A bit of background: The sixth in the Hermès Jardin series, and the first from perfumer Christine Nagel, who took over as the house perfumer in 2016.
The inspiration: The Jardin series perfumes generally find an inspiration, however manufactured it might be (remember The Perfect Scent: A Year Behind the Scenes of the Perfume Industry in Paris and New York by Chandler Burr?), in some exotic garden someplace else — that is, not in New Jersey (which really does have lovely gardens, but you know what I mean), or your own backyard. Un Jardin sur la Lagune was inspired by a 'secret walled garden' in Venice, built by 'an English Lord', which turns out to be the Giardino Eden, not only a garden at a destination many of us would like to visit (or visit again), but a garden that regular people can't visit at all, since it is not open to the public. Nagel, of course, got her hands on the key, and I'll repeat a blurb I posted earlier in the year:
She was bewitched by its abandoned romance and returned through the seasons, as she told me, delighted by its poetry and its strange, haunting melancholy. In April, for instance, the pittosporum tree was completely covered with yellow and white flowers, smelling like orange blossom or jasmine, whilst in June, as Nagel recalled, “the magnolia smells so delicate, and of course the odor comes from the sky!” She also loved the smell of the trees’ roots, which cover the ground “like the lines on your hands” because they can’t burrow into the salty earth. The fleshy saltwort, the Madonna lilies, and the smell of the salt air were also amongst the smells that the alchemical Nagel...blended together into her fragrance...1
The juice: The notes (so far as we know: Hermès does not like to talk about notes) feature Madonna lily, magnolia, pittosporum, white musks, wood and aquatic notes.
What it smells like: The opening is tantalizing — for a brief time, I am perfectly willing to entertain the romantic vision of wandering through this secret, overgrown garden, near water, on a sunny day. There are slight hints of citrus peel (just enough to remind me that I never did get around to smelling Eau de Citron Noir), of white flowers (although no flower in particular came to my mind, including, sadly, that magnolia), bits of spice, bits of green, perhaps even those bits of bark and dirt. It starts off vague, though, and then goes even softer. Midway through, it smells like petals in water. It's pleasant enough, but rather murky, and for petals in water, I much prefer the equally soft but somehow more compelling Le Jardin de Monsieur Li, because by this point, Lagune is starting to take on a woody amber that will immediately remind many perfumistas of generic man cologne, modern era. This automatic association, I think, is why some have found Lagune more masculine than unisex. Eventually the base drowns out the garden altogether, leaving only the water and the sillage of a man wearing the latest designer cologne from his local mall.
(That same woody amber, though, does give Lagune far more staying power than Monsieur Li can manage.)
My verdict: If you smelled it, do comment and tell me what you thought. For me, it's a big no. It was not a huge disappointment to find that I dislike it, given that there is only one fragrance in this series that I wholeheartedly adore (Un Jardin Sur Le Nil), plus one that I have some degree of warm fuzzies for (Le Jardin de Monsieur Li) and one that I like just fine but did not feel the need to buy (Un Jardin en Méditerranée). But it is one more piece of evidence that I will not be needing to save quite so many pennies for Hermès going forward.
Detractors of Nagel's predecessor, perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, complained that his fragrances smelled like dishwater, or sometimes pond water or the like. Fans, including me, called them "watercolors" or "transparent" or "minimalist", but even a perfumista like myself, who gave the vast majority of my perfume dollars to Hermès, understood the dishwater reference. In that sense, perhaps we have more continuity than we thought, because I saw at least one pond water dig at Lagune. My bigger complaint is that other than her lovely set for the Hermessences, I've found her work (what I've tried, anyway) at Hermès so far rather humdrum.
Victoria at Bois de Jasmin liked Lagune more than I did, and so did Persolaise.
The details: Hermès Un Jardin sur la Lagune is available in 15 (sold in sets of four), 30, 50 and 100 ml Eau de Toilette. Matching shower gel and body lotion can also be found.
1. From at Hamish Bowles Uncovers a Secret Garden in Venice at Vogue. You can find plenty of other media coverage of her visits to Giardino Eden — only Chanel bests Hermès in inspiring breathless media coverage of its perfumers exploits.
