I've been half afraid to seriously investigate the state of citrus these days. Have the new IFRA regulations destroyed my summer favorites, like Eau de Guerlain and Chanel Cristalle? If it turns out that they have — or will before they're through — Annick Goutal's new woody citrus, Ninféo Mio, will help to make up my new summer arsenal.
Like Annick Goutal's last major fragrance release, Un Matin d'Orage, Ninféo Mio was inspired by a garden — in this case, a very specific garden, the Giardino di Ninfa (Ninfa garden) near Rome. The first thing you need to know about Ninféo Mio is that it's green. Very green, from the start right through to the finish. The opening is sharp green citrus, rather acidic, and more dry than juicy — think Hermès Eau d'Orange Verte with more lemon than orange. There's a fair amount of lavender in the early stages, and it adds an herbal cast to the scent, but it isn't harsh or overwhelming; those of you who say lavender is a deal-breaker really ought to give this a shot anyway (the notes: bergamot, citron, petitgrain, bitter orange, galbanum, lentisque, lavender, fig leaf and lemon tree wood). The dry down is wonderfully leafy-green and woody, and still quite citrus-y, with a whisper of pale florals and a sheer milky fig. It's slightly fruity, ever-so-slightly nutty, and later, warmer, earthier and a bit darker, with touches of dry hay.
It's been nasty cold here for the past week, and Ninféo Mio (does anyone else besides me detest the name?) is just what the doctor ordered; it smells like the very best part of summer: fresh, green, alive. It has just enough bite1 in the dry down to keep things interesting, so that unlike the multitude of fresh green scents we've seen over the past year, it never for a moment reminds me of dryer sheet, or any other sort of functional product. It isn't nearly as clean as Matin d'Orage (which I never did fall in love with), and it isn't like any other fragrance I own.2 The lasting power is quite good. Highly recommended, and going on my buy list.
Oh, and March liked it too! Do go and read what she has to say at Perfume Posse.
Annick Goutal Ninféo Mio was developed by perfumer Isabelle Doyen. It smells like a unisex, and is being marketed as such; as always with Annick Goutal unisex fragrances, you can pick whether you want the girl bottle (ribbed) or the boy bottle (square) but you'll get the same juice either way. It is due to launch in February, and will be available in 50 (ribbed) or 100 (ribbed or square) ml Eau de Toilette.
1. March notes something like "a faint but definite urinous note on my skin after the top notes fade, boxwoody would be the more delicate term, that bothers me not one bit, it fits in with the herbaceous-woody aspect of the scent", and cautions not to buy it unsniffed if that worries you. Of course, you ought never to buy unsniffed, right? But I will say that while urinous isn't exactly how I'd describe it, I know just what she means. I wouldn't call Ninféo Mio skanky, but it is most definitely not clean.
2. The two fragrances I initially thought to try next to Ninféo Mio were Hermès Un Jardin en Méditerranée and Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Fico de Amalfi. Both of those I would describe as fig fragrances with woody citrus, whereas Ninféo Mio I would describe as a woody citrus with fig, in case that makes any sense to anybody.
It makes complete sense to me, and since I’d like a little less fig with my woody citrus, this is a definite must try! Also that you say it is unlike anything else in your collection. So the state of citrus (at least in this frag) is alright post-IFRA?
I don’t know if it is ok…there is a certain kind of light, sparkling citrus (again, like Cristalle, Eau de Guerlain, and many others) that I understand might disappear. We’ll have to wait and see…NM is a very different sort of scent.
Dang, it’s the light, sparkling citrus frags that I like the most. I’ve kept my Cristalle edt on my shelf; I may have to move it to archival-type storage!
Do bear in mind that as usual, I don’t know what I’m talking about…just repeating scurrilous rumors.
I have my fingers crossed that the perfumers will be able to recreate the sparkling topnotes with approved aromachemicals. Do you know what the proposed bans are? The rumor that I heard was that citrus oils would be banned as allergins, but since Cristalle, Guerlain Imperiale, Hadrien et al have a radiance that I’ve never encountered in a natural essential oil, I assumed their beauty was already enhanced by isolated aromachemicals. But my knowledge of essential oils is limited to what’s available at Whole Foods – I’m sure perfumers have access to all kids of stuff I’ve never encountered.
I know zilch…just that for the past year, citrus is often a) green and b) flat. In some scents, flat is ok — in fact, Ninfeo Mio doesn’t really “sparkle” (no idea if anyone but me knows what I mean by that — but in others, it isn’t.
this is a must try!!! but at the moment i need ambre fetiche and myrrhe ardente to weather the cold…ninfeo mio…later
Makes sense!
