Miller Harris Fleur du Matin

Surprisingly fabulous, sadly discontinued ...

I received about 10mls of this beauty in an original bottle from a fellow parfumistsa in a swap we made recently. Having been on a 'cologne' kick of late, Fleur du Matin strikes me as fabulous and I am saddened by its discontinuation.

What I find truly unique here is the very realistic rendition of Grapefruit up top, which hangs around for a while and doesn't just dissipate. It gives this frag a lovely bracing quality without smelling like a glass of breakfast juice. The floral notes here are soft and subtle, blended beautifully so that none of them stand out separately ... Honeysuckle can sometimes be overbearing but I think it is nicely tamed here by the addition of the herbs. The Neroli included here further enhances the feeling of a classic cologne, without venturing into 4711 territory.    

To my nose, the most inspired moments of this fragrance appear in the form of Galbanum and Pine ... the former bringing to mind (albeit in the faintest of ways) classic Chanel no.19. Fleur du Matin seems aptly named because it brings a clear vision of throwing open a window on a meadow of freshly dew drenched flowers and herbs, a pine forest in the background vividly adding its own particular brand of 'woodsiness' to the overall mental picture. 

I find it a great pity that fragrances such as these don't find the recognition they deserve and end up being axed from a collection. This one, imho, would have done better marketed to the men ... but then the average guy is hardly going to buy anything with 'fleur' in the name. 

I shall enjoy the little bit I have left in this bottle and certainly investigate sourcing some more ... there have to be a few well priced bottles floating around somewhere! Above average sillage and longevity definitely make Miller Harris' Fleur du Matin a fragrance to try, if you can get your hands on it!