I didn’t like it at all. She uses some kind of woody aroma material that I dislike and that drowns out everything else eventually. I didn’t dislike it as much as I did Citron Noir, but it was a resounding no, nonetheless. I think I tried one of her Hermessences Cèdre Sambac which I like a little better than Lagune but not a lot. So far I’ve liked Rhubarbe Ecarlate the best out of her creations for Hermès. I’m way fonder of Elléna’s style and I actually love most of his Jardins, Mousson being my favourite and his Hermessences.
Kevin discouraged me from the Citron Noir, I guess. And I did not like Twilly or Rhubarbe (although both have good top notes), or even Galop. I did like Myrrhe Eglantine and Cedre Sambac, though.
Oh no, please do try Citron Noir. I loved it. I find it fascinating and just can’t stop sniffing myself when I wear it.
Aha! Thanks Koyel, I think that’s the first positive report I’ve heard.
Yes, the synthetic wood note is the kiss of death. Maybe it’s ISO E super? Or ambroxan.
I know it’s not iso e super because I generally love iso e super 🙂
I do not know what it is, I think it is not ambroxan because while I am not a fan, I do not react like this to ambroxan. Iso E maybe because I have issues with some cedar notes.
But I would say it is something else, which is also in Eau du Citron Noir. It smelled very strong, very petrochemical to me. I kept scrubbing my hands!
The drydown of this was surprisingly bad on me, like wet stones but sharper, if that makes sense. Like you said, at least it doesn’t make me want to spend.
Overall I’m a lot more optimistic for Hermes that you are, though – I loved Galop and EdM Bleue, and even though it doesn’t suit me, I thought Twilly was nice. That said, I find the original EdM unsurpassable, and if Hermes doesn’t put out anything of ineterest for years to come, I’m still fine as long as EdM is available.
Just to be clear, I thought both Galop and Twilly were nice, Galop nicer but not as much nicer as its price. I just didn’t need to buy them.
I am not pessimistic, exactly…I bought some of the newer Hermessences and I do like them. I just don’t think Hermes is going to be MOST of my perfume spending anymore.
I think I misunderstood you a bit there, sorry about that! I agree about Galop’s price, I was lucky to find a reasonably priced decant, otherwise I would not have any of it, either.
That’s ok, I just already don’t like Lagune so don’t want to come across as even more gloomy about Hermes than I am — it was long my favorite house and it isn’t that anymore.
I really enjoyed this perfume for the first few hours, then it turned into something I wanted to wash off quickly as I could.
I do love Galop and Cedre Sambac a lot. Twilly was an automatic no for me. As for Myrrhe Eglantine, I liked it at first, but it turned really ugly on me after a few hours of wearing it.
That’s too bad, because you liked it a couple more hours than I did!
I must say I love Un jardin sur la Lagune. It smells damp and slightly stale just like I remember Venice from a few years ago. I love the fact that it’s not sweet or flowery, not very pretty and very niche in the best sense (quirky and odd). Still I find it wearable. It reminds me of Eau d’Italies Sienne l’Hiver, maybe it’s the wet stone accord?
This is becoming one of my favourite Jardins, together with Mediterranee and Nil!
Oh good, I am always so glad when a fan shows up to comment on something I don’t love.
Sienne L’Hiver is its own little oddity. If Eau d’Italie made 15 ml bottles, I’d own it (along with a few others from the line).
I really miss Jean Claude Ellena. In comparison Christine Nagel seems heavy handed. However, sigh, I suppose anyone would–no matter how talented, which Nagel undeniably is.
He is a hard act to follow, and so I wish I appreciated Nagel’s style more.
Same here!
I loved it on a card, and for the first little while I loved it on skin. The silage is a nice flowery, briny cloud. But the dry down did me in, too. I think another NSTer called it “sour wood,” which sums it up nicely for me. I wanted to like it because I almost liked Twilly. I liked that Twilly’s ginger meant that it didn’t smell like everything else, but I found it slightly irritating to wear. Oh well!
Yes — the top notes are really nice! Sour wood is a good way to put it.