I detest the name too. It doesn’t sound quite right in Italian (I’m Italian).
Definitely a must-try for me, since I live near the Ninfa garden and it’s a wonderful place. I should revisit it in Spring when it re-opens.
It sounds like a wonderful place, and March linked to some lovely pictures.
Oh,this is going on my need-to-smell-list! I hope it is good on my skin, since only one AG frag is nice on my skin.
I love green scents in winter.
Good luck!
Thanks for the review Robin! I love both Fico di Almalfi and Un Jardin en Méditerranée, so this is definitely on my need-to-smell list as well!
Worth a try, although it isn’t as figgy as either of those…
Thanks for a wonderful review Robin! I’m happy not to be alone in being “not taken” with Un Matin D’Orage which I found all too well-behaved
How would you rate Ninfeo Mio compared to AP’s Premier Figuier Extreme? I’ve been toying with the idea of buying PFE for some time but everytime something stopped me. Thanks!
I really wanted to like Un Matin D’Orage too, but it just didn’t want to stand up and be noticed. i wore through 5 samples plus a body creme sample and it was just do tame. Nice, but nothing to make me or boyfriend go “OOO!”
Ditto. It was just too clean for me.
Absolutely agree. When wearing a new fragrance around your boyfriend, something should stand up and be noticed
Snicker!
SNORG!
It isn’t nearly as figgy as the AP, and much greener, more lemony.
That’s not half bad. I thought (don’t kill me now) that the drydown of Premier Figuier Extreme was similar to that of Tom Ford’s Azuree Soleil which is why I wanted PFE.
Could I layer Ninfeo Mio with something coconutty for the same effect?
I suppose, but if you wanted a green fig just to layer, I think you could do as well with something like cheaper like Pacifica Mediterranean Fig. As I said above, to me the AG is not as figgy as some others.
That’s a plus in my book. I’m finding that I really, really dislike fig leaf, although I love boxwood.
I don’t know why it is, but citrus and citrus-woody scents are just not my bag. I rather liked Jardin sur le Nil, but really did not wear it much and just gave away my mini bottle.
Have a feeling you will not love this then.
I do love that AG PFE — I wear it much more frequently than I thought I would — even in winter. I find it warmer & cheerier than a green fig frag.
I hope this shows up more quickly than the Mandragore Pourpre has (still haven’t seen that one, though I’m not willing to go downtown for NM and am waiting for it to hit Nordie’s). I think green may be my favorite category, and I love Fico, UJEM, MetB #3, and TokyoMilk’s Ex Libris. “Urinous” does give me pause, though!
hey, that’s boxwoody…..
(which is, of course, kind of urinous) be kind to my delicate sensibilities…
Boxwood is funny. It doesn’t conjure up urine-soaked diapers or cat pee for me. Maybe a little dog pee, but I perceive that more as a sharper side of the green notes rather than urine.
Now camomile, that smells like cat pee to me. . . .
Help a clueless gal out: what sort of wood *is* boxwood? Native to the Americas? Or could it be something I do know, but incognito under, another name?
)
“Urinous wood” tickles my imagination (no innuendo here, Nile Goddess
And please ignore, random, placing of, commas.
I fully support the excessive use of commas! I put them everywhere!
except, apparently in this sentence….. oh, please feel free to use some of my ellipses as well…..they’re even better than commas!
Zeezee – boxwood is an evergreen shrub, usually used for hedges. Native to about everywhere EXCEPT N. America! But does okay in the South. As mentioned already, the bushes have a distinct cat pee smell.
The MP seems to be at Saks & Bergdorfs so far…and agree, hope this one does not take so long.
Oops, then I’m extra glad I didn’t brave downtown, if it isn’t at NM yet either!
Just checked the NM website, and there it is….my mistake, sorry!!
Boo (my evil scent twin) – I thought of you the whole time I was reading the review – it sounded right up your alley. Mine – not so much….thankfully!
Thanks for the review Robin!
I’ve been trying to decide what “figgy” scent to buy lately,and since they have discontinued the J.s.l.M.(here in Edinburgh),the choices are very limited,only the Philosykos(I already own that one) or the Fico di Amalfi so this comes at a very good time indeed…
I need to try both Figuier by L’.A.P. so I can decide then.
Sure enough it makes sense to me ;that is exactly what I was trying to explain to a friend of mine when comparing the Diptyque and the Hermes’s scents (not that I managed to explain it that well ,lol).
