Oh, summer is ending and really the only thing that I mourn is the produce. Fresh basil, plump tomatoes and berries are the only way I’ll put up with heat. MCMC Garden is a perfume oil inspired by Anada Harvest, a group of urban farmers. Fifty percent of the proceeds of Garden is donated to this group. Garden smells like its name.
Garden opens as an herbal blend of thyme and boxwood bushes. It smells exactly like an herb garden. There’s lemon verbena, lemon thyme, and lavender. Citrus notes are listed but it doesn’t smell like lemon juice but green, bitter herbs with citrus nuances. The perfume is borderline “aromatherapy oil”, but I don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing. It’s a fresh, green herbal fragrance.
It’s really difficult for me to enjoy thyme in perfumery because it reminds me of anti-bacterial products (see CleanWell). It doesn’t mean that it smells bad, but that’s the association that I have…cleaning. My other association is an herb garden, which is a better association to have, so I’ll try to go with that.
Notes listed include red thyme, myrtle, lavender, lemon and bitter orange. PERFUMER – Anne McClain
Give Garden a try if you like herbal fragrances or aromatherapy scents. Or if you like perfumes like Jo Malone London Lime Basil Mandarin, Annick Goutal Eau du Sud, Diptyque Verveine and/or Ayala Moriel Etrog Oy de Cologne. Garden is unisex.
It’s a natural perfume oil so longevity and projection are below average.
The 1/3 oz perfume oil retails for $45 at MCMC Fragrances. An EDP is also available. The 1.3 oz spray retails for $95.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – An herb garden with healthy, prolific lemon-thyme plants. I’ve already explained my thyme hang-ups so I don’t see myself wearing something like Garden. Now if it were a home fragrance, I’d be all over that.
Want more reviews? Try…
Fragrantica – Member reviews
I can’t recall what thyme smells like so I’m not sure if I will have the same association but I do love herb-based scents. One of my favorites is basil. However, I’ve really enjoyed certain basil perfumes only to excitedly show it to someone else and have them get grossed out because it reminds them of spicy food.
It’s pretty cool that this scent donates to that group. I’m inherently jealous of anyone with a green thumb. I can’t even keep cacti and succulents alive!
Thyme doesn’t smell bad but it’s like what you’re saying with basil. It depends on people’s associations. I started using that thyme oil cleanser and well, it’s going to ruin thyme in perfume for me (and thyme is often paired with ambers in perfumery too).
Oh, me too! My succulents are turning brown 🙁 I can kill any plant.
that “aromatherapy” edge in natural perfumery. what IS it? where does it come from? i think there are several factors here… one is for many people natural perfumery or aromatherapy is the first time they are actually smelling a REAL essential oil. for all intents and purposes it may the first time they are smelling the REAL plant.
another may be the dilution factor. alcohol based perfumery is going to ask for such small dilutions of an essential oil (.01 – 20% is normal) whereas oil based perfumery and aromatherapy blends are not asking for so much dilution.. and the end result can have a more “aromatherapy” vibe.
scent association/memory response is ongoing… the more we use essential oils in our daily routines (and good for you!!), the more those particular oils will become associated with that activity… which leads to… the natural tendency of some plants/oils to be suited for a particular usage.
i.e., thyme (and cleamwell’s blend by mandy aftel is thymo-licious) and it’s antiseptic properties. its more pleasant than tea tree and why kill a mosquito with a hammer after all? but it SMELLS effective. it SMELLS like you’re doing something medicinal. rose would do the same thing, but it just doesn’t SMELL like that’s what you should be using it for.
anyway… bravo to these folks for going the distance with their gardens!!!
I think you answered it excellently. It has to do with carrier, so like with this one, I wonder if the EDP would be a completely different experience (doubt it because of my thyme issues).
I warn people about the functional stuff they use 😉 I mean, no matter what it is, if your grout cleaner smells like Shalimar, you’re going to say Shalimar smells like grout cleaner (and not the other way around). This is why folks have issues with notes like lemon, lavender or pine. It’s all “cleaning products”. Anyway, I didn’t take my own advice and I know associate thyme (oh, and vinegar!) with cleaning products (and it’s not thyme’s fault!) And yes, thyme like tea tree, just smells to me like it IS doing something, killing germs…probably all the way those have been marketed to me, but still, they make think of “clean” and effective products.
Go, folks, go! Sometimes I miss having a garden but then I remember I killed it all anyway…