Annick Goutal

When it comes to perfumes centered around a very specific note, one can sometimes wonder if it's possible (or necessary) to have a new or different interpretation. Of course, the obsessed among us would tell you there can never be too many leather perfumes. Or vetiver. Or tuberose.

Or fig.

Ninfeo Mio, the newest perfume from Annick Goutal (created by the house's perfumer Isabelle Doyen) is a fig scent, and even I was surprised at the originality of this beautiful composition. From the sharp mixed citrus notes of the opening to the green depths of the perfume (galbanum, and quite a bit of it, judging by the excellent staying power), there's so much to enjoy in Ninfeo Mio I'm in a fig-lover heaven.

The perfumer's inspiration, the Italian Giardino di Ninfa, is evident. Citron, lemon, bitter orange and fig trees growing on an ancient stream, shading and protecting the ancient grounds. There's something comforting and captivating in aromas that have been there since ancient times (though the garden as it is today is the result of restorative work from the 1920s). It's beautiful and almost wholesome, but just wild enough to make you think of frolicking fauns and maybe a bacchanalia (or two) going on among the trees and shrubs. Ninfeo Mio is really that much fun to wear.

Like last year's Goutal, Un Matin d'Orage, Ninfeo Mio is an eau de toilette. I can't help but wish for an extrait de parfum. Not because it lacks anything, it's just my own desire to indulge in this green fig to the max. As I've mentioned, it stays on my skin for many hours. The citrus notes are gone, of course, but the fig, galbanum and general greenery delight me for more than 12 hours. It can be sprayed with abandon without ever feeling too heavy, and the lack of any sweetness makes Ninfeo Mio and ideal summer scent. On a man's skin (the husband's) there's a lot more wood and herbs than I smell on myself, no matter how much or how little I apply. It's the most unisex fig scent I've come across, even more than the crystalline Figuier by Heeley.

Annick Goutal's Ninfeo Mio is available right now in few select locations such as Bergdorf Goodman and Henri Bendel in NYC (and Harrods in the UK). I bought my 100 ml bottle ($115, the ribbed feminine version. The juice inside is identical to the one in the rectangular one) at Henri Bendel. Neither store offers it online yet (Harrods does, but they do not ship overseas), but you can order by phone. I have to say that I'm deeply impressed with the change I see at Henri Bendel's perfume department. There's a serious effort there to become a major force in luxury and niche perfume. Now if they only discover the joy of e-commerce.

Photos of Giardini di Ninfa by Komakino1976 and Fabio C. Favaloro on Flickr.

Eau du Fier is one of those perfumes that make me wonder if I actually enjoy the way they smell or the fact they're so unusual and unconventional. It's probably a mix of both, since this Annick Goutal creation (by house perfumer Isabelle Doyen) is not the only tarry perfume I like. But there's something to be said for the uniqueness and element of surprise whenever I spray myself with it.

Eau du Fier smells mostly like a cocktail of Lapsang Souchong with a splash of non-sweet orange juice. The opening is extremely smoky, medicinal and would challenge many people's idea of perfume, unless they're familiar with CDG Tar, Tauer's Lonestar Memories or at least Bulgari Black and Tea For Two by L'Artisan. Still the last two have a nice dose of vanilla that makes them go down easily enough, while the Goutal has little to none sweetness. My skin tends to neutralize heavy smoky notes and reduces them to their woody or shrubbery origin. Eau du Fier becomes very much a tea scent with an almost sheer quality. It's a lot less heavy than one would assume after the birch tar assault of the top notes and settles very close to the skin, feeling more exotic than avant-garde.

I enjoy the entire journey and find it very wearable on days I don't have to mix with the general public which might raise an eyebrow at a woman who smells of a burnt substance. It's not a perfume I'd recommend to wear for a romantic date for either men or women, unless the object of your desire is a tea connoisseur who would appreciate the nuances. Still, the bottom line is that Eau du Fier smells good in an off-the-beaten-path way and is worth becoming part of one's perfume journey. If you can find some, that is.

Eau du Fier was released in 2000 and vanished from our shelves around 2005. A few European Annick Goutal boutiques had it until a couple of years ago and while the official Goutal website doesn't even mention its existence, a handful of bottles still make an appearance overseas, which is how I found and purchased mine.

Photo: theteacentre.com.au