Anyway after all this snow,…Want to see Green again!Lorena.
This, to me, has fig but is not primarily a fig scent, so not sure it replaces any of my favorite figs. It’s really more about green + citrus to me.
Thanks again!
Well,in any case there aren’t enough wonderful green-citrus to have,are there?xLo.
Would it make it sound any prettier to you if you knew that “ninfa” was Italian for “nymph”, and that “giardino di ninfa” mean “nymph’s garden”?
Tastes vary, but I think the name is pretty. Not a fan of fig scents, though, so I will likely give this one a pass (although I do love lavender).
Ha! I was thinking : ” hmmm, I like the sound of sheer milky fig….but I don’t know about that lavender!”
See, I’m not a big fig fan, but since it’s a sheer, milky fig, I thought that I might like it, until we got to the possibility of cat pee smell.
Depends on the lavender. I’ve noticed it can go two ways: shaving foamy/medicinal, as in most frags, or herbal, as in AT’s Reverie au Jardin. Dislike the former, really like the latter.
And that depends entirely on the quality of the lavender used. The shaving cream variety is usually lavendin (much cheaper), while the pretty floral type is more likely French. The really beautiful stuff is high grown as well.
Oh, thanks! I love all the things I end up learning here.
Too bad they don’t tell you in the note list which type you’re getting, though. Heehee!
No! And actually, Giardino di Ninfa sounds lovely. Ninfeo Mio does not. Might be because I think of feo as ugly, from the Spanish, but more than that I think it just doesn’t sound nice.
I speak Italian, I agree with Patrizia and Robin: Ninféo mio is nonsense, ninfea is a water-lily and ninfa a nymph… Ninfeo could be a fantasy name for a boy – and awakes expectations, combined with the adjective “mio” , to make that one very effeminate toy-boy
so I would NEVER call a boy that, I do however want to try this perfume , veeery soon
I suppose they were after both associations, water lily & nymph.
That would make sense since the bottles are well-positioned on a wall-to-wall carpet of water lilies in the photo!
Robin: Funny, I was going to mention that I thought part of my aversion to the name was some barely-conscious connection to the Spanish “feo.” Obviously I’m not the only one.
Reminds me of those articles that talk about global marketing gaffes (though this AG isn’t really that bad): http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/top-20-global-marketing-communications-mistakes-1234051.html
But in the end, we’ll buy it if we like it no matter what it’s called, LOL…
Robin, I completely agree with you. I am of Italian descent and know a little something about the language and I think
“Giardino di Ninfeo” has a better lilt to it than “Ninfeo Mio”. Perhaps the French houses should just use French names for their fragrances and the Italian houses should just use Italian names. Something must get “lost in translation”.
I am glad you found this. Looks like a must try.
And the bottle color is perfect to boot.
What’s the lasting power like?
Very good. Blows away the original Mandragore EdT, if that helps.
I love your description of the drydown, it’s better than mine! I think “Ninfa” would be a great name for it, but they didn’t ask me, did they? And I’m pleased to see you agree that the fragrance doesn’t immediately call to mind something else, although I don’t have Mediterranee…
If they would have called it Ninfa, I would have expected it to smell like Mexican food – but that’s probably just a Houston thing because of Ninfa’s restaurant.
I was all ready to buy unsniffed (bad, Cynthia, bad, bad, bad) and then we got to the possibility of urinous odors – since the dread cat pee accord has ruined many a fragrance for me, I shall now have to wait and track down a tester first.
I don’t know exactly what I’d say instead of urinous. It has a bit of dry hay/coumarin in the base, and you know how that has a kind of barnyard smell? And perhaps there is something about the mastic that adds to that — it is not a note I know well. But whatever it is, it isn’t overwhelming to me.
Hmm… I’ll definitely give it a sniff and hope that it’s more barnyard than cat pee. Apparently, I don’t have a problem with barnyard since I can’t even smell the alleged dirty-diaper accord in Jicky.
and yet the dirty-diaper, bad breathey thing is ALL I get from Jicky!
I just can’t wait to get my mitts on that Roja Dove!
Now I know why you sent me that Jicky sample…
Me?….very possible, I did have samples to give…..hahahahaa no no no, there was no subversive evil message, no “poopy-doo to you!” ….but so many people LOVE the stuff….just not me…I decanted 200ml of the stuff….practically gagging the entire time.
Kidding! But you know me and lavender… I have put it away somewhere safe so I don’t accidentally break it or something.
I still can’t believe that you hosted that Jicky split when you hate it so – although I’m grateful that you did!
