Style Edit: Henry Jacques' Il y Avait un Jardin cologne-inspired fragrances express purity and simplicity, evoking sun-kissed memories and the serene beauty of a secret garden
Henry Jacques – the haute parfumerie maison celebrating its 50th anniversary this year – has unveiled the latest chapter in its olfactory story with the launch of the collection Il y Avait un Jardin. Just over a decade since the debut of the brand's iconic Les Essences concentrated perfume oils – part of
Les Classiques collection – this new venture sees Henry Jacques refocusing on purity and simplicity, presenting a pair of fresh, cologne-inspired fragrances.
Il y Avait un Jardin fragrance evokes memories of life's quiet pleasures. Photo: Handout
Il y Avait un Jardin – 'There was Once a Garden' in French – invites the wearer into a fragrant haven where fresh, natural ingredients evoke memories and life's quiet pleasures. Defying the conventions of haute parfumerie – a complex art and science we have been taught to revere – the collection embraces a pared-back elegance, elevating cologne without seeking to reinvent it.
Advertisement
The two compositions are named simply I and II. The first opens with sunlit notes of bergamot, lemon and bitter orange, complemented by aromatic rosemary. It unfolds into a delicate heart of orange blossom and lavender, finishing with deep, elegant notes of warm sandalwood, and unexpectedly ambery benzoin and cistus.
The fragrances are presented in 250ml bottles of thick green laboratory glass, eschewing fuss for practicality. Photo: Handout
With its vibrant notes of lemon, bergamot and mandarin, the second fragrance transports the wearer to a radiant fruit grove. Herbal petitgrain bigarade and spicy rosewood mingle with lavender, while nutmeg adds a warm complexity. Base notes of creamy tonka bean, gentle amber and earthy vetiver leave an enchanting impression of sophistication on the skin.
The name Il y Avait un Jardin is French for 'There was Once a Garden'. It invites the wearer into a fragrant haven. Photo: Handout
The name of the collection highlights Henry Jacques' authentic connection to the natural world. The raw materials for Il y Avait un Jardin originate from orchards in Italy, and are sourced through a partnership with a Calabrian family renowned over generations for cultivating the world's finest citrus trees. This collaboration ensures the highest quality of ingredients and a genuine sense of place in every scent.
The raw materials for Il y Avait un Jardin originate from orchards in Italy, and are sourced through a partnership with a Calabrian family famed for its citrus trees. Photo: Handout
The fragrances are presented in 250ml bottles of thick green laboratory glass, underscoring Henry Jacques' commitment to a ritual as natural and unaffected as splashing water on the face. This generous format encourages frequent use, removing any sense of formality or fussiness, and allowing the wearer to transition effortlessly between scents depending on their mood.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
13 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
How a young Turkish-German female chef in Hong Kong makes fine dining fun
'We never want to be too stiff. I don't want people to be scared to laugh or worried that they're talking too loudly,' says Mina Güçlüer, the new head chef at storied French restaurant Belon. 'I want to make sure everybody's having fun and eating good food at the same time.' It's a fitting declaration of intent, given that at only 29 years of age, her recent promotion makes her one of the youngest female chefs to helm a fine dining establishment in Hong Kong. Belon's head chef Mina Güçlüer rose through the ranks after joining the fine dining outlet in 2019. Photo: Jocelyn Tam The Turkish-German chef has experienced a rapid ascent, landing her first job out of school as a commis chef at the three-Michelin-starred Victor's Fine Dining by Christian Bau, in the German town of Nennig, before moving to the two-Michelin-starred Horváth in Berlin. 'I learned so much about what it means to work in fine dining,' recalls Güçlüer, 'and the amount of care that goes into the product. There's pretty much no room for error.' Having joined Belon in 2019, Güçlüer has risen through the ranks under chef Matthew Kirkley , and it shows. The new dishes she has debuted exhibit the same precision and eye for abstraction on the plate, tinged with a commensurate amount of nods to Belon's French roots. Why did you become a chef?
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
Venice's Hotel Cipriani where George Clooney stayed unveils first results of makeover
Hotel Cipriani in Venice, Italy, unveiled the results of the initial phase of a major renovation led by architect Peter Marino when it reopened for the summer season in May this year. , including George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Sophia Loren and Elizabeth Taylor. The original design of the hotel, which first opened in 1958, paid homage to the history of Venice. Marino, chairman of the non-profit organisation Venetian Heritage, wove three artistic eras into the redesign: the grandeur of Old Venice, the mid-century dolce vita glamour of its early years, and an infusion of contemporary art and design. The hotel first opened in 1958. Photo: Hotel Cipriani An antique console with custom-designed sculpture is seen in one of the hotel's redesigned rooms. Photo: Hotel Cipriani The first phase of renovations includes 13 redesigned rooms, among which are two master suites – Serenissima and Laguna – conceived as Venetian apartments complete with dining rooms, libraries and sweeping lagoon views. The 11 additional suites, overlooking the Casanova Gardens, boast private balconies and refined interiors.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Chess club turns cultural hub as young Londoners leap at the chance to meet offline
Combining dance music, social media buzz and one of the world's oldest pastimes, London chess group Knight Club draws dozens of players each week, creating a social space its organisers say is much needed by the city's younger generations. The club has quickly grown into a cultural hub since launching last year, drawing over 100 players to its weekly Tuesday sessions, where live DJ sets compete with the clatter of chess pieces on boards. In a world dominated by digital communication, the club – run largely by volunteers under the age of 25 – wants to offer a physical alternative to scrolling on screens. 'Having a game, or having something to bond over, or to start a conversation, enables really deep connections to be made from the get-go,' said 22-year-old organiser Lucia Ene-Lesikar. Playing chess helps people start conversations and bond together, says Lucia Ene-Lesikar, 22, one of the organisers of the Knight Club. Photo: Reuters Manu Marmolejo, from north London, cooks some Mexican tacos during a session at the Knight Club, a diverse chess club based in London that has grown to almost 1,000 members in a year. Photo: Reuters 'There's a lot of creative people, but there's also people who work in finance or work in tech or work in healthcare – so there's a whole range of people.'
