By Dane
The third installment to Hermes' "Jardin" series, Un Jardin Apres La Mousson was said to be inspired by perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena's voyage to India. Ellena wanted to interpret the "cool" aspects of the local smells following the monsoon seasons, rather than the expected hot & spicy connotations that most of us who have never been would drum up.
Ellena did not fail in surprising me...I was expecting a cold, sharp spice, as in Paprika Brasil, but instead, I get a fruity floral. Huh you say? My thoughts exactly. UJALM opens with the Jardin series' expected tropical fruit note (mango, melon?), and then morphs into a slightly floral berry-like note, with a dry, very faint ginger/spice accord in the background. I can also detect a musk to follow in the drydown.
I'm a big JCE fan. He manages to create compositions that are both transparent and with great impact, which is a difficult task to pull off. While UJALM maintains Ellena's trademark style, I was hoping for something less common and more daring. If I didn't know what I was smelling, I would have guessed this was from Guerlain's Allegoria line or something of the like.
Otherwise, its a great, wearable scent that will no doubt sell well with the non-perfumista crowd. Take that both as a compliment and a warning.
Perfumer: Jean-Claude Ellena
Year: 2008
The third installment to Hermes' "Jardin" series, Un Jardin Apres La Mousson was said to be inspired by perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena's voyage to India. Ellena wanted to interpret the "cool" aspects of the local smells following the monsoon seasons, rather than the expected hot & spicy connotations that most of us who have never been would drum up.
Ellena did not fail in surprising me...I was expecting a cold, sharp spice, as in Paprika Brasil, but instead, I get a fruity floral. Huh you say? My thoughts exactly. UJALM opens with the Jardin series' expected tropical fruit note (mango, melon?), and then morphs into a slightly floral berry-like note, with a dry, very faint ginger/spice accord in the background. I can also detect a musk to follow in the drydown.
I'm a big JCE fan. He manages to create compositions that are both transparent and with great impact, which is a difficult task to pull off. While UJALM maintains Ellena's trademark style, I was hoping for something less common and more daring. If I didn't know what I was smelling, I would have guessed this was from Guerlain's Allegoria line or something of the like.
Otherwise, its a great, wearable scent that will no doubt sell well with the non-perfumista crowd. Take that both as a compliment and a warning.
Perfumer: Jean-Claude Ellena
Year: 2008