Ha, and I was thinking *your* description was better.
I think you find this figgier than I do?
Clearly/definitely? Fruitier overall (seriously, that mango note!) although certainly not “fruity” by the standards of everything else out today. In fact, on my sleeve I’ve even got that milky/buttered popcorn note I can get with fig.
Yeah, any mango went right over my head. As does any popcorn thing in fig! My nose is not that sensitive.
This sounds great. I like Jardin en Mediterranee a lot but find it a bit too sweet and fruity, so more wood and citrus should be perfect. The bottles are really pretty as well, that blueish color alone makes me swoon.
Really, sweet and fruity? I just get hamster cage cedar after the first 10 minutes (though those 10 are amazing). I’m still tempted to look for a mini and just spray it on clothing….
If you love the top notes then spraying it on clothing is a smart idea, and definitely worth a mini I’d say! I can’t make up my mind about it so I keep returning to smell it in the store, but it’s never as dry as I’d like it to be. I’d love some hamster cage to fix that up
But cedar often turns sweet on me, I think. I’ll probably end up with a mini or decant some day anyhow, since I can’t really let it go.
I would have given it up after the first try, since it turns straight cedar on me. However, I accidentally spritzed some on my leather watch strap when I tried it, and there, it continued to smell fabulous for a week.
oh, it sounds lovely, the smell of a warm leather band underneath those crispy (fruity!) leaves…
boojum: Funny, I don’t get that hamster cage thing from Jardin en Med, but totally get whiffs of it from Feminite du Bois. It’s disconcerting when one associates cedar with hamster cage!
Joe: I actually LOVE a good cedar note, just not as a soli…wood? And it’s odd, because other scents that seem very similar to me retain their complexity and don’t burn down to pure cedar (Fico, MetB #3, TM Ex Libris).
That TM Ex Libris is really great. I don’t remember cedar, but it definitely got me with figgy goodness. I should pick up a bottle for a good cheap thrill.
I plan to do the same, once late spring/summer rolls around.
Or…today, after realizing I had a coupon expiring this month. Can’t fight the coupon!
hamster cage, ROFL!!
This is much less “lush/fruity” to me, and yes, the sea glass color is wonderful.
Thanks Robin! Majority of citrus and green fragrances usually leave me cold but I like fig and lavender so I’m going to ask for a sample of this once it”s in the shops. I liked Fico di Amalfi on paper but it doesn’t work on my skin.
I’m with you on the name, I think it’s a bit silly. It also bugs me that the girl bottles are more expensive than the boy bottles. Typical, eh :p
Well, the girl bottles are available in the 50ml and the boy bottles aren’t – if I’m reading correctly. Fortunately for me, I don’t really like the girl bottles as much as the boy bottles. It’s nice that the same juice comes in both, so you can pick the bottle that you like.
Oh, I know! And I realise that a fancy ribbed bottle with a big ole cap is going to be more complicated to make than a simple square bottle with a simple cap but I think can’t help thinking “Ugh” somehow.
I’d also like a 50ml bottle of Mandragore Pourpre but can’t seem to find them.
Did they do a 50 ml bottle? I had thought it was just 100 ml but I could be wrong.
I suspect they don’t because they are nowhere to be seen, I just hoped that they did because other EDTs clearly do come in 50ml bottles. I wonder what AG’s reasoning might be for not making MP in a smaller size.
I’m guessing it’s because it’s a flanker.
Ah, yes, good point! You are probably right.
Hmm, and see… I would think the flankers *should* come in the smaller size, since presumably you’d already have the original scent.
Boojum, I wholeheartedly agree! But it always seems the opposite.
I did not even know they were more.
Are we sure they are? I remember saying something like this to Bergdorf Tom (the 100 men vs. women) and him politely telling me I was wrong…
They are in UK (and on AG’s website) unfortunately. I think the difference is around 12-13 GBP between 100ml EDT in boy vs girl bottle.
Oh, hooray! I’d had hopes for this one. It does seem to me that Goutal is a company with it’s heart in the right place, as much as that is possible. Which is to say, if they have to IFRuine Eau d’Hadrien they’ll keep selling it, but give us something else to wear just in case we can tell the difference. Good for them.
I know, I know, I’m probably just projecting. But a girl can dream can’t she?
We did the same sort of projection — I assumed they were doing a citrus now because Hadrien & Sud (my favorite) were (or were about to be) ruined. And agree, I just *like* AG.
