Eau de Basilic Pourpre

I have developed somewhat of an obsession / guilty pleasure with Hermes fragrances & this is just another of my soft spots. (I say guilty pleasure because they’re all mostly light EDT/EDC so therefore you’ve got to be willing enough to part cash for something that doesn’t last particularly long BUT I can’t seem to resist them.) I tried this in store & was surprised at how unusual this was. It opens very masculine for only a minute or so, then it mellows out to be a dreamy, fresh aromatic fragrance with the basil note making it stand out to me. This was a perfume I sprayed on paper and couldn’t stop smelling for the next few days (sadly it lasts a lot longer on paper/clothing than skin). I fell in love immediately, so purchased a bottle without actually spraying it directly on myself beforehand & have to agree with others that on skin it’s subtle due to it being an eu de cologne. It is basically a skin scent within 20 minutes or so, however, that being said, I’m willing to pay the price of having to reapply through the day as it’s so unique & gorgeous in my eyes. 😂

Oh my, I just blind bought this for my husband and regret it so much because I really want it for myself so badly! It is completely enchanting, light, green, herbal, citrussy. It fits Hermes but it’s also recognisable Nagel with a bit of warmth and character. Giving a twist to the Cologne-line as she did with her Jardin creations. The fact that her ‘Jardins’ are a bit controversial (lagune and cythere) makes them even more interesting IMHO. But back to Eau de Basilic Pourpre - I warmly recommend it. Longevity is poor as you would expect from a Cologne but it is unique and joyful! (haha, I just now see the ‘toothpaste’ comment and yes, you are right! Very delicious toothpaste!)

I am now officialy obsessed with this, since trying the Musc Pallida in which I also detect a minty facet. So I revisited my sample of Basilic Pourpre and oh my, it hit me: it smells exactly like the essential oil mix they use in the wet sauna at the Therme spa. This will go straight into my collection. I find it very unisex, I have no problem wearing it. It also seems so Hermes and I can somehow almost smell a bit of horsey leather if I stretch my imagination and nose because the scent is quite complex. The longevity is fleeting but you do smell it for some hours as a light breeze. Would definitely appreciate a stronger version with a good price. Beautiful!

Basilic Pourpre was a love at first sniff! This is easily one of the best and most elegant herbal / spicy / aromatic fragrances I have had the pleasure to smell so far. The fragrance is rather linear, but the notes are well blended, and I mostly get an interplay of basil, geranium, cloves and a variety of other spices. It has a slight tendency to smell like a cologne marketed to men, but I still recommend that women who like aromatic fragrances try this one. Basilic Pourpre is a wonderful change from the stereotypical citrus fragrances worn in summer.

I simply love most of their ‘Eau de’ fragrance collection and this is no exception!! It’s fresh, citrusy and a hint of spiciness. Really can be worn through out the day, very versatile and unisex. The fragrance is unique as well, hard to compare it with another fragrance. Give it a try as this underrated fragrance may surprise you as it did me. It may be slightly on the mild side but I got a good 6 hours from it. Hence still smelling myself as I write this. Ha ha, cheers and happy weekend.

Very very natural smelling scent. It doesn't smell like green basil. I guess purple basil smells like this since I haven't had a purple basil plant yet. What I can say for sure is that it smells like real herbs mixed with real citrus fruit. It's very pleasant and refreshing. Longevity is obviously "bad" but you can't judge an Eau de Cologne for being an EdC. I wish they came up with a longer lasting EdT version.

Very natural and unique - you won't find anyone smelling like you around! I would say at first it does seem like a more masculine scent, but as time passes by there is a feminine touch of freshness. I personally love it! The only negative thing would be it doesn't last long enough...

I spray this every time I have extra time in the airport duty-free. I love the rich, herbal scent. But it is very light and does not last. It smells like rubbing basil on your skin, but I love that.. Basilico by Vilhelm is similar and lasts a bit longer.

This scent is lovely — very fresh, not sweet at all, unisex, and perfect for summer. It’s quite unique in my collection. The longevity is definitely on the weaker side, but I think it might actually work well in hot weather because of that)

Fantastic fresh clean and classy scent from Hermes .Lasts a good 4 -6 hrs on me and affordable . Ive bought my second 200ml bottle for only $130 Australian dollar. Absolute steal for a high end scent and house

I have to admit I hated this at first sniff Spraying it on my skin was what sold this to me This is a great fragrance but definitely not basil- it’s more citric

In 80F, high humidity weather, this is strong basil and patchouli. Very unique and long lasting. Unisex but leans more masculine. Great value!

