Eau de Cologne Hermès 1979

8.0 / 10 59 Ratings

A popular perfume by Hermès for women and men, released in 1979. The scent is citrusy-fresh. The production was apparently discontinued.
Pronunciation Compare

Main accords

Citrus

Fresh

Green

Spicy

Fruity

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Bergamot

Lemon

Basil

Coriander

Mandarin orange Mango

Mango

Mint

Papaya

Heart Notes

Orange leaf

Honeysuckle Neroli

Neroli

Rosemary

Lavender

Lily of the valley

Base Notes

Cedar

Oakmoss

Musk

Patchouli

Sandalwood

Perfumer

Françoise Caron

Ratings

Scent

8.059 Ratings

Longevity

5.847 Ratings

Sillage

5.447 Ratings

Bottle

7.660 Ratings

Submitted by Kankuro · last update on 11/06/2025.

Source-backed & verified

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Eau d'Orange Verte

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Eau d'Hadrien Eau de Toilette

Acqua Decima

Reviews

4 in-depth fragrance descriptions

08/10/2016

BrianBuchanan
363 Reviews

BrianBuchanan

1

Old Eau de Cologne

The original Eau de Cologne formulation was:

a good dry orange and verbena cologne with a hint of brown leather.

Long lasting and quality materials but a trifle old fashioned.

12/03/2020

8.5Scent 6Longevity 6Sillage

FvSpee
323 Reviews

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FvSpee

Top Review 33

Neukölln 15: Guest Appearance

I generally don't like to comment on beautiful fragrances that have been discontinued, as it carries a certain sadness. Especially not in my Cologne series, because I always imagine someone reading it like a guidebook to orient themselves about Colognes. And what would they gain from information about one that no longer exists.

However, I want to make an exception for this fragrance (as a brief comment) because it is very well-known and greatly missed, and I believe that the Cologne universe would not be complete without this beacon. Fortunately, I have come into possession of a sample, for which I sincerely thank the donor.

Objectively speaking, Hermès' EdC is an overloaded Cologne and, in that respect, a true (preemie) child of the eighties. This applies to both the reading of the fragrance pyramid and the real scent impression.

When you peel away the structure of all the notes, we essentially find a classic Farina Cologne with bergamot, lavender, rosemary, and neroli (the five-note harmony is missing only the lemon, and indeed this EdC is rather mild and soft in comparison to other Colognes, hardly acidic, zesty, or sharp).

But with this Cologne, you have:

a) a thick, hefty powerhouse men's base pulled in as a foundation, with everything the chest-hairy heart desires, from oakmoss to woods to patchouli;

b) doubled the green rosemary effect with basil;

c) enhanced the bergamot freshness in the top note with an extra dose of mint;

d) for the sake of greater complexity and to create a counterbalance to the light summer scent, incorporated a spicy-dirty sparring partner that runs vertically through the fragrance from coriander to patchouli:

e) also tripled the orange part, as if it were the most Portuguese Eau de Portugal in the world ("please add a net of mandarins and a bunch of orange leaves to the neroli") and

f) built a thick, fat bouquet of flowers into the heart (with two of my favorite florals, namely honeysuckle and lily of the valley)

AAAAAND (I have one more!)

g) handed over a basket of exotic fruits (mango + papaya).

This is completely exaggerated and therefore should not work, but it does work, and that is the wonder of this fragrance. It even remains slightly so.

I own "Concentrée d'Orange Verte," the flanker of "Eau d'Orange Verte," which is said to be the successor of the EdC (also visually). The Concentrée is very good; in comparison to this one, it is significantly darker and more austere, but above all, it is much, much less complex than the old EdC.

To this old classic, I throw a bouquet of lily of the valley onto its grave with a touch of nostalgia and bid farewell with 8.5 points, while I will never reveal whether the rating is realistic or if I have resorted to a pious lie so that the esteemed readership, who does not know the fragrance, is less sad.

10/14/2017

10Scent 4Longevity 3Sillage

Parma
278 Reviews

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Parma

Top Review 18

My One and Only

This fragrance is perfect for me. It combines everything I love in scents: freshness, sharp, slightly bitter citrus notes, paired with a soothing, fruity orange/tangerine note and masculine spiciness. All of this is beautifully restrained, so I don't get tired of it even with continuous wear. Moreover, it is so well-tuned and balanced that all components can breathe. Even the patchouli and oakmoss, which can quickly get on my nerves, are perfectly integrated here, accentuating the base note without dominating it.

Fragrance Development:

The top note consists of a super zesty citrus, beautifully sharp and penetratingly fresh. Almost immediately, the orange notes lean in and are congenially supported by exotic fruits, which create a fitting and simultaneously full-bodied soft fruity counterbalance to the bitter citrus, minimally floral-flanked. At the same time, you can already sense the wonderfully herbaceous-masculine spice note, which is typical of its time, slightly out of time and wonderfully distinctive. It fits perfectly into the overall composition, creating a fresh, unripe bitter, exotic-fruity, masculine-spicy orange scent that is so light-heavy-weighted fresh and invigorating that I can only kneel before it. The slightly bitter orange is at the center of the fragrance, and all other components support it with such well-balanced strength. Over time, the fragrance becomes almost imperceptibly softer from minute to minute and ends in a restrained drydown, which gives it a minimal, fitting woodiness with slight woody and mossy undertones, without restricting the freshness, fruitiness, and spiciness in any way.

