Royal Water

2019 bottle. Creed's Royal Water. Let me start off by divulging that, I am in no way a Creed fanboy. Aventus is...fine (I don't own it, nor do I think I will), and I've far from explored the entire line. I'm also only 26, so this is a young man's take. I remember the day I discovered Royal Water. A 10ml decant. One spritz, and I despised it. Like a luxury bar of soap. Dated. I stored the decant away, and continued along my amateur fragrance journey. Then, one day, later, with a morw developed nose, I threw the decant in my bag for a solo summer road trip to outer Cape Cod. I decided to apply it before hitting the beach, and everything just clicked... Royal Water is simply stunning. Stunning, but simple. Opens so unbelievably fresh, bright, zingy, and straight up fizzy. Sparkly, like shoving your nose in a glass of iced seltzer, over muddled meyer lemon, basil, neroli, juniper, and a mint leaf garnish. The ambergris accord truly lends a bright, sea salty sparkle, and the musk is fuzzy, warm, and glues this to the skin. Longevity outperforms any freshie I've ever worn (i get about 12 hours before it disappears) and protection is absolutely nuclear for the first 3 hours. Fills a room. Halfway through, the citrusy sparkle and effervescence hushes down, leaving a clean, soft, almost sexy musk and ambergris base that plants itself on you. Yes, so some younger noses, this will smell a bit dated, or even "old lady". I don't get that. My 25 year old girlfriend loves this, and she finds it "very comforting and soft, but sexy in a way", while simultaneously reminding her of something her mother may have worn. It won't be for everyone. The beauty is in its simplicity, remarkable balance, and uniquely refreshing and oh-so natural vibe. The potency doesn't hurt. Wear this one to a secluded scenic beach on a blistering summer day, and I think you'll understand it. It's the epitome of a classy, natural, luxury summer fragrance, and, in my personal opinion, one of, if not the best offering from the House of Creed. Don't shoot. My personal summer daytime signature, and will forever be in my collection, for as long as I can obtain it. Back up bottle worthy. Scent: 9/10 Longevity: 8/10 Projection/Sillage: 10/10 Value: 7/10 Uniqueness: 7/10 Versatility: 8/10 Quality: 9/10 Overall: 8.5/10

This fragrance is beautiful. A hidden gem in my opinion and very underrated. My favourite creed is Virgin Island water, because its got that soft, sweet, and ever slightly clean element to the fragrance (as well as smelling like coconut and smelling VERY unique). This also has got that soft, sweet, clean element to it that smells unique. However its not as sweet and delicious smelling as VIW of course as it dosnt have the exoticness of it, but instead its got a citrusy, elegent vibe to it. It also reminds me of Creed Silver mountain water, but sweeter, and the citrus being more present. It also reminds me of Terre d’hermes, but instead of the dirty orange, its got that sweet, yet slight tangy citrus smell to it. I wouldn’t say this scent is for special occasions or to make a statement. Id say this is for days if you wanna feel clean and elegant, or an everyday scent. Id say if you love Creed Virgin Island water and silver mountain water, and you like Terre D’hermes, youd like this. Its got a slight sweetness of VIW, slight clean smelling as Silver Mountain water, and the elegence of Terre D’hermes (and more of expensive and natural smelling) than Terre D’hermes, yet same time it smells nothing like the perfumes ive mentioned. Definitely smells unique, and also smells very expensive! Probably one of the most expensive smelling creed fragrance, and definitely smells royal! Oh, and in terms of performance, its one of the best performers in the creed lineup, definitely strong and long lasting, but like with all creed, the price dosnt justify the performance. Alot of people say this is a summer scent, which I agree and disagree. I agree that this would perform better during the summer due to its citrusy scent, but disagree because its not too fresh, and you can smell some spices, so can get away with using it during the colder seasons. Also people say that this is a mature scent. Its definitely not the most mature smelling perfume ive smelled, but it is more on the mature, classy side rather than a youthful scent. However im 25 years old, im not the biggest fan of classy scents such as polo green, but I love this! Recommend NOT to blind buy, but overall if you wanna smell clean, fresh, elegant and expensive, this is the one for you :)