Thanks for the review of this one, Robin, and yes, I too don’t care for the name. But now, after I’ve tested about all of the AG line and own a good handful of them, I really really respect the fact that AG tends to do her own thing, including unusual names. Even after all these years of being quasi-niche/mass market, AG avoids following all the mass market, market researched blah blah that comes out from even the best lines. I also really respect the high level of “naturalism” in AG fragrances. When I first got into testing the line, I was often confused by the fragrances, not understanding them. And then after retesting them while my nose developed, I really began to notice how AG tends for the most part to maintain a more naturalistic approach to the final outcome- like fresh cut, in the garden, in the dirt, in the woods, realism in the accords of florals, woods, etc, that Doyenne builds – no sugar, sickening musks, or generic soap/shampoo in AG. (I think Grand Amour is the best example of this, btw.) The only fragrance of AG that I think just barely veers into the common “air freshener” category is Quel Amour, but not even so much compared to other lines – it’s just that tricky pomegranate note. And technically I think that Matin d’Orage was a beautiful execution of liquid art – so much like actually being outside in the fresh air, but not so wearable for me. (Though I think if I lived in a smog infested city I would love it…) So…. I will test this strangely named fragrance and hopefully it will work for me. I love adding more AG to my collection, and I love turning to them when I need to feel that realistic connection to nature that AG always attempts to maintain, keeping on with the art of perfumery.
I do think Isabelle Doyen is a brilliant perfumer, and yes, they seem to do their own thing.
Would also agree that Matin d’Orage is technically beautiful. Still, smells like dryer sheet to me.
Lord, I loathed that thing. And of course since it was an AG I’d sprayed it all over myself. I had to shower and change, I may even have dry-cleaned something.
LOL! I can see not loving it, but what on earth did it do to you? (Admittedly, I only spritzed it on a paper strip, got that melony thing and gave up.)
I hate fresh/ozonic/aquatic, which to me smells strangely sour, so I couldn’t have found it more revolting. Also I’d stupidly misread it as Matin d’OraNGE so I was expecting something citrusy//neroli…
*Shrieks*
I think that you just saved me – I totally thought that it was oraNge and was going to seek it out despite others not liking it. What the heck is orage?
to CynthiaW – `Orage` is french for storm – “the Morning after the Storm`, hence the mineral/aquatic notes! These notes generally ruin a scent for me, but this one is so well crafted, I forgive this in the summer heatwave!
I really loved the first half hour of Matin d’Orage. I was disappointed in it after that stage.
Congrats on becomeing a fellow Annick addict! The natural aspect, plus their `follow your own path` train of creative thought, spells scents w/ HEART! And this is a thing of beauty!
Wow, Ann, AG isn’t a line I’ve really investigated but you’ve sold me! Beautifully (and convincingly) said.
Just beware…it’s one of my favorite houses.
LOL! Thanks for the warning.
This sounds good–thank you for the review.
For anyone interested in the possibly soon (or already) to be reformulated, I have had good luck finding citrus and oakmoss redolent Cristalle edt, Rive Gauche, Eau de Guerlain, etc. in duty free shops. Sniff first!
Oh thanks!
This sounds lovely, although I can’t imagine wanting to wear something this green in the cool weather we have now. But that’s just me (oriental whore, that I am).
Would you compare it at all to Green, green, green and Green by Miller et Bertaux?
The NF is deeper, darker & woodier, more petitgrain, than GGGG, and smells richer. Stays lemony longer. The GGGG is grassier, fresher. Both great scents.
How does this compare to AG’s Camille (another lovely green)?
Camille is cleaner, more floral, better behaved…
Since we are word-playing, as a dedicated Annick aficianado ( or Annick freak!), I buy any of their scents unsniffed, and am never sorry! `Matin` is more subtle, but complex, and a bit on the edge, and I even get past the dreaded Calone-esque note, which is my scent nightmare for ingredients! There is a Gorgeous butterfly bottle in Ninfeo, ltd ed of 500 pieces, w/ the garden painted on the frosty bottle w/ antique gold paint – please see the Scented Salamander for a pic! ( this is coming home to my room, no ??s asked! must buy tiny price-tagged items the following month – !
) $300; you can knock $25 off at a gift card event.
Then you are definitely buying it unsniffed? Good luck!
While I don’t know if this is quite the scent I’d wear, I’m delighted to see that it’s unusual and a well done unusual at that. Sampling wouldn’t hurt though, and I do enjoy fig and citrus. Lavender not so much, but I’m sure like all the other AGs I’ve tried, the notes work well together and it’s a lovely and fresh perfume.
Might as well try it!
