The Garden Trio by The Different Company
The Different Company is a French perfume line that’s only been around for a few years. “The brand eschews conventional wisdom, while respecting certain rules for true luxury, precious and identifiable: quality, craftsmanship, difference, materials, rarity and modernity.” (Thedifferentcompany.com). With such a self-explanatory name, you can’t help but wonder what exactly makes it so different. Perhaps the fact it employs only two perfumers - Jean Claude Ellena and his daughter, Celine Ellena - who share a very similar, distinguishable transparent style. Perhaps, it’s the contemporary approach to bottle design and presentation - mechanical and almost industrial (the bottle caps could easily be used in self-defence). Whichever it might be, The Different Company perfumes are quite modern and unprecedented in character. I like them all pretty much equally, with perhaps more affection for Jasmin de Nuit and Rose Poivree. The Garden Trio is the newest addition to the line, created by Celine Ellena, exploring the smells of herbs, flowers, and woods.
Un Parfum de Charmes et Feuilles - marjoram, jasmine sambac, peppermint, grapefruit, sage, clementine, patchouli. As the notes suggest, this is a sparkly herbal blend that starts out with mostly jasmine and clementine and settles into a soft, airy herbal blend reminiscent of peppermint tea, with just a hint of patchouli for more solidity in the very drydown.
Un Parfum d’Ailleurs et Fleurs - neroli, petitgrain, hazelnut, elderflower, mandarin, star anise, bigarade orange, musk, prune. Probably my favorite of the three, the scent posseses a similar mesmerizing, slighly indolic and warm musky feel that’s present in Jasmin de Nuit. Un Parfum d’Ailleurs et Fleurs has much more body than its other two companions. I love its sweet orange smell that’s more pulpy than juicy - very much a bright-colored scent.
Un Parfum de Sens et Bois - Chinese cedarwood, violet, black pepper, elemi, ginger, patchouli, bergamot, incense. My least favorite, in spite of the amazing notes. It seems to be a bit discordant in top notes, with too much going on at once - I get cedar, violet, pepper, and ginger all at once, and it’s an odd blend. The drydown is sort of a cliché masculine cologne that leaves me rather indifferent.
The Garden Trio is available at Beautyhabit as well as directly from The Different Company online shop.
Image source: www.fashionmag.fr
18 comments December 1st, 2006