Un Jardin Après La Mousson (2008)
by Hermès

The reviews posted here, of Un Jardin Apres La Mousson, are among the most thoughtful and accurate I've read! My first impression of fragrance notes within UJALM is salted water, assorted greens - maybe even some linden - pepper, cardamom, and melon. It is sheer in character, like the others in the Hermes Jardin series, and dry too. Can a fragrance be dry and fresh simultaneously? If so, UJALM fits that description. It is interesting to smell notes that seemingly oppose one another, working together in harmony. For example, an acquatic note taking on a dry feeling. Or, juicy melon combined with pepper. That is the "fire & ice" sort of tension that makes this fragrance captivating. To my nose, this elixir is most intriguing! I'd call it a work of art.

Un Jardin Apres La Mousson is yet another wonderful fragrance from Hermes purchased by me based only on some very pleasant experiences with the other Un Jardin fragrances. I used some this morning for the first time and enjoyed it all day and it is still going as I am writing this review. It works fine on my skin on a hot summer day and I do not find it feminine. Un Jardin Apres La Mousson is well worth your consideration and now is on my list of favorite fragrances.

Pretty accurate name for the nasal impression I got when I first smelled it.

To me, it's that instant in the after the rain, thick clouds that have lingered are soon dissipated by the sun shining its way through. The garden smells fresh and green, the impression of cool, wet air comes from the melon note. The cumin and ginger notes are the earth that once was parched is now drenched, giving off it's spicy earthy smell. Being juxtaposed to the melon note keeps the cumin from giving off a sweaty impression as it most times does with other fragrances.

I do get a slight salty tang, not quite like sea air as it develops when scent warms over, but more like the earth beginning to dry, but ever so slightly and not like how some reviewers have described wearing it where it becomes too much to bear.

The scent cools off again, a cool cedar and remnants of the cumin and aquatic notes seems to dominate the base, calming and meditative.

The scent overall was well crafted, although for those who really do not appreciate the melon note would probably be happier with a cool mint or some other green note to create that impression of cool wet air and earth. As with Ellena's other creations, the scent is unfussy and never ever daring or brow-raising, but as always, seems to spark pleasant sensations directly to the brain.

The scent of course doesn't shout, but it's tenacity is quite remarkable. I still smelled its drydown notes after 6 hours. One of the very few fresh frags that will stand up to Summer's heat and humidity. A great addition to the Hermes "Jardin" line.

I'm not sure what it was inspired me to get a sample of this, but within a few minutes of trying, I knew I wanted a bottle of it. This is a highly individual scent, not really much like anything else I know.

It opens for me with a fresh combination of ginger and cucumber, and for some reason I find it has an effect of synaesthesia - I get this impression of milky whiteness so I imagine the notes are caught up in a creamy raitha. Next along are coriander and pineapple, with the drydown (which is highly satisfactory in length) preserving a very light, flowery ginger and the coriander.

I don't find it especially feminine - very suitably unisex. And gorgeous stuff.

Un Jardin Après la Mousson: a lovely name, a beautiful bottle, an excellent concept… a failed product. This was a disappointment for me. I like its sibling scent, Un Jardin sur le Nil, very much and I looked forward to trying Mousson. The opening of peppery spices and a brief blast of melon was attractive. That lasted for about ten seconds. Then things turned unpleasant. There was a salty-stale marine chord which evoked the image of a salt-encrusted pier with barnacles and seaweed. Also, there was an odd kind of toasty note, like rancid sesame oil and dodgy old melon rinds. And that is where it stayed until I washed it off. This is a unisex scent that can be disliked by either gender.

I have had a very different experience with this fragrance than I see above. Firstly, I feel that it is far to soapy both on a testing strip and even more so on my skin. After the soapyness withdrawls after a couple of minutes on my skin, it is a bit more enjoyable but rather feminine, which is why I am confused that this is considered a unisex fragrance when I think the feminine notes are incredibly overpowering. A disappointment for me. I have heard people talk about "being transported to Tuscany", but this is supposed to recall India - therefore I think it must smell different to many different people on a considerable gradient.