Bvlgari Mon Jasmin Noir L'Eau Exquise Review: An Ethereal Green Tea Scent Worth The Hunt?

In 2012, the house of Bvlgari introduced Mon Jasmin Noir L''Eau Exquise, a flanker to the successful 2011 release, Mon Jasmin Noir. This was not merely a lighter version of its predecessor; it was a complete reimagining. Where Mon Jasmin Noir was a sensual, musky floral for the evening, L''Eau Exquise was its antithesis: a bright, crisp, and delicate fragrance designed for the light of day. It arrived during a period when luxury brands were expanding their pillar fragrance lines with fresher interpretations, aiming to capture a wider audience and offer scents for every occasion. L''Eau Exquise was Bvlgari''s answer to the demand for sophisticated, warm-weather fragrances that whispered rather than shouted.

Positioned as the airy, ethereal member of the Jasmin Noir family, L''Eau Exquise was marketed towards a woman who appreciated understated elegance. The name itself—''The Exquisite Water''—perfectly encapsulates its character. It distanced itself from the dark, mysterious allure of the ''Noir'' collection, instead offering a vision of a sun-drenched Mediterranean garden in the early morning. It was a strategic move to give the popular Jasmin Noir line a daytime identity, making it a versatile collection for the modern consumer''s wardrobe.

The inspiration is clear and beautifully executed: the Boboli Gardens in Florence, Italy. The concept was to capture the scent of jasmine flowers mingling with the fresh morning air, touched by the dew on green leaves. Perfumer Sophie Labbé translated this into a composition centered around green almond, pomelo, and a delicate white tea accord. It''s a fragrance that evokes tranquility, clarity, and a sense of natural, effortless beauty. It is not about the heavy, indolic jasmine of the night, but the fresh, green scent of the plant itself.

Within the fragrance community, Mon Jasmin Noir L''Eau Exquise is a bit of a cult classic. It is widely praised for its unique and beautiful scent profile, particularly the innovative use of a bitter green almond note against a backdrop of citrus and tea. However, its reputation is equally defined by its significant weakness: performance. It is notoriously fleeting, a characteristic that has polarized opinions. For some, its transient beauty is part of its charm. for others, it''s a critical flaw that makes its price tag unjustifiable. Now discontinued, it has become a sought-after item for collectors and those who fell in love with its unique character, a testament to a scent that was perhaps too delicate for the mass market but perfect for a discerning few.