Un Jardin en Méditerranée (2003)
by Hermès

The opening is dominated by the fig theme: the leaves, the wood, and a good dose of the fruit. A green-fruity aroma is the result. An underlying layer of bergamot guarantees cheery brightness, which is of an airy elegance. The fig is less direct as in Acqua di Parma’s Fico di Amalfi, and a touch lighter than in Diptyque’s Philosykos.

The drydown the further development of the fig by adding sweetness, and white florals are add in too, mainly consisting of a pleasant oleander note with a transient whiff of orange blossom too. A slight earthiness is present towards the end, but I don’t get a separate base as such here.

The sillage is soft, the projection good, and the longevity is about seven hours.

This is a very nice spring scent as well as a good rendering of a creation centering around the fig tree as a whole. At times it is a bit too light and bordering and paleness, which prevents it from developing a more enticing character, but overall it is a charming creation. 3/5.

When Un Jardin en Méditerranée hit the skin, I immediately thought of pine, like what I had encountered in Annick Goutal's Ninféo Mio, which seems to be the fig leaf note that tricked me. I don't get much citrus. It's not aquatic to me, either. It has woodsy and aromatic caracters to my nose, green without sharpness. After about 3 or 4 hours, some creamy fig sweetness surfaces, but never overpowers the woods and aromatic plants. I also get a whiff of rich creamy pistachio at some moments, but it's very subtle.

The sillage is close, but it stays solidly on my skin for about 6 hours, which is really not bad for an EDT in such a hot summer day. While Ninféo Mio has a similar theme but has a lot of other stuff going on, Un Jardin en Méditerranée remains firmly to the fig tree theme and clean. A sort of pick-me-up fragrance, but with excellent quality and interesting caracters.

I won’t say I dislike it, but it’s only a bitter fig fragrance with an eau de cologne base. Not much. Performances are right.

Richest of Jardins,
Circle sea's fragrant bounty
Beyond its own dreams.

My second favorite of the Jardin line.

It smells of figs and foliage, which immediately conjures up a vision of a Mediterranean garden baking in the afternoon sun. There's a bit of peppery bitterness that's very pleasant against the sweetness of the fig. I don't get much citrus.

The main issue I have with this fragrance is that it doesn't last on my skin, which is a problem I have with all the Jardins. I would, therefore, prefer Philosykos if I wanted a figs-in-a-garden type scent because it has a similar effect on me and it lasts much longer.

*edit: I changed my mind, drastically! I now actually like this scent better than Philosykos, because the greenness is much more pronounces in the Hermes offering, and the fig is not as milky/creamy, which suits me better. Weirdly enough, the more I keep trying it the longer it seems to last too, so good news all around.