Interesting, nice, herbal, weak, minty, even slightly sweet but this sweetness reminds me a tea made of stevia leaves (I once drank such).

Eau de Basilic Pourpre is a simple, unisex herbal cologne with fleeting performance. It smells natural and high-quality, which one would expect from Hermès, but the ingredients here are cheap regardless. Aromatic and green, leafy basil is the most prominent note initially, bolstered by a sprig of mint, which adds a nice, fresh lift without being camphorous or overwhelming. Peppery green geranium bridges the gap beautifully from the herbal component to the spicy phase. As it develops, soft spices emerge, adding warmth. I get cloves mostly. I don't get much patchouli; the green notes in the base smell more like grassy vetiver to me. It fades fairly quickly, with hints of spice remaining longest. Sillage is intimate and longevity is weak. A pleasant, well-composed basil-centred cologne, EdBP is a great unisex hot weather scent. It is better than Frédéric Malle Geranium Pour Monsieur in my opinion, which is choked by its mint note. Good stuff, but too fleeting and masculine for my taste. 3/5.

Got a travel size of this with some of its buddies, and like it's buddies it's all opening and short lived (3-4 hrs). You can argue it's longer as a skin scent, but I get really nothing after 5 hours tops unless you really want to shower yourself in it. This might be the best approach. I have been spraying amples on for the last week, and while certain not to get near anyone for the first hour as it would be too obnoxious, it is a least noticable later - until it's over. All this is a real shame because the fresh, wet, and basil automatic personality it has with a bit of spice is great! Perfect for summer but the longevity leaves it for occasions and outings that are one to three hours long. With such a short duration there's no need for a full bottle. The travel size you can't take with you for a refresher (or five) throughout the day is more fitting. Would love the 5+ hour version.

ohhh the love and hate relationship I have with you. Eau de Basilic pourpre gave me the same flair equipage had, the classy gentleman vibe but make it summer. It really is a good basil scent, giving it this smooth green vibe with a hint of citrus in it but staying true to its basil. It smells fantastic but the big downside for this fragrance by hermes is the longevity. In Germany we would say "hält von 12 bis mittag" meaning "it lasts from 12am till noon", showing how youre getting a MAXIMUM 3h longevity, but mostly about 2h. Well I love the smell, I really do since its my summer equipage, but the longevity is really a outrageous longevity given that its hermes (meaning its not cheap). I love you Basilic pourpre, but I cant hold onto you after youre gone (empty)

Hermes Eau de Basilic Pourpre (2022) - basil geranium - If someone told me this was created by Jean Claude Ellena, I would have believed them. #christinenagel pays an artistic homage to her predecessor’s style of transparency, simplicity and mastery. Spicy and aromatic top notes: Bergamot, Mint and Basil are mixed with Cardamom, Anise, and Pepper. At its heart, the basil sweetens and rose-like Geranium come into play. The playfulness between the aromatic components makes this one of the best in the Hermes cologne series. It definitely has Cartier’s Declaration dna. The drydown, I don’t get Patchouli, but more Oakmoss, Vetiver and Cedar.

Augh, I was really hoping it would smell like photorealistic basil, but there is no basil detected at all :( I smell some kind of herb, but it's more mint than basil. It kind of smells a little sparkly, with a very prominent, bitter bergamont note, and some greenness in the background. I am not going to say anthying negative about the performance since I knew beforehand it was a EDC. It does smell good though, it reminds me of gucci guilty cologne a little bit. I got it for a good price so cant complain but sadly a disappointment.

Very natural herbal Basil, its a very nice natural blast off cesty rinds and bergamott in the opening, gets soft and a bit spicy towards the end, lasts like a cologne should max 4 hrs and a slight skin scent after that, iff you love basil this is a great buy, for the non basil lovers you should try before buy, cause this is all about letting the basil shine, i use it after shaving, smells clean fresh and manly in that setting imo, ofcs the ladys can use it to 😁

This is Christine Nagel's redemption after the disappointing Citron Noir EdC, while still being very much her style. A vivid green sweet basil with a vibrant woody base. Linear, but in the good refreshing way. I get some akigalawood in the base, bright, tart, half floral half herbal 'pale' wood, reminds me a bit of Essential Parfum's Bois Imperial. Nice!

