With Barenia, Hermes Has Its First Chypre Perfume
What would an Hermes' take on one of perfumery's most complex families smell like?
As far as perfume families go, gourmands and "clean girl" scents have been dominating in recent years. But Hermes' newest perfume, the Barenia, looks set to revive one of oldest and most complex families in the industry – chypres.
The French maison has considerable history in perfumery – after all, its first fragrance, Eau d'Hermes, was launched in 1951 – but it's never had a chypre creation until the launch of Barenia.
The French maison's latest fragrance, Barenia, is said to be an audacious interpretation of one of the most unique perfume families.
Pronounced sheep-ra, chypre comes from the French name for the island of Cyprus and the genre is generally characterised as warm, dry, almost animalic scents built around a woody, mossy accord of bergamot, oakmoss, patchouli, and labdanum.
Key ingredients in the Hermes Barenia include butterfly lily, miracle berry, as well as the chypre family's requisite oakwood and patchouli.
With Barenia, Hermes' in-house perfumer Christine Nagel has put the maison's interpretation of this age-old genre by blending the delicate butterfly lily with the sweet, slightly tangy miracle berry.
There's also the chypre family's signature oakwood and patchouli (described to be warm and intense in the Barenia), making for a characterful scent (read: it's not your run-of-the-mill trendy perfumes on TikTok).
P.S. the perfume's name takes after Hermes' signature Barenia leather, which is said to be highly durable, supple and acquires a beautiful patina over time - a metaphor for the perfume.
The Barenia meshes several of the maison's motifs - for one, its name stems from the Hermes heritage leather of the same name. Secondly, the unusual elliptical shape and studs on its eye-catching bottle – designed by longstanding Hermes collaborator Philippe Mouquet – were inspired by the brand's iconic Collier de chien bracelet.
All signs point to the Barenia being a singular creation - cue the bottle's unusual elliptical shape, as well as the pyramidal studs it sports on the shoulders. Both elements take inspiration from Hermes' famous Collier de chien studded bracelet, which according to house lore, was inspired by a customer's request for a custom belt in 1927.
Nearly a century later, the Collier de chien continues to be a key Hermes motif across various categories – though the Barenia marks the first time an Hermes perfume bottle has incorporated a jewellery element.
The Barenia family also includes a body cream (right) and hand soap (left).
If you're a fan of Barenia, there's also an accompanying hand soap and body cream to extend its olfactory pleasures.
Hermes Barenia Eau de Parfum launches September 2 and is available in 100ml ($311), 60ml ($229), 15ml travel spray ($54) and 125ml refill ($311) at the brand's boutiques and counters at Liat Towers, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Takashimaya, Tangs Department Store and Hermes.com.