Hermès is a designer house we all know and love, but personally (being the beauty editor that I am), I feel like its gorgeously crafted fragrances don’t get enough love. It all started back in 1951 with the brand’s first scent, Eau d’Hermès, a spicy, citrusy fragrance that packs quite a punch. Since its first offering, the house has designed many memorable scents that take the wearer on an olfactory adventure. An adventure filled with enchantment, a little mysticism, and a whole lot of individuality.
Many invoke the feeling of being somewhere specific—a vacation in a bottle, if you will. Whether you’re interested in testing out its lighter eau de toilettes or bold, vibrant colognes, I can almost guarantee the house has a scent you’ll love. Drawing inspiration from Japanese floral arrangements and secret gardens, you can imagine what a luxurious experience each is for the nose. Hermès was kind enough to provide me with a list of its bestselling scents and what to love about each. Keep reading below for all the details.
Key Notes: Rose, rhubarb, tea, lemon, cassia, orange, musk. Inspired by the traditional Japanese art of Ikebana, this airy and sparkling fragrance features a crisp contrast of softer materials like rose petals with sharper notes like rhubarb. According to the fragrance’s creator, Jean-Claude Ellena, it evokes “the smell of a rose early in the morning, misted with dew, delicate and light.”
Key Notes: Pink peppercorn LMR, rose essential for life LMR, Egyptian orange flower LMR, Turkish rose absolute LMR, orris LMR, amber woods, ambrette absolute LMR, musk
Key Notes: Cinnamon, honey, rum, caramel, tonka bean, vanilla, benzoin, coumarin, labdanum, tobacco, white orchid, musk. This inviting fragrance envelopes you in notes of cinnamon, honey, rum, and tonka bean. It smells like warm poetry on the skin with the perfect blend of sweeter fruity notes with spices and a slight hint of smoke.
Key Notes: Ginger, tuberose, sandalwood. Normally, I never thought I would love a blend of notes like tuberose, sandalwood, and ginger, but Hermès has surprised me for the better. It’s floral, spicy, and a little bit woody. And I’m not the only one pleasantly surprised by this combination of notes—it has remained a fan-favorite since its launch in 2017.
Key Notes: Ginger, peony, cedar. If you like a woodier floral scent, Twilly Eau Ginger is worth adding to your collection. Vibrant peony, candied ginger, and rich cedar create a bold olfactory experience fit for any true free spirit.
Key Notes: Orange, grapefruit, flint, woody notes, oak moss, benzoin. It’s no surprise that this classic scent tops the Hermès bestseller list. Former New York Times scent critic, Chandler Burr, even told me it’s one of his favorites. It’s another fragrance that packs a hit of heat with notes like orange and grapefruit but is rounded out by earthier notes like oak moss and flint. Launched in 2006, it’s an ode to our relationship with nature and the synergy we create with the elements on a daily basis. Wearing it evokes an exotic sense of wonder that’s incredibly unique.
Key Notes: Magnolia, pittosporum, Madonna lily, sea breeze, samphire, woody notes. This floral-heavy scent conjures up the feeling of being in an enchanted secret garden. It’s soothing yet vibrant and breezy with notes like magnolia, samphire, and Madonna lily. Spritz it on and you’ll feel like you just walked into a hazy, blossoming dream.
Key Notes: Grapefruit, green mango, lotus, bulrush, orange, hiacynth, peony, musk, iris, incense, labdanum, cinnamon. Refreshing and and uplifting, this offering from Hermès is a great everyday fragrance. Notes of grapefruit, orange and green mango add a zest to it while the base notes of musk, incense, and cinnamon give it a hint of toasty-ness. Creator, Jean-Claude Ellena describes it as “a new idea of freshness that is rather unusual—green and vegetal scents—[it’s like] the smell of water and sand.”
Key Notes: Grapefruit, rose, orange
Key Notes: Jasmine sambac, kumquat, bergamot. The aroma of Le Jardin de Monsieur Li instantly makes me feel like I’m perched in a Chinese garden at sunset. But don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself. Let your imagination run wild with the fresh notes of jasmine, kumquat, and earthy bergamot.
Key Notes: Orange, oakmoss, Amalfi lemon, mandarin orange, cassis, patchouli. An explosion of citrus and zesty lemon hit your nose instantly when you give this one a spray. The more it dries down, though, the more complex it becomes. Notes of oakmoss and patchouli add a certain electric quality to it that explains why it’s been a bestseller for the brand and that it even names it as “the emblem of Hermès itself.”
Key Notes: Rhubarb, red berries, white musk. This fragrance is truly a mixed bag with notes across the board: fruity, musky, citrusy, and vegetable. But don’t let that fool you—the unusual combo somehow works. It’s velvety smooth on the dry-down and engulfs you in a cloud of berries, musk, and notes of zingy rhubarb.
Key Notes: Rhubarb, Australian sandalwood, island gardenia
