Best Hermessence Violette Volynka by Hermès Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

Memories of the Golden Temple in India. A warm leather caress enhanced by a resinous hug of labdanum, further softened by Cashmeran. Incense adds a smoky spark, while patchouli and cypriol supply the earthiness.

Perfumer: Mylène Alran

‘O absent presence, Stella is not here’

The fifth and final instalment of the Revenants collection draws inspiration from the Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney. In his Sonnet sequence ‘Astrophel and Stella’ Sidney develops and captures the essence of a haunting… the presence of one that is always felt but never seen.

‘Now I, wit-beaten long by hardest fate,

So dull am, that I cannot look into

The ground of this fierce love and lovely hate,

Then some good body tell me how I do,

Whose presence absence, absent presence is;

Blesst in my curse, and cursed in my bliss.’

Perfumer: Nicolas Beaulieu

Conjuring the complexity of iced absinthe where the balance of heady wormwood and fresh ozonic greenery surrounds violet leaf for a seductive euphoric tone. This is set against a dark aromatic base that is smooth and warming. The head-turning diffusion of sweetened leathers and earthy woods offers a contemporary enticing edge.

Perfumer: Christophe Raynaud

A moonlit leather made with velvety violet leaves and smooth cool orris, all studded with cardamom, dry cedar and spicy earthy cypriol.

In the Beso trio, Beso Negro ("kiss of the darkness") represents the sleepless nights of the busy holiday island: velvety darkness, golden lanterns, cooling sea breeze, stars, and sand.

There’s a tantalising friction in the smell of iris root. It’s austere, but tender. It can be powdery, but it also suggests leather. Depending on the context, it can read as feminine or masculine. Iris Ardent resolves this fabled material’s dissonance in a compelling eau de parfum that balances all of iris’ contradictions. The opening spikes of cypress and vetiver provide the scaffolding for cushiony amber and powdery iris. Juniper’s bright twang illuminates the darkness of incense and moss. Intellectual, but accessible.

A bait-and-switch perfume that starts sharp and clean with juniper and crisp, metallic violet leaves. Then comes the gentle abyss: a faded haze of tobacco, patchouli and leather swirled with white tea and musk. The message might be lost in translation, but all meaning will be found in the fragrance.

Perfumer: Dominique Ropion (the nose behind Portrait of a Lady/Frederic Malle, Amarige/Givenchy, Jungle Elephant/Kenzo, La Vie et Belle/Lancome, and many more).

Every perfume in the Shot series focuses on an iconic perfume material. Violet Shot zooms in on the complex beauty of violet leaf and its leathery, sweet, powdery and earthy nuances. To highlight the earthiness, the perfumer used patchouli, the sweet is enhanced with Madagascar vanilla, and the leathery vibes are supported by labdanum and saffraleine.

Noblemen becoming highwaymen, women becoming men, Englishmen becoming Arabs and prostitutes becoming clergy. Here is a gathering of misfits, the rich, famous and infamous all shrouded in drapery of varying deception as one steps into another world for an evening of flirtation, posturing and risqué conduct.

An elixir to give oneself airs of grandeur and mystique. A complex silky composition, comprised of ambrée and chypre fragrant qualities, A Masquerade is an exquisite companion for social occasions and long evenings, befitting those that seek an alluring presence.

The word “agrani” in Sanskrit means a leader, a trailblazer, and this perfume embodies the life stages of a leader. The opening burst of cherry, almond and saffron symbolises the mesmerising oratory skills that rally the masses. The heart reveals the power of pipe tobacco and leather, expressing a leader’s fearless revolutionary spirit. Enveloping musk and Burmese oud summons the hope they bring during challenging times. The cacao and castoreum base evokes the lasting impact they have on the world, leaving an indelible impression. And finally, the warmth of amber echoes the rays of hope a leader ignites in future generations.

In Arabic, Al Sarab means “mirage”. It is inspired by the twilight desert landscapes of the United Arab Emirates: timeless, mystical, and deeply poetic.

Al Sarab is an intense and profound layering of mixed oud oils blended with pure Cambodian oud (aged 15 years). This is an animalic yet fruity oud for connoisseurs of the earthy wood material, suggesting the mesmerising illusion of the desert’s shifting horizons.