Un Jardin après la Mousson Hermès 2008

The Hermes fragrances exude luxury (the packaging! Renowned perfumers! Priceless bags and scarves, but thank God for the fragrances!) and yet I find almost all of them boring. The formula for success is: Some citrus note paired with X. Either mango or pear or rhubarb or ambergris or musk or rose or vetiver or leather, ... All of this then semi-transparently intertwined and the cash registers start ringing. Simple and genius, but somehow too flat for me.

Apres la Mousson is different and stands out positively from its Hermes siblings: this is not a typical citrus summer scent. Not typical Hermes. No typical hymns of praise anywhere, in my opinion also not a typical Ellena.
Instead, you smell something sweltering-cool, as if a refreshing breeze is blowing through the warmth with the bursting high humidity. It is watery, almost aquatic, but without the dreaded Light Blue musk. Ginger and cardamom mix into the breeze and from somewhere the scent of a sugar melon wafts. Apres la Mousson is fresh, but with depth. The name and the packaging fit perfectly, and therefore I see the fragrance as a truly coherent and well-executed overall work of art.

I wouldn't want to wear the fragrance all year round; it really only fits in the summer. The longevity is not particularly strong, and it is overall quite special. Therefore, it doesn't get a full 100%. But in terms of artistic implementation and quality, it is top-notch and clearly plays in the upper (niche) league!