JEAN PAUL GAULTIER
La Belle Paradise Garden
2024
PERFUMER
Quentin Bisch
blue lotus
heliotrope
vanilla
almond
ginger
iris
woody notes
ylang-ylang
bergamot
This is a rebranding of La Belle Fleur Terrible (2022). Released alongside Le Beau Paradise Garden.
‘Featuring exotic creatures and flowers, Gaultier’s flamboyant garden was inspired by his 2010-2011 Autumn/Winter show, and conjures up a splendidly captivating Eden abounding with forbidden pleasures. In this luxuriant paradise, La Belle Paradise Garden and Le Beau Paradise Garden share their all-consuming passion. Embroidered with a dazzling botanical necklace featuring colourful Couture touches, this blue-lagoon naked bottle bewitches the senses with an irresistible natural sensuality. Give in to the charms of this aphrodisiac floral and vanilla nectar. A heavenly Eau de Parfum (a floral, amber and aquatic fragrance created by Quentin Bisch). The aphrodisiac nectar of this exotic La Belle Paradise Garden Eau de Parfum arouses passions with unrivaled magnetism. The mysterious blue lotus flower. The powdery, elegant femininity of delicate iris. The sensually delicious fragrance of bewitching vanilla. Lose yourself in this sensual paradise. In 50 ml Eau de Parfum.’
So, this is seemingly identical/unchanged from La Belle Fleur Terrible, which I haven’t smelled. I have not been too familiar with any of the La Belle to be honest. And I’m not sure why, as at least for this version, I might prefer it over the men’s Jean Paul Gaultier releases.
La Belle Paradise Garden opens bright and sweet. Very vanillic, with some lighter touches to balance it. There’s a slightly tropical leaning floral, reminiscent of ylang-ylang and sun tan lotion scents, with a hint of citrus, but really, it’s too vanillic from the get-go to feel like a citrussy fragrance.
I’ve seen a lot of adjectives like fresh, floral, aquatic, watery used to describe this and I can only imagine them being relevant in reference to other La Belle’s. Or perhaps for those who are only used to wearing very sweet women’s designers. This is not a fresh fragrance by any means, but a sweet one. For me, this is almost a vanilla bomb, very sweet, although just shy of being cloying. A similar creamy, vanilla coconut that’s found in the drydown of the men’s Le Beau Paradise Garden, but the male counterpart is a lot more refreshing with it’s minty side than this La Belle.
As far as references, you also get that vanillic sun tan lotion in Jean Paul Gaultier Divine (by the same perfumer). I’ve only sampled that briefly, but did quite enjoy it on first impression and from memory it fels rather similar in style.
Texture wise it’s slightly on the powdery side. Iris, heliotrope, almond all add to a somewhat retro tinge to an otherwise very contemporary perfume.
Overall, La Belle Paradise Garden is very pleasant, but not all that interesting. A lot of people seem to gravitate towards it for being unique, but I find it a pretty standard, sweet women’s designer with a sun-tan lotion vibe. I like that it doesn’t get as cloying as some others and the texture makes it a bit classier than some, but it’s not in a league of its own.