Barénia by Hermès

How glad I am I bought a small bottle; I went for the notes and its hype. Sadly, to me, it comes across as cloying, not as special as they indicate (respecting their interesting and valuable opinions). I’m a girl, and Coco Mademoiselle has been my signature fragrance since it launched. I thought this would be it. Definitely not for me 🙁

I think patchouli or woody notes aren’t for me; I even found them unpleasant. I used it several times because I was surprised that in some countries it’s so popular, but I think it simply isn’t for me.

A proper perfume! To me it’s unisex and of high quality. Congratulations to the perfumer!

After several days of wearing Barenia EDP, I can say its projection and longevity are very short, lasting no more than an hour despite multiple applications. It does linger close to the skin, but it’s evident that it lacks punch. The fragrance is pleasant, but in no way does it justify its price.

Hermès Barenia is a fruity woody fragrance. The opening features a fruity and woody accord, slightly liquorish, reminiscent of aged fruit wine in barrels that lend it a chypre-like character. Among the woods, patchouli is the most perceptible, accompanied by a touch of oak, but overall it lacks many twists. It’s suitable for daytime wear, though it could also work on a warm evening. It’s versatile—professional, casual, daily, office-appropriate, and so on—though I feel it suits more mature tastes rather than a youthful crowd. Its longevity is excellent; on my skin, it lasted between 9 and 10 hours, with a noticeable trail for the first two. I’ve enjoyed it; it’s elegant, classy, slightly mature, and leans feminine yet close to unisex. That’s all I have to say; I invite you to try it and form your own opinion.

I just tried Barenia in duty free and… these are my initial thoughts. The scent isn’t unpleasant, but it’s not captivating either. It’s original, without a doubt. I can’t identify a clear evolution; so far, it presents as rather uncomplicated over time, though I do perceive multiple notes. Unfortunately, it feels a bit synthetic; I can’t clearly identify natural notes, flowers, woods, etc. I can detect patchouli, but a version lacking the chocolatey nuance, which makes it more feminine, yet not so much that it’s unsuitable for a man. It’s quite tenacious, noticeable close to the skin eight hours after spraying. Price: 100ml for $164. I find it expensive for what it is, frankly.

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

Finally, something that escapes the trend. A fragrance without compromise, without easy sweetness or submission to the expected. A chypre with its nerve intact, vibrant, of those that don’t seek to please but to impose. It’s not for those seeking the predictable or the comfortable. It’s pure character. If I had to align it with another, perhaps with La Panthère, although that one slides more towards fruity. 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 of attitude. It works with any outfit, context or time of day, provided the wearer has their own ideas. It has won me over; I want it in my collection.

Finally, something that escapes the trend. An uncompromising fragrance, free from easy sweetness or submission to expectations. A chypre with its nerve intact, vibrant, one that seeks to impose itself rather than please. It is not for those seeking predictability or comfort; it is pure character. If I had to align it with another, perhaps La Panthère, though that one slides more towards fruity. Barénia is something else entirely. It has that edge, that stamp of a perfume made for those who know what they want and need no validation. It is not a perfume of age, but of attitude. It works with any outfit, context, or time, provided the wearer has their own ideas and does not follow the crowd. It has won me over. I want it in my collection.

I tried it three times and each time I made the same gesture of disgust when smelling it. I detect a very prominent and dominant patchouli. A very vintage aroma. I didn’t like it at all.

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

Barénia is a soft, simple and elegant unisex chypre, also sensual. It dresses itself relatively easily as it is 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 a fruity part. It’s not a BEST MODE but it is very noticeable. Important to highlight that it is UNISEX and a man, if he likes it, will have no greater problem. Something expensive, but it shouldn’t hurt, because HERMÈS sells quality and unique compositions. A good perfume of this 2024 that is already saying goodbye. P.S. It’s a chypre that doesn’t resemble those by Aramis or similar; although very good, they are far from this because this is a creation where classic notes embrace modern vibrations and the crossing is brilliant. To highlight the Miracle Cherry, an African fruit that changes scents: 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.

