Fragrance Review: HERMES – EAU D'HERMES
In 1951, the first ever scent launched by the House of Hermes was simply named “Hermes Water” (Eau d'Hermes) – a perfume that the reputation of one of the world's most revered luxury goods giants was built upon. Eau d'Hermes was authored by Edmond Roudnitska, who had turned to the iconic Birkin for his inspiration. He wanted to create “...the fragrance wafting from the interior of a Hermes bag... a note of delicate leather coated with the fresh scent of citrus fruits and flavored with spices”.
Eau d'Hermes is everything Roudnitska intended – it opens with a shimmer of bergamot, petitgrain and lemon, but moments in takes a hard turn towards an aromatic flight of sage and lavender. Subtle flowery notes of jasmine and geranium tippy-toe over a bold heart of spices: coriander, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. The trail is an ambery / woody / leathery one in which vanilla, labdanum, sandalwood, birch, cumin and mosses linger on skin. The composition is exquisitely-crafted, and despite its bountiful list of accords, somehow manages to remain transparent – without losing its opulence and sophistication, of course. Eau d'Hermes is a stunning fragrance for both men and women... it can be used as a signature scent when dense florals or screaming aquatics just don't seem to fit. Expect nothing but excellence from this iconic scent from Hermes' glorious past.