Royal water is a great fresh scent, simple and complex at the same time. The first hour is amazing, a nice combo of citrus, mint, basil and some spicies; a bit powdery, clean, elegant and classy. The vibe is mature but not in a bad way, the freshness of royal water is very uplifting and invigorating. After the first hour the fragrance became softer and simple, the musk and the cedar are more prominent and the citrus disappear. However, it is still nice until the end of its run. If you appreciate the Classic cologne type of scent, like acqua di parma colonia, eau sauvage, boucheron pour homme you will like royal water for sure. The performance is quite decent for a Creed, good longevity and moderate sillage. It Shines during the warm seasons, for formal and casual situation but with the right outfit. Good for people over 28. Royal water è un profumo fresco, elegante, classico, casual senza essere caciarone. La prima ora di questa fragranza per me è fenomenale, la combinazione agrumi, menta, basilico e spezie dà una freschezza tutta sua, un' eleganza e un benessere che pochi riescono. Dopo diventa più muschiato, pulito e ordinario ma sempre piacevole. Performance buona più in longevità più che per la scia. Per le stagioni calde, outfit casual ma non pacchiano. Non per teenager, lo vedo meglio dai 28 in su. Scent- 9 Longevity - 7,5 Sillage-7 Versatility-8 Uniqueness-8 Presentation-8 Compliment factor-8 Backup bottle? Maybe My vote-8,5 In one word- invigorating Alternative - dior eau sauvage, boucheron pour homme, acqua di parma colonia...

Overall this comes across as a fairly simple smelling scent (by design) with good note clarity. Zesty citrus, sharp herbal aromatics, an ambergris base for a fresh, yet slightly dry effect. Kinda like a fragrance version of a gin and tonic. There are obvious aldehydes with the giveaway slight soap vibe to add some shimmer to the top notes. Once the opening started to fade a bit, the frag used to have a really interesting mid that was dominated by peppery cumin, with some basil. It would then eventually dry down to a sweetish ambergris/wood base that was just really nice. I dont know if that mid section is really there anymore. I have an old version, and a newer version (relatively speaking - still the old 120 ml size) and the newer one I never really get the cumin mid, that is so obvious in the earlier batch. I'd like to compare both to a brand new batch, but I am far from needing more. I see it compared to 1872. Maybe there is some overlap but to me they are pretty different in the end. 1872 is far more complex overall and has a much different place on the "green" spectrum. There is a heart of really bitter, pungent musky greens in 1872 (galbanum, tagette, petigrain, labdanum) for more of an old world chypre effect (old world - not old fashioned) but layered with a warm citrus/amber vein for an unusual result. Royal Water is a brighter, more straightforward freshie, but with a dry herbal element that gives it a bit of a stuffy, day at the polo grounds vibe.

I won't lie and pretend money is no object. I bought a 2.5oz of Royal Water for, relative to Creed's retail prices, dirt cheap. I bought it for that reason, as well, looking for a sophisticated summer scent. It looks and acts like a Creed. Fantastic presentation, sprayer, etc.. This opens with a blast of spicy citrusy drier sheets?! What exactly did I buy? This is a Creed, right? Well, yes, it is. Citrus up top, somewhat spicy, clean. This is the fragrance. Musk, hint of the usual Creed ambergris on drydown. Like others have noted, nothing out of this world... But yet, it is. Everything smells absolutely divine. It does what it does extremely well even if that is not something complex. The beauty is definitely in the simplicity here and I don't say that to be pretentious. For price per mL, the performance is definitely average (which is par for the course with a lot of Creed's work). 4-6 hours of longevity, one hour of great sillage. However, it is a volatile summery type of scent so that is also par for the course. Unisex, though in my humble opinion, masculine. All ages. This can be dressed up, dressed down, whatever. Utility scent for sure and absolutely sophisticated. You will be the best smelling person in the vicinity. Though simple, it has taken me quite a few wearings to figure it out which has made me love it all the more.

