Perfume Review: Hermes Un Jardin apres la Mousson

If it were up to me, I would change "Jardin" to "Watermelon Plantation". The mousson has passed, and wind and rain wreaked havoc on the field, cracking open huge, ripe watermelons, making them release their syrupy and at the same time watery-fresh aroma.... I bet you are thinking this is going to be a negative review. I absolutely adore Un Jardin apres la Mousson. Not because it showcases Ellena's trademark minimalist style. Actually, as far as I am concerned, the new garden scent is not as pale and bare as the Hermes's nez is capable of making his compositions. The colorless accord of wood and vetiver, which IS very Ellena, serves as a canvas, on which there are thrown, in a very harmonious fashion, splotches of vivid colors: the gold of cardamom and ginger, the crimson of coriander, the black of pepper and the brightest and most delightful of them all- the vivid, moist, shiny pink of watermelon. I adore Un Jardin apres la Mousson, because it makes me think of home. In my part of Russia, watermelons are the summer refreshment and delicacy of choice. From the green, very fresh beginning, to the nectarous heart, to the sharp, almost "savory" base the scent seemingly traces the course of life of a watermelon: from the unripe to the fully matured, brimming with juices and ready for devouring, to the marinated (that's right, we marinate watermelons in salt, preserving them for a year-round consumption...and by the way, nothing cures a hangover like a slice of salty watermelon... don't ask me how I know). The scent is not at all what I expected, and, believe you me, I never expected to wear a watermelon perfume with such enjoyment. I absolutely need Un Jardin apres la Mousson for summer. Available at hermes.com, $85.00-$125.00. Image source, kaydaly.com.