Le Jardin Retrouve

I have had these pretty sample boxes from Paris perfume house Le Jardin Retrouve for at least six months. I kept meaning to try them. All the reviews I had read were positive. I finally shook myself out of my sniffing lethargy and I'm glad I did. I liked all the scents and they seem especially fitting  for the spring and summer season.

Le Jardin Retrouve was started in 1975 by perfumer Yuri Gutsatz and claims to be the very first Niche Maison de Parfum. Yuri had an extensive background with perfume including a stint managing an ingredient factory in Bombay. After Yuri's death in 2005 the brand's presence waned until 2016 when Yuri's son Michel and wife Clara Feder revived the brand. The story is they sold their family home to finance this passion project and picked seven of the original fragrances to bring back. Clara has a background in media and created the striking art for the packages which has a modernistic impressionist vibe. She also writes the background story for each perfume, based on the premise of "found" gardens, a literal translation of Le Jardin Retrouve.

Verveine d'Ete is a very fresh and invigorating scent. Singapore Airlines used to carry a L'Occitane verveine scent in their bathrooms and it was always a pleasant wake up when you were hours into a flight and feeling fatigued. It is light, inoffensive, and could be worn with equal ease by a man or woman. The story written for this perfume begins, "1878. You walk in the Summer Garden in the heart of St. Petersburg. There was a refreshing rainstorm...". Notes of basil, bergamot, vetiver, and eucalyptus provide the bracing notes and oakmoss gives a smooth finish to the scent.

Citron Boboli is the other citrus perfume in the collection. The citrus notes of  Italian lemon, petitgrain, and orange blend together to remind me of the gorgeous scent the tiny blossoms on my lemon tree provide. There is a sweetness to this scent which reminds me of a confection, perhaps a lemon macaroon or cookie. It is not overwhelmingly sweet, just enough to temper the tartness. A hint of black pepper and cloves add a tiny touch of spice to the concoction. I find Citron Bobli very cheerful. The poetic inspiration for this perfume is the Boboli Gardens at the Palazzo Pitti in Italy.

Eau des Delices was inspired by the painting in the Prado Museum by Hieronymus Bosch, "The Garden of Delights". I saw this painting in person last year and was blown away by the modernism of this artwork from 1503. Eau des Delices is classified as eau fraiche with its notes of  lemon, tangerine, bergamot, and petitgrain. What distinguishes it from the two above is the addition of lavender, which warms the citrus notes. It reminds me a little of L'Artisan Seville a l'Aube which also features citrus with lavender. I think I like the initial opening of the two citrus perfumes more, but I like the eventual dry down of Eau des Delices the best. It feels deeper with a bit of broodiness.

Sandalwood Sacre is a light, fresh take on sandalwood. I sometimes find stand alone sandalwood to be a bit musty and dry. I like the brightness that the petitgrain provides, like letting sunlight into a dark place. Notes of balsam, musk, oakmoss, and patchouli add depth to the scent but it maintains this aromatic shimmery light. While its sandalwood may not stand out alone as some sandalwood perfumes do, I appreciate the brightness and wearability of this. It is inspired by the idea of an Indian Hindu temple on the banks of the Nerboudda River. I really like this, if only it had some longevity on my skin.

Tubereuse Trianon starts with a surprisingly big blast of creamy tuberose. After the overall lightness of the previous fragrances I've tried I was expecting a watercolor tuberose, but it's definitely a presence. Listed notes are tuberose, ylang ylang, and coriander. The ylang ylang gives it a warm and sunny appeal. I sometimes get the sense I'm smelling frangipani, but it's not listed. I can't see this being a hit with those who don't like tuberose, but I love the flower and found this to be a very nice version. After the initial blast the tuberose does settle down to a quieter presence. The overall feel is tropical, languid, and creamy. The garden inspiration is the Trianon in the Garden of Versailles.

Rose Trocadero is the second floral in the Le Jardin Retrouve stable of scents. The first time I tried it I wasn't too fond of it. It just smelled like scented soap. The next time I got the sense of an aquatic rose. I read the copy and part of it says, "Before you; the Trocadero Palace. Suddenly a woman approaches. She is carrying a huge bouquet of roses and heads toward the Seine." So I asked myself, was this aquatic feel deliberate, ie, the Seine? Or was that just something I made up? The rose smells like tea rose to me, and something about this reminds me of rose scents I used to smell when I lived in India. I can't put my finger on why. Other notes are blackcurrant, clove, and musk. I don't smell the clove at all, which usually is a note that stands out to me. I don't dislike this, but so far it is my least favorite.

Cuir de Russie is classified as a floral leather and has notes of  ylang ylang, violet, patchouli, cinnamon, juniper, and styrax. When I was researching what others had thought about the line, Cuir de Russie was overwhelmingly a favorite with reviewers and it's easy to see why. I don't always love leather fragrances but when they work, oh! how alluring they can be. The violet and leather combo is beautifully done. The rest of the notes are a supporting cast of players. The story inspiration for this scent is the Ballet Russe at the opera hall. It's a good allusion which captures the delicacy of the leather and the fairy-tale beauty of the floral notes. I like this one more each time I spray it and I have to agree with my fellow reviewers, it is probably the most unique and the most memorable of the scents from the Le Jardin Retrouve line. When I sniff my wrist, it is easy to fall into the dreamworld that I am watching the ballet, the dancer's leather shoes spinning and gliding, surrounded by beautifully scented people in the most elegant of settings.

I really enjoyed trying the scents from Le Jardin Retrouve. It's hard to see how anyone could take a dislike to any of them, except maybe the florals, which have stronger notes. Perhaps there is nothing groundbreaking about most of them, but the quality of the ingredients used shine through and they are enjoyable to wear. You may order samples from the site here.

Top photo my own. Other photos from www.lejardinretrouve.com. Samples purchased by me.