Christine Nagel has one of the toughest gigs in the business. Succeeding Jean-Claude Ellena as in-house perfumer at Hermes is akin to taking over lead vocals from Mick Jagger at the Rolling Stones. However, other than Eau de Citron Noir, which followed the blue trend much too closely and the vetiver interpretation of Terre d’Hermes, which I think was unnecessary all her releases have passed the test with flying colours. I particularly enjoy Twilly and Myrrhe Eglantine.
Un Jardin Sur La Lagune, inspired by a Venetian Garden, is her first take on the beloved and critically acclaimed Un Jardin series. La Lagune opens up transparent, almost creamy with water notes and white lily. However, as the fragrance develops, I get an earthiness from the white florals and sandalwood that reminded me of Monsieur Li. I think fans of Monsieur Li will gravitate towards this fragrance. Longevity on skin is pretty good. I get 6 plus hours, better than Monsieur Li, at least on my skin. Like all in this series though it hugs close to the skin.
It does not displace Un Jardin Sur Le Toit as my favourite from the series. However, I for one enjoyed the development on my skin and I think this garden is at least worth a visit.
