Fragrance Notes
Jour d'Hermès Absolu
For anyone who finds most white flower perfumes either too thin or too loud, Hermès Jour d'Hermès Absolu Eau de Parfum 50ml sits in the gap between the two.
Three materials are recorded and all three are flowers or close to it. Sambac jasmine leads, and it is the heavier kind of jasmine, thick and almost fruity when it is in full bloom, with a green bite underneath that keeps it from going syrupy. Gardenia follows, creamy and waxy, the petal rather than the perfume counter version, and it brings a cool, slightly bitter underside that most people read as expensive. Apricot blossom is the softest of the three, a downy flower with just enough fruit in it to warm the other two. Between them the effect is full and golden rather than sharp, which is what separates the Absolu reading from brighter interpretations of Jour.
It is a short list, so the perfume does not shift dramatically through the day. It settles quickly and then stays itself, strong for the first couple of hours and quieter afterwards without fading out altogether. The eau de parfum concentration suits this sort of composition, giving the flowers enough body to last through an evening. A 50ml bottle is the practical middle size, big enough for daily wear and small enough not to sit unfinished on a shelf for years. The year on it is 2014. It is aimed at women, works best from late afternoon onwards, and makes far more sense in cool weather than in high summer, when the creaminess can become heavy.
Paris in 1837 is where this begins, with Thierry Hermès, a maker of harness and saddlery, and the house has remained in his family through six generations. Its first perfume for women, Calèche, arrived roughly a decade after Hermès began making scent in 1951.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
Similar Notes
The Scent Vault
Join thousands earning on every order
Earn points as you shop, redeem for money off, and unlock member perks.
Find out more
The Scent Vault Gift Cards
Give the gift of choice
One card, every scent. Let them pick the fragrance that is truly them. Send it instantly by email, or schedule it for a future date with a message of your own.
Shop gift cards
