Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.
Victoire Gobin-Daudé launched her own line in 2002, which is comprised of five scents: Biche Dans L’Absinthe, Jardins Ottomans, Sève Exquise, Sous Le Buis, and Nuit au Désert. Appropriately named, Jardins Ottomans is a Mediterranean garden in the morning when the sun begins to warm up the earth, yet the remnants of morning mist still persist in the dark corners of the garden. The opening notes are of refreshing and effervescent petitgrain and bitter lemon peel. As sun rays dispel the fog, patchouli warms up the champagne like top notes lending its unique dry-wet quality. A pleasant sweetness blooms under the undulating patchouli note and grows in volume while citrus facet deepens and assumes a flowery quality. The overall effect is a lacy orange blossom with a sweet citrus twist veiled by patchouli richness.
Photo: Narenjestan-é qavam, or qavam Orangery, 19th century house with an orangery, Shiraz, Iran.
Update: The line has been discontinued.
6 Comments
parislondres: Darling V! Thanks for the review and I do adore this perfume now – it is truly quite an unique perfume. When this perfume was launched, I did not see the beauty and all the excitment around her perfumes. I now hope V G-D gets the fragrance line going with new investors. She is another great perfumer of our times. July 30, 2005 at 11:56am
Laura: V, now I want try this, too. Gosh. I need to stop reading your blog and Robin’s. Or maybe not. ;D July 31, 2005 at 1:28pm
Victoria: Dear N, I remembered that you liked this fragrance. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the line expands soon and will be launched wider in the States. There are some very interesting creations in it.
Dear L, please do not stop reading 🙂 Comments are a major part of fun in this undertaking!
xoxo July 31, 2005 at 11:57pm
mreenymo: V, I love her fragrances, especially Sous le Buis, but they are virtually impossible to find stateside! I think the distributor went missing or became terribly difficult to contact or something, but there you have it. I need to hold on tight to every precious drop I have left! 🙁
Hugging you! August 1, 2005 at 12:31pm
Victoria: R, the last time I saw these fragrances was on the discount table in Takashimaya, NYC, for $19, which means that the line is not going to sold there anymore. I hope it will change at some point. Nevertheless, ordering from either first-in-fragrance or Browns Fashion is better, because you actually pay a much more reasonable European price than a ridiculous US markup.
xoxo to you too! August 1, 2005 at 12:43pm
Sands: I’m a bit late to this review! Beautifully put. This is perhaps the line of perfumes I miss most since their discontinuation. Wonderful that your review revives the fragrance for me…Thank you (8 years later:). November 9, 2013 at 5:14pm