By the time we left Dior that Mother’s Day weekend, I honestly thought our luxury-shopping adventure was over.

We had already gone to Tiffany & Co., where I found the Return to Tiffany necklace that reminded me of Baby Lux.

We had gone to Louis Vuitton, where Hanz surprised me by buying the bag I had dreamed about for years… and made me cry because, for once, I wasn’t the one making my own dream come true.

Then we went to Dior, where I found the ring that felt like the missing companion to my Tiffany necklace. One piece carried Tiffany’s name. The other carried Dior’s. Together, they became tangible reminders of Chanel Tiffany Dior >>> our Baby Lux.

Emotionally, that was already more than enough for one day.

Financially, it was definitely more than enough for one day. 😂

But apparently, the day still had one more orange box waiting for me…

Our Unexpected Stop at Hermès

After Dior, Hanz wanted to look for a luxury perfume for himself. So we went to the fragrance section somewhere in Nustar Mall, where Hermès perfumes were displayed.

I wasn’t planning to buy anything else.

Then again, I probably also said I was only looking when we entered the other boutiques that day, so perhaps my definition of “not planning to buy anything” should no longer be trusted. 😂

While Hanz was trying fragrances for himself, I started smelling everything I could try at Hermès.

Because what else was I supposed to do while waiting?

I tested one fragrance, then another, and then I smelled Twilly d’Hermès.

That was the one…

The Scent That Caught My Attention

I don’t know if I can describe perfume the way fragrance experts do. I cannot confidently tell you what appeared in the opening, what emerged in the dry-down, or which sophisticated note danced elegantly with another sophisticated note. 😂

I only know how a fragrance makes me feel.

To me, Twilly d’Hermès smells soft, clean, and powdery. It reminds me of a freshly showered baby, you know, that comforting, cuddly scent that makes you want to keep smelling them.

It didn’t feel too mature, heavy, or intimidating. It smelled youthful and gentle, but still special. It was a fragrance I could imagine wearing regularly rather than saving for an occasion so important that the occasion might never come.

And I genuinely loved it.

Hanz must have noticed because, while buying a perfume for himself, he decided to buy Twilly d’Hermès for me too.

Just like that, after everything he had already given me that weekend, he added one more surprise.

My very first Hermès.

Not a Birkin, Not a Kelly — and That Was Perfectly Fine

When people hear “Hermès,” they probably immediately think of the Birkin or Kelly.

Mine was neither.

It was perfume.

And honestly, that didn’t make opening my first Hermès box feel any less exciting. I remember looking at it and thinking: “Oh my God. This is real. I actually own an authentic Hermès product.”

It might sound funny to people who regularly shop from luxury brands. But for someone who once felt nervous simply walking through the doors of these boutiques, holding my own Hermès box felt like another little milestone.

The younger version of me probably imagined that owning something from Hermès belonged to a completely different kind of woman living a completely different kind of life.

But there I was at 48, holding an Hermès gift from my husband, not because I needed it to prove anything, but simply because I loved the fragrance and he wanted me to have it.

There was something very sweet about that.

A Special Mother’s Day Gift Set

The Twilly d’Hermès perfume came in a beautifully designed gift box containing the full-sized fragrance, a smaller bottle, and body lotion.

The Hermès sales associate told us that the brand creates special box designs for certain occasions and that this particular design was for Mother’s Day. She explained that it was a limited design that would not become part of the regular packaging.

Of course, that made the gift feel even more special to me.

The box was colorful, playful, and beautiful enough to keep even after everything inside had been used. It didn’t feel like ordinary packaging that I could simply throw away. It felt like part of the gift—and part of the memory of that weekend.

I had already fallen in love with the fragrance before knowing about the special box. But the fact that it came in a Mother’s Day presentation made everything feel strangely well-timed.

This entire luxury experience happened during a Mother’s Day when I was carrying so many emotions at once.

Love.

Grief.

Gratitude.

Disbelief.

The joy of being celebrated by my husband and son. And the quiet sadness of remembering the baby girl who should have been part of our family.

