Eau de Basilic Pourpre, the new cologne from Hermès. Initially, Hermès was not a perfumery house at all. It was a saddler and harness maker specialized in leatherwork. Then, over the course of its history, Hermès decided to gradually expand its scope of activity. It was in 1979 that the house finally affirmed its status as a perfumer, by creating its first Eau de Cologne.
Since 1979, Hermès has affirmed its status as a perfumer by creating, from time to time, new Eaux de Cologne for modern times. The tradition was initiated with Eau d’Orange Verte. Since then, this original creation has frequently been joined by other fragrances. Once again, in 2022, history repeats itself. Hermès brings to life a new fresh and authentic cologne, built around one specific raw material: basil. But let us also take a closer look at how Hermès chose to present its perfume visually. Focus on the bottle of Hermès's Eau de Basilic Pourpre.
The iconic lantern bottle of the house of Hermès
Eau de Basilic Pourpre comes in a fairly simple and authentic bottle, whose shape is common to all Hermès Colognes. It must be said that it is not without recalling the house's heritage… Indeed, its shape is inspired by the lanterns of carriages of days gone by. Now, in 1837, Hermès was not a perfumer. It was a house specialized in horse saddlery. Then, Hermès decided to expand its activity into leather goods, more specifically creating leather luggage. The bottle of Hermès's Eau de Basilic Pourpre is thus a nod to this past and this history, counting among those of the oldest French houses.
The green and luminous color of Hermès's Eau de Basilic Pourpre
Hermès's Eau de Basilic Pourpre is also recognizable by its color. Indeed, one has surely not failed to notice the very bold and luminous green hue of its bottle… Of course, the green chosen is the same as that of fresh basil leaves. What is more, generally speaking, green is the color that best represents nature. This simple hue is enough to evoke the vastness of great meadows or the generosity of leafy trees. It is a concentrate of the entire plant world. What is more, green is also known to be a soothing and invigorating color. Now, this is precisely what is found in this perfume. After all, where do you think the expressions having a green thumb or getting back to nature come from? Finally, let us recall that in Western culture, green also carries a very positive connotation since it evokes hope and luck.
The dual use of the bottle of Hermès's Eau de Basilic Pourpre
Like all the perfumes in the Hermès collection, the bottle of Eau de Basilic Pourpre is fitted with a screw cap, a feature rare enough to be worth noting. Thus, it allows for a generous gesture, recalling the one once used with traditional eaux de Cologne. However, for more modern and conventional use, this screw cap can also be replaced by a spray. From then on, Hermès's Eau de Basilic Pourpre can also be applied as a spray.