The Garden Trio by The Different Company
December 1st, 2006
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
Entry Filed under: New Perfumes, Perfume Reviews
18 Comments Add your own
1. chaya ruchama | December 1st, 2006 at 7:37 am
Thanks, Inushka, for reviewing these.
I hear that they are somewhat ephemeral- would you say so ?
I’ll admit, they appeal in concept- but execution, I’m not certain…
2. Elle | December 1st, 2006 at 7:49 am
For Celine’s sake I’m glad you liked them. My skin chemistry just didn’t bring out the best in them. I actually rather liked Sens et Bois, but not enough to buy a full bottle. The Ailleurs et Fleurs one was pleasant, but just not me. However, Charmes et Feuilles was so horrible (cheap laundry detergent overload) on my skin I’m considering taking that new pill they have out to help erase traumatic memories. I think I suffer some sort of soapy scent phobia.
3. March | December 1st, 2006 at 8:10 am
I wish they’d named them something like Le Herbe, Le Jardin Fleur and Le Smell de Bois or something. I CANNOT remember the names for the life of me. I am still puzzling them out. I only got the laundry soap in Charmes for a minute or two, and then I really liked it — it smelled very Ormond Jayne-ish to me.
4. leopoldo | December 1st, 2006 at 8:18 am
I’ll give em a go at some point…
5. Elle | December 1st, 2006 at 8:31 am
Forgot to say I wanted to get them just to have more of those bottles. *Love* them. They have such great sense of heft in the hand and the design is so sharp. Definitely are in my top 5 bottle designs of all time.
6. Patty | December 1st, 2006 at 8:41 am
I’ve been playing with these more, since I thought I was the only person who liked them, thinking I must be a little crazy, so I’m glad to hear you liked some of them.
I’m really enjoying them layered as well, you get something else entirely. Bois was really my favorite, though the Ailleurs et Fleurs was a very close second. The two together are pretty good
7. Marina | December 1st, 2006 at 9:24 am
You and Patty get something from them that I just can’t find there
I too like most of their scents…well, Osmanthus leaves me stone cold, but that is the case with most osmanthus scents…I thought the previous release, Seld e Vetiver, was superb and really showcased their style.
8. newproducts | December 1st, 2006 at 10:54 am
Un Parfum de Sens et Bois sounds the most intriguing from the notes, so it’s too bad that it is not such a great one in reality.
9. Judith | December 1st, 2006 at 12:34 pm
I am deciding this is something else I don’t have to buy:)
10. Ina | December 1st, 2006 at 9:03 pm
Chaya, yes, they’re not very long lasting.
11. Ina | December 1st, 2006 at 9:03 pm
Elle, I like them but probably not enough to buy a bottle.
12. Ina | December 1st, 2006 at 9:04 pm
March, I’ve thought the same thing! The names could have been shorter.
13. Ina | December 1st, 2006 at 9:05 pm
Leo, yeah, at some point is a good way to put it.
14. Ina | December 1st, 2006 at 9:05 pm
Elle, yes, adore the bottles, too.
15. Ina | December 1st, 2006 at 9:06 pm
Patty, give me five, again!
I’ll have to try layering them.
16. Ina | December 1st, 2006 at 9:06 pm
Marina, these three aren’t my favorite from the line for sure.
17. Ina | December 1st, 2006 at 9:07 pm
Newproducts, I know! Total bummer.
18. Ina | December 1st, 2006 at 9:07 pm
Judith, exactly.
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