La Haie Fleurie du Hameau (1982)
by L'Artisan Parfumeur

A simple little jasmine, almost a solefleur, not too sweet, not too dry. Normally L'Artisan is complex and (sometimes) confusing. This little white floral is neither. It is among the best of the lot of jasmines, although I have never tried Lutens A La Nuit. The drydown is quite linear and the longevity is adequate. Nice.

For me, this is nothing more and nothing less than a tremendously pretty scent. I get a blast of jasmine but also a strong whiff of wisteria which work well with my personal chemistry and garner me compliments galore. This is the only perfume I've ever worn that has complete strangers stop me on the street/ in stores to tell me how wonderful I smell. It seems to last a long time on my skin and never turns acrid, the way many florals do after an hour or two.

I wouldn't call this complex and sophisticated, but to my nose, it smells wonderful and that's what counts.

Pretty, yes, but when smelling "La Haie Fleurie du Hameau" I can't get past the imagery of a Victorian funeral parlor. It's not the lily influence, necessarily--I often find lilies bring a sunny carnality to blends---there's just something so moth-ball preserved and waxy about "La Haie Fleurie du Hameau". It opens with a sterile, lilac-like sweetness; sugary, creamy and watery all at the same time. As it progresses into its heart, a tinny tuberose unfurls, offering a hint of fleshiness and warmth (thank goodness--"cool fleshiness" would've been the final nail in this coffin of a fragrance). Upon drydown, only a whisper of the florals float over a soapy softness, that which reminds me of the first breeze through a chiffon that had been tucked away in a chest for decades. To me, this smells of death...but in an odd, cheery "acceptance of mortality" sort of way, not reflective of decay or something more sinister but as a pensive and ghostly intepretation of life gone by. It's quiet, reflective and beaming; an auric interpretation of moving toward "the white light".

This one dries down like Bond no.9 Chinatown! The opening blast of jasmine is authentic, but fades quickly. It is nowhere near the quality or stunning beauty of Lutens' A La Nuit. For a jasmine scent I find it 'middle of the road'.

This is pure jasmine at its intoxicating best, with honeysuckle delicately layered on top. Rich vanilla base that clings to the skin long after the sharp sweetness of the initial jasmine is gone.

This is a beautiful watery jasmine that's almost as seductive and true to night blooming jasmine as À la Nuit. If I had never smelled À la Nuit, I would have purchased this, for sure. But it misses the mark, ever so slightly. It is very, very beautiful though.