Fragrance Review: Sonoma Scent Studio Jour Ensoleillé + Picnic at Hanging Rock Draw

anne-louise lambert from picnic at hanging rock

Anne-Louise Lambert from Picnic at Hanging Rock

As most perfumistas' know, it's hard to keep up with all of the fragrance houses and latest releases; let me take that back, it's impossible.  And many times, when you try to play catchup with the flurry of “What’s New", you can totally miss a hidden gem from past years. A couple months ago, I was introduced to Sonoma Scent Studio through the collaborative effort of perfumer Laurie Erickson and Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief of this website.  Their creation, Yin & Ylang blew me away with its beauty.  That introduction opened the door for me to discover what Sonoma Scent Studio and Laurie Erickson, (who has been creating fragrances for about 10 years), has to offer and I asked myself “How have I not tried any of this talented perfumer’s work before”.

picnic at hanging rock

 Picnic at Hanging Rock directed by Peter Weir

It would be hard to top my love for Yin & Ylang, but I believe Jour Ensoleillé (translated from French it means sunny day), just may have done it. The fragrance opens with a slightly sweet orange blossom that quickly moves into an animalic woody and floral mix that is slightly dusty, muted and blissfully bountiful without being overly opulent  The florals sit on top of layers of hay.  I'm not surprised that I love it so much at this point as it reminds me of one of my favorite classics, Miss Dior.  After around 20 minutes or so, the hay like essence moves to the background  and allows the creamily textured florals to emerge.  As the fragrance progresses the jasmine takes center stage and what you are left with is this gorgeous bouquet that's tenderly warmed. I tend to visualize fragrance and in the case of Jour Ensoleillé, I picture scenes from the movie Picnic at Hanging Rock a 1970's classic set in Australia at the turn of the 20th century.  Why this movie?  Because there is something very proper about Jour Ensoleillé but at the same time it feels dreamy and as if it is keeping a secret from another time.

Jour Ensoilelle sonoma scent

Photo:  Sonoma Scent Studio

Laurie describes her inspiration for Jour Ensoleille:  "I was lucky to grow up in a rural area at the base of some beautiful wooded foothills. After school each day I spent my afternoons at a nearby barn riding horses and working until dark, and my favorite time of day was late afternoon when the setting sun created a beautiful golden glow on the hills in the distance and on the oaks all around me. Jour Ensoleillé makes me think of that afternoon golden glow on the hills and oaks; it's a happy scent for me".

Jour Ensoleillé is a happy scent for me too;I wear it and feel peaceful and serene. Laurie Erickson is a gifted perfumer and I look forward to exploring her world some more.

Notes: Orange blossom, neroli, tuberose, jasmine, beeswax absolute, labdanum absolute , myrrh, sandalwood, ambergris, vetiver, green leaves, oakmoss absolute.

Steve Lindquist, Guest Contributor and Editor of The Scented Hound

Writer's Note: For all the guys reading my review: Jour Ensoleillé is a great scent for men too.

Editor's Note: My first encounter with Laurie  Erickson and Sonoma Scent Studio was back in 2007. Jour Ensoleillé might have been one of the first of her perfumes I fell hard for, just like Steve. It has been slightly tweaked (from the 2006 version, l own in 2009), but is all the better for it. You can read our CaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery feature on Laurie here

Thanks to Laurie Erickson of Sonoma Scent Studio, we have a 17ml bottle of Jour Ensoleillé to offer anyone in the USA. Draw closes May 26, 2014. To be eligible please leave a comment about why you would like to try Jour Ensoleillé and if you have a favorite Sonoma Scent Studio Perfume.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

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49 comments

  • Heather F says:

    I love Winter Woods, and would love a bottle of this–thanks as ever for the draw!!

  • I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and New England – memories of hot summer fields with wildflowers and the golden glow that Laurie Erickson describes. This Jour Ensleille sounds wonderful and I would love to try it and get to know this perfume brand. I do not yet have a favorite from Sonoma Scent Studio.

