While there’s an abundance of intel out there on celebrity-loved products, there’s nothing quite like hearing a star cite their favourites first-hand – and getting an insight into their tastes.
This is exactly the enviable experience woman&home’s Editor, Kerrie Hughes, had as she chatted with none other than Dame Helen Mirren last month, and reaffirmed what we already knew; that the actor has impeccable taste, but especially when it comes to chic and long-lasting perfumes. In fact, Mirren shared not just one of her favourite scents, but also her two other ‘go-to’ fragrance houses.
The fresh and unpretentious perfume Helen Mirren loves
If you’re keen to invest in a new scent, but aren’t wowed by any of the best perfumes for women (or you don’t know where to start), seeking out reviews is a good way to go. And Helen Mirren had nothing but praise for a certain garden-inspired number.
Now we won’t be so cruel as to hold you in suspense over Mirren’s summery fragrance. The actor shared that she’s a fan of Hermès Un Jardin en Méditerranée. Chatting with our editor, Kerrie, ahead of the 2025 L’Oréal Paris Le Défilé show, Mirren said – when asked about her favourite perfumes – “the Hermes Jardin en Mediterranee, Mediterranean garden – beautiful,” before adding that in general, “Hermes perfumes are absolutely gorgeous.”
Hermès
Un Jardin en Méditerranée Eau de Toilette
RRP: £85/ $124 | Notes: fig tree, green lentisk, and oleander
Green and delicately floral, this fragrance was designed to bottle up ‘a walk through a secret Tunisian garden,’ with its fresh and sweet notes. It’s lightweight and beautifully elegant, ideal for those who just want a simple but reliably luxe scent to spritz. Fig perfumes have also been a very popular genre this year, making this buy all the more tempting.
As you would hope from its dreamy name, Un Jardin en Méditerranée blends delicate hints of fig tree with green lentisk and oleander to create the sort of aroma that would indeed greet you as you strolled through a verdant garden, shadowed by lush trees and climbing flowers somewhere in the Mediterranean.
While definitely at home in the summer months, its elegant and uncomplicated profile makes it a great option for any season – ideal if you don’t typically like to change your signature based on the weather.
In Mirren’s case, she doesn’t appear to have just one signature fragrance that she wears exclusively. In fact, there are a handful of brands that have her heart. Hermès for one, but the actor also reiterated to woman&home her love for one iconic British brand: “I love Jo Malone. Jo Malone’s perfumes are wonderful.”
As for which of the best Jo Malone perfumes Mirren wears, in a video with Harper’s Bazaar in 2024, she revealed that Blackberry and Bay cologne was the ‘gorgeous’ and ‘natural’ scent she was wearing and carrying in her beauty bag at the time. But she did note, once again, that she loves them all.
For those seeking a more under-the-radar and niche perfume to invest in, on Mirren’s recommendation, the star then added one final brand to our radar (and fragrance wishlist). “My other big go-to is an Italian perfumery called Aquaflor,” she told Kerrie, adding, “It’s a small private perfumery. It’s not owned by any of the big brands, and it’s beautiful, sort of fresh, just gorgeous, gorgeous – Aquaflor, they are based in Florence.”
Our picks from Helen Mirren’s go-to fragrance brands
If you’re not a fan of ultra green scents, like Hermès Un Jardin en Méditerranée, Jo Malone’s Blackberry and Bay perfume, as mentioned, is also another known favourite of hers – with its herbaceous and tangy blend of berries, aromatic bay leaves and cedarwood. Both brands also have a plethora of other elevated and varied fragrances to explore, as does Aquaflor.
So, we’ve rounded up a few other options, from Mirren’s top brands, to help you find your own elegant signature[s]…
Jo Malone London
Blackberry & Bay Cologne
RRP: £56/ $90 | Notes: Blackberry, bay leaves and cedarwood.
As with all Jo Malone perfumes, this scent is minimalistic and effortlessly versatile. It opens with a tangy burst of blackberry, which swiftly mingles with aromatic bay leaves and a warm woody base. It’s nostalgic – designed to evoke memories of blackberry picking – whilst also offering both a bright and rich scent that lingers. It’s ideal for fans of fruity perfumes and wood signatures alike.
Jo Malone London
English Pear & Freesia Cologne
RRP: £56/ $90 | Notes: Pear, freesia and patchouli
Classed in the same fruity genre as Blackberry & Bay, English Pear & Freesia is arguably one of Jo Malone’s best-loved and most elegant scents. It’s juicy upon first spritz, but then those classical white florals rush in, followed by a warming base of Patchouli.
Hermès
Barenia Eau de Parfum
RRP: £72/ $113 | Notes: Butterfly Lily, Miracle Berry, oak and patchouli.
For another Hermès option, Barenia is a lovely pick with its pairing of delicate florals and a woody, patchouli base. It’s fresh but multi-faceted, with warming notes that trail in, which adds to its timelessness.