I wore this fragrance just yesterday and, after picking-up cheaply on the discount market a few years ago, it has become one of my favorite Creed's and a top Summer scent. One of the most underrated fragrances from Creed! I picked-up a bottle on the discount market not expecting much because this one gets little attention (it was cheap) and what a gem this turned out to be. I will be needing another bottle before the Summer is out. Thanks for the info from some members on the clear versus frosted bottle. I have the frosted bottle and need to get another one soon. I just love that minty-basic-citrus fusion blended with that telltale Creed DNA. Personally, I don't notice a heavy floral accord with the older formulation, but really interested in putting my nose and comparing both versions. I just hope I'm not disappointed. I get a solid 7-8 hours out of the older frosted bottle, which is fantastic for a citrus scent on my skin. For example, I have a 500ml flacon of Creed Neroli Sauvage and, while it smells fantastic, it doesn't last but an hour or two on my skin. I give Royal Water a solid 9/10 but, beware, it is not for everyone. However it is a must try if you enjoy a high-quality citrus-herbal-mint fragrance that performs well in the Summer heat; it is a very refreshing fragrance with a fine gentleman's edge to it.

As for some fragrancies, it’s all about your skin, I guess. In my local shop, the bemused young black guy behind the counter told me he had just put it on himself as they had brought it in (at my bequest), and he smelled like a 60 yo white woman! So do beware that due to chemistry interaction, this scent may indeed transgress and clash with your (perceived) gender identity, but it’s not in itself ”unisex”. Rather it strongly leaning towards the male domain (much like Silver Mountain leans towards the female), even if not over the top so (like Himalaya). This perfume is the answer to whether a frag can be both lofty whimsical at the same time as it projects an honest and reliable impression. To me, the top notes are never really that important, unless you’d want to overwhelm for some reason. The core is a lovely juniper, spicy cardamon and basil, though, and it’s got a distinctive bright, fresh and dry quality to it, like a bleacher changing room. The real hook, however, is the vibrant, Creedy ambergris scent it impresses on your skin scent. Or my at least; as a skin scent, it stays with me for the better part of 24 hours. Which is the reason I’m thinking of using this as my warmer seasons scent. Not a day scent, per se, as it’s quite sensual (...in between sweaty sheets). Whenever the heat is on, I’d say.

I like this. Reminds me a lot of L'eau D'issey by Issey Miyake, which I like a lot. I'm surprised no one has brought up the similarity. Only the Creed is deeper, richer of course. The citrus, juniper berries and mint conspire to produce a tart and sour accord similar to the yuzu in L'eau D'issey's. Royal Water is much closer to L'eau D'issey than to Guerlain Homme L'eau Boisée. And this stuff seems to just hang and hang around. Doesn't seem to have any performance problems, probably due to the deep, rich musks and ambergris. But I have sprayed a lot. Also shares some characteristics with Dior Eau Sauvage EDT. Citrus is different, but both are brilliant. The similarities are mainly in the rich, deep musky base. It's hilarious reading some of the reviews below. This fragrance deserves a far higher rating than a 4.05. Update: Royal Water smells like one half of Paris – Édimbourg by Chanel. This Chanel smells like a hybrid of Royal Water and AdP Ginepro di Sardegna. Update 9/17/24: Has this been reformulated recently? I could have sworn it used to have juniper berry and mint notes. If so, I have the older formulation. And, if so, what is Kerring doing to the Creed brand? Also, someone above mentioned Monsieur de Givenchy, which I wore yesterday. Yes, I can smell the comparison.

One of my favorites, although I was not impressed first time I smelled it. The new formulation of Royal Water is quite a bit different from the old: my 2014 and 2019 batches are miles apart. While the foundation of the fragrance is the same (juniper and bay leaf, not basil leaf to my nose), the old formulation had it more balanced with a beautiful opening of citrus and mint and a noticeable ambergris in the base, the new formula has the mid amped up and the opening and ambergris dialed way down. Oddly enough, I like them both equally, perhaps the new batches more so: the performance is much better with later formulations (not the case with other Creeds) and it made Royal Water more unique as a result. The bay leaf note is very rich and multidimensional (in a very botanical way maybe but still gorgeous) and the juniper berries bring out gin and tonic notes: as a result the new formulation is very fresh, botanically green, bay leafy aromatic. The imagery I have is having a gin and tonic on a hot summer day in London's Botanical Garden. Very manly, classy (maybe slightly old school) but a great scent all around. A different type of green scent yet again from Creed, joining the long list along with Green Irish Tweed, Original Vetiver, Aventus and Bois du Portugal.