Interlude:

Compared to its successor Eau d‘Orange Verte (current version!, I haven't tested an older one yet), the Eau de Cologne is sharper, clearer, zestier, and more herbaceous at the beginning. Over time, the freshness holds up better, the exotic fruitiness is the same, and I perceive the masculine spiciness as more pronounced and conservative. In the drydown, the Eau de Cologne is also a bit more pronounced. The current Verte feels a bit too soft to me in comparison, somewhat sticky in the middle part, and slightly pasty in the drydown. This may sound like a not-so-great fragrance, but that is not the case. It just seems that way to me in comparison. On its own, it is a good one. And lasts longer.

Longevity and Sillage:

For that is the only criticism, but one should not have utopian expectations with a Cologne. Depending on the day, I only perceive the scent well for about 2 to a maximum of 3 hours, after which it only appears here and there in a mini-splash again, or I have to concentrate particularly hard on it. The sillage is also absolutely restrained from the beginning, which I find pleasant. A little more would have been nice though ;).

Conclusion:

A fragrance for refreshing and breathing, but with character. For me, it embodies an elegant, masculine, incredibly invigorating scent. Excellent as a mood lifter and daily, fresh-distinctive, and pleasantly restrained companion. Slightly out of time. Precisely modulated. For me, a masterpiece. No other fragrance has fascinated me for such a long time. This composition of zesty, sharp citrus, sweet exotic fruits, and this special masculine spice results in a wonderful, finely woven, and perfectly coordinated total work of art.

P.S.: The advertising posters from back then are worth a look for every fragrance lover and every outdoor sports enthusiast. Just thinking of the two deep snow skiers framed by the forest leaving their tracks in the fresh white, or the windsurfer bravely riding a giant wave in strong winds, gives you an impression of the fragrance character. To be seen at www.fragrantica.de.

05/15/2013

8Scent 5Longevity 5Sillage

Palonera
467 Reviews

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Palonera

Top Review 14

the barbershop in the herb garden

Hermès and I - this story took time to develop, a lot of time.
For many years, I was more or less blind to this brand, almost willfully overlooking it and purposefully steering past the shelves with Hermès perfumes in every perfumery.
"Hiris" must have been the first scent from the house that I consciously noticed, although I couldn't make much of it right after its release, followed by "Eau des Merveilles," which met a similar fate, and "24, Faubourg," which at least found its way into my collection due to its beautiful bottle.
But I had to stumble upon Parfumo first, had to expand my horizons drop by drop, sample by sample, to find my way to Hermès.

A special discovery on this olfactory treasure hunt for me is the house's "Eau de Cologne."
Actually, I don't have much affinity for Eaux de Cologne - they are usually too citrusy-lightweight for me, too one-dimensional, and only truly my first choice on the hottest summer days.
Exceptions like Mugler's Cologne and Tauer's "Cologne du Maghreb," both of which I love, seem to only confirm this rule and moreover do not completely turn their backs on the conventional style of a classic Cologne.

I probably should have taken a look at the pyramid before testing Hermès' Cologne for the first time, which already makes one thing very clear: We are by no means dealing with a simple, unpretentious lemon water here.
This becomes clear to me the moment the first scent molecule rises from my spray-moistened skin, makes its way to my olfactory nerves - and gives me a jolt.
So dry and sharp, so bitter green and almost astringently strict, this Hermès rises to my nose that I flinch back in shock and simultaneously adopt an automatic posture.
Even this first breath dispels the usually extremely persistent fog of the previous night from my brain, tears my eyelids apart, and accelerates my pulse by at least a dozen "beats per minute."
It's intense, it's invigorating - but is it also beautiful? Do I want to spend an entire day in an olfactorily conditioned alert position?
Even as I ask myself this with slight concern, the wake-up call has already faded, the claws have retracted, and a wondrous transformation begins on my skin.
It becomes green and ever greener, herbs sprout and emit a spicy-aromatic scent, seemingly warmed by the sun, citrus fruits hang in the trees, and around me, a Mediterranean garden emerges as if by magic.
I like this - but it's also not unfamiliar to me.
I have to rummage a bit in the drawers and compartments of my scent memory until it occurs to me: "Eau de Campagne" - released five years earlier, this Sisley could easily pass as the big brother of our Hermès Cologne.
While Ellena's interpretation of a Mediterranean Cologne, however, is distinctly spicy-herbaceous, Madame Caron seems to have a penchant for the classic English barbershop colognes, which is noticeable in the elegantly integrated shaving foam note in the Hermès Cologne and gives the scent a more masculine orientation.
However, this does not make it unwearable or even unattractive for women - especially those noses of both genders who are generally fond of "Eau de Campagne," but find themselves missing a bit of freshness, a bit of coolness, and distance, might be in for an Aha experience with the Hermès Cologne.
If it can be found.
And if one is not saddened that the Cologne as such does not have a far-reaching sillage and that the longevity is likely quite limited to a handful of hours.