I eventually succumbed. So why was I drawn to the edt first? In one word: fizz. Unlike many eaux de toilettes, Kelly Calèche bursts in with a veritable riot of aldehydes and the tonic, bittersweet nature of grapefruit – but it lasts, not an expected characteristic of most toilet waters. It smells intensely fruity, edged with green (lily of the valley, vetiver) and very jammy. Whichever variety of rose is present, it reads as confiture, something you would taste in pâtisserie, very floral and appealing. While mimosa and tuberose are listed, they are not perceivable as such; I don’t detect the camphorous note which often accompanies tuberose, and mimosa contributes a touch of sweetly furry animalic, a downy presence. Overall the florals are harmoniously blended so that only rose calls specific attention to herself. The base sings of fine leather goods and no mistake. Kelly Calèche is playful and sassy: it doesn’t take itself too seriously or cudgel you with an unbalanced overdose of leather – and perhaps this soft-pedaled animalic nuance may have disappointed those who craved a more dramatic impact. Others reference a similarity to Monsieur Ellena’s Hermessence Rose Ikebana (2004). Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? I enjoy the ephemeral, temporal quality of Rose Ikebana, but I don’t view it as a substitute for Kelly Calèche; their aesthetics and personalities are nothing alike. One can admire formal delicacy and a somewhat wayward, sassy rose without compromise. And my final takeaway? Try, try, and try again. Our perspectives frequently shift, and over time, your nose may indeed surprise you, as mine did.
Notes: rose, mimosa, iris, lily of the valley, tuberose, leather note, vetiver (perceived notes: aldehydes, grapefruit)
Fragrances are from my personal collection. My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
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