It smells nice; less sweet, therefore masculine-leaning unisex. However, since it’s an eau de Cologne, its longevity and projection are a little bit too weak. I wouldn’t buy it in a bottle, especially not at such a high price. So I consider this perfume as an inferior substitute for Tacit by Aesop in the category of basil and citrus-based perfumes.

This works best in very hot weather. Somehow it allows the basil note to ‘sing’. It’s rather beautiful and very Nagel. It does remind me of mouthwash or even medicine at first spray, but somehow this works in hot weather, it cuts through. Not safe for blind buy though. Performance is average, but it’s a Cologne. It works as such.

As a woman that loves wearing this perfume I still feel it’s a more masculine sent. I wear it when I don’t mind smelling a bit masculine. I don’t know the right perfume terms but it smells like a fresh spicy luxury to me. It’s like I have to wear linen clothes when wearing this sent because it demands me to lol

honestly, i will describe it in 1 word Heaven, once i smell it i felt like I'm in a green forest, i truly love it, i always give the perfume a chance to understand it more and to feel it, but this one is something different love from the first smell AS FACT it's going to be my signature

I really like the scent itself - very fresh and herbal, although the basil could be stronger. The only problem is that the longevity on my skin is unfortunately atrocious. I basically can’t smell it after an hour which is a pity because otherwise I may have bought a full bottle

I really like this fragrance, is fresh in a very original way, with a green sweet scent of basil. Unfortunally on me it last for only 2 or 3 hours, I've wear it this early morning and by now (10am) I can barelly smell it on my wrist

Fresh, clean and a bit powdery. It’s pleasant and relaxing, an interesting scent, smells smooth and very natural. A good choice if you like soft herbal scents.

So realistic Sweet Spicy perfume... But it's for those people that want an elegant scin scent . This is for people that know what they want .

Very nice aromatic opening. Unfortunately the drydown is rather underwhelming and the performance on my skin is just sad.

It reminds me Musc pallida, i feel a little bit of mint, very airy, unisex, fresh..

It reminds me a lot to Quorum Silver by Antonio Puig.

L'Allee de la Riviere by Henri Matisse 1903

After the aggressively synthetic Eau de Citron Noir, I'm very glad that Eau de Basilic Pourpre smells so natural just like most of this cologne line. The opening reminds me of eating at a Vietnamese restaurant here in the US. They usually give you a plate of basil with lime and sprouts. Yes, it opens with beautiful green basil and lime. After a few minutes, this blooms and you get what I'm assuming is the purple basil. It's almost like hints of black licorice or a very dark berry without the sweetness, very herbal. This mid phase is the most interesting. There's really something special there. Unfortunately, it is very soft and quiet but I got random whiffs of its beauty in the first hour. Sadly, and very sadly, the drydown happens. Based on some of the reviews below, I'm not the only one who detects vetiver. It goes into that watery onion-y humid vetiver. I started hating it. Then, the humid vetiver started smelling like BO. Yuck! Is it just my skin? Is it the unspecified spices? The BO smell does let up and goes back to a fatty watery vetiver. Ugh! Where there really no other options for a drydown. Gawd, I hope the AI's learn what BO smells like and raise an alarm for the perfumer and evaluator, or something. Sigh. This feels like another wasted potential. I guess I'm grateful that this doesn't have those overly sweet aggressive synthetic coumarin, ambroxides and other amber woods. There is no sweetness here whatsoever which is not a bad thing. The longevity to me doesn't even matter anymore because I don't want to smell like that dry down for even 5 minutes. That mid, though, it's really... *chef's kiss*!

I guess that I’ve come to realize I’m just not a big fan of basil in fragrances. I absolutely love the smell of basil but I don’t want to wear it. This was a blind purchase after getting Eau de Citron Noir by Nagel, which received a bunch of negative reviews. However, I absolutely loved it. Soon after, I tried Eau d’Orange Vert, which transported me to a completely different realm. After having such success with those first two I felt like it would be impossible for me not to love this one. I feel like I should wear this one when I’m out working in the garden. It would match that vibe for me. If you’re a fan of basil you might really love it! I don’t dislike it but it isn’t really for me.

Why, oh, why does it smell like anise and ONLY anise to me? It falls oh so flat, like it tried to run, but tripped on the way to achieve something more than that. I don't wanna say I dislike it, but it seems very one dimensional and ultimately not what I'm looking for. Also, almost every tester of this bottle seems to be empty, or nearly empty when I see it in the store. There's no way so many people wanna smell this thing, right?

