Barénia by Hermès

So relieved I bought the tester! I went for the notes and the hype… sadly, it’s too sweet for me and nothing special as they claim (respecting their opinions). I’m a girl, Coco Mademoiselle has been my signature since it launched, and I thought this would be the next one. Definitely not for me 🙁

What a great perfume! I’d say it’s unisex and high quality. Congratulations to the perfumer!

Smells great, has a pleasant trail, it’s a fantastic perfume.

Even without considering the notes… from the start it reminded me a lot of On a Date by Replica, though this one is more distinguished, with that chypre touch very Panthere. It seems very novel, with good trail and longevity, and ultimately a very good women’s perfume with character.

After several days of using Barenia EDP, I can say its longevity and projection are very short—it doesn’t last more than an hour, even though I applied it multiple times. It does linger closer to the skin, but it’s very evident that it lacks strength; the fragrance is nice, but in no way does it deserve its price.

A citrusy, spiced, woody fragrance, slightly unisex. Similar to some niche unisex perfumes with a soft sillage and nothing invasive. It’s not sweet, but dry and fresh. Special for spring. It’s different, yes, but very elegant.

I have to say that for me, the best perfumes that represent me are from Hermès… and their signature is undeniably attractive to my husband. My first perfume was Twilly d’Hermès Eau Poivrée, and he loved it. Meanwhile, Barenia was his top pick; what he liked most was its citrus, patchouli, and woody opening. I think it’s something muuuuch different from what I’ve tried, but as it dries down, you find yourself putting your arm to your nose just to smell its woody, mentholated patchouli. It’s worth every penny because it’s synonymous with elegance and cleanliness, even if it’s not a beast mode fragrance.

To me, it instantly gives a sensation of honey and leather, but looking at the notes, it must be the wood. Very different from what’s trendy, and that’s a relief. It’s elegant, super clean, and smells like a millionaire. Perfectly unisex, in the truest sense: on a woman, it has no masculine tendency, and on a man, it doesn’t smell like a feminine perfume. Excellent ingredient quality and longevity.

Finally, something that escapes the trend. A fragrance without compromise, without easy sweetness or submission to expectations. A chypre with its nerve intact, vibrant, for those who don’t seek to please but to impose. It’s not for those looking for the predictable or the comfortable. It’s pure character. If I had to align it with another, maybe La Panthère, though that one slides more into fruity territory. Barenia is something else; it has that edge, that stamp of a perfume made for someone who knows what they want and doesn’t need validation. It’s not a perfume of age, it’s a perfume of attitude. It works with any outfit, context, or time of day, as long as the wearer has their own ideas. It has won me over; I want it in my collection.

I tried it recently at an airport and I loved it. It’s totally different from most fragrances smelled in perfumeries today. It’s a modern twist on a classic chypre that smells like spiced skin. I think the ad with the wild running horse is spot on. It lasts quite a while and evolves during its development, but always with that spicy and aromatic touch. I think it’s versatile: dinner, office, or medical appointments. I hope to get it soon; it would fill a gap in my collection that’s still empty.

I tried it three times, and all three times I made the same gesture of disgust upon smelling it. I feel the patchouli is very present and predominant. Very vintage aroma. I didn’t like it at all.

Faithful to the structure of a traditional chypre but with modern touches, French elegance is taken to the extreme here with the DNA and savoir-faire of Hermès, noticeable from the start. Timeless, modern, simple, passionate. An elegance that almost urges you to get rid of the superfluous, focusing only on the essential. One of those perfumes that, if it sparks with your skin, makes you want to spend hours alone with it. I love chypres and I’m glad to see something like this today, totally out of trend; I understand the commercial risk. It’s not a chypre like Mitsouko. The opening is floral-fruity; I notice the bergamot, but the floral notes dominate; the miracle berry spreads sweetness, oscillating: sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker, with a very perceptible rose. Curiously, Barenia is more woody in the heart than in the base, where the lily takes control and allows the scent to fade into an enveloping creaminess, like a caress. The oakwood and bergamot awakened something incredibly beautiful and elegant. It’s seriously a risk purchase and perfectly unisex. Hermès is currently one of the best houses.

