Ninfeo Mio, the newest scent from Parisian parfumeur Annick Goutal has just arrived and I couldn’t wait to try it.  Curious about the name, I found out that it is named for Gardens of Ninfa which are about 40 miles southeast of Rome – a delightful and lovely image that makes me even more excited for next month’s trip to Europe.

This is my first Annick Goutal fragrance and I was struck first by its look.  The packaging is classic and rich-looking in pale green and gold.  I have the square bottle, but it also comes in what seems like a more feminine ribbed bottled.  It is available in two sizes.  The 50 ml comes in the ribbed “feminine” bottle and the 100 ml comes in both bottles.  On first whiff, this scent can definitely be unisex, so it’s no wonder you have your choice of two bottles.

Described as lively and vivacious – which is certainly is – Ninfeo Mio opens with Italian lemon and citron and notes of bitter orange tree.  Galbanum extract and lentisque absolute deliver a sassy verdure full of life.  The citrus notes are warmed up by lavender and fig leaf.  The fragrance is instantly unique and to my American nostrils – very distinctly European.

Its olfactory family is described as citrusy, green, woody (Essence of Italian lemon and citron, essence of petitgrain, essence of bitter orange, extract of galbanum, lentisque absolute, fig and lemon tree).  Because this is my first experience with Annick Goutal, I found myself looking for scents that are more common “on this side of the pond” to compare it to.  The citrus notes remind me of Dolce Gabbana Light Blue (the Italian citron) and the woodsy, more spicy notes make me think of A Scent by Issey Miyake which is also decidedly green.  The fig notes remind me of one of my addictive favorites: Island Capri by Michael Kors.  (My husband is so shocked that I love the scent of fig – I don’t like Fig Newtons – haha).   If you like the notes of any of the above, you NEED to check this one out.

Annick Goutal fragrances can be purchased online and in stores at Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Space.NK.

What I love most about this is that although there are hints here and there that remind me of other fragrances – I don’t have ANYTHING else like Ninfeo Mio.  I’m excited to check out more scents by Annick Goutal and expanding my fragrance palette.