Just sprayed this at Sephora. After a few minutes on my skin, there is something funky lingering underneath the pretty notes. Didn’t come through on a card spray at all. I keep sniffing my arm, pretty sure I’m voting no based on this funky note I’m getting, then I sniff again…
I like Twilly.
Glad Twilly has fans!
I’m a Twilly fan. It’s an easy reach for me. I admit to buying mostly because the 30 ml bottle was so cute. But it is one I reach for when I’m undecided, and I’ve gotten compliments on it.
The 30 ml is adorable, and everyone needs a no-brainer.
I’m a big fan of Hermes – it’s been my favourite house for years, but ever since Nagel arrived I’ve not been thrilled with her creations except for Rhubarbe Ecarlate. That I love. Sur la Lagune starts out as an okay floral but the dry down is similar to that bitter, sour, generic men’s cologne vibe that Citron Noir has. Actually, I would like to see them feature a garden from a continent they haven’t explored yet.
It seems Hermes is being much more strategic with their releases of late, watching what the competition is making, and what the public is buying. I believe this is driving much of what Nagel is creating. The target audiences for their scents seems to be much more specific than it ever was. I don’t think JCE worked that way or even had to. He had much more freedom to do what he wanted. Then again, his career spanned a time when there were far fewer fragrances being created, way less competition, and more opportunity to experiment. I really miss his style. It’s certainly interesting to follow the story of where the house is going whether you like it or not.
You’ve convinced me (again) to skip Citron Noir.
They should do a garden in Latin America.
And I have wondered about that, if Nagel was hired because of her history at Jo Malone and they wanted to move in that direction.
Haha… Yes it really is quite horrid! The fact it’s packaged in a blue bottle hints at who just might be the target market.
Yes! A garden somewhere in Latin America would be amazing. Christine? Are you taking requests?
I think you’re right about the Jo Malone direction. The only scents I wear from that house are two oldies… Nutmeg and Ginger, now discontinued, and Pomegranate Noir. They’ve churned out so many over the past few years I’ve lost interest.
I absolutely agree with you. This is the only jardin I totally dislike. My fav will always be le jardin sur le Nil and I like monsieur li and the Mediterranean. But this is a big no.
Ah, we do line up perfectly on the Jardin series 🙂
I’ll be blunt: I hate it passionately and I can’t understand how it got good reviews from some bloggers whose nose I usually trust. It smelled okay for the first couple of minutes. And when I got home with the blotter half an hour later there was nothing left but a huge smack of those disgusting woody ambers that Christine Nagel seems to enjoy putting in lots of her recent works (Citron Noir, Terre Vetiver). Is she trying to turn Hermès into a house of woody amber? I know some people think she’s a great perfumer with lots of fascinating work (Luca Turin comes to mind). Perhaps she is, but not with these recent disasters she committed.
She made Fendi Theorema, so I will never think she’s a bad perfumer, LOL…
Plus Mille et Une Roses, which was not unusual, but all the same was a simply gorgeous rose.
But many of her perfumes that LT loved, I did not care for so much.
Yes!!! My impression exactly. Once I smell those synthetic notes, I can’t smell much else. And they’re in so much these days.
I didn’t like this one either. The only garden series I liked enough to buy was Nil, and even that one is not a big love. I did really enjoy Cèdre Sambac and Agar Ébène though.
I thought that set of Hermessences was great. Seems like more evidence for Viridiaan’s idea (above) that Hermes wants a new direction for the standard line, as opposed to Nagel not being as good a perfumer as Ellena.
I’ll have to schlep to a store and try this one. I do like other Jardins, very much — I truly love Un Jardin Sur le Nil and Un Jardin Apres la Mousson. I will visit Venice myself for the first time this summer (can’t wait!!), so it will be interesting to see if I perceive a connection.
Yay, Venice is so fun — hope you will have a ball!
I admit to doing just a spritz on card and on arm as I passed through Macy’s, but my initial impression was a No. not an active dislike, just a nope. I’m with you in very much liking Sur le Nil.
If I never smell Citron Noir again, I’ll be happy.
Another point against CN. Somebody must have liked it, but I don’t know who 😉
The first second is ok 😉
All these people against CN are making me feeling like I should try Lagune, despite the review.
Yes, do!
