Un Jardin En Mediterranee by Jean-Claude Ellena for Hermes 2003

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Heya Stink Monkeys,

I don’t know about you but Hermes has always held a special, uber glamorous place in my head and heart. When I think of Hermes (pronounced Air-Mez) instantly I think of class, quality and longevity. Un Jardin En Mediterranee by Jean-Claude Ellena is my equal favourite fig fragrance with Mandy Aftel’s Fig. They are very different, let me introduce you to the way Hermes treats a fig; the one to really start the ball rolling back in 2003.

Photo Stolen Hermes

Fragrantica gives these notes/accords:
Top: Mandarin orange, bergamot, lemon (unmentioned but something very green here too)
Heart: Orange blossom, white nerium oleander
Base: Red cedar, cypress, juniper, fig leaves, pistachio, musk

From the very first moment I get only an extreme green crack of citrus with green bark and split leaves but then a glorious figgy sweetness intrudes, wafting gently through and they try to hover together side by side, one up then the other. It’s like sitting under a tree in the breezy sunlight, sometimes you feel the warmth moving over your face and at other times you are shaded completely. Soon the sweetness wins out and in come spices and some salt, warming the whole confection up and making it almost like a sweet fruit cheese, you can almost taste it. My mouth has watered! HA HA really watered, ohhh this is so good.

Today has been cleaning day and I’ve washed and scrubbed and sweated over 3 bathrooms, top to bottom, there is still the magnificent sweep of sweet spicy fig floating from my wrists. Nearly 2 hours of cleaning and going strong and it has combined with my sweat to give a really briny fresh sea water smell, gorgeous. Le Jardin En Mediterranee is tenacious, the house is spotless, cleaning, vacuming, dusting, steam mop all done, nearly 5 hours since I spritzed a single spritz and wrist mash and the sweet, salty fig is only just letting in the woods. There are hours before the dry down, I’m going to get some winter sun and enjoy the ride.

Photo Stolen static.lookbooks

There is no heaviness to Un Jardin En Mediterranee, except the clunky title. Personally I would HATE to have to tell someone that I’m wearing it and mangle the French beyond recognition, forever showing my absolute blundering year 9 French roots to the world. I think I will call it Hermes, Mediterranean Garden if asked.

WhatMenShouldSmellLike does a wonderful review, as does Olfactoria’sTravels. Undina searches for the ultimate fig in her Looking Glass too.

FragranceX has 50ml for $65
eGlobalBeauty has 100ml under $100 including world wide postage
MyPerfumeSamples has decants starting at $1.99/ml and $7.99/5ml (The Un Jardin collection will be on sale there this weekend)

I hope you’ve enjoyed a little look at Un Jardin En Mediterranee, thank you for your wonderful support. Please leave a message telling me your favourite Hermes or Fig Fragrances? Go on, send me some lemmings!
Love to you and yours,
See you tomorrow.
Portia xx

26 thoughts on “Un Jardin En Mediterranee by Jean-Claude Ellena for Hermes 2003”

  1. Give me a few more weeks and I’ll be able to report on my favorite figs as I work my way through a PLETHORA of samples. Right now my faves are Philosykos and SSS’s Fig Tree. Unfortunately, the Hermès is far more acquatic than figgy on my skin, so that’s a no-go for me.

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    • Hey Dionne,
      I didn’t like the Philosykos on me at all and I have a SSS Fig Tree somewhere here but haven’t got into that bag yet.
      It’s like love isn’t it, we all want something slightly different. That makes me happy,
      Are you well?
      Portia xx

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      • Exactly like love. 🙂 I’ve always been a sucker for the nice guy next door that is kind to kittens and walks little old ladies across the street. Bad boys are really not my thing.

        And I am very well, thanks for asking. We’re having a lovely, lazy kind of summer around here.

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      • I didn’t like the Philosykos either – too green and ‘figgy’ – not really a fan of fresh fruit in fragrance (excepting citrus of course and I don’t mind a bit of cherry – but that’s darker fruit). I love Hermes Osmanthe Yunnan. Such an elegant scent for summer – the delicate, not overly apricoty osmanthus and the dry and savoury yunnan tea. perfect unisex scent.

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  2. I’ve been skirting around fig scents, so I haven’t really tried any. I suppose I should pop in at Diptyque and Hermes when I’m in The City this Friday and try both. My favorite Hermes would be Eau de Merveilles, but I’m still working my way through my samples of the Hermessence line.

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    • Hermes is COOL!!
      There are so many figs to try it’s quite head twirling. I got the Posh Peasant Fig Sampler to start me off. There are some great ones in there, though they were not all to my taste.
      It is nice to step into Hermes though.
      Portia xx

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  3. This is actually my favorite fig and my favorite Hermes! I love this one- I mostly just get fig + cedar, but agree it has great longevity. Most figs either go too milky and coconutty (and I love coconut, so not sure why I don’t like those) or too fig leaf/greeny. I’d like to try PdN Fig Tea and SSS Fig Tree.
    Rose Ikebana and Eau de Merveilles are my other fave Hermes.

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  4. I am just getting around to appreciating the fig note in perfumes. For the longest time I thought there was something about that note that did not do it for me … not complete scrubbers but always thought there were too many others I enjoyed more. Recently, on a gee-there-is-a-sale-at-parfum1.com-so-I-would-be-a-fool-to-not-get-SOMETHING rationalization ( hehe, I just know I am not alone here 🙂 ) I picked up a few things and could not resist the little Les Senteurs Gourmandes coffret (sooo cute!!) and when I wore Figue Sauvage I got tons of compliments. Will have to revisit Mediterranean Garden, I know I have a sample somewhere. Thank you, Portia, for the fabulous review.

    And on a more personal note, I received your lovely package last night and want to thank you profusely for the lovely little smellies included in my package. What a lovely, thoughtful gesture. Merci !! Xoxox

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  5. The only thing I have with fig is Womanity. God, I hate that name. I hated the scent at first sniff but it has really grown on me. It’s sweet and salty and like most Mugler’s lasts a good while. It’s really not something I should like and I can’t explain why it grew on me either. I haven’t tried this Hermes yet. I do have a sample of Eau de Merveilles which is nice but it’s not something I’d want a full bottle of. I’ll have to give this one a try next time I see it.

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      • Yeah, compelling and repulsive. Gorgeously disgusting. That sums it up. It’s always fun to check out what’s going on here. By the way, I never took French in school so you can imagine how I mangle the language.

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  6. I do love me a bit of the Hermes – Mediterranean Garden and the Sur le Nil are my favourites. Great review and good to know that the house is spotless as well….fancy popping over here?

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    • HAH! I’d love to pop over but can you call when all the hard work is done please.
      Honestly, I only clean on Wednesdays. The rest of the week the house looks like terrorists have been through it.
      Thanks for saying G’day, always nice to read from you,
      Portia xx

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  7. Wonderful and fun post. I was right there with you scrubbing the tub! I haven’t smelled a fig fragrance yet other than my Granny’s old fig tree in her back yard. But I am anxious to try some Air-Mez of the Jardin verity soon. Just finished Chandler Burr’s The Perfect Scent that lead me dreaming of “Lovely” and “Jardin sur le Nil.

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  9. I love this scent and it remains on my list of ones to buy someday if I find it for a good price. I have loved fig scents for awhile (mostly in bath products) and recently went on a search to find the best fig fragrance. I loved Diptyque’s Philosykos, Heely’s Fig, L’Artisan’s Figeur(?) and this one. In the end I decided on Armani Prive’s Figeur Eden but, I would still buy any of the others as well (as I said, I love fig!). Thanks for the great review!

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