  • Steve, I love your illustration of the movie ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock” as a reference to the perfume. You are right. It does manage to be proper, yet dreamy as if there is more than meets the eye. Great description! I have many samples from SSS and JE is one of my favorites. I would love to have a full bottle! I am in the USA

  • I would love to try Jour Ensoleillé for the happiness “gene” . It sounds so delightful. A friend speaks very highly of Wood Violet which sounds delicious so perhaps this would be my favorite.Thank you for the draw.

  • I too would like to applaud Laurie Erickson and Michelyn Camen for the gorgeous Yin & Ylang!
    I look forward to sniffing Jour Ensoleillé because I am such a fan of Laurie’s work, I love natural perfume, and I love that it’s an animalic, earthier orange blossom (I’m not a fan of the “clean” ones).
    Thank you for the generous draw. I’m in the US.
    My favorite SSS is Tabac Aurea but I also love Sienna Musk, Champagne de Bois and Wood Violet.

  • Jennifer witt says:

    I would love to win this scent as it contains my all time love, orange blossom, perfect for the advancing spring. I live in the US and do not currently have a favorite SSS.

  • hotlanta linda says:

    This sounds perfect!, period!! 🙂 let alone for warm weather…I seriously need to stock up on these love-ly scents… 🙂 Thank you for the article and draw!

  • My favorite SSS studio perfume is Jour Ensoleille 🙂 followed closely by Winter Woods and Sienna Musk. My favorite part of it is the glorious drydown of woods glowing with the white flowers. I would love to win this! I am in the US.

  • ringthing says:

    I love this scent, it smells like fields (Midwest) in late summer/early fall, when the dusty hay smell is everywhere and the leaves just start to turn; hot days and cool nights. I just have a sample but Jour Ensoilelle is the best white floral blend I have tried. I’m a fan of Laurie’s work and it’s hard to choose a favorite, but Forest Walk is high on the list. Thanks for the draw, I’m in the US.

  • I love Jour Ensolielle and think it is probably my favorite SSS perfume (tied with Incense Pure and closely followed by To Dream, and all of the violet and rose scents). I am a bit of a SSS groupie but lack the funds to indulge in many full bottles. I live in the US and would love to win this draw.

  • I was lucky and won a sample of Yin & Ylang loved it so I had to get a bottle. I also love Incense Pure from SSS. Laurie your amazing. Great job Steve, hope to see you periodically posting here in CaFleureBon. Thanks for the opportunity for the draw SSS. I am in the US.

  • With the Spring we’re having in the Northeast I’d love to have Summer in a bottle! My favorite SSS perfume is Winter Woods.I’m in the US.Thanks for the draw!

  • Suzanne M. says:

    I love so many of Laurie’s scents. I don’t think I can pick a favorite, but Jour Ensoleillé is right up there. Nothing would make me happier than to win a bottle. Thanks for the draw, I’m in the US.

  • I haven’t tried any Sonoma Scent Studio perfumes yet, but both this one and Yin and Ylang sound amazing. I love the smell of orange blossoms. I’m in the US.

  • Jennifer B says:

    I’ve been wanting to try SSS perfumes for awhile, but not yet had the opportunity. I think Yin and Ylang sounds wonderful and I’ve heard about Champagne de Bois, too. I live in the US. Thank you!

  • I love this line and love this perfume. My favorite of Laurie’s is still Champagne de Bois if I had to pick just one.

  • I love the sound of Jour Ensoleille- I have an unfortunate dearth of sunny day scents in my current collection. Also love Picnic at Hinging Rock-both the book and the movie. I’m in the US and would be hard-pressed to pick between Tabac Aurea and Incense Pure as my favorite SSS fragrance.

  • I adore Jour Ensoleille and Champagne de Bois. Laurie is incredibly talented. I love turning friends on to her magic!!

  • I am intrigued by SSS perfumes after an Australian friend posted on FB about Tabac Aurea, and have been very interested in trying them. I’ve shopped for samples, but my visits have been poorly timed because Laurie has shut the shopping cart down. Her blog mentioned this giveaway, so here I am! I love the description of Jour Ensoleillé — orange blossom and jasmine sound so nice. I can’t pick just one – I am very keen to try at least 10 of her scents (and was planning to do just that with the boxed samples she sells) so that I can learn which particular one resonates with me.

