Hi there lovely fragrant APJers,

I have a nearly empty 50ml of this beauty bought early on and recently my mate Michael who writes for Olfactoria’s Travels was having a Sell-Out so I grabbed a 100ml from him. It’s in the old packaging but much newer and I was a little worried there might have been a few cuts and pastes as the company changed hands over the years. I’m sure there have been but Un Matin d’Orage is remarkably intact. Happy day…..

Un Matin d’Orage by Isabelle Doyen for Annick Goutal 2009

Un Matin d’Orage (Morning Storm)

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Sicilian lemon, ginger, green notes
Heart: Gardenia, shiso leaves, magnolia, champaca flowers, Indonesian jasmine
Base: Sandalwood

Imagine happy moderately wealthy women heading for lunch. Their morning has been full, woke up, breakfast, husband to work and kids to school (unless she has decided to live her life her way), gym, work or housework, ready for lunch, spritz. In my imagination Un Matin d’Orage is exactly what she wafts. Stylish, distinctive, sensual and elegant is how she lives, and how she smells.

Photo Stolen WomensLifeStyle (Problem using image? Get in touch please)

When I wrote about Un Matin d’Orage before this is what I said: “OH MY GOD! I LOVE THIS!” is what I say in my head every time I spritz myself with Un Matin d’Orage. Does it smell like a stormy morning to me? No. Maybe the sunshine an hour after a stormy morning, when all the flowers are getting their scent on as if to make up for lost time……. This smells like money to me, loads of it.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

My first whiff of Un Matin d’Orage is always with surprise that there is no ylang mentioned in the notes. My nose gets the lovely fatty, warm, buttery sensuality of it. Backed up by light sheen of lemon and ginger that sparkles dewily across the top, and yes I get the idea of being out after a storm. A very clean gardenia is there, maybe the indole has washed away in the storm, and it’s not a flower in your hand but a bush a couple of doors down wafting up to you in the early morning as the scent awakes. Champacca is an extremely fragrant magnolia that has a flower remarkably reminiscent in its look of ylang, though I’ve not smelled it alone I think it’s the progenitor of the ylang-ish headiness, the sandalwood is helping too.

While Un Matin d’Orage is a white floral extravaganza something I really enjoy about its unfurling is the hint of green that is present through its whole life, a slightly wet/dry green like palm leaves in a greenhouse and some resinous green too (galbanum?) that steadies the whole fragrance and keeps it wearable and give subtle shade to the glow from the white flowers.

Photo stolen WikiCommons

Like many Annick Goutal fragrances only the first hour is very fragrant but Un Matin d’Orage hums along quietly after its initial huge opening as a lovely airy, softly woody white flower that huffs up from my shirt occasionally and surprises me. Too big for confined spaces initially but given some burn off time perfect for any occasion. Smells KILLER on a guy too.

Further reading: Smelly Thoughts and Grain de Musc
FragranceNet has old packaging $79/50ml before coupon
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

Have you worn this remarkable beauty? Is there another Annick Goutal you love?
Portia x