Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Hermes - Un Jardin Sur Le Nil  It’s been a fairly dreary Fall here on the East Coast.  When I looked out this morning and saw it was yet another foggy and rainy day, I decided to reach for the Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil (“Sur Le Nil”) for a little bright fruity floral lift. Sur Le Nil is described by Hermes as “an impressionistic stroll through the island-gardens on the Nile at Aswan”.  While classified as a fruity floral, Sur Le Nil defies the constraints of the category and is much more.  In its opening, I get a verdant green mango and lotus flower.  The mango note is stronger than the lotus and adds a fresh greenness to the opening; although each note lasts through the entire wear of the fragrance.  An earthy and nutty calamus is added to the green fruity floral opening and makes the juice feels very garden-like.  There is a lush vegetal feel to the fragrance at this point without it being specifically identifiable as a specific vegetable ...

Hermes - Eau d’Orange Verte “Eau d’Orange Verte is the scent of the Little Prince in all of us.” (Jean-Claude Ellena)  I just don’t know.  I feel like the Little Prince would probably go with a different fragrance.  I’ll let you know what I think and then you can decide. Eau d’Orange Verte opens with a beautiful, fresh, juicy orange.  The orange feels quite green on me and does not pull overly sweet.  The note is realistic; as if you are smelling an orange while standing in a grove.  Within about 45 minutes, the singular orange note has faded and in its place arrives a general citrus note.  It is quite possibly the combination of the mandarin and Amalfi lemon with the mint and cassis but frankly, none of the notes are individually identifiable on me.  As this fragrance begins to drydown, it becomes softened and a very, very clean patchouli and oakmoss are identifiable.  Eau d’Orange is a pleasant light, fresh citrus fragrance....

Hermes - Twilly d'Hermes Confession:  I purchased this fragrance because it reminded me of Mr. Potato Head wearing a jaunty Hermes scarf.  In my mind, it was a safe blind buy because at the very least I knew I would be amused by the bottle every time I set eyes on it.  The fact that the primary notes were ones I generally like didn’t hurt either.  Added bonus for me is the fact that I had the opportunity to use “jaunty” in a sentence; not something I often do.  Twilly opens with an extremely bold ginger note.  The ginger is spicy yet playful.  The tuberose and sandalwood sit in the background.   After about an hour, the ginger steps back ever so slightly and the tuberose seems to gain some ground.  The tuberose is fresh and bright.  The sandalwood remains to round out the fragrance and temper the sharpness of the ginger and the tuberose.  Other than the initial hour of wear where the ginger is very strong and prominent...

Hermes - Le Jardin de Monsieur Li With all the talk today of ponds (with birds) and moments in the rain, I felt it was the perfect prelude to trying out this citrus aromatic. I was lucky enough to get a sample of this with one of my Sephora orders (yes another one - don't judge me!) It is a gorgeous aquatic scent that transports you to a quiet place full of fragrant jasmine blossoms, sweet citrus fruit, lush green grass and clear, sparkling water. It is a gentle, contemplative fragrance that bids the wearer to stop a while and just breathe. " Le Jardin de Monsieur Li describes a Chinese garden somewhere between reality and imagination, a place for meditation where strolling is allied to thought and every step sets the imagination free." “I remembered the smell of ponds, the smell of jasmine, the smell of wet stones, of plum trees, kumquats, and giant bamboos. It was all there, and in the ponds there were even carp steadily working towards their hundredth birt...