Eau D'Hermes

This is the first perfume created by Hermes, composed by the legend Edmond Roudnitska, which next year in 2026 will be 75 years old. Just like timeless pieces of music, it's wonderful to know that the age of some things does not preclude them from sticking around or being popular. Eau d'Hermes certainly caught attention, and inspired quite a few perfumes in its wake. I pondered quite some time ago while smelling Jean-Claude Ellena's Declaration for Cartier, which was 40 years junior at its release, that I was smelling a modernized, JCE-style homage to Eau d'Hermes. Let's start there. I haven't smelled EdH for a long time, so this new formulation in a decant will (hopefully) be a pleasant trip down memory lane, and it does indeed start that way. Instantly upon application to my skin I am hit with a gorgeous and enveloping cloud of cinnamon, coriander, and cumin. That cinnamon note in particular... oh my is it good. So warm and fresh, like you're smelling the cinnamon bark right after it's been stripped from the tree. Unfortunately, it is very short-lived, fading into the background quite quickly, so I was tempted to spray EdH again but thought better of it - remembering that this perfume is a bit of an animal and easy to overdo. Nearly as quickly as the cinnamon fades to the background in a matter of less than a minute, and the coriander and cumin calm down yet still remain in front, a super juicy yet green bergamot note springs forward. It has this effect as if you put a bergamot half in a juicer, squeezed, and the juice sprays everywhere. The green sour quality to the bergamot, at least in this formulation, is so pronounced I almost thought Hermes went with something more akin to a lime accord in this formulation. That mix of earthy, sweaty, and savory seed spices plus juicy green sourness is an odd combo, but nonetheless very pleasant. So far, so good - and fun! The dry down from the top happens quite quickly, again, introducing a soft floral accord of what seems to be jasmine and geranium. Fortunately, it leans heavier on the white floral and indolic jasmine than the camphoraceous geranium, the latter seeming to work to fill in the holes of the heart rather than playing a starring role. This is where things start to veer slightly off course from vintage versions of EdH, say prior to the early-to-mid 00s (the age of the last bottle I smelled). I remember thinking the floral heart was more pronounced, as this time around it is very meek and short lived. The seed spices of coriander and cumin, cinnamon almost inaudibly humming in the background, are sewing their way through the heart and become more apparent after the short-lived florals completely disappear. The final skin scent is a mix of smooth and well-worn leather, dry tonka, and woods. Here is yet another detraction. I remember EdH being an animal, particularly at the base. The leather was more pronounced, the tonka more pronounced, there was definitely a cistus note driving a really raunchy civet type accord. This EdH is very well behaved, quite quiet and restrained. The growling and non-domesticated beast that I remember has gotten old and used to humans, and now acts like a companion rather than a wild animal. I find this kind of sad, honestly. Don't get me wrong, EdH in its current form is still really good; this is still high on the list of classic masculines even by today's judgements. And I imagine the need to make sure it still secured a spot on the list of some-of-the-best masculines you can buy today, Hermes felt the need to tame it. And so they did. They tamed it well; it's still Eau, it still smells great, and I still love it. But I miss the beast.

The forgotten Hermes fragrance, one that surely deserved more of limelight? Or not... as exactly because of being invisible stayed less changed and challenged by endless reformulations since not making that much of a contribution to overall house’ business... Fathered by the same man who made Dior’s Eau Sauvage, this cannot be a timid child! While being the FIRST of Herme’s fragrances it had to be a well behaved, understated, boarding school educated child. This is what I love about Eau d’Hermes, it is subdue and behaved in all its glory, well intended and won’t annoy the conservative grandmother watching... Yet there are pulsion and animalistic things going under the cover. It is a grownup fragrance for those younger at heart; it is not a fragrance for youngsters who want to grow faster than what they truly can get away with. Sorry to say to Jean-Claude Ellena’s fans (me included 😉) but THIS is the new-just-bought Hermes leather bag interior scent – not Cuir d’Ange – this is the real deal. The leather note here is wrapped in something so animalistic and skin-raw scented that it should almost make one blush. The citrus/sage/cardamom that play in the opening are very quickly wrapped in that almost impossible to name animal presence that I can only guess leather/birch/tonka all combined invent and bring to life. Is labdanum also working here landing the fragrance its “perspiration” quality? As resins perspire from stems, there is something that sweats here. With class, dressed up in its ironed white shirt. Despite this being a citrus-aromatic version of a leather, it ends up speaking sex; so much louder than all known and seen takes-on leather. Those going towards accords of tobacco-leather, or styrax-leather, or hay-leather or civet-leather... all of which, undoubtedly should reveal more sexual, more intentional. Mr. Ellena you were right about your cuir - which is beautiful in an entirely different way - ; the angels have no sex. It’s all here, where angels can only turn around and go back to the clouds as this Eau is grounded in earthly thoughts. As said from start, the child behaves, but don’t tear open a window to sneak inside its cunning schemes. A genderless fragrance from the 50's? How fizzy...

