Fragrances are traditionally separated into families – floral, woody, opulent and so on – according to their predominant notes, characteristics and identifying structure. You could argue that this way of classifying scents is outmoded and limiting, if it weren’t for the outright commercial dominance of those from the gourmand family (sweet, edible-smelling notes such as honey, caramel and candy floss) in modern perfumery. Millennials and gen Z love them, making the creation of dessert-trolley scents a licence to print money for a good five years now. Which makes my admiration all the greater for Hermès and their decision to defy the market and make their first major fragrance in several years a chypre called Barenia.
Fragrances from the chypre (pronounced SHEEP-ruh) family are characterised by a mossy, drier, often warm feel, and by their trademark use of oak moss, patchouli, bergamot and labdanum notes. They’re probably the least commercial fragrances in the modern market and – ever with my finger on the pulse of the zeitgeist – my personal favourites. But while Barenia (£70, 30ml) honours the traditional chypre notes, there’s nothing old-fashioned about it. It has a clarity, vigour and enlivening freshness at first sniff (I get ginger ale, silky soap lather and a twist of aniseed) before it drops into a gentler, airy, more mellow feel, like a warm breeze through an indoor spice market.
It sticks around for the whole day, making its presence felt without nag or screech. I love it so much that I’ve worn it almost daily for weeks. Much more surprisingly, my other half (neither a woman nor a chypre lover) wants to wear it, too. And much as I’d like to gatekeep my precious bottle, I find it sexy. If fruity florals bore you and gourmands give you toothache, I strongly suggest you come over for a sniff – you may find your new signature scent.
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But if chypres are not your poison and your sweet tooth prevails, I urge you to spray a tester of Balmain Beauty’s interesting new interpretations of the house’s historic scents. Bronze (£195, 50ml) is like a fire in a honey factory – smoky, caramelised sugar with hints of tobacco, stacks of vanilla and a pinch of earthy cinnamon. Glossier’s new You Rêve (£62, 50ml) is a lighter take on sweet scent: a WeightWatchers’ gourmand, if you will. Think plum bakewell tart (is that a thing? If not, make it so) and fluid crème anglaise with enough sexy musk and woody sap to keep things adult.