Jasmin De Pays

Oh, My Lord, I've found my all-time favorite jasmine fragrance. I asked the question on Rogue Perfumery's Jasmin Antique page if that was the jasmine fragrance to end all jasmine fragrances? Well, that might not have been for me, (though I did find it pretty darn close), but this most certainly is. Skanky? Oh, yes. but not as indolic as JA or Lush Lust. I also found Madagascan Jasmine beautiful, which some here have compared this too in the this reminds me section, but that wasn't a true jasmine to me. But this? This? - This is JASMINE. This is Jasmine with a capital J! All the other notes are barely perceptible and there just to showcase that sulty, luscious, and intoxicating flower. This is Jasmine at its most potent and lush. There is nothing excessively green here. Nor does it have any of the rubber tire, gasoline, super heavy indoles, or other negative attributes (looking at you Lush Lust), that some jasmine perfumes have. No, this smells as if they crammed big fat jasmine blossoms picked at their most sweet, potent, and ripe into this bottle. There is no doubt that this is loaded with pure Jasmine absolutes, as the quality is apparent, as is the mastery. Jean-Claude Ellena certainly outdid himself with this one. Every waft has me catching my breath and my eyes rolling back in my head in ecstasy, as I'm thinking, “Oh, God, this must be what heaven smells like” – with a little dash of hell to shake things up. Whatever you do, DO NOT let any negative reviews scare you away from this one. Though it starts out strong, within an hour goes down to a more discreet, though still very noticeable level. If you are a jasmine lover as I am, you have no idea what you are missing not to try this. I'll wager even a blind buy is a safe bet. Believe me, I just know you are going to adore this as much as I do right now. It is hands down the best jasmine perfume I've ever smelled, and I've smelled quite a few, including the holy grail SL's A La Nuit. To me, this is the Queen whose beauty is beyond compare.

This is... not jasmine. Or at least not the jasmine im familiar with (jasminum polyanthum, the ones that grow all over the Mediterranean). So i must say im disappointed in that regard. But? Its still photorealistic. It reminds me of another white flower but i cant put the name on which one it is. I’d say its more gardenia esque since it has a green and funky edge. But its not creamy really. The indoles are handled perfectly. They dont feel like a seperate part of the flower, they feel integral to the flower note itself and it contributes to realism. Its perfectly animalic. Its rubbery like a tuberose is, a bit waxy, polleny and clove-y like lilies. Yet i dont find this vaguely floral. Its definitely SOMETHING REAL but i truly cannot remember which one. Nowhere near the vague clean white florals of modern perfumes. So im not disappointed in the perfume as a whole. I love it. Its powerful and realistic, not too sharp and synthetic on the greens and overall a wonderful composition. So i’ll give it a 9/10. It deserves that. Perfect for hot summer days (i dont believe in fresh citruses). Sillage is wafting like a real flower, you cant keep smelling it continuously but you will catch strong breezes of it. Performs like a real flower too, the closer u get to the scent the more sweet and floral it gets. From afar its more realistic. Does that make sense? A jasmine doesnt smell the same from afar and up close either. Dont buy if you’re looking for a realistic Mediterranean jasmine and arent open for a different smell. But still recommended nonetheless Edit: OMG ITS A VIBURNUM! It smells like an extremely realistic viburnum scent! Wow that is impressive. Whenever i smelled those in march i thought to myself ‘i wonder if there is a perfume like this’. Turns out it’s jasmin de pays. Thats really gorgeous and unique. Im specifically referring to Viburnum x carlcephalum.

Jasmine de Pays is a jasmine for true blue lovers of this King of Flowers. There are many perfumes with decidedly wishy-washy, hedione-vague jasmine accords so that smelling Jasmin de Pays may shock noses not used to such articulated realism. Ellena imparts the voluptuous nature of fecund jasmine blooms, bubbling over and almost too much to bear—delirious rapture. Be still my beating heart—I have long searched for a Dragon Pearl jasmine in perfume, and I have finally found it through Jasmin de Pays. But it by no means stops here. Tagetes marigold sweetens and sharpens, serving as an exclamation point to a jasmine that quickly reveals that bittersweet decay is imminent. It exhales "I have lived" (to use the words of my friend Sebastian Furtado). These flowers have just a bit more energy stored, allowing all manner of pollinating organisms to buzz and bump until they have more to give. Ripe indoles do not overpower here—they are seductive, but not necessarily lewd. Jasmine de Pays feels as if it takes through the arc of the flowers' lives: from fresh and sprightly, green and sweet, to their full and bursting maturity, and then their fermenting, narcotic finality. When reaching the "past its prime" stage it feels so real that I can visualize the brown spots and withering, wrinkled edges of each tender petal in my mind. Jasmin de Pays is simply awe-inspiring.

The jury is out on this one. I could have sworn I tested this once, because I had it marked as a "love", but when I sprayed on my brand new, just delivered bottle, I was shocked. All I could smell was cloves. The slightest bit of indole was under the surface, but I couldn't find a single trace of my beloved jasmine beyond that. I waited and waited, and eventually I could smell some of the jasmine surrounding me, but clove remained dominant. I've had it on for about 2 hours and that sharp clove note will not recede. My expectation was that the clove would lift the jasmine. Instead it is smothering it. So I suppose the only thing I can do is put it to the side for now, and hope that the jasmine in all of it's glory becomes more pronounced with time. I'm not ready to quit on it, but as of now, I am rather repulsed by the powerful clove. I will give it a few weeks and update! NEXT DAY - Wow. I can't believe what a difference a day makes! I'm getting the full jasmine treatment today and I LOVE it. I'm so happy, and know it will only improve with time. Yes, it IS indolic, but not offensively fecal. It just smells like jasmine grandiflorum in it's purest form. 4/9/2024 - It keeps getting better and better. It lasts longer on clothes than skin. It doesnt have great longevity on my skin but I can smell it on my clothes days later.

I wouldn't call this a typical Jean-Claude Ellena creation - ethereal and translucent, as his work tends to be. I'm not intimately familiar with his entire catalogue, but I know his Hermès pieces well, and Jasmin de Pays is nothing like them. This is a substantial scent, with no wateriness or mistiness to speak of. It wonderfully captures the many facets of jasmine: petals in full bloom, a touch of indole (nothing over the top, so those who usually shy away from strongly indolic scents might well give this one a try), and a hint of savoury greenness reminiscent of leaves and stems, though not enough to call it a green scent. Overall it's botanical, with sweetness present exactly to the degree you'd find it on a living jasmine bush. A great fragrance for lovers of realistic soliflores. For me, the king of jasmine remains Sarrasins by Serge Lutens, with Jasmin Antique from Rogue a close second. This comes remarkably close in terms of jasmine greatness, though it's greener and less dense than either of those two.