Un Matin d’Orage: Garden After the Rain

I tried the new Annick Goutal Un Matin d’Orage today and really enjoyed it.  I wasn’t sure how I’d do with the new AG because it has been compared in style to the new Hermes Vanille Galante, which had too much of a melon note for me, though I did like the rest of the composition.  The AG does have a green watery feeling to it, but it works for me because I don’t get melon notes or the type of ozonic notes that bother me.  I think it’d be especially nice in summer because watery greens can be refreshing, and this has a lovely dewy green feeling to it. 

I get quite a bit of jasmine, with bright hedione and some lactonic floral notes, and some subtle more animalic aspects to the florals.  I especially like the little tea vibe I get during the first hour or two, despite tea not being a listed note (tea is sometimes used in champaca accords though, so perhaps that’s where it comes in).  As with many florals, I enjoyed the first few hours the most.  It has some earthy notes that keep things interesting, but not enough to overdose me the way the Tom Ford gardenia did (I was sensitive to something in that one).  This isn’t a literal, heady gardenia, but is more of a green dewy garden after the rain, just as the perfumer intended it to be.  Very nicely done, and it’s one of the rare green florals that work for me.  I’ll need to wear it a few more times to evaluate it better. 

I’ve been very busy but should finally have some time this week to blend again.  I think I’m quite close to being done on Tabac, and I can’t wait to get back to gardenia musk because I’d made some real progress on it last time I worked on it. 

We’ve had a lot of rain the last few weeks, but we need it.  The blue sky has come back now and with the daffodils and crabapple tree blooming it’s starting to feel like spring.

Updated to add: I’ve now worn the new AG a few more times and I still admire it but won’t be adding it to my short list of favorite greens (Chanel 19 and PdN Temps d’Une Fete); the AG has just a bit more ozone in it than I want very often, but I love the fresh green notes, the florals, and the earthy notes. I still want to try it on a hot day.