I bought it on a whim, never expecting to be completely blown away by a radiant, luminous chypre and white floral with the classique lushness and verdant mossiness of old: Jardin Blanc by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier (“MPG”) absolutely dazzled my socks off.
Years ago, scrolling through eBay’s vintage options at 3 a.m., suddenly deciding to look at MPG options, I espied an old bottle of something called Jardin Blanc. I almost always advise against blind buy after one too many hideous experiences — and I still do so to this day — but vintage Jardin Blanc was one of those rare, once in a lifetime gambles that actually worked out for me.
Little did I know at the time just how old my bottle was, just how much of an original formulation (judging by current standards), and just how special my VOLUMINOUS, deluge of oakmoss white floral decadence was for its time.
My Twitter review for vintage Jardin Blanc:
(THREAD) 1. Jardin Blanc by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier (#MPG) is a superb, verdant, fresh white floral with a chypre-ish feel. Review below.
Notes: mandarin, green leaves, myrtle, tuberose, ylang ylang, jasmine, honeysuckle, oakmoss, sandalwood, clove, musk &, imo, vetiver. 1/? pic.twitter.com/QjfbUlVn5l
— Kafkaesque (@Kafkaesque_Blog) December 19, 2021
From the bottom of my heart, I wish the fragrance I were describing were easily accessible and currently available. Unfortunately, IFRA/EU restrictions have created a totally different scent, one which is more white florals than hardcore chypre.
Yes, I read your review and I didn't get all the green notes you were referencing on my skin, certainly not a distinctive oakmoss note. But, on the whole, the ingredients felt high quality and the composition was delightful.
— natachef (@natachef) December 20, 2021
Be that as it may, if you’re a fan of éblouissant white florals, then perhaps even the modern version of Jardin Blanc is worth a test sniff. (Note, do not blind buy. Never blind buy. Especially with MPG florals that, I’m really distressed to say, have a deluge of white musk laundry drier sheets from the very first sniff. They ruin what would be, in about 9 different cases, ann otherwise lovely floral or floriental accord.)
Jardin Blanc is part of Les Fleur Divines collection and is currently on sale at MPG for about €185 instead of €210. Luckyscent has never carried Jardin Blanc. At Neiman Marcus, Jardin Blanc goes for $215 for 4 oz/120 mls. Perfume Samples and Decants has a number of MPG fragrances in a variety of sizes but, alas, does not have any Jardin Blanc. Still, if you wish to explore the line further, they’re one option to consider.