Barénia is a soft, simple, and elegant unisex chypre, also sensual. It dresses up relatively easily as it’s liked instantly. Its main feature is granting personality to the wearer, whether woman or man. Something logical being a HERMÈS and composed by Christine Nagel, a genius who can handle anything, with niche qualities for sure. It has a just sweetness that doesn’t cloy, but also woods with a bit of leather; it’s very woody, with a floral contribution that softens it, adding citrus and fruity parts. It’s not a BEST MODE but it’s very noticeable. Important to highlight that it’s UNISEX and a man, if he likes it, won’t have any major problem. Something expensive, but it shouldn’t hurt, because HERMÈS sells quality and unique compositions. Good perfume of this 2024 that is already saying goodbye. P.S. It’s a chypre that doesn’t resemble Aramis or similar ones; although very good, they are far from this because this is a creation where classic notes embrace modern vibrations, and the crossing is great. To highlight Miracle Cherry, an African fruit that changes aromas: the astringent citrus turns it sweet. A great job of 8 years by Christine Nagel with incredible results. A new modern chypre that didn’t lose its elegance. The bottle is very cool.

Experts say when F. Coty created the ‘Chypre’ in the early 20th century, he based it on moss, animalic notes, and jasmine. Guerlain later reinvented the mix by adding patchouli and C-14 undecalactone to that initial conglomerate. That aldehyde recalls peach, so today chypres speak of woods, patchouli, and flowers, dividing into floral, leather, green, or fruity families. Who knows? Maybe someone with brains, time, and ingenuity can tame other ingredients and recreate new families. That’s why, while no one’s head explodes, gems like ‘Barénia’ emerge. It’s nothing new, but it is a rare bird. Anachronistic and atypical, like a Tamagotchi in a nursing home, it’s a dissonant and daring launch in commercial perfumery. It mingles the ‘old’ known ingredients with modern synthetic molecules like akigalawood. It’s so rare it’s even unusual for the house itself, I think. But if there’s one thing Hermès does well, it’s simply doing what it damn well wants. Sure, the flanker of the flanker and the intense of the intense will come out. They’re peculiar, not stupid. But in the intermission, there’s fun, and there’s a lot of it here. What does it smell like? It’s not for everyone. Not even for the same person in every occasion. I’m not sure I see myself wearing it all the time, to be honest: it’s not an all-rounder, not versatile, not modern, not classic, not current, and not suitable as a signature. In fact, it reminds me of people with strong personalities: it saturates, it’s heavy, fickle, and overwhelming. But… I like it. Even if it’s not for every day, once you know it, you don’t know if you could live without it. I perceive a patchouli that is between zero and nothing—dusty, astringent, dry, slightly earthy, herbal, and cold if that makes sense. After the initial moment, it slows down and a wood with berries resurfaces, which will be predominant from here on out. For me, these aren’t ‘miracle’ berries (what is that?), as the description claims, nor are they like red fruits from Hacendado; nothing like that. They’re slightly spiced and peppery. On the other hand, the wood suggests the opposite of humidity: it’s dry, a bit green, even acidic. Finally, the flowers and leather. Those ingredients are like the director of my company: they’re there, they say they are, but you can’t detect them or know what function they serve. That said, when they appear, you notice the leather rein is being pulled. A refined one, more suited to training kittens than taming lions. In short, it’s peculiar, cool, elegant, daring, and different. It unites things that would initially be antagonistic and doesn’t try to please everyone. Just for that, for me, it’s a notable fragrance. Peculiarity: I did a layering with Rosendo Mateu Nr.5, and the combo turned out fun. I think it has facets to explore and can be complemented and feedback with other fragrances.

I was hooked instantly, but then I hesitated: it sounded too fussy and earthy. However, as I kept walking, the scent transformed into something charming. In its dry-down, it smells almost identical to Giorgio Armani’s Si, one of my favorites created by the same perfumer. I still don’t know if I should buy it.