Jasmin Majorelle

Jasmine Majorelle typifies summer jouissance for me. The jasmine is a breeze rather than a dense cloud, with the blooms feeling more adjacent, indoles subtle and stimulating (warning: a teensy bit pissy to certain noses), the June sun beaming down on the vines and heating up the petals. The lemon and herbal garnish adds an element of "eau fraiche," which would make sense given that this was originally released in 1981, a time when 'les eaux' were still all the rage. If we are to assume these are the original compositions of Le Jardin Retrouve founder Yuri Gutsatz, required adjustments notwithstanding, then there is certainly an aura to his work that shows no shyness when it comes to raw, unrestrained naturalism. In the heart, there is a creaminess that suggests ylang, though the sweet humidity is absent: it's a refreshment rather than a muggy floral. These flowers, the jasmine, ylang, et al, are featured in a different light, a lens that cuts through the density, almost like a crystal prism that reveals tints of presence and lightness. The pith of Jasmine Majorelle is in this clarity, which may make it a bit of a riddle for those used to jasmines like SL A La Nuit or Sarrasins. How can jasmine be so sheer, yet seem so palpable? I think the summer heat would best flatter it, like on a 90 degree day as we are having today, where the moisture of one's own perspiration enhances it, and nearly makes it fully three dimensional in one's immediate surroundings.

I am a jasmine lover, but I have a hard time finding jasmine fragrances I like - most of them are too cloying, indolic, musky or synthetic. This, however, is one of my all-time favorites. The coriander and lemon offer the perfect foil to the flower's heady sweetness and keep everything feeling light and fresh. I do get some indoles, but in this case they give the impression of standing next to a jasmine bush in full bloom - which at any given moment is almost certainly where I'd rather be...

I live in a place where jasmine grows in abundance in almost everyone’s garden. When you take an evening walk, especially after an afternoon rain has stopped, jasmine scent in the air is irresistible, intense but also fresh. There is nothing quite like it, but this perfume smells almost exactly like it. Unfortunately, it only lasts about an hour on my skin, but I love the smell so much that I don’t care.

This is a delightful fragrance that gives jasmine a leading role. Not as heady or cloying as you might expect, this is actually a very pure, sunny fragrance that makes me think of 1970s shampoo adverts with daisies and cheesecloth and sunshine. Immensely uplifting and great staying power.

Opens with an aromatic sage and hints of a peppery coriander. The heart quickly introduces an indolic jasmine with a funk to it that I think works to give the scent character. It’s slightly heady but paired with a creamy ylang ylang it’s really enjoyable. The neroli here is a tad bit soapy but the dry down strays away from that and is ultimately a buttery iris, light musks, with remnants of a mild jasmine.