Caleche by Hermes

LadiesRed

My French grandmother loves this perfume, when I was buying it for Christmas in 2009 I got curious and sprayed a sample on my wrist. The scent was powerful but elegant. I am sure Chanel N5 is as lovely!
I don't think Caleche's scent is for old ladies but for women with fine taste.

sherapop

In attempting to determine why KELLY CALECHE was not just called KELLY, since it has nothing whatsoever to do with CALECHE, I decided to avail myself of this opportunity to spritz some of the great classic on and to finally write my review of CALECHE, one of my favorite perfumes and the soapiest of the floral aldehydes in my collection.

What marks the distinction between CALECHE and her granddaughter, KELLY? It's not just that the notes are very different (which they are), or the structure (which it is). Nor is it the fact that CALECHE has a true development trajectory that KELLY altogether lacks. No, the most significant distinction between these two Hermes creations can be summed up in one single word: depth. This depth characterizes every layer of CALECHE, so even if CALECHE stopped after the opening or the middle stage or presented its drydown linearly, CALECHE would still be a worthy creation.

But CALECHE also has an untold complexity, inducing in the wearer a journey through the unfurling layers of a beautiful perfume. Although I like floral aldehydes in general, I am discovering that my favorites are those that push the limits of their genre, passing also through chypre-like phases.

CALECHE opens with a bright burst of citrus aldehyde that proceeds to illuminate a garden of flowers. The wearer is next led through a forest where the flowers have been interspersed among woody and moss elements but retain their distinct presence. At this stage, the sun continues to shine down through the large trees casting shadows to the side and leaving the flowers to shimmer in the light. As the sun begins to set, the flowers begin to recede into the darkness, and as the temperature drops, dew begins to coalesce on the leaves of the trees. This fresh pristine feeling persists as the perfume slowly, over the course of several hours, fades away.

Wearing CALECHE is to me the epitome of luxury. When this, my third bottle, is empty, I'll buy a fourth--at any price!

CUPCAKEDOLL

Awful!! smells cheap, and it´s only OK for a very very old lady. It´s too classic, soapy and extremely powdery. Perfect for kill flies...

Lady Venomtongue

the most "bearable" scent for me out of all Hermes line , its well blended for classic floral / faint leather / Dry fans or lovers .
apparently i am not destined to accept Hermes in perfumery but i like & respect their leather work heritage.
Caleche for me lacks something , something that would boost an image of gracefully favourable rounded femininity to the scent . again there is no association what-so-ever with Great Chanel No5 .
Caleche possesses a sense of heatedness ( as of Sahara desert ! ) , sourness , unbelievable dryness & burning sensation to my nose, that is well combined with the aldehydes to form an undeniable annoying sensation to me.
i don't see any association that if u happen to be a true classic style perfumista or an old hopefully "much experienced" well trained nose of a woman , then u should most likely love / like or accept such scent like Caleche.
last but not least , For me , i couldn't care less if Grace Kelly or even the Queen Hatchebsuut of the Pharoahs had / would have ever worn it .

NebraskaLovesScent

I would describe Hermes Caleche as the scent of Ma Griffe perfume and a vintage Coty Airspun face powder, tossed about in a new calfskin handbag.

Complicated, layered, powdery, floral leather.

If the above sounds like something you would enjoy smelling, you'll like this one. I sure do!

nathalieZ

my Mom used to wear it, it is a classic, wil always be a bit mystical for me, as most scents wandering through one's childhood..I havent smelled it in a long time, on my Mom is was very chic, elegant, present ..she was sophisticated so for her it worked! I doubt it would on me..but Caleche is the perfect example of a stylish fragrance..

Inselaffe

To me this represents the epitome of savoir faire. The balance of diverse components is masterfully restrained, allowing some nuanced accords to bask unfettered through the various phases of Caleche. It retains all the positive attributes of an old fashioned formulation, while still feeling fresh, youthful and vibrant. The opening is bold, with a host of acidic components vying for the last word in astringency. None are allowed to overwhelm, and it is within this fresh and confident beginning, that the fragrance gathers its momentum. The heart notes are a initially an engaging accompaniment to the opening, then creating potent accords of their own. This floral axis contains wonderfully aromatic notes, using particularly odoriferous elements such as iris, gardenia,lily of the valley and rose. There is plenty of time to enjoy the top and heart notes as these phases are especially long-lived. The base is smooth, slightly sweetened and effortlessly classy. Again the balance is superb, allowing a particularly organic and earthy phase to bring Caleche to its climax. A fragrant nexus of wood and vanilla notes counter the remaining floral notes efficiently, allowing this long-lived phase to be enjoyed for several hours. This fragrance was an absolute pleasure to review, and will remain in my memory for some time.

milena

I love floral aldehydes and this perfume smells divine, but not on my skin.On my skin smells powdery and soft and thats only the first ten minutes after applying, then downhill,from there on just a stale type of smell.I gave the perfume away to my mother, on her just divine.

