Mainstream Monday – Sniffing a Popular Perfume
Years ago, Hermès Sur le Nil was a popular “plot line” in Chandler Burr’s “The Perfect Scent: A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris and New York“. If you like perfume or are curious about this industry, I recommend reading this book. In this book, we really get to experience and go through the entire process that brought this perfume to market. We also get to experience the process of what it took to bring Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely to market. I think it’s interesting to note in 2018 which one I can buy if I were to walk into a mall right now…
Sur le Nil was a perfume that I have always enjoyed (enough to buy a bottle of) despite it being unlike other perfumes that I tend to wear. The opening of Sur le Nil is tart, bitter and green. At the same time, it’s fruity. So, as promised, it’s green mangoes! In addition, I get a bitter, sulfuric grapefruit and tomato leaves. It’s this bitter, green opening that draws me into this fragrance. It’s the reason why I had to have a bottle for myself. As it wears, it’s an abstract fragrance of bitter greens and unidentifiable florals that feels very Ellena-esque (which means it is also going to feel very Hermès-ish). The dry-down of Sur le Nil is like a green, powdery iris with musk. It smells crisp and transparent. It’s an unusual parallel to make, but I have always thought if prasiolite (a pale green quartz) had a smell, it’d smell like Sur le Nil.
Notes listed include green mango, lotus, incense, calamus and sycamore wood. Launched in 2005. PERFUMER – Jean-Claude Ellena
Give Sur le Nil a try if you like citrus-florals. Or perfumes like Bvlgari Mon Jasmin Noir L’Eau, Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit, Diptyque Geranium Odorata and/or Chanel 28 La Pausa.
Projection and longevity are average. However, I can see how someone that is used to “heavy hitters” would find this one lighter than average.
Un Jardin Sur le Nil comes in a few sizes with the 1.6 oz retailing for $100 at Sephora and Nordstrom. It can occasionally be found at discounters like Beauty Encounter or Perfume.com.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Green, citrus floral that dazzles like a gemstone. For many years now, this has been one of my regular summer go-to perfumes.
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*Bottle purchased by me. Product pic from Fragrantica. Farrah Fawcett pic from moviestore.com. Post contains affiliate links. Thanks!
Original article: Hermes Un Jardin Sur le Nil Perfume Review
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