  • Jour Ensoleille is one of my favourite SSS perfumes as well 🙂 So happy.

    Don’t count me in the draw, I’m not in the US.

    Congrats Houndie on the guest post!

  • I’m torn between Laurie’s Velvet Rose (one of the best rose soliflores ever) and Jour Ensoleille. One aspect of JE not mentioned is the unusual and intriguing Myrrh note late in the dry down. I’m eager to try Yin & Ylang too!

  • My fav is Champagne de Bois. I would love to win JE as it sounds like Sun in a bottle. SsS has wonderful frags.

    Thank you!

  • Hi Steve, great review as always. I love white flowers esp. the ones listed in the fragrance. Love all the other notes that pull this together. This sounds so uplifting. I love these kind of fragrances. Siena Musk is another great one from Soma. In the USA thanks for the draw.

    By the way Steve, I connected to your link “The Scent Hound” and spent 4 hours holding my iPad reading all your reviews and stories. Couldn’t put iPad down till my arms went completely numb. Fun and informative and relatable.

  • I love Laurie’s fragrances! I grew up in the Northern California hills and can completely picture that late afternoon warmth and glow. Lovely!

  • I would like to win this for the orange blossom possibilities.
    My favorite SSSP is Cocoa Sandalwood. US

  • Thanks for all of the kind words all. I had a great time posting this love of a fragrance and guesting on CaFleureBon! Good luck to everyone on the draw. This lovely prize is a great way to start off the summer!

  • Thanks so much, Steve and Michelyn, for the lovely review! And many thanks for the kind comments from posters. To Sue and any international people who want to order when visiting the USA, be sure to email me even if the cart is down. I don’t want you to miss a chance for easy shipping when you visit, and I will take your orders even if I am on a break. Just give me enough lead time (10 days is good) to get the package to your destination in time to meet you there. Happy summer!

  • Jean Holman says:

    I am a relatively new perfumista and managed to acquire a sample of Jour Ensoleille Sonoma Scent Studio. I have been trying samples of fragrances blind – and then reading the reviews and breakdown after I have worn it for a day to see how I like it, unswayed by descriptions or comments. This was so hauntingly beautiful I almost didn’t believe my nose. A gorgeous floral with rustic undertones and the fresh layer of orange! The accord is luscious! I wore it for several days, and decided to buy a bottle when I discovered that Sonoma Scent Studio is on hiatus for the summer. Please, Please put me in the drawing! I am obsessed with this perfume!

  • I be been meaning to try some of Laurie’s scents for a while now. I have heard so many great things about them. I would love to try this scent to experience the happiness that Laurie describes it as. A rustic floral is something I think I could really enjoy wearing. I’m in the US and thanks for the draw! Great post Steve!

  • Oh, I love Picnic at Hanging Rock, and I love the scent of orange blossom! Sounds perfect for summer! My favorite SSS scent is Forest Walk, although many are lovely.

    *I’m US based.

  • USA
    Thanks for the review and draw! I would love to try this because I love hay and the golden hour is also my favorite time of day! no current sss fave because I’e never tried any yet.

  • There are so many good notes here; vetiver, neroli, and hay just to mention a few. I have not yet tried anything from this perfume house, and I must remedy that! I am in the US.

  • I absolutely love Laurie’s fragrances. I have tried many of them and really enjoy Champagne de Bois, Incense Pure, and Tabac Aurea, but Jour Ensoleille is my absolute favorite! It smells wonderful during any season and is a fragrance I never want to be without!!

  • Jour Ensoleillé is totally sunshine in a bottle, but if I absolutely had to choose my favorite from Laurie, it would be Rose Musc, though I would hate to have to choose! 🙂 thanks for the draw!

