Three by Hermes and the iconic orange bag. Photo of Hermes Equipage Geranium, Hiris, and Terre d’Hermes by Robert H. © 9/26/2018

My love of Hermes (pronounced air-MESS just to get that out of the way), goes back almost forty years. I remember the very first (of so many over the years) bottle of L’Eau D’Orange Verte Gel Douche Pour La Bain I ever saw, which I spotted in a friend’s shower in Paris, and thought…well you can imagine exactly what I thought. However with assurances that it was in fact shower gel and not a feminine hygienic product, I became immediately obsessed with its extraordinarily bracing and energizing citrus blast, and have been using it religiously ever since. Even before I discovered the scents, there was my mother’s collection of Hermes scarves and trinkets (key fobs and the like) and the ingrained idea that while other Parisian houses fell in and out of fashion, Hermes represented a very high and constant level of luxury, but quiet, understated, and spoken of in hushed tones. As Auntie Mame would say “Strictly top drawer.” Perfume releases from Hermes are not prolific, as if the forethought and intention of creating new fragrances is of course, something never to be rushed into and anything wonderful is always worth waiting for.

Photo of my Hermes watch by Robert H. © 9/26/2018

Since opening for business in the 1830’s, ten years later than Guerlain and seventy years before Chanel, the name Hermes has always been synonymous with high-class goods of leather and silk. Starting with custom created saddles and other equestrian essentials, Hermes went on to create a wide range of fashion accessories including but not limited to scarves, clothing, jewelry and fragrance. In looking at the fragrance history of the House, the line-up of perfumers reads like a Who’s-Who of Scent: Jean Guichard, Guy Robert, Jean-Claude Ellena, Christine Nagel, Edmond Roudnitska, Francoise Caron, Olivia Giacobetti, Gilles Romey, Maurice Roucel, Bernard Bourjois, Fabrice Pellegrin, Ralf Schwieger, and Nathalie Feisthauer among others. Here are three of my favorites:

Equipage Geranium edt (Jean-Claude Ellena), 2015. The first and only flanker to 1970’s Equipage by Guy Robert, Hermes Equipage Geranium goes one better than the original, and is a tribute to Jean-Claude Ellena’s prowess as a perfumer. Stepping away from his classic airy, and scented watercolor-like fragrances, Equipage Geranium is an elegant powerhouse of beautiful florals mixed with aromatics and sandalwood. The cool, bright and mentholated notes of the mint, add a photorealistic greenness, culminating in a decidedly unisex fragrance that is at once timeless and unforgettably modern.

Notes: Spicy accords, geranium, rose, mint and Sandalwood.

Hiris edt (Olivia Giacobetti, 1999. Although I’m a die-hard Olivia Giacobetti fan, you don’t need to be to discover Hermes Hiris, one of the all-time great iris scents (Previously reviewed here.) A stunning mélange of florals and wood, with Amber vibes throughout, Hiris is iris done right with the perfect amount of carrot/powder/root notes and enough sweetness to keep it from being too dry. Still available in the original matte-blue bottle, or the newer reformulated clear bottle.

Notes: Aldehydes, orange flower, rose, coriander, carnation, iris, cedarwood, ambrette seeds, honey, vanilla.

Terre D’Hermes edt (Jean-Claude Ellena), 2006  Considered by many (myself included) to be one of the pillars of modern masculine cologne, Terre D’Hermes is a citric, flinty, mineral-fresh masterpiece of contemporary perfume. Inspired by the works of French Novelist Jean Giono, whose books are essentially love letters to his beloved Provence (Marcel Pagnol made three films based on his books). Jean-Claude Ellena’s creation is “The history of an alchemic journey through the elements: earth, air and water. A woody, vegetal and mineral eau de toilette” and capture the dry and sunny beauty of Provence.  I know many men and women who would not be without a bottle of either the edt or parfum of Terre D’Hermes. “Darling, if you don’t love Terre D’Hermes, perhaps you just don’t love perfume at all.”

Notes: Grapefruit, Orange, gunflint, Pink Pepper, Geranium Leaves, Patchouli, Rose, Cedarwood, Vetiver, Benzoin.

collage by The Silver Fox © Galop d’Hermes

Of course Hermes creates so many stunning scents, and it would be remiss to not give shout-outs to Galop d’Hermes Parfum (Christine Nagel) a spectacular albeit polarizing perfume that for me encapsulates Maison Hermes in a bottle, all floral, leather, and animalic horsey, Voyage D’Hermes Parfum (Jean-Claude Ellena), another modern classic with its “flip-phone” style bottle, Eau Des Merveilles (Ralph Schwieger and Nathalie Feisthauer) and its multitude of flankers, the much loved Eau De Pamplemousse Rose (Jean-Claude Elena), the whole Hermessence and Jardins ranges and many many more.

Disclosure: The perfumes mentioned, and the opinions are my own.

–Robert Herrmann, Sr. Contributor (September 26, 2018)

Editor’s Note: This article was written September 26, 2018. It was misfiled in a folder marked “New Folder13″ in another section of my hard drive. Thank you, G-d, for giving us a gift, a ‘new’ article from Robert Herrmann Senior Editor Emeritus who passed away October 1, 2019. Robert’s emails always included this Helen Keller quote. “Scent is a potent wizard, it transports us across thousands of miles and all the years that we have lived!” 

And Beyond…

Amen

–Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief