Hermes Un Jardin Apres La Mousson: A Review

Given my penchant for hording full collections, I purchased a bottle of Apres La Mousson, mostly to have all three fragrances in the Hermes Un Jardin collection. I’ve read many reviews, mostly from mediocre to bad, including the scathing review from Chandler Burr, and upon finally sniffing Mousson, I find myself perplexed.

Mostly what I’ve read about La Mousson is that is smells like melon – cantaloupe, watermelon, green melon – and a watery aquatic accord. Today I wore La Mousson and even with the idea of melon firmly cemented in my mind, I don’t find the scent overwhelmingly melony. If I smell my wrist, and visualize cantaloupes, I do find a slight melony note, but this is quite forced and with all the weight that pre-conceived notions carry. Yes, the melony aroma is here, but it’s slight, and it’s definitely not a melon focused fragrance to my nose.

What I do smell in La Mousson is a peppery, gingery, vetiver aroma atop a watery herbaceous base. Oddly, I expected to dislike La Mousson and I find myself liking it. Of the three fragrances in the Un Jardin series, La Mousson smells the most complex and interesting. I happen to love the scent of pepper, ginger, cardamom and vetiver and La Mousson seems to be a fragrance based on these notes more than anything else. I can see how this would be an especially refreshing fragrance for the summer heat and it’s much more unique that the usual citrusy-light-green-floral fare.

Perhaps it’s my skin chemistry which doesn’t make the melony note dominate but I find La Mousson to be an interesting alternative for someone looking for a sheer, aquatic yet spicy, vetiver fragrance for warm weather. La Mousson is delicate, yet feisty – I like it.

Notes: cardamom, coriander, pepper, Kahili ginger, ginger, vetiver accord.

Longevity: average 3-4 hours
Sillage: soft
Rating: 3.75 Stars ;-)