Best in House: Hermès
It is generally accepted that the two great designer houses for fragrance are Chanel and Hermès. Of the two, I must admit that I prefer the understated elegance of Hermès to the chic, cut-glass aldehydes I associate with Chanel. Generally, you will be quite safe with any Hermès fragrance, but here are five outstanding fragrances from the house that showcase its range.
Bel Ami - I own both the vintage version by Jean-Louis Sieuzac and Jean-Claude Ellena’s current reformulation of this spicy leather chypre. Both are utterly beautiful. Citrus notes lift up a smoky leather of the isobutyl quinoline variety that’s been infused with spices. The vintage offers a lovely depth with deep, throbbing, animalistic notes while the contemporary version shimmers with a complex hesperidic veil. Easily one of the top five leather fragrances of all time.
Terre d’Hermès - One of my favourite citrus scents, I found Terre d’Hermès arresting at first sniff. Bold and earthy, this fragrance by Ellena exudes confidence, light and angularity, with clean woods and darker green notes crisply shading in the fragrance and grounding it firmly. It has a strong presence, yet is still versatile enough for a variety of settings.
Hermèssence Épice Marine - This is certainly not the most popular of the Hermèssences but it is an excellent example of both Ellena’s minimalist style and the intent to compose olfactory “haikus” wherein two unexpected notes are juxtaposed for a startling effect. Here, Ellena takes the dreaded aquatic genre with cool “marine” notes and pairs that with a spicy warmth, especially cumin. Incredibly, it works.
Galop d’Hermès - I was hesitant to include another leather, but the house is known for its leather goods. This scent is also a good example of the creative flair in Hermès fragrances, as upheld by its latest nose, Christine Nagel. Despite including quince in its notes pyramid, this floral, feminine leather avoids the easy route of fruit or sueded texture by way of Cuir d’Ange or Serge Lutens’ Daim Blonde. This is an intellectual scent, the leather having a sterner, stiffer quality than the aforementioned scents, paired with an austere rose and softened a little with sweetness.
Twilly - This is not a personal favourite but I’ve included it to showcase Hermès’ range. Tuberose is typically either presented as the voluptuous, creamy queen of white florals or she is cleaned up, tucked in and de-clawed into a more demure composition. Either way, there is a maturity to the flower. Nagel takes the latter route but adds a creative, youthful slant, with her tuberose pepped up and shot through with ginger and spice.
I have to add Eau d’Hermès as a runner up. Composed by Edmond Roudnitska, this was the very first perfume by the house remains among one of its best, a citrusy scent with the added depth of cumin. The classic tension between the scent’s clean, aromatic side and its spicy, animal base makes this one of my favourites from the house. I’d include this, but it’s a bit too close to Bel Ami with its citrus-spice vibe.