Snoo

I just got this for my birthday and the smell is so delicate, classy and imposes self confidence.
When people smelled it from the bottle, they thought it would be way too much for my age and it smelled awful on my mum's skin - but when I wore it my boyfriend said it smells amazing on me and couldn't stop sniffing me.
So, in order to wear Caleche, you need to have attitude, self confidence and just a bit of sensuality.
I think it's perfect for autumn.

teedee

I tried soie de parfum, and totally agree with most of the comments here..it is a classic scent. strong and very lasting one, i may add. it takes a lot of confidence to wear this one.

and it evolves! starts fresh neroli-orange blossomey, then some accords i cant describe yet, and then the lovely lovely dry, smooth, beautiful, slightly powedery drydown.

i love the fact that i always catch a glimpse of this one when i move my wrist (i spray a little to test on my wrist).

amelie

So classy! Sharp and delicate at the same time, very elegant fragrance for modern princess. Fits perfectly with the trench coat and Hermes scarf, not so for casual style. Somewhat cold and distant, even though I love warm fragrances, but also like intangibility of this magical fragrance. Glamorous, slightly arrogant, has a style. Aldehydes clearly felt from the top note, even hours, still feels purity, which radiates. Caleche is the most beautiful in late autumn and early spring.
For me this is really a top among the perfumes and I plan to come back to it.

kiselina

I agree with the words of Chat Lunatique-there is a HUGE difference between soie de parfum and EDT. First I tried edt and fell in love with it. But being greedy, I ordered soie de parfum without prior testing, and I bit off more than I could chew :( Classy, refined, noble, but unfortunately not a fragrance I could wear.
It was given away and now I am a happy owner of Caleche edt.

Lime909

Memories from my childhood. I grew up with my mother having this as one of her favourites. As a small child I would sit in her bedroom and look at the forbidden closet where she kept her beautiful perfumes. When she wasn't looking, I'd open the lids and smell them :-) I always particularly loved Caleche.

PolarBear2

I agree with Malegria. On my cousin, Caleche smells so classy. On me, I smell like an old wrinkled woman. Caleche and I dont get along well :(

Taliera

Even though I am 22 I love this perfume! It smells old-fashioned but very classy. I find it has a positive vibe - probably from all the citrus. The floral notes make it even more attractive. Unfortunately I bought the EDT, and this is not as strong as the Soie de Parfum. But then again, Caleche is a very strong perfume, so I think the EDT is adequate for everyday use.

Mals86

I wanted to like Caleche. I find leather notes fascinating (I continue to be entranced by the leathery drydown of my beloved Chanel No. 19) and I kept hearing that Caleche had a hidden base of leather within its aromatic woody resins.

On me, it doesn't have any leather. On me, it is horribly dull, as if I had intended to wear perfume but instead sprayed on the essence of glue and sawdust. I get no neroli or citrus whatever, and it's barely aldehydic on me at all. (I have to admit here that I actually like aldehydes to a moderate degree, although I don't go looking for them.) Someone here has described it as "elegant and richly dry," but on my skin, it's dry as dust and about as fragrant.

I get the sense that if it worked on me, Caleche would be terrific. The potentiality is there. However, it's so thin and sour that on me I cannot imagine wearing it.

solocha

This must be a classic, but to me it does not appeal very much. It is elegant in a obvious, average way, typical for past decades when ladies smelled of aldehydes, cleanliness and soap. It has shown an interesting note though in heart - the incense (unusual type of incense found in our Catholic church), but this has disappeared in the drydown. Now there is only a mediocre scent, but maybe it's just my skin that many perfumes finish it off in the same way on it. I agree there is a slight leather note also.

glitteralex

This is a very mature scent, to be liked by those who enjoy the character of Chanel 5 but find it too accessible....

honeydays

Ugh. I got a sample of this with high expectations. It smells like an old lady. I see some recent reviewers say the same. I could not bear it. It really reminded me of my grandmother's rest home.

Malegria

How funny it is sometimes. I am still trying to make friends at least with ONE Hermes scent and I simply can`t. Caleche is very stinky on me, smells like an old hunting bag of mine where at all times of it`s life I carried various perfumes, which gave it a specific scent. On my friend - absolutely marvelous!!!Smells woody, smokey and the neroli is very distinct. It has a certain sourness but does not overwhelm with it.And the leathery note is like very thin, very soft leather glove, light brown.
Too bad it does not want to do anything with me.

deli_s

"... with all my respect to Hermes and to those, who like this perfume, I have to admit that for me it smells "an old lady's bag"..."
I feel Caleche like old-fashioned, stood many years in hidden. I don't like it... :(

guest_aufa_malaysia

my mom told me that my grandmother used to wear this fragrance..and she was shocked as i told her that it is still available out there.. and now, she just keep saying that she want it.. i guess i have to order it through the internet because i don't think they got it here.. =(

soirdelune

With Caleche, the words 'classy' and 'elegant' come up time and time again. How very true. To my mind, this is the Grace Kelly of perfumes: beautiful and refined. Would like to smell the difference between the EDT and EDP.

takemyhusbandplz

I'd rate this a 3.5 out of 5. Caleche EDP is very elegant and feminine. A true woody chypre. It is a classic sort of fragrance with a slight edgy dryness. My first impression of Caleche on my skin, was that it reminded me of wine. Caleche is a full-bodied & velvety dry Italian wine, with juicy tannins. Caleche EDP I save for special occasions when I want to feel classy & sophisicated. It's not a scent I would want to wear everyday nor, is it a scent that is 'me', but it is a masterpiece in it's own right.

caribou55313

In my head, this sits next to Cristalle, but is even more elegant and richly dry.

noor_jehan

elgab89 thanks for your comments. i have not smelled it yet, but i am a hermes fan and i have alwys wondered how this fragrance smells. it must be beutiful, and after ylour comment i will add it on my wish and 'to smell' list. :)

elgab89

Last perfume bought by my uncle for my Nana ( aunt). The last fragrance she ever wore. It reminds me of this classy, elegant woman and I will always have a bottle in my cabinet.