MarieLaVie

From the entire Jardin range, Sur le Toit is the scent that most reminds me of "my" garden (actually my grandparents' garden). A typical Central European garden with creaky fruit trees, plenty of grass, a few flowers, herbs, and vegetable patches.

The opening of this garden is green and fresh. Perhaps it has rained before or a loving gardener regularly waters everything. The grass is definitely not dry. Shortly thereafter, juicy red apples join in. Fortunately, the scent does not turn into apple shampoos or gummy apple rings; it simply smells naturally fruity. Not too sweet, not too sour.

Up to this point, Sur le Toit feels light and airy, with nothing opposing the bright notes. With the heart notes, this changes; now slightly earthy notes are introduced as a counterbalance - or is it the bark of the old fruit trees that is fragrant? Whatever it is, I think it's great, as it creates some balance in the scent.

After the meadow, the fruit, and the trees have made their appearance, the flowers come in at the end. I perceive a lovely rose and clean magnolia, while the other notes never completely disappear.
Sur le Toit slowly fades after this visit to the garden. It lingers on the skin for a long time but becomes increasingly quieter.

For me, a very successful garden scent - green, fresh, natural, gentle, and somewhat nostalgic.

2019
My statement was: "Horribly synthetic. Nothing fresh, at best chemically floral fresh with a certain warmth and a chlorine accord. Overall regrettable."

I was genuinely appalled by Un Jardin sur la Lagune back then. It was Hermes, part of the Jardin line, and not worthy of a second test. I ignored it for 2 years.

2021
I recently found myself with my mother in a well-stocked Müller drugstore. We first tried a bit through the mainstream selection (Guerlain, Issey, Elie Saab, Chanel... everything you find at Müller) and ended up at the Hermes shelf.

Since my sister is a big fan of Un Jardin sur le Nil and I really like both en Mediterranee and après la Mousson, my mother wanted to test the remaining Jardin bottles.
Willingly and unsuspectingly, I sprayed the scents on test strips and gave her some background information about the gardens.
My mother's verdict was clear and distinct: La Lagune is, alongside Sur le Nil, the best scent from the Jardin line.

Wait, what!?

I took the scent strips from her somewhat incredulously. La Lagune wafted a salty, floral scent towards me. My nose searched for the negative impression from two years ago but found neither the chemical nor the slightly sweaty note from back then.
Now, La Lagune seemed more like a blend of Eau des Merveilles (salty, woody, noble Hermes DNA) and Frederic Malle Dans tes Bras (strange, intimate Cashmeran). Overall, however, it was more pleasant and floral. My scent impressions were:
- Warm, salty skin
- Magnolia and lily
- Driftwood
- Fresh and slightly aquatic sea accord
- Rather dense than airy
- Interesting.

We both sprayed the scent on and wanted to give it time on the skin. After 20 minutes, we moved towards the checkout with a bottle.

I can't say what is different this time compared to 2019. Maybe La Lagune simply stands out exceptionally compared to other perfumes from Müller (the boring over-sweetness of Mon Guerlain, the pandering of Coco Mademoiselle Intense, the umpteenth fresh scent à la A Drop d'Issey...). But even without comparison scents, the fragrance fills a rarely occupied scent gap.

Lagune is romantic but also a bit weird. Not sweet, but very unisex. It is a Hermes garden but feels "more perfumey" than its siblings. Not a typical summer freshie. It radiates a cozy seclusion.

Conclusion: Sometimes it’s worth testing fragrances again over time!

I must once again advocate for this fragrance. I have had it for almost 2 years; it somehow came to me as a blind buy, and I immediately loved it. And the longer I have it, the more I appreciate this affordable, sweet masterpiece.

First and foremost, Dragée is exactly that: sweet. This can quickly become too much, but fortunately, it is different here - Dragée is a fresh almond dessert with fluffy orange pieces. A dessert one might find at summer weddings. Nevertheless, the fragrance does not smell romantic or kitschy, but rather cheerful and chic at the same time. The aroma is strong and long-lasting without being overwhelming. I smell more bitter almond than marzipan, and in the background, a clean orange blossom wafts very softly.

For me, the fragrance radiates a bright, friendly mood; it smells like "Dolce Vita." Even when applied sparingly, it is lovely at high temperatures and envelops me like a playful, white chiffon dress.

With Dragée, everything feels a bit lighter.

Citrus-heavy fragrances are usually very popular, both in niche and mainstream, because they smell familiar, fresh, and fruity. Clean, summery...
I, on the other hand, have never been a fan of this fragrance direction. Citrus quickly turns sweaty on my skin, and the scents don't last long, and I usually found them boring. So there was no citrus fragrance among my favorites, but plenty of green ones.

Then came the day when I discovered the Parfums de Rosine line in a perfume shop. I automatically reached for the bottle with the green cord, sprayed it, and was then enchanted by Un Zest de Rose. I smelled everything at once: lemon sorbet with fresh green tea, rose, and a hint of cool jasmine. The fragrance notes were all rounded and beautifully connected, and the bottle immediately came home with me, remaining the only representative of this fresh direction in my collection for a long time.

I find Un Zest de Rose to be harmonious and cheerful; it’s great in summer but also suitable for any other season and manages to wake me up in the morning. So uncomplicated! It’s office-friendly, super long-lasting on my skin, and beautifully citrusy green.

For me, the fragrance isn’t a 10-star masterpiece, but somehow it doesn’t have to be. I have often thought about which fragrance in my collection should be the first to go (to make room for something new, you know how it is...) and I always initially thought of Un Zest de Rose. Because it lacks depth, there are some similar perfumes, and it is primarily "fresh." Every time I apply Un Zest, I change my mind - it can’t leave, it’s just too fine!

Eau de Protection does not score particularly well here, which I cannot understand.
On me, the scent shows many facets and is wearable in so many situations that I consider it truly worthy of a signature.

But what can Eau de Protection (EdP) do?
- First of all, the name is brilliant! Do you have a tough meeting coming up where you want to appear serious and tough? Do you want a slightly cool shield? Reach for EdP!
- Are you going out for dinner and want to wear an attractive rose-patchouli without smelling like a grave? Thorny green and fresh enough for sensitive noses? EdP is your solution!
- Is the weather neither good nor bad, somehow gray and drizzly? EdP envelops you in a metallic rose veil with a hint of powdery cocoa far in the background - enough to get you through the day. And with a scent progression that keeps you awake.

EdP is not a rose club, not an oriental. It is not a blanket, but rather has the warm-cool texture of blood. It plays with its bipolarity and does so masterfully!