What a nice review Robin – this just became a must try for me! The mention of something similar to boxwood interests me. A few years ago, we planted some English Boxwoods around our patio [my husband & I both like their smell, sort of a nostalgic thing]. Anyway, the landscaper kept trying to talk me out of them & plant a non-scented variety instead, as ‘most people think English Boxwoods smell like cat pee’. I had to insist that I LIKE their smell and that was part of the reason to want them planted there – and you could tell he thought I was weird. haha But, back to the fragrance – I could really go for something like this to shake me out the Winter doldrums – I’ve got ’em, big time.
Oh, so do I — and I’ve got ’em earlier than usual, I mean, it’s barely mid-January.
See if you were a basketball fan, you’d be lamenting that the season was already half over!
LOL! Yeah, I’m not that.
I totally agree! This is my FAVORITE time of year due to College BB, among other things. Of course, I live in one of the few areas of the country where (although it’s been quite cold) has not seen more than a mere dusting of snow, so I’ve not been bogged down the way some people have been.
MJR17 – who do you root for? Me? I bleed blue – Ky. Wildcat blue. But really love all of it EXCEPT Duke!
Oh dear, well I’m afraid you may not like me very much as I am fan of the Blue Devils : (
In my defense, it happened by default – I never followed basketball (never watched it all, really) before I began working on my Ph.D. at good ol’ Duke. I understand Duke has a lot of haters but after teaching a couple of the players over past few years, it’s hard not to root for the home team, you know? And I suppose I also admire what Coach K does.
But we can still be perfume friends, right?
LOL! Of all of the colleges and universities …. After I typed that and hit submit, I thought, hmm…. maybe I shouldn’t have said that. But then I thought, nah, what are the odds? Christian Laetner is quoted in an interview as saying that he never stops to even go to the bathroom when he travels through Ky. LOL! Great rivalry, all in good fun.
Rapple, you’d think he’d take every chance he could get to urinate on KY!
Haha!!
He already did that in the final seconds of the 1992 game! We’ve NEVER forgiven him or Duke. AND – THE shot is continuously shown on television, even all of these years later! No, he definitely should be afraid to get out of his car here!
I can’t go for green/citrus this time of year at all, as much as I like the idea. The best I can do is something w/coconut, reminiscent of the sunscreen I’d use at the tanning booth…closest I’ve ever come to a warm-weather getaway.
I’m not too “blah” yet, but then, I always swear that February (in spite of what the calendar says) is the longest month of the year.
Now that’s funny – cause I can do green, but not coconutty this time of year. Green scents can sort of lull me into a state of thinking Spring is right around the corner.
Living in MN, I can’t be fooled…that “corner” is still 3 months away.
I love boxwood smell too.
Glad this whole boxwood discussion has happened. There is someone who lives near me–nice house, seemingly nice people–and their house always smells like cat pee to me. I kept insisting to my partner that they must be making meth. Now I’m thinking they must have boxwood planted around their house. I don’t garden, so I know nothing of plants–is it a hedge plant? Wow. Well, I’m glad I never tried to turn them in for manufacturing or anything. I’m already not so popular in the neighborhood.
I hate the smell of boxwood too.. so I am hoping that this will be a very minor note in this fragrance! There were very large, very old boxwood shurbs outside my college dorm back in the day, and it just drove me nuts!
Miss Kitty – You ALWAYS make me laugh! Thank you!! Yes, boxwood is an evergreen hedge, smaller leaves than privet.
But do bear in mind that most boxwood you see in the US is not real English boxwood and does not have that smell!
They could have mildew on the house – I think that mildew smells like cat pee, too. I once tore my house apart and cleaned every carpet and upholstered item in the house, only to find that it was my husband’s mildewed yard shoes that smelled like cat pee.
I also like the smell of boxwood due to nostalgia. My grandparents (who are no longer living) kept neatly trimmed hedges of boxwood around their front porch where I used to play for hours on their porch swing.
I really want to fall in love with an AG fragrance. I had high hopes for both Mandragore and Mandragore Poupre. I liked both but it wasn’t love. This one sounds gorgeous, maybe this will be it?
Maybe!
Wow, you loved it! I’ve really been looking forward to this one. Now it’s a must-try! I like how you call them the “girl bottle” and the “boy bottle.” I kind of like AG’s boy bottles better.
I definitely liked the Mandragore boy bottle best. This one I can’t decide…the girl bottle in that green is mighty cute.