It grabbed me instantly, but then I hesitated: it sounded too fussy and earthy. However, as I kept walking, the scent transformed into something enchanting. Once dry, it smells almost identical to Giorgio Armani’s Si, one of my favourites created by the same perfumer. I still don’t know if I should buy it.

Experts say F. Coty invented the Chypre by blending moss, animal notes and jasmine, while Guerlain reinvented it by adding patchouli and a molecule that smells of peach. Today, the Chypre is divided into floral, leather, green or fruity families. Perhaps someone with ingenuity could create new olfactive families. That is why jewels like Barénia are a rarity: anachronistic, atypical, like a Tamagotchi in a nursing home. It blends the classic with modern molecules such as Akigalawood. Hermès does exactly what it wants: a flanker of a flanker will emerge, but they are peculiar, not silly. It has plenty of je ne sais quoi. It is not for everyone or every occasion; it is neither versatile, modern nor classic. It reminds me of people with strong personalities: it saturates, it is heavy and capricious, but it looks great. Even if it is not for every day, once you know it, you don’t know if you could do without it. It smells of dry, dusty, astringent, herbal and cold patchouli. Then it drops the pace and resurfaces with a wood accented by slightly spiced and peppery berries, nothing sweet. The wood is dry, green and acidic. The flowers and leather are there, like the director of my company: they say they hold the reins, but you don’t notice them until they appear, and then yes, that elegant leather that trains kittens. It is peculiar, stylish, elegant and different. It unites antagonistic things without trying to please everyone. That is why it is notable. I layered it with Rosendo Mateu Nr.5 and the combo was fun. It has facets to explore.

The experts say that when F. Coty created the ‘Chypre’ in the early twentieth century, he based it on moss, animal notes, and jasmine. A blend later reinvented by Guerlain, who added patchouli and C-14 undecalactone to that initial conglomerate. That aldehyde recalls peach, so today the chypre speaks of woods, patchouli, and flowers, dividing into floral, leather, green, or fruity. Who knows, perhaps someone with brains, time, and ingenuity can tame other ingredients and recreate new families. That is why, while no one’s head explodes, gems like ‘Barénia’ emerge. It is nothing new, but a rare bird. Anachronistic, atypical like a Tamagotchi in a nursing home, it is a dissonant and bold launch in commercial perfumery. It mingles the ‘old’ known with modern synthetic molecules, such as akigalawood. It is so rare that it is even for the house itself, I believe. But if anything, Hermès does, simply and plainly, what it bloody well wants. Of course, the flanker of the flanker and the intense of the intense will come. They are peculiar, not stupid. But in the interlude lies the fun, and here there is plenty of it. What does it smell like? It is not for everyone’s taste. Not even for the same person on every occasion. Nor do I know if I see myself with it always, to be honest: it is not an all-rounder, not versatile, not modern, not classic, not current, not suitable as a signature. In fact, it reminds me of people with great personality: it saturates, it is heavy, fickle, and overwhelming. But… it looks good. Although its company is not for every day, once you know it, you do not know if you can be without it. I perceive a patchouli between zero and nothing, powdery, astringent, dry, slightly earthy, herbal, and cold if this makes sense. After the initial moment, it lowers its revs and a wood with berries resurfaces, which from here will be predominant. For me, they are not ‘miraculous’ berries (what is that?), as the description states, nor red fruit style from the supermarket, nothing to do with it, but slightly spiced and peppery. On the other hand, the wood suggests the exact opposite of humidity: it is dry, a little green, even acidic. And finally, the flowers and the leather. Those ingredients are like the director of my company: they are there, they say so, but you detect none and do not know what function they have. That said, when they appear, you notice they are pulling the leather reins. One elegant, which rather than taming lions trains kittens. In short, it is peculiar, cool, elegant, bold, and different. It unites things that would initially be antagonistic and does not try to please everyone. Just for that, for me, it is a fragrance of notable quality. Peculiarity: I did a layering with Rosendo Mateu Nr.5 and the combo has come out fun. I believe it has facets to explore and can be complemented and fed back with other fragrances.