This is maybe my favorite fragrance of all time. There aren't a lot of notes in this one, but they're perfectly blended and there's a certain beauty in its simplicity. Nothing about this scent smells synthetic. To me, this one smells like someone went out to their garden and picked some fresh basil and mint, went inside, zested some lemons and grapefruits, then squeezed all that into a bottle. It starts with an effervescent blast of tart citrus, cool mint, and sweet basil, then dries down into a complex slightly floral, peppery, sweet citrus. Absolutely outstanding fragrance. I love this one so much, I made a cocktail inspired by it. The Royal Smash: Muddle 3 mint leaves and 3 basil leaves in a mixing glass. Add ice. Add: 1 oz Absolut Citron vodka 1/2 oz simple syrup 1 oz Bombay Sapphire gin 1/2 oz fresh squeezed yuzu juice (you can substitute yellow grapefruit) 2 dashes of lime bitters Shake, strain over ice, garnish with a lemon twist. Serve in a rocks glass. Performace-wise, this one is somewhat subtle. It doesn't have huge projection, but it projects well enough. Longevity is short-moderate, the only real downside. It can be worn in just about any setting, for just about any occasion. 9.5/10. Flawless scent, but longevity issues take it down a half point.

Royal Water was a delightful discovery. In my opinion, it’s a fragrance you can wear all year round. It opens with a burst of citrus—fresh but never sharp or overpowering. The scent starts off quietly, almost subtly, but soon reveals itself with a discreet yet noticeable trail. Shortly after, notes of mint and basil begin to emerge. It’s a greener, almost sparkling kind of freshness that gives the fragrance a lively energy. There’s also a touch of spice—perfectly balanced—that adds depth and character without ever feeling heavy or overwhelming. As the hours pass, the scent warms slightly thanks to a soft base of amber and musk, which stays gentle and understated—making it just as wearable on warmer days. It never becomes intrusive; on the contrary, it maintains its clean, fresh personality all the way into the evening, with impressive longevity for such a light composition. What makes Royal Water so special is exactly this: it’s a versatile, easy-to-wear fragrance that’s far from ordinary. It’s ideal for spring and summer, but if you love fresh scents, I truly believe it’s one you can enjoy year-round.

‘15 batches of Royal Water are definitely a more soapy/barbershop style of fragrance compared to recent batches. The sparkling ambergris note is actually more noticeable in the modern batches (my decant is from 2021) than in my vintage 120ml bottle which leans a bit more masculine. I actually slightly prefer the ‘21 bottle due to the juicy citrus and vivid ambergris in the dry down, but both are extremely satisfying. ‘15 120ml bottle: soapier and more masculine with a strong basil note. I’m also getting subtle hints of geranium even though it’s not listed in the note breakdown. The mint is also more noticeable in this one than in my 2021 decant. Batch code #S3615P01 2021: A very creamy citrus that seems to be more linear than in the ‘15 batch. Definitely better silage in the first 2-3 hours but less longevity compared to the older version. My girlfriend also thought that this one was slightly more feminine leaning (probably because of the strong musk/citrus nuance). This one also seems to get me more compliments. Can’t go wrong with either, in my opinion!

Royal Water opens with a blast of citrus fruits and spice with juniper, basil, and mint. Very fresh and clean and there is some nice soapiness. The dry down is typical musky Creed with added spicy basil and mint and a touch of soap. It doesn’t remind me a lot of Clive Christian 1872 (which I also own) as it isn’t as citrusy nor does it have the vetiver-like notes. Same style, but quite different. I do prefer 1872. Medium sillage and ok lasting power. Sits close to the skin anyways, but it lasts 6+ hours on me, which is very good for this style of fragrance. I really like Royal Water but it is stupidly expensive at retail. Under $200/100ml is reasonable from the discounters and it is generally readily available. This is a very masculine fragrance and suits a more mature crowd IMO. Not one of my favourite Creeds, but it is a very nice warm weather fragrance. Spring/summer and warm fall days only for me.