Well hey, I love and own Jardin en Med, Fico dA, and Orange Verte, so I’ll definitely want to give this a try. I feel for you with those sub-zero temps lately — I got out of the Northeast just in time. I could see a green, lemony thing being just perfect to help cope. Oh, and I’m not wild about the name; just plain “Ninfeo” would have been better somehow.
And I *still* haven’t tried Matin d’Orage. So much product out there!
You sure did get out just in time. Don’t rub it in!
And agree — just Ninfeo would have been much better.
The thaw is coming! We had that subzero nastiness last week… we’re in the 20s today, and 30s most of the rest of the week, I’ve heard. I think you’re just 2 days behind me typically.
and I’m a day behind you—-so that is good news….now tell it to the snow storm I’ve had all night and today….I am so hiding inside! brrrr
Oh dear. That missed us, somehow; must have changed passing over the Lake.
I’ll say! it changed into 6″ of white stuff in my driveway! This particular storm seems to be doing a number on the roads. Very slippery around here. Took the CEO 2 hours to get to work this morning.
Yuck. We had one like that last week.
20s & 30s does not appease me.
It appeases me after below zero and single digits! Feels like a heat wave.
Rapple: exactly.
Joe, I smelled the d’Orage on paper last week – it was not my style and I had no desire to put it on my skin. I was kind of hoping it would be my “fresh” scent. Maybe I’ll smell it in the summer. This new one sounds nice, though.
I love citrus and lavender and am encouraged by the great list of notes. Can’t wait to give it a try and hope it is available soon in the UK. I don’t have a great rapport with all of AG’s fragrances but have loved Eau D’Hadrien for many years. as one of my summer staples.
As it is for many people….hope it will fare well under the new citrus regs.
Loved reading your review Robin, but I’m starting to figure out that we have pretty different tastes in perfume. That can be good though in figuring out whether to try something or not. You kind of lost me at “sharp”, “acidic” and “boxwood”. Although I love petitgrain and galbanum – I’m enjoying both today in some old Vol de Nuit parfum.
It’s always good to have an evil scent twin!
Loved everything about how you made this sound…..you had me til ‘urinous’. Of course, I’ll try it anyway, but at least I won’t jump to purchase a sample
Do try it…and the urinous comment was March, not me!
We don’t have any boxwood, but I always get a big hit of cat pee from our pachysandra … and it’s the real stinky un-neutered tomcat pee stink-ola. Though it could be from one of the many other forms of wildlife traipsing through the yard. Last night something clunked in the woods behind our house that sounded exactly like a deer falling out of a tree. All of this has nothing to do with Ninfeo Mio, which I want to sniff! Love the color of the juice. Drat, I was just at Saks last week and could have seen if they had it yet ,….
So far as I know, it is not for sale in the US yet.
I cannot wait to test this. I love AG and Isabelle and Camille. Their fragrances are tops!
Hugs!
They really do a top notch job. Wonder if they’re going to do more Orientalistes, or if that is done?
Just the fact that this new AG has inspired so much chat here and on Perfume Posse makes me want to sniff it and get a piece of the action. (And for the record, I really kinda dug Un Matin d’Orage. Even though it wasn’t my style, exactly. So if this has more fans, I’m even more excited.)
Of course, the fact that Robin has it on her buy list has me standing in line right behind her. (OTOH, R, I wonder what Luca thinks? You know I’m torn between the two of you.
)
To soon to say if this will have fans though! And we’ll probably have to wait a good long time to see what LT thinks, assuming we ever find out.
Well I love citrusy/green/light fig (lots of fig = yuck to me)/boxwood/and lavender, so I cannot wait to try this when I’m at Saks next month. Thanks for the awesome review and follow-up details, Robin. I agree about the textured girly bottle being reminiscent of sea glass, all rough and tumbled that is.
Sounds like it might be perfect for you! But March finds the fig heavier than I do, so YMMV.
I quite like the name Ninfeo Mio, its different! I’d love to smell this. Could be a good addition to the wardrobe.
Good, glad someone likes it!
Oh me oh my, I can’t wait to sniff this one! Nice review. AG is one of my favorite houses and I think they’ve really kicked it into high gear the last few years. The Orientalistes were wonderful, and I swooned over Matin d’Orage (gardenia lover that I am- with that electric-y thunderstorm note, amazing!). My local Nordstrom and NM are way behind, they don’t even have Mandragore Poupre yet (which I am still anxious to sample as I love Mandragore) so I hope they have NM soon!
I think this will be a much bigger launch than MP, so would expect it will get wider distribution, & quicker.
Cristalle Lite – the horrifying story
I bought a new bottle of Cristalle with my mum’s Christmas money and decided to open it before finishing the old bottle, for comparison purposes.
