Jour d'Hermes Fragrance Gift Set Review

I have a sizeable collection of fragrances and it has grown since this year especially after my birthday. For this reason, I tend not to buy fragrances because I am quite satisfied with my collection. However, all this flew out of the window when I spotted this beautiful Hermes Du Jour Fragrance Gift Set in House of Fraser, Oxford Circus. I always buy Hermes (particularly Terre d'Hermes) for the BF because that's his favourite which is why I usually  pop into their stand to see what's new. Well, my eyes almost popped out of its sockets when I spotted this heavily discounted gift set in the sale. It was knocked down from £96 to £24 which is absolutely insane!!. I know!! Can you believe it? I did a double take and had to ask the sales guy what was wrong with it. He said there was nothing wrong but they were just trying to get rid of their old Christmas Stock and this set was part of them. I promptly picked it up before the sale price changed :-). My only regret was I did not buy more of this lovely gift set which would have been an amazing Christmas/Birthday gift. I  even went back the same week to see if there were any more left but I was told it sold out within hours. I was not surprised at all. Anyway, I thought it would be a crime not to review this stunning fragrance. This is my first fragrance from Hermes although I had tried a few samples when I purchased some fragrances for the BF.

Content of the Gift Set
I don't think I can ever get over the price because the gift set provides so much value for money. Inside the gift set, you get 85 ml of Jour D'Hermes Eau de Parfum (EDP), 8.5ml of Jour D'Hermes EDP (Miniature size) and a 30 ml Jour D'Hermes Body Lotion. I think I may have even bought this for £96 (just kidding) because the fragrance in itself retails for almost £80 so the gift set is still good value for money. The miniature perfume is so cute and the hoarder in me refuses to use it because it's so pretty. The packaging is so similar to the actual full size and it is so perfect for the handbag. It's just such a beautiful set to look at and it looks absolutely stunning on my dressing table.






Packaging
The entire packaging is very god quality as you would expect from anything Hermes. It has an outer plastic packaging (not shown in the picture) which protects the cardboard box. It also lists the content of the gift set so you don't have to open it to see what's inside. The main packaging is well designed cardboard box with lovely designs all round it. It's definitely one I would keep for storage. Inside the lid, there is a description of the inspiration behind this fragrance. It goes on to talk about Echec au Roi which is symbolised by a horse's head in a chess piece (the Knight). The illustration on the packaging was designed by Benoit Pierre Emery who stylised the chess piece to create a colorful geometric pattern for Hermes. I never noticed that the intricate geometric illustrations meant anything (I just thought they were abstract art) until I read the description in the box. Anyway, the fragrance bottle is absolutely stunning. It is very heavy (it's seriously weighted) just like a paper weight but is such a beautiful bottle. It has a white and gold lid with the Hermes Logo embossed on the top.





The best part is it is a refillable bottle which means I never have to throw it away. I didn't even know this until almost two weeks after I purchased it when I read a review of this gift set. If it ever runs out, I may get it refilled in the Hermes Shop in Paris (or I may naughtily fill it with another fragrance, who knows?). The miniature fragrance is also refillable but it is nothing different to other refillable minis I own. The Body Lotion is equally lovely in its pristine white and gold packaging but I intend to use it as a hand cream. The only problem is that it has a very runny/fluid texture which makes it quite wasteful. However, I can't complain at all given that I got it at such a steal.


Base Notes
I believe this fragrance was first launched in 2013 and it was created by Jean Claude Ellena for Hermes. It comes in various packaging including this lovely gift set which has the 125 ml refillable bottle. According to Jean Claude Elena, he wanted to capture the essence of femininity with this fragrance "I wanted to express the essence of femininity with flowers and nothing but flowers". The fragrance can be described as one with a fruity (Citrus) scent and floral undertones. The one thing I am so pleased about is that it is an Eau de Parfum (EDP) which makes it last much longer than a regular Eau de Toilette (EDT). The base notes of this fragrance include Grapefruit and Lemon which gives it its lovely citrus fragrance that I love. The next notes (middle notes) are the floral notes which include Gardenia, Sweet pea and Tuberose. I realise that I am drawn to anything that has tuberose in it because it is one of my favourite floral scents/notes. The final notes for this fragrance are White musk and I think Woody musk. I feel this is the perfect combination of notes because they are all my favourite. I am particularly pleased that the musk fragrance is the final notes because I feel it helps the fragrance last longer.



Who is this Fragrance for?
I think this fragrance is definitely targeted at grown women/ladies. I am not sure it is is suitable for anyone under 20 years old because it is quite a matured fragrance. However, I don't think there are any rules to what fragrance anyone can wear. Although given the price range and how it smells, I am inclined to believe it is not targeted at very young ladies. It is a really elegant, classy and sophisticated fragrance and I wear it to work when I want a real confidence boost. I know it sounds lame and silly but sometimes fragrances can really uplift my mood. I think this is one I would wear all year round but the citrus and floral notes remind me of summer and warmer seasons. It is also perfect for formal evening occasions/events and I know I would be wearing it a lot in the next few months. I am really pleased I have it in my collection and it's truly a collector's item.



Longevity/Lasting Power
I have to say this is one fragrance that smells quite strongly and it lasts for a long time when I spray it. I know one is not meant to smell your perfume on yourself after a while, unless you sprayed too much, but I still catch strong whiffs of it when I spray it. Everyone's body chemistry is different so it may differ form individual to individual but it has a good lasting power on me. The final notes (musky ones) may be responsible for its longevity and I love it. It feels very sensual although I would not exactly classify it as a feminine or demure fragrance

Cost
I have already mentioned that this gift set retails for £96 but it is not sold in many places. I suspect the gift set may have been limited edition. However, the 125 ml is still being sold in various places including House of Fraser, Harrods and even Amazon. I found the 30 ml in Harrods for £22.95 which I think is such a steal and I am tempted to purchase it as another travel/handbag fragrance. The price of the 125 ml starts from £96 which seems extortionate given that you can get the gift set for the same price. I know I have said this so many times but I am so pleased I bagged it for £24 from House of Fraser, Oxford Circus. It has to be my biggest bargain of the year so far.

Overall Thoughts
I am more than delighted to add yet another fragrance to my collection. I am considering doing a fragrance collection post or maybe a summer fragrance collection post. Let me know which you would prefer in the comment box. That's pretty much it for today. I hope you had an amazing weekend and I would see you in my next post...xx
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