I just tried this today at Sephora. It was very nice at first, but now the back of my hand smells like Savauge. This is the smell that really really iritates my nose. Why do all the new releases dry down to this? Is it a matter of cost? I just don’t see the point of making a intriguing opening and a horrible drydown.
I suspect in this case it is not cost but a nod to consumer preferences? Which ends up the same, right -> let’s make a lot of money 😉
To me this one smells mostly like hot, wet cement. Something mineral. I tried to convince myself that that would be a great scent for a hot summer, mostly because it was on sale and so cute in 30ml. But luckily I didn’t convince myself ?
I love mineral notes — hot wet cement, believe it or not, sounds appealing to me! Maybe so long as it is not wet with murky pond water 😉
The first time I tried it, I thought it was mildly interesting. The beginning was a flower I could not identify, smelling both artificial and real at the same time. I was suprised by the woody amber dry down but did not hate it (because it wasn’t as screechy as Citron Noir). I tried it several times after and later on and grew to dislike it from top to bottom. Something about it just feels lazy and uninspiring.
I can understand that because the top notes are appealing if you don’t know what is coming next!
Tried it a few weeks ago and HATED it. I’m not sure if it’s iso e super or ambroxan but it ruins it for me. Once I smell that synthetic note, it’s all I can smell. And it is in too many perfumes these days. Rant over…..?
Rant away!
I agree on humdrum.
I usually agree on your Hermes reviews. Though I do love Mousson.
Rhubarbe I would not buy but it is memorable for me. Galop I love but the price per ml is sadly out of my self imposed range.
Back to “Lagune” it is too vague. Like some sort of not-so-sugar-water.
But who knows? Maybe that’s what the market is going towards…
I still need to try her Hermessences but I don’t think I’d be able to make it in this short trip… Maybe when I come back in October/November.
Off topic I’d also love to try the new ones, the cologney ones from LVuitton. The LV store is across the street from Hermes here in Miami. 😉
I think you might like the Hermessences, they’re very different from what she is doing in the regular line. Actually might be a greater difference, stylistically, between the ranges than there was under JCE.
You will have to let me know if the LVs are good — I have not tried a single one of their fragrances!
Thank you Robin, for this review that speaks my mind!
Since Nagel took over, there have been three releases that worryingly chip away at the formerly unimpeachable renown of Hermès as a fragrance house, i.e. the cheap and lazy introduction of three woody amber based fragrances on steroids:
Eau de Citron Noir, Terre d’H Eau Intense Vétiver and Un Jardin sur la Lagune. I suspect the marketing team and I am seriously disappointed (and feel nauseous upon smelling these).
I hope it’s the marketing team, because I hope they will all get fired and we’ll get our old Hermes back!
To be frank I hated this with a passion, and tried desperately to scrub it off. Reading reviews of this is quite baffling, and it is reassuring to read the comments here, of others which had similar experiences.
It reminded me very very much of Eau du Citron Noir, which I also really disliked. There was something smoky in EdCN which I thought intentional, because dried lemons really have a peculiar smell. But there it was here again, and it was overpowering. It was very long lasting, I tried to scrub it off a few times. It is a vaguely smoky, wood-like artificial smelling note. It is absolutely in Eau du Citron Noir. It might be as well in Jo Malone Cade and Cedarwood.
I am rather in fear of being stuck in an elevator with somebody wearing one of these!
In the 10+ years I’ve been a perfumista I’ve never seriously questioned my own nose and/or taste, but here I am, dumbfounded by the negative reviews of this stuff and wondering if there’s something wrong with me! I gave Lagune the most cursory of sniffs at Sephora, expecting nothing, and was instantly smitten. It smells like a sultry summer evening spent by the water, airy and fresh yet somehow “humid”, with a space-age jasmine that’s watery, powdery, and woody all at once. I can *sort of* see the complaints about the drydown, in that it can feel a little thick, but I think it’s gorgeous. The whole production just works for me, in a way that the other Jardins didn’t, and I can’t figure out why. I just know I love wearing it. What’s going on here? Am I secretly lowbrow? Should I start wearing Jovan Musk and flannel?
I would not start questioning it now, then! We just have different taste, as it should be.