As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an Amazon affiliate link on my pages, I receive a commission based on that qualified purchase. It doesn't cost you any more money and it helps keep the site running.
Hermes is a luxury brand that is steeped in fashion history. While it does have fragrances for men, that doesn’t seem to be the company’s main concern, but when they do put out a scent…they generally do it extremely well.
Many of the scents that are released, tend to be unisex, and can even be focused more on one note versus a mass market fragrance. I have chosen what I feel are the ten best perfumes from Hermès for men, currently.
Quick Takes of the Top Hermes Colognes
I go into greater depth on all of these fragrances and more below. But, here are some highlights for those in a hurry.
- Best Seller: Hermès Men’s Terre d’Hermès Eau de Toilette Spray
- Simple and Pleasant Daily Wear: H24 by Hermes
- Underrated Unisex Fragrance: Le Jardin de Monsieur Li
- Unique Old School: Equipage By Hermes For Men
What are the Best Hermès Perfumes for Him?
Great Citrus and Vetiver
Terre d’Hermes Eau Intense Vetiver– To me, this is so much better than the original. I disliked the bitter orange opening in that one, for a long time. Now, it doesn’t bother me as much, this just surpasses it.
Meanwhile, Eau Intense kicks off with a lighter and brighter mix of lemon and grapefruit.
Obviously, it is similar to Terre d’Hermes, just with a different and fresher blend overall. Yes, it is an Intense version, but it actually isn’t loud or even as heavy as the original. Maybe the intensity is referring to the vetiver note alone, which is indeed stronger and more prevalent.
The vetiver comes on strong, after the opening and is joined by a moderate Sichuan pepper note. Mature and refined scent, probably better for 30+ years old, in most cases. Eau Intense Vetiver Review
Citron Cool
Terre d’Hermes Eau Givree– Another of the series that I really like. Eau Givree brings in a realistic zesty somewhat bitter citron note with juniper and a woody base. There might still be some of the original orange in there as well.
This one is super fresh and clean. Not super powerful, but a versatile fragrance that can be a joy to wear. I really liked trying this one out, after being less than wowed with some other flankers of Terre d’Hermes.
There is a mineral note here, but the one time that I tried Eau Givree out, it didn’t seem to strong. Weaker than the one that was in AdG Profumo. I don’t know, maybe I need more time with it to notice.
The whole thing comes across as being quite cold, somewhat spiced, with a touch of bitter. I get lots of juniper coming through after the initial wave of citron.
Most Popular Hermès
Hermès Men’s Terre d’Hermès Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.3 fl. oz.
I am personally, in the minority opinion with Terre d’Hermes, as I don’t particularly care for it. Though, I’m more neutral on it nowadays.
Citrus, woody, and earthy. I like the concept, I just don’t like that orange note, especially with the underlying dirtiness of the patchouli and woodsy ingredients.
I do like the vetiver here, which is why Eau Intense Vetiver really struck a chord with me.
Again, though, a lot of folks think this is one of the best scents of the last 25 years…I’m just not one of them. Read my full review.
Top Newer Release
H24 by Hermes– H24 seems to get mixed reviews, but in sales terms it’s actually become quite popular since its release in 2021. Personally, I liked wearing it and thought that it brought something different to the table, when compared to the usual lineup of men’s colognes.
H24 opens up with a lot of sage. The overall composition of this cologne is simple, but it still manages to be fresh and intriguing.
The sage is joined by a metallic note, which provides some of that uniqueness. It’s less of the usual mineral oil-like smell and actually a genuine metallic aroma. It’s warm, with some sweetish narcissus flower, and a rosewood base rounding things out.
They have released an EDP version of this. Slightly different weightings of the notes, but they added moss as an ingredient. Between the two, I still prefer the original EDT.
Performance is nice. H24 is versatile and pretty easy to like. I’m not sure why some people didn’t seem to like this. It’s not the most amazing, but it’s all around worthwhile. H24 Review
Fresh and Soapy
Le Jardin de Monsieur Li– Not the best performer, but still decent. However, Le Jardin de Monsieur Li is a fantastic smelling fragrance for men or women.
This series of fragrances is mostly unisex, but many of them are basically women’s perfumes. This is a true unisex scent.
This Hermes perfume kicks off with a bright citrusy kumquat blend, that is refreshing and watery. The mint note comes in lightly to give it that bit of crispness, with underlying grassy notes, that does bring about memories of being in a small garden next to a pond.
The jasmine becomes the main note, during the dry down. It gives this one a soapy quality, as it blends with the other ingredients.
However, it maintains enough of a grassy, watery, and herbal edge to prevent it from being a ‘girly’ sort of fragrance. My Full Review
Warm, Sweet/Spicy, Boozy
Ambre Narguile– Another unisex option, but one that flies under the radar, and is actually quite phenomenal. This one is dark, sweet, spicy, and boozy. Really quite perfect for the colder days of the year.
Amber and honey are two of the main notes, clearly, giving Ambre Narguile the thick warmth and richness. Then, it brings in dry fruits, tobacco, rum, spices, and a bit of smokiness.
Very close to Oajan by Parfums de Marly. Though, this is a sweeter scent than that one, but still has its spicy kicks.
This is a release from the Hermessence collection and has great performance and is an exquisite gourmand for anyone to enjoy.
Green, Fresh, Summer Scent
Un Jardin en Mediterranee– The other best entry from the Un Jardin lineup. This one is herbal, fresh, green, with a nice zesty top.
Mediterranee kicks off with the usual citrus top notes, with some blend of floral ingredients. Then, the real magic begins with the introduction of fig, juniper, and cypress.
The juniper gives it that gin drink-like fizziness, with a wonderful fig coming through, and the green woodiness of the cypress tree.
This one is actually unisex and can be worn by most men. Sur le Nil, is another potential option, but has more of a feminine aroma.
The longevity is ok, but the smell is fantastic. I really do like the addition of a fig note, in this composition, it takes over during the middle and dry down and sits perfectly.
Classic Masculine Scent
Equipage By Hermes For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.3 Oz.
It is masculine, but not overpowering, and features smooth woody notes such as: rosewood, oak moss, and pine needles.
Has that great woody, smoky, and autumn outdoorsy scent. Equipage is refined and well put together, with a nice spice from nutmeg, and a pretty distinct carnation note up top.
Woody, Herbal, Outdoorsy
Hermes Rocabar Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.3 Ounce
Rocabar is a very fresh blend of mostly wood and spices but it does have floral and sweet elements provide by vanilla and carnation.
Not as heavily masculine as Equipage or as resinous as Bel Ami. This is a good middle ground, though, still very outdoorsy.
Pine and cypress are very noticeable in the base of the scent, but the entire thing remains clean and classy.
Leathery, Spiced Woods
Bel Ami FOR MEN by Hermes – 3.4 oz EDT Spray
It opens up with citrus and spices. The leather comes through, but it really only adds a sense of richness, at this point. Later, it will come out more and bring the entire fragrance together, as a whole.
The citrus notes fade after the initial blast and their role seems overtaken by floral ingredients. Those add just a light touch to the resinous woods and herbal spices sitting underneath the leather.
Good power and a pretty unique sort of smell, nowadays. I cannot comment on how the original bottles smelled from a long time ago, but the newer bottles are very good.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.
User Review
( votes)
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.