I don't really have anything bad to say about Eau de Basilic Pourpre. It is charming, elegant, natural, light, refined. The only things would be that it's too light and fleeting. It disappears quickly into a faint aura, you sort of feel like you haven't used a cologne at all. Yet, I keep sniffing my arm, as it's enjoyable and calming. I guess a "concentre" version is on the way.

So fresh and clean cologne.It smells like after you showered with refresing aromatic shampoo.So clean and fresh,opening is a bit zesty with bergamote drying up and more green notes.I can also smell soapy DNA in it.It is masculine It was literally a disapointment for me because i have never smelled purple basil note or the purple basil is diffrent from i think.

Love the opening, fresh bergamot and green basil. The drydown is a bit too masculine, and comes with an insisting note that strongly resembles the smell of a classic hair removal cream on my skin. I think it is the geranium that is disturbing me, not a favorite note. Will use it in hot weather, and test it on the guys in the family.

Again, it's okay. Not something to write home about. For all the Hermes scents I've tried, this is potentially one of the most forgettable. It's not the best EdC in the line, it's not even the best Nagel EdC (that title lies with Eau de Rhubarbe Ecarlate). It's light, refreshing, fine. Just fine.

Great top notes, smells so green and fresh on opening ,then slowly fades into a stunning generic mediocrity. Soft patchouli base is all I smell an hour later. Completely underwhelmed by it, feel Hermes fragrances are not the same since JCE left , they have lost a bit of their magic for me.

Loved the zesty citrus opening of this but quickly a stale, anise-y grass note intrudes on my skin that's offputting. It's like old lettuce in a plastic bag. That fades, but unfortunately so does the fragrance at that point.

Photorealistic basil scent, which would be awesome if it lasted. Sadly, it's gone within 1-2 hours, which is a crime given that it's Hermes and not super cheap.

I smell more of a herbs of provence mix than basil specifically. Fresh spicy scent. Not balsamic but quite herbal. It's ok.

Smells like a health food store on me. Little fresh and herbaceous. A hint of green patchouli gives it a hippy feel.

A 5 star fragrance if you want to smell like spicy, nuanced vaporub.

I adore the Eau D'Orange Verte, which is in an identical bottle, even if it has a measly projection and sillage. But this Basilic Pourpre is really a miss by Hermes. Not a fan. Due to identical bottles could be easily mistaken, too. Why not make the bottle purple, if the inside is supposed to be a Purple Basil, then, no? And as many has expressed already, I, too, am getting minimum to none basil out of this!

This smells like basil and marijuana! Stoners, this ones for you!

The best of the Eau line... however gone in 30 minutes - 1 hour

The official notes lists purple basil, bergamots, geranium, patchouli and spices. So I‘ve expected a herbal green and almost bitter aromatic fragrance. No such thing. It’s a joyful green aromatic clarity and a whiff of citrusy freshness in a cloud of soft white musk. Honestly I‘ve never smelled purple basil, but I detect a durable sweet minty character and sadly no green herbal basil in it. The minty green facets stays very long on the paper blotter, on my skin the fragrance sadly fades quickly out in white musk. The overall impression is a slightly sweet and green clarity in white musk. I would have expected to perceive some earthy patchouli or even spices at all. Unfortunately, I do not detect that. It seems as if Eau de Rhubarbe Écarlate was taken as a basic idea to create something different but familiar. It feels modern and uncomplicated, but it lacks some elegance or „chic français“ that would I have loved to discover from Hermès.

God saves the Quality! In short: it tastes like basil, it is very natural, fresh and clean, at the same time it smells exactly like shaving cream. This smells like a barbershop of the 90s, well maybe is more correct to say it has an Aftershave (or any basic man product shaving foam, viril showergel) presence. Thisbcan be a sort of an aromatic cologne of the end of the 80s and the begin of the 90s with the firsts ozonic acquatic notes. It is not bad, soapy, aromatic, clean, but it has this vintage laundry note which I dislike... And low sillage and longevity. But can be a nice refreshing summer cologne for man, much alpha one, not unisex. Remember me eau de merveilles bleue as somebidy noticed, and it has something of the new version of the classic Enrico Coveri pour Homme, and GianMarco Venturi Energy, and something of Thierry Mugler Cologne plus the mentioned my grandfather shaving products.