Jardin de L'Élysée Guerlain 2026

A beautiful fresh flowery composition with a hint of tea. An amazing perfumeThe opening reminds me a lot of Herbes Troublantes then a bit fuller, soon the bergamote is coming through what reminds me a lot of Bergamote Fantastico extrait 11. Then all the flowers that are in it are showing them selves one by one like it evolves with a beautiful soft tea note and full ambery but not sharp base. Very well blended, stunning

The story behind this bottle and perfume is again very beautiful. Every limited edition has its own story. You feel the bond with the perfume and bottle when you know the story that it tells. That is one of the things that is making the limited editions special. And then the bottle and perfume. All that we love about Guerlain is added in each one of them and still they are different. You feel the love and work that is done to create this pieces. And the bottles are the most stunning art

Guerlain is now scenting the Élysée Palace instead of Dior, according to the current advertising campaigns for Guerlain's latest creation, allegedly created in collaboration with the French President by Delphine Jelk. Stories like this are often read about the British house Creed as well. Emmanuel Macron is said to be rather generous with his perfume, according to media reports. Curly Fragrance would probably say, “he’s not a sissy sprayer,” because his Eau Sauvage, of which it is not known whether it is Eau de Toilette or Parfum, is said to be detectable all over the French government seat, long before one even sees the President.

It wouldn’t have been Monsieur Macron that primarily piqued my interest in Jardin de L’Élysée in the beautiful Guerlain bee bottle. The notes were not particularly enticing either, because aside from the flowers, the pyramid reads a bit like a variant of Vuitton's bestseller Imagination. It is noticeable that some houses are currently launching scents with tea, citrus, and the like in their exclusive lines. For example, Givenchy with Désobéissant. Here, the perfumer is even the same as at the bag manufacturer LV. No. The garden of Monsieur Le Président (note, not the cheese of the same name) caught my interest due to the wonderful review by dear Hannah. A sharing from the lovely Tasjunja was still waiting for more participants, and I quickly signed up.

Yesterday, the Élysée garden arrived here. And as almost always, I first test on a neutral medium. Also because I was a bit afraid of the supposedly dominant rose mentioned by Gandix. What I got was enchanting. Tea, slightly woody notes, a fine, wonderfully refreshing bergamot, and gentle hints of flowers. Everything just as Hannah had characterized it. Of course, I immediately googled the price. I wanted to know how deep I would have to reach into my pockets should I want to buy it, and I found myself more or less resigned to being over 400 euros poorer soon.

But then today came. The wear test. I am now the total “sissy sprayer” and only applied two small mini sprays from the sample. As soon as I stepped out into the fresh air, I had the impression of perceiving a rather penetrating hairspray cloud. The beautiful bergamot was only there for a brief moment at the beginning. After that, with every gust of wind, there was just a hint of hairspray chemistry, similar to what I had noticed with Phlur's Missing Person, and then there was nothing more. I forgot the scent, the desire to own it as well, and went to the office to work.

Suddenly my husband, who usually does not have nearly as sensitive a nose as I do, says, “Your daytime scent is quite strong.” And by then I knew, he finds it terrible and I must smell like a fully cranked stadium speaker. Exactly the effect I had with Missing Person, which I hadn’t worn myself but had only sprayed into the air 2-3 times.

Note: Jardin L’Elysée smells absolutely wonderful only close to the wearer (medium). At least for me and my partner. Wearers seem to become very quickly scent-blind, and the outside world can perceive a piercing chemical hairspray note. As with Ambrocenide & Co., I suspect that not everyone has this perception. Otherwise, the lovely Hannah and other testers would not find it so dreamily beautiful and elegant. In any case, I am looking forward to wearing something else soon and will gladly pass on the sample from the sharing. Oh yes, and I saved more than 400 bucks too. Nice, right? A heartfelt thank you to Tasjunja for the sharing and the testing opportunity.

There is no protocol and no etiquette to observe, no reception. I am alone in this official place, which is also supposed to be quite private, and I enjoy the park, which today is an oasis of calm. The grounds with many old trees, some structuring elements, with perennials and blooming beds are British, the Earl Grey in my cup too, yet the address could not be more French: 55, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, Paris.

On a sunny spring day, I enjoy the silence - all to myself. The teacup comes from Sèvres. A classic manufactory, but Emmanuel has replaced the playful old porcelain with a modern one. I find the dark blue geometric pattern too strict for the park, which is more natural than grand. The black tea unfolds beautifully nonetheless. It is flavored with a fresh and intense bergamot note, bitter-citrusy. With the cup in hand, I stroll over to the magnolias, which have their white-pink cups wide open. They exude an almost luminous floral freshness with slightly lemony nuances and harmonize wonderfully with the tea. The adjacent jasmine bushes show a sea of blossoms that has not yet fully unfolded. (Yes, I know, when magnolias bloom, it is not yet jasmine season, but I am not really sitting on Emmanuel's garden bench.) Too many flowers, especially white ones, often appear so dominant and overly ladylike. Here, jasmine is already clearly perceptible, but neither intrusive nor fleshy. Fresh and clean, the notes surround me - a light-footed feminine elegance. I can see blooming rose bushes in the distance, but their scent only drifts weakly over. All the more beautiful I find that the bitter-fresh tea note remains present and forms a good counterbalance to the floral notes. Although I shouldn't really speak of "against," as it is a balanced interplay of flowers, freshness, fruitiness, and tea.

What Teinture d’Ambre is in the base, I am not quite sure. Amber tincture? So not amber, but ambra? I do not perceive anything warm or even animalistic. Apparently, the tincture also serves as a softener and for harmonious rounding. I can at least imagine that here. Musk is easier for me to recognize and serves a similar function. The longevity is good for such a fresh-floral scent.

The scent combination is tried and tested; we are not expecting anything really new. At times, it reminds me of Imagine 2019, which also combined fruity freshness with tea notes, but was harsher and more rhubarb-piercing in comparison. Jardin d'Élysée is pleasing, yet it does not pander and follows no trends, as it is neither sweet nor does it present gourmand notes, is not a skin scent, and the sillage is restrained. "Fruity floral" does not do it justice either, as that is often understood as a banal little water and would overlook the beautiful tea note. To put it succinctly, it is the successful interplay of fruity, floral, fresh, and tea-aromatic elements that gives it elegant and modern lightness, making it a friendly everyday companion that would also withstand any official appointment of etiquette and show character.