It was a crushing disappointment: the citrus top notes are just not there. It’s as if it’s three hours after applying it, not three seconds. There’s also some silly watery lily note, which was much more obvious in the silly Green Cristalle.
Fortunately, all was not lost. Holt Renfrew’s selling off Carthusia perfume at cut-rate prices, and I bought a bottle of Mediterraneo, which, layered with Cristalle Lite, makes for a reasonable reproduction of the Real Cristalle.
That will be my last (new, anyway) bottle of Cristalle, though…
Oh dear, what a shame. Mediterraneo is another one I’m worried about — it’s another favorite of mine.
r hermes changing mediterraneos formula?
I was talking about Carthusia Mediterraneo…and I don’t know if that is being reformulated or not.
Sounds wonderful. I love green, and I fear the demise of citrus, which is so very sad, as it’s all I wear in the searing summer heat. What will i wear in the pizza oven if not citrus?
Exactly. But I don’t think citrus will go away, just that it will be different.
Oh dear. Coming late to this post, and totally forgetting the fact that I planned on purchasing some of my faves before the scented horror show of the EU in 2010. Never mind that I couldn’t have afforded it. Sigh. Anyway, this sounds very nice to me, a must-try. Sorry I missed the giveaway (but I never win anything ; ) !
Well, do give the Ninfeo Mio a try!
Sadly, after about 5 minutes, this smells like armpit with a hint of citrus. Doesn’t work for me. I was so looking forward to this…
Oh, too too bad! There are so many other greens out this year I’m sure you’ll find one to replace this…
bit late for this, but I’m not always in a hurry to try novelties… hasn’t anybody else noticed the extremely coconutty drydown? (that’s a no go for me, it also happens with FM’s carnal flower, maybe a common component?)
I wonder sometimes if I have an anosmia to coconut…many people always smell coconut in fig scents, I rarely do.
Yes! I just tried this. It smells lovely and so, so green at first and then…coconut. Coconut with a bit of fig, but mostly coconut.
This sounded very good for me so I bought a little portion of it.
I’m wearing it for the second time today. I want to try it many more times but the beginning really smells like old tangerines, which isn’t bad. I just don’t smell like I’m wearing perfume. It smells very natural…
Are you liking it on later tries??
At last tried this, and had been looking forward to it immensely , but alas not for me. Tried twice as could not believe how quickly the green aspect turned on me. Never happened before!
Critical curve ran from fresh citrus to undergrowth to dog enclosure within 15 minutes. Eeek. I still love Hadrien but the rest of AG does not love me.
Dog enclosure, oh dear! Stick with Hadrien
A beautyful scent on paper, but not on my skin. I like the first few minutes, but then it turns into something horrible on my skin. I stick with Eau de Charlotte.
Sorry I missed your comment months ago! And of course sorry it does not work for you, but Charlotte is lovely.
Something about this scent was very attractive to me. On my skin, however, it quickly became unbearable. I smell lemongrass, coconut… almost like a thai green curry. It is above average in durability. I can’t seem to wash it off me?! =(
Oh, that’s always the way: if you hate it, it lasts forever + a few hours more.
I pined for this fragrance ever since it came out – it sounds brilliant on paper. It took forever for the local boutique to carry it and I was surprised they had it in just yesterday and gosh, did it smell HORRIBLE ON ME! I just found the citrus harsh, and not sparkling. I found the combination of the lemon wood with the fig to be too much on me. The drydown on me is fig, but it’s a dark (not in a good way) fig. I’d stick to Philosykos for figs. Good thing I didn’t buy it unsniffed.
Never buy unsniffed! Sorry you hated it.
Lost comment, reposting for sweetgrass:
I’ve been wearing my sample, and while I like Ninfeo Mio, I’ve been trying to pin down what it is that has been bugging me about it. I think it’s that the citrus seems overly sweet to me. It’s like lemon candy instead of lemons. I think it’s my skin, though..when I smell it from the sample vial it doesn’t come off like that at all. I get citrus, sure, but it’s lighter and more green, which I much prefer to lemon drops. I like everything else, though. I got a little of the mango note March mentioned, and I get the cedar and a bit of fig. And the boxwood isn’t too bad for me. I don’t really get a cat pee note, just a slight, fleeting mustiness that appears every once in a while.
I really liked Eau d’Hadrien on a card, but I haven’t tried it actually on me.. I fear it might be a big ol’ lemon-drop-fest if this is any indication.
Bought this unsniffed and thankfully LOVE it!