The box did not have Baby Lux’s name on it. Hermès was not one of the three names we had chosen for her. But because of when it came into my life, and because of the soft, baby-like comfort I personally found in its scent, it became connected to that Mother’s Day too.

The Lightest Chapter of an Emotional Day

When I look back at each stop we made, every brand seems to have carried a different part of the story.

Tiffany became about memory… finding something I could wear close to my heart to remind me that Baby Lux existed and mattered.

Louis Vuitton became about being seen… allowing my practical, frugal husband to give me something he knew I had dreamed about for years.

Dior became about grief… the search for something bearing the final part of Baby Lux’s name and the unexpected peace I felt when I finally found it.

Hermès was different.

It wasn’t something I had gone there searching for. It didn’t have to carry the deepest meaning or answer an emotional need I had been trying to understand. It was simply an unexpected pleasure at the end of a long, beautiful, emotional day.

I smelled something I loved. Hanz saw that I loved it. And he bought it for me.

Maybe that is what Hermès represents in this series: the freedom to enjoy something beautiful without needing to justify it with a profound reason.

Sometimes luxury holds grief. Sometimes it holds memory. Sometimes it makes you feel seen and cared for. And sometimes it is simply a lovely perfume that smells wonderful, comes in a beautiful box, and makes you happy whenever you wear it. That is allowed too.

Will There Be Another Hermès?

As of this writing, Twilly d’Hermès remains my first and only Hermès product.

Am I planning to buy another one soon? Probably not.

After Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Hermès all in one Mother’s Day weekend, I feel as though I already received and bought enough luxury items to last me a lifetime. 😂

But who knows?

Maybe one day, when I already feel like such a billionaire that I can walk into Hermès without mentally calculating how many square meters of land the price could buy, I might choose something else. 😂

For now, I am more than happy with my perfume.

I love wearing it. I love its soft, powdery scent. I love the colorful Mother’s Day box. And I love remembering how it became mine; not because I entered Hermès determined to own something from the brand, but because Hanz noticed the simple joy on my face when I found a fragrance I loved.

One More Orange Box in Our Story

This Luxury Series began with a Mother’s Day reflection about how I thought I wanted luxury when what I really wanted was safety.

Then Tiffany taught me about grief, memory, and allowing myself to receive something beautiful.

Louis Vuitton showed me how deeply I wanted to feel seen.

Dior helped me find a physical reminder of the daughter we lost but will never stop loving.

And Hermès? Hermès gave this emotional day a softer ending. A beautiful fragrance. A thoughtful surprise. A colorful orange box. And one more memory of being loved.

My first Hermès may not have been a Birkin or a Kelly. It was Twilly d’Hermè >>> a perfume that reminds me of softness, of a freshly showered baby, and of a Mother’s Day when Hanz allowed me to feel celebrated, cared for, and perhaps a little bit spoiled.

Okay, maybe very spoiled. 😂

And after spending so much of my life being the strong one, the breadwinner, the problem solver, and the person who made things happen for everyone else, perhaps allowing myself to be spoiled for one extraordinary weekend was part of the gift too.

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If You’re Just Joining My Luxury Series

Although each story can be read on its own, these chapters are all connected:

Chapter 1: I Thought I Wanted Luxury. What I Really Wanted Was Safety
The Mother’s Day reflection that began this unexpected journey.

Chapter 2: My Very First Breakfast at Tiffany’s
The story of my Return to Tiffany necklace and finding something tangible to hold my love and grief for Baby Lux.

Chapter 3: Why I Cried When My Husband Bought Me a Louis Vuitton Bag
Why receiving an authentic Louis Vuitton bag from Hanz meant far more than buying one for myself.

Chapter 4: I Thought I Was Shopping at Dior. I Was Really Looking for Baby Lux
How I found the Dior ring that became another symbol of the daughter we will always carry with us.

Chapter 5: My First Hermès Was an Unexpected Mother’s Day Gift
You’re here.

The boutique stories may now be complete, but there are still a few beautiful boxes waiting to be opened.

Next in the series: the unboxings.