10 Best Hermes Perfumes For Women 2024 in the United States

The Hermès brand is a prime example of a business with humble beginnings, slowly expanding its scope of products, until it becomes an established name. In the 1800s, Hermès originally sold saddles and carriage goods (which explains the horse in the Hermès logo)--then moving on to leather goods in general, fashion items--especially scarves and ties--and luxury items. Almost 100 years after its founding, in 1949, they launched their first perfume. Over the past 70 years, that has expanded to become one of their major product lines--with 12 feminine fragrances, 6 masculine fragrances, unisex fragrances, and special edition “Hermèssence”, that can only be purchased in the Hermès stores. One of the reasons for the popularity of their fragrances is Hermès’ insistence on using all-natural ingredients in their perfumes.

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting a Hermès perfume. It'll help you choose the right type of fragrance according to your tastes, read reviews, and compare prices.

You’ll see the names “perfume”, “toilet water”, and “cologne” used when discussing fragrances. Actually, each term indicates the concentration of aromatics in the fragrance, and in the intensity of the scent. The rest can be alcohol, water, and other solvents. Many Hermès fragrances will be available in many forms--for example, their “Un Jardin sur le Toit” (“A Garden on the Roof”) is available as eau de toilette, body shower gel, and moisturizing body lotion.

Here is a brief list of the concentration of aromatics in Hermès fragrances on the market:

• Body Mist: 1.5% - 3% aromatics. Body mists would have to be applied more often--even every hour--since the smell dissipates so quickly.

• Fine Fragrance Mist: 3% - 7% aromatics.

• Eau de Cologne (EdC): Around 5% aromatics.

• Eau de Toilette (EdT): Around 5-10% aromatics. These fragrances will typically linger for at least half a day, due to their greater concentration.

• Eau de Parfum (EdP): Around 11-15% aromatics. They last longer, usually for an entire day, and will smell more intense.

• Perfume: 20% aromatics and higher

A lower concentration of aromatics means that the scent will linger for a shorter amount of time. Perfumes will come in smaller amounts, and will be more expensive than body mists and cologne.

• Where to apply the perfume: It is recommended to apply one or two drops of perfume to one of the pulse points (such as your neck or wrist). You can supplement it with the spray or mist of the same fragrance.

• Refills: Hermès also offers refills of their fragrances. This way, you can fill up vials of the travel version of their Eau de Parfum. It is more economical, and better for the environment.

• Collection of fragrances: Some recommend that you should have a “wardrobe” of fragrances. This way, you can wear a different fragrance every day. Here are some suggestions:

  • It’s recommended to use floral scents for a hot summer day. An example is the Jour D'hermes Absolu, a floral scent with notes of gardenia, sambac jasmine & apricot flower.

  • Another popular category is the spice fragrances, which are more appropriate for an evening out, or for a cold day.

  • For a spring day outdoors, it’s recommended to look for a citrus blend, such as Hermès “Un Jardin Sur le Toit”, with scents such as limonene, citronella, and geraniol.

  • There are fragrances called “orientals” which have a base of resins and balsams, such as amber, and tend to last longer with greater intensity.  One such Hermès offering is their Eau Des Merveilles Elixir (“Water of Wonders Elixir”), with notes of orange, oak and cedar wood, and vanilla.  

  • There are also romantic fragrances, such as the L'Ambre Des Merveilles ("Amber of Wonders"), with amber and vanilla.

• Travel size versions: Hermès also offers economical travel size versions of their fragrances. Each comes in a 15 ml bottle--as opposed to the regular version, which is 1.7 ounces (= 50 ml), or an eau de toilette spray, of 3.3 ounces (=100 ml). You can also compose an attractive gift set of 4 such bottles, at a reasonable cost.

• Different notes in fragrances: Fragrances are composed of a number of scents, some of which are noticeable immediately upon application, while others reveal themselves gradually as the alcohol in the fragrance evaporates. You will see a fragrance described as having top (or head) notes, middle (or heart) notes, and base notes.  

  • Top notes: These are scents consisting of light molecules that evaporate quickly.

  • Middle notes: These are essences that start to reveal themselves from 20 minutes to one hour after applying the fragrance.  

  • Bottom notes: These are essences that consist of the largest molecules, that evaporate the most slowly, and are the scent that remains for hours after application. This stage is called the “drydown”, after all the other elements in the fragrance have departed.  

Hermès--is a luxury goods retailer, founded by Thierry Hermès in 1837. Originally, the company sold equipment for carriages and saddles, but then they moved to manufacture of leather goods. This started the ball rolling to entering the world of fashion. They now have divisions for leather goods, scarves and ties, men’s and women’s wear, perfumes for men and women, and more.