Created by Hermès’s in-house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, Eau de Narcisse Bleu was launched in 2013 as part of their ‘Les Colognes Hermès’ collection.

Eau de Narcisse Bleu means ‘blue narcissus water’ in English. And if you’re looking for the inspiration for this fragrance, we have to go back to Greek mythology. Narcissus was a hunter, a mortal, known for his extraordinary beauty and self-love. He spurned those who fell in love with him, causing some admirers to take their own lives. Nemesis, the goddess of revenge, took notice and decided to punish Narcissus. Thirsty after a long day of hunting, she lured him to a pool, and as he leaned down to drink from it, he fell in love with his reflection. Realizing that his love could never be returned, he killed himself. In time, his body disappeared and, in its place, grew a golden daffodil.

On me, Eau de Narcisse Bleu opens with an exciting, nose-tingling note of galbanum that’s capitol ‘G’ green, bitter, vegetal and earthy that links to a note of narcissus that’s complex: rich, green, and heady, with jasmine and hyacinth facets and hay and animalic undertones. I can smell them all. These two complement each other well and are often paired together in perfumes, and smelling them here, I can see why. A note of orange blossom joins the mix. It’s fresh, sweet and heady, with an animalic facet that mirrors the narcissus. The flowers subdue the bitterness of the galbanum, allowing it to fade into the background, where it remains quietly, down to the drydown. At the base, soft, woody accords add elegance and lightness to the fragrance, while white musk lends Eau de Narcisse a clean, airy freshness that’s delicate and slightly powdery.

Eau de Narcisse Bleu dries down to a gentle, uplifting, ethereal skin scent. True, it doesn’t evolve much, but then colognes don’t.

What makes it a standout in a crowded field is Ellena’s creativity, swapping out galbanum for citrus in the cologne formula and applying his signature minimalism to the cologne structure.

Notes: Galbanum, narcissus, orange flower, woody accords and musk.