  • Josephine Carroll says:

    I can’t pick just one of SSS as my favorite. Four of my personal top 10 are from SSS. Forest Walk, Ambre Noir, Jour Ensoleillé and To Dream. I have sensitivities and have no adverse reactions to many of SSS products.

  • Jour Ensoleille sounds like the perfect spring-into-summer transition scent. I imagine this “sun-warmed bouquet” must smell as mornings do when the sun begins to get higher in the sky and the scent of jasmine is coaxed with the warm breeze. My favorite SSS thus far is Tabac Aurea. Thanks for the draw! I’m in the U.S.

  • My favorite SSS fragrance of the several I’ve tried just happens to be Jour Ensoleille! I’ve only a small sample vial however and I’ve been eyeing a full bottle for quite some time. I am in the U.S. Thank you so much for the draw!

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    a fragrance that may have topped yin & Ylang and has resemblance to classic Miss Dior, all the reason to be intrigued…my favorite Sonoma Scent Studio fragrance is Tabac Aurea. i am in the US. Appreciate the draw

  • Lauren B. says:

    The smell of hay is rare in perfumes but I love it when I find it! And how appropriate to include this note in a fragrance that translates to Sunny Day. I would love to try this one! I’m n the U.S. and have sampled Yin & Ylang – it’s on my “want list” and has been since lst sniff!

  • I’m intrigued because I’m curious about the comparison with Miss Dior — and also the Picnic at Hanging Rock connection, a movie that I saw when I was very young, didn’t understand then and it haunts me to this day. I live in the US and would love to sniff a bit of a sunny day in the bottle! Love so many of Laurie’s fragrances…adore Cocoa Sandalwood.

  • I would welcome trying this to see what I get from the oakmoss absolute.
    The Sonoma Scent I enjoy most is Sienna Musk. US. ty

  • hajusuuri says:

    Wonderful review dear Steve. I have to revisit Jour Ensoleille!

    DNEM as I was already the recipient of a most unexpected and generous gift of Yin & Ylang at Sniffapalooza from Michelyn and Laurie

    My favorites of the Sonoma Scent Studio line are: Fig Tree and Yin & Ylang for Spring (haven’t tried Yin & Ylang in hot hot weather yet), To Dream & Winter Woods for Winter and Forest Walk for Fall. Basically, every single one that I have a 5mL or more is super!

  • FearsMice says:

    The golden afternoon glow of Jour Ensoleille sounds lovely! Champagne de Bois is my favorite from SSS. Thanks for the draw.

  • Cynthia Richardson says:

    “Sunny Day” says it all. Like the golden late summer sunshine as the season moves toward fall – I have to add yet another fragrance to my list. Although I have not yet tried any of Sonoma Scent Studio’s liquid art, I would love to start with this one.

  • rivercitylizzy says:

    I am not entering the draw, as I already have the pleasure of a travel spray of Jour Ensoleille, but I wanted to comment on this lovely, absolutely spot-on tribute to one of my favorite scents. Bravo, Steve!

    Jour Ensoleille is indeed a happy scent for me; it picks me up off the floor when I’ve has a rough landing and soars along with me on my more effervescent days. A sample spray lives in my most often used purse and the fragrance has permeated the lining, such that I get a waft of pure golden afternoon every time I open it to dig out the mundane essentials of daily life. Jour Ensoleille goes anywhere, anytime and is a great LBD in my fragrance wardrobe.

    Good luck to the participants of the draw; I’m sure the winner will enjoy this scent!

  • I would love a bottle of Jour Ensoleill! I’ve sampled some of Sonoma scents and they are amazing- the depths and layers of the scents have you sniffing your arms all day. Thank you for the visual picture of JE, I long for days like those…sunny golden spent days of old…

  • Paul Hingst says:

    I’ve finally started sampling some fragrances from this house and so far I’ve liked them all. One of my favorites was Jour Ensoleille. I would to love to enter this draw.

  • I can’t resist orange blossom, and I do associate this note with calm and serene feelings, so I am excited to try this fragrance which takes that route. I am in the US and I don’t have a favorite but Forest Walk sounds really nice.