Impressions De Giverny

Impressions de Giverny is a scentscape inspired by Monet’s famous gardens at Giverny. The artist, who was as passionate about gardening as he was about art, wanted to turn his garden into a living “en plein air” version of his paintings, and so he did. The fragrance cleverly takes its cues from the two main areas of the Giverny garden: first, the famous Japanese water garden with its bridge and water lilies that feature in Monet’s Nymphéas series, and second, the section where thousands of small flowers were planted to achieve the same blurred-at-the-edges, impressionistic effect espoused by his painting style. In other words, Impressions de Giverny takes its inspiration from two sources: Japanese botany and abstract floral perfumery. The way these two themes intersect is beautifully handled. The scent opens with a crisp, almost sour fruity tone, with zesty yuzu and red apple creating a delicate impression of native Japanese fruits and flora. But almost immediately you can sense the rugged, unpretentious greenery of shrubs and undergrowth shifting beneath, adding an earthy undertone. Threaded through these accords is an impressionistic swirl of flowers that’s difficult to pick apart, but certainly combines the watery freshness of tulips and violet leaf with the denser, more honeyed aspects of magnolia, orange blossom, and osmanthus. There’s a creamy warmth in the floral bouquet that feels great on the skin, underscored by subtle brushstrokes of mango, ylang, and peach. At the same time, it’s also peppery and bright, thanks to flecks of lemony coriander and fig leaf that have been daubed on here and there for contrast. Finally, unlike many modern florals, there’s a solid foundation here to keep it all afloat – a salty, musky ambergris and benzoin combo that not only shores up the florals but adds a touch of civety funk to the picture. We’re just blown away by how perfectly the perfumer has combined all these minute brushstrokes of fruits, flowers, and greenery to come up with something that, despite being impressionistic and abstract in form, feels utterly coherent on the skin. If you loved Confessions of a Garden Gnome but fancy something less herbaceous and more fruity-floral, then make sampling Impressions de Giverny a priority.