Oh Ninfeo Mio! Annick Goutal, or better yet, Camile and Isabelle have managed to capture the essence of a spring garden, getting the first rays of sun! I never knew I liked fig fragrances, let alone love them, but this green sparkling little gem has me smitten. It captures the essence of a fig tree near a water spring in a garden that is most probably hidden from the crowd, secret if you will. A very sparkling cypress opening, dominated with lemon, leads the way under the shade of the tree, where juicy figs are slightly past their prime. But oh how succulent they are. And this hungry and tired traveller can't help but succumb to their smell, juiciness, feel. Ninfeo Mio never fails to transport me to a carefree place every time I spray it. Ever so simple and complex at the same time, with an above average sillage and longevity, this sometimes hidden gem is in my opinion one of the finest examples of Goutal's exquisite know how. It is not the best fig soliflore around, but for me it gets a 10 in transporting me to a hideaway where I can simply unwind and forget. And that time travel in today's hectic lifestyle is a highly treasured commodity. If you like fig, or even if you don't, green leaves and lemon, touched by creamy sandalwood, give Ninfeo a try, it might enchant you like it did with me!
Fig is a strange one... two fig scents that I really enjoy spring to mind. ADP Fico and the Diptyque Philosykos...this is unlike either of them! It's starts out with a classy citrus blast, by that I mean expensive smelling not like a lemon cleaning product or a 'smelled it all before' designer fragrance. Citron and I get some orange too it's really nice! Then comes one of the greenest of green smells I've experienced, reminiscent of L'Ombre Dans L'Eau by Diptyque. You also get the wonderful freshness of fig but it's very vague in the mix, also there's a slighly spiced, peppery vibe. If this just dried down with subtle wood and faded quietly... I'd have been a happy man, having discovered a brilliant summertime fresh fragrance that I would definitely wear I may have otherwise over looked. Then the magic happens in the drydown!! My favourite part about this fragrance is that even while the citrus and green notes are settling that subtle spice is building to a crescendo of resinous glory! The galbanum is a huge player in the fragrance for me and I've come across mastic before but while I'm not familiar with it's specific qualities it obviously brings something special to the party and the combination smells a bit like myrrh...then changes as it matures further. So given this fantastic combination and journey through different olfactory stages I have to say that this is a magnificent juice from Annick Goutal and a combination of citrus/greens/spice/resins I'd like to see more often. Perfectly unisex too, something about the whole composition seems to be balanced and the drydown to me is masculine but would be totally at home on female skin by the same rule. Excellent stuff this!!!