I found this online for a great deal and was about to buy but postponed and decided to get to Hermes store and check it out for myself. Glad I did. I smelled the bottle with black cap and I think the label now is orange, so no clue about older formulation but the current one made me go like 'Wow!'. Yes, I get the citruses, yes I also get the cumin note and they smell just right. Bright yet filthy; vibrant yet balanced; rugged yet debonair. This was an experience on its own and the surprising part was the scent was familiar, I knew I smelled it somewhere else and I kept thinking 'where do I know this smell from'.. it clicked. Eau d'hermes and azemour les orangers by PdE are similar. Eau is rounder in its citruses, not as sharp, not as juicy but softer edges that caresses you and permits for you to get to know it. Cheekily, it knows its worth and doesn't compete for attention but allows you to get carried in it. It is aware of its own filth and embraces itself in its perversion. Azemour les orangers on the other hand has juicier citruses, its extraverted light shines loudly but not obnoxiously, it is in your face and, unapologetically, its sharp character is amplified so much more when worn during the heat. Azemour in similarity to eau d'hermes has a decree of filthiness in it but it is more reserved. If Eau d'hermes acknowledges, fully aware of its own filth, accepts it than Azemour's on the other hand is a thought, it is a fleeting moment that just shows you its potential without ever pushing for it's realization. As time goes by Eau d'h. softens but retains its character to the end, citruses nearly died down, spices show themselves as soft as clouds and a bit unexpectedly sweetness pops up alongside spices as if to say 'I am capable of change'. Azemour on the other hand has you forgotten about its dirt but not the photorealistic orange juice that you showered in. My mouth waters as I type this comment. Both scents are spectacular in their own right and luckily I own Azemour but for the collectionner Eau d'hermes would not be redundant purchase. They almost feel like different sides of the same coin but that is just my nose and two cents on it.

Based on my small sample of Jicky, I far prefer Eau D'Hermes. I am addicted to it. It smells so much like amazing man parts I can't believe it doesn't include musk. Yes, spicy citrus, but I think what smooths the whole thing out to me into a completely soft, drinkable yum that is not angular or sharp anywhere is the combination of lavender, cardamom and clove. I don't get too much vanilla in it, just enough, which makes me happy. Jicky dries down a bit more powdery to me, though I've not tried it enough yet to be certain, and the Hermes has better projection for me without being too brash, which I'm often in the mood for. The absence of powder in Hermes while having the softness of powder is impressive. It smells fresh and beautiful but somehow also makes my mind wander and yes, I'd call it dirty. I'm working on a 7,5 ml sample, copper top, and will get a full bottle soon. **Edit: I realized what it is that makes it smell so sexy to me... I don't see it in the notes, but the beautiful beautiful spice part I mentioned is the lavender, cardamom, clove part with the barest touch of soft earth and then for some reason under that I smell a combination of pencil shavings and salt. Wow. To me it is very very intimate smelling.** I like to wear this with other florals or tropicals when I want to add a little more "musky" spice. I'm looking forward to trying several of the other mentions on this page, including a sample of Habit Rouge in the coming months, I'm curious about it all, but I don't know about L'Autre because like someone said, this smells like the scent of a clean and desirable person and I don't know about too much cumin. Layer it with CBMusk if you really wanna get down. I've spritzed a Yog Nog elsewhere, I think ylang compliments. I just love the reviews on this page reading them after I had written my own. Someone said it smells like potential space, I totally get that. Someone mentioned bergamot, I get that too. And someone said it reminds them of a woman's sex smell, and yeah women can carry this scent on their bodies just as well, I feel very comfortable wearing it night or day.

Eau d'Hermès is a high-quality masculine-leaning cologne featuring a smooth leather base. Radiantly bright up top, it has a lot of darkness below the surface - warm spicy notes add some bite, while the leather develops in the background. It has depth and complexity, yet is airy and fresh. Traditional in style, vintage yet timelessly elegant; the modern version is beautiful. I haven't smelled a vintage formulation but would love to compare it to this. EH opens with tart bergamot, brightened by a lemon note that more closely resembles verveine/lemongrass. Radiantly fresh, the citruses are followed closely by aromatic lavender, a slight fougère edge to this leather-based cologne. Some herbal greenness is in there, alongside some peppery spice. Petitgrain adds green woodiness, enhancing the citrus to perfection. The opening is rich yet fresh, addictive and quite restorative. As it develops, a woody-jasmine accord emerges, grounding the aromatic, airy opening. The spices remains, with warm, sweet cinnamon becoming prominent. I get some geranium as it progresses, green and herbal. The leather base develops as it begins to dry down, lingering in the background from the early stages but really coming to the fore at this point. The aromatic herbal-green notes lift it, and the soft spices remain. It is a smooth, saddle-like leather note, true to the Hermès heritage, reminiscent of a high-quality handbag too. There is some dry woodiness in there too, adding to the leather accord. It fades to a slightly animalic, musky skin scent with a hint of tonka bean. Sillage and longevity are moderate, and it is transeasonal thanks to its relative richness. A complex yet cohesive traditional cologne with fougère and barbershop elements on a beautifully-rendered leather base, EH is a top-notch masculine-leaning cologne with depth. Excellent. 4.5/5.