Hermes Un Jardin sur le Nil: fragrance review

 My friend Chandler Burr unfolded the story of how the charming and cerebral Jean Claude Ellena was inspired for this fragrance in a New Yorker piece which catapulted a series of events for both him and perfumery reportage. Looking for the starting point of inspiration in Aswan, traveling the Nile, aquatic plants gave way to unripe mangoes as the team of Hermès travelled up to the roots of the great river. An aura of coolness enveloped the French perfumer: he now had the idea!

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 Un Jardin sur le Nil was the second of the Hermès Garden series, following the bitter green smelling one, Un Jardin en Mediterranee inspired by a plate of figs offered in a Moroccan garden.

  This unisex Hermès fragrance, Un Jardin sur le Nil (a garden on the Nile) smells more like claw-wound grapefruit than the green mango inspiration behind it. This idea of grapefruit has been on the mind of Jean Claude Ellena ever since In Love Again for Yves Saint Laurent. He has been toying and toiling with it in Rose Ikebana, for the Hermessences boutique exclusives and in Cologne Eau de Pamplemousse Rose. The idea of a lasting, fresh, juicy grapefruit which retains the tartness and subtle bitterness underneath the citrusy quality is a holy grail for him. Here it is triumphant and energizing, effervescent almost, a bullwhip for the flesh. 

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But Un Jardin sur le Nil soon settles into a woody and starchy serenity that lends some welcome peace of mind (and courage) to a very hot day. Its incense aura lasts...and lasts...and lasts...as long as the journey to the sources of the Nile itself.

Beautiful in any season and very welcome in a hot spell. 

Gibellini Wood: Unexpected Finds at Lidl Stores

 Sometimes surprises come in the guise of super market shopping. The German supermarkets Lidl are known for their thrift store policies and odd placement of products on shelves (with the crate). 

Among those products and trinkets lies fragrance too! Suddenly Madame Glamour is a well transmitted Coco Mademoiselle eau de toilette dupe, but there are other scents as well. 

Below is Wood by Giblini, a brand for men. Imagine my surprise and quiet wonder when I found out it's a dupe for Terre d'Hermes! It starts off harsher, to be honest, which is not that surprising, especially given the under 5€ price asked (!), but the heart and drydown smell quite close to the original citrus woody indeed. It looked rather lonely, so I took it home... 

And here it is. 

Roger & Gallet Bois d'Orange: fragrance review

 The house of Roger & Gallet presented Bois d'Orange built from fresh accords of citruses and the warm nuances and strength of wood several years ago, but it's still in production, perfect for warmer weather. The fragrance invites for a long and pleasant walk in the garden of Andalusia, among alleys of fragrant oranges. It's the vibrant and sunny freshness of leaves, combined with orange blossom and the scent of fruits to regenerate the aura and give pleasure to each user.

It was the scent I turned to after I gave birth, mostly using the luxurious soaps and shower gel formulations.

The top notes of Bois d'Orange introduce mandarin, basil, and lemon verbena, a fresh and encouraging scent of citrusy-green aromas. The heart brings us orange blossom and neroli, while the base adds strong and warm amber, rosewood, and cedar.

It's hard to parse the scent into all those notes and components; there is a uniformity of feel-good vibes which are derived by the stalwart luminosity of the neroli and verbena. It only opens up on warmer days, giving a more woody aspect in cold weather, but when the sun is high in the sky it blooms and reveals its happy facets that come tumbling down from a bowl of just-picked fruit someplace warm and casual. No wonder I sought this scent when I was at my most vulnerable.

The fragrance is available in the characteristic packaging of the house of Roger & Gallet. Besides the fragrance Bois d'Orange, an accompanying body care line with the same aromas was introduced. It includes luxurious soaps, which made this house famous.

 

This woody aromatic fragrance was created for women as well as for men and I find no fault with either wearing it on any occasion that calls for some optimism and feeling good about oneself.

Bois d'Orange originally launched in 2009 and continues to be in production after all these years.

 The finer, nonalcoholic Eau Parfumée version can be worn in the sun, making it perfect for summer. It's part of the Eaux Parfumées line in frosted glass bottles.

Please note there is also an edition with golden shimmer, the Bois d'Orange Eau Sublime Or, but this is a different interpretation with a lactonic component reminiscent of suntan lotion, with salicylates enhancing the floral facet. It's obviously made for summertime with the idea that some golden shimmer enhances one's tan. This one would be more appreciated by the ladies, I presume.