Un Jardin sur le Nil (2005)
by Hermès

The openning is very enticing; it drove me crazy. i had to name it was like vetiver and basil and mint and lavander and sweet and sour but none. Was like some iced tea but none of these would be so seducing for me. When the grapefruit note rose and the herbal one began to diminish i got some peace. When i come back to my computer i looked up it and yes the secret is the green mango. What else would be so green and seducing? i put all my thumbs up for a green frag for the first time. (because of the one green in it which would not stay green all its life). any way best green ever for me.

A very fresh floral oriental with hints of grasses, fruits, woods, spices, and oriental notes. Here is the essence of late spring or summer in search of refreshment from the heat and the consequent languid, muggy afternoons of inactivity. The promise is of a soft and cooling breeze scented by a riverside garden retreat. Ellena has here penciled a minimalist sketch of such a garden, matching everyday and exotic elements in an easy balance over a woody-oriental base suggesting ease and luxury. A very fine scent for the seeker of peaceful respite from stress and ennui.

This sent travels the sences through the mystical lands of North Africa where the sand meets the water. Egypt is this magnificent country, and the Nile taking the same path for centuries is the river of life. This is a fragrance full of life, and contrasts. It is an extremely elegant fragrance. It is a clean sent, but at the same time it is extremely sassy. It is not overwhelming, yet it always seems to make a lasting impression. It is crisp and fun. It is an excellent choice for the summer.

wish i could drink this juice...its so juicy and real, think sour mangoes, sour lime..citrus peel...squeezed fresh in front of you...wow! a nice summer wear. a kinda scent which will grow on you and every one around you with every wear. love it for its uniqueness and its blending.

I received this as an early birthday present with some trepidation. I had read all the raves elsewhere, and it sounded like the perfect summer scent, and perfect for a green/citrus fanatic. But I had never had the opportunity to actually smell it, or to find out whether it would work on my skin.

Wonder of wonders - it did. It starts out with just enough grapefruit and mango to satisfy my citrus craving, before the calamus and lotus kick in, adding a dry, desert-y tone that takes this fragrance far out of the mainstream into "classic scent" category. Where I end up with the sycamore and incense is - transported. I'm sailing down the Nile from Alexandria en route to Arabia Felix and India, and the year is 212 AD...

It's very long-lasting, it's utterly gorgeous, highly elegant and it was created by Jean-Claude Ellena, who also created another summer staple of mine, Bulgari's The Verte Extreme.

My husband adores it on me, and so do my colleagues at work. It might not be to everyone's taste, buit on some of us, it's heaven AND the Nile in a bottle.

This is very good for many reasons, and here is an important one: it is distinctive! If the character was obnoxious or problematic that wouldn’t be a good thing, but that is certainly not the case here. Jardin is very attractive. The opening is freshly-tart, with citrus and green fruit. This moves into an interesting floral heart that is aromatic, green, with a green-straw quality. I attribute that to the calamus, a reedy plant : this is what papyrus might smell like in a perfume. Then – very cleverly – the scent develops its sycamore note. This compliments the calamus so well! Sycamore seems birch-like to me, with a clean woodsy aspect. Together the calamus and sycamore give a quiet, haunting aspect to the green tones. This combination is striking and so might seem ‘synthetic’ to some, but I find it utterly natural and quite appealing. A minor quibble: the frankincense is very light, not a distinct element at all though perhaps a supporting one. But perhaps the strongly green and resinous notes of too much frankincense would overpower the excellent notes above. Jardin is interesting! It is not an oriental at all, as one might assume from its Egyptian connotation. It is a lovely fresh chypre, an airy green scent. Great stuff! Quite suitable for a man to wear.