This was a surprise. I really nice one. Ultra romantic, sexy, and very easy going. It has a light sweet quality like an old fashioned bar of soap, or an after shave lotion, mixed with a misty grey salty quality, turned a gentle aqua with the introduction of herbal notes. This scent is a turn on, I would find it extremely attractive on another man. First spray: bitter sweet herbal zappy... just great. A nice perk up midday. Easy, unpretentious. 15 mins in: clean, soap, warm skin, salt. Totally hot. Immediately sexy. 1 hour in: salty, sexy, sweet... gentle but persistent. Erotic. 3 hours in: hasn't budged from the 1 hour mark. Its so sexy, its distracting. I immediately want to turn others on wearing it, as much as it turns me on. It is a compliment-catcher... its both clean and naughty. It's surprisingly simple, and straightforward, so so easy to wear. Layered with Neroli Sauvage, its irresistible.

One of the less in your face Creeds. You can tell it's a little dated, but it's still wonderful. I had a new 100ml and also have a 2013 75ml Millesime and the difference between the two is very clear imo. The new formulation has more basil (so much indeed that I got rid of it), the older one is more balanced. It's a mainstream freshie DNA with the Creed ambergris charm and smooth blending, definitely one of my favourites from the brand. Less attention grabbing than Erolfa or Millesime Imperial (and also more calming), but absolutely worth sampling, especially if you can get your hands on an older formulation. The juniper x basil in the mid are very well balanced and have a vibe that is both slightly herbal and medicinal but also fresh and invigorating. It's like a higher quality freshie flanker of Dunhill Icon, with high quality ingredients and Creed signature ambergris. Love it.

I might be stating the obvious when I say that this is the freshie to Royal Oud. It's probably one of the best performing Creeds out there. It starts off with a blast of 4711, making you think 'oh dear, I bought a very expensive 4711' but no, a couple of minutes in and all the other notes creep in, and it turns into one of the most unique freshies I have ever smelled. It's almost like a Take on Penhaligons Blenheim Bouquet or Savoy Steam, except much much better. As others have mentioned, this is indeed a hidden gem, this will be one of the repeat Creeds that will live in my collection alongside Green Irish Tweed, Original Santal, and Aventus Cologne. Edit: after several months of wear, out of 90+ Niche frags and out of 10 Creeds, this is my number one fav Creed, my number one summer frag, my number one feel good frag, my number one dumb reach and in my top 5 of all time.

Clean and zest lemon opening. Maybe one of the best I’ve come across.. the basil and musk gives it a little bit mature vibe, but in fact it’s classic and classy for the hot weather. A billion dollar worth attitude fragrance for summer and chique party events. The performance Projection : strong for a creed maybe one of the strongest Longevity: 6/7 hours but under my shirt maybe 8-9. Scent: simple but classy.. it’s extreme clean and well blended as all of the creeds. Batch: 17Q01 Edit: Longevity is out of this world. 16 hours on my clothes with even some whiffs and on my skin if a smell deeply I can smell it. So 4 hours strong in the skin than 12+ hours skinscent and on clothes it’s eternal! Summer fragrance for sure it shines in the warmer weather you can feel so relaxed and cooled down

When I first smelled it, I was okay, this is THE masterpiece. Having tried more than 100 samples in the same month, i wasnt impressed more with any other freshie. I bought it instantly. Then, while i wore it for the first time, i hated it. The guy’s comment below , about the 60yo old lady, resonated on my head, and i was mad, mad , wanted to get rid of it. Days went by, and i started to like it again. It’s purely for mornings, like a sunday walk or gifting yourself a nice smell to start off the day. It’s a complex, unique scent, in the ‘freshies’ line which is hard to do. Projection and longevity is perfectly fine, and as it should be. Some days I love it, some days I don’t prefer it. Do I regret buying retail the 100ml? Final verdict, no.

@The Wolf Unfortunately, Creed doesn't actually use real ambergris. There is a captive molecule that makes up much of the Creed house ambergris accord (quite a bit of ambroxan, actually), and it's entirely unique to Creed (being a captive molecule). Royal Water definitely doesn't have genuine ambergris in it, but I fully agree with you - the Creed ambergris accord here is really stunning - sparkly, shimmering, effervescent, and almost salty. While most Creeds use this accord in the base as part of the Creed signature, I find Royal Water to be the best highlight of it, and it really gives it that salty, sparkling zip which blends so nicely with that musk base. Not to correct you or be a know-it-all, I just thought you might care to know!

I wasn’t sure how much I’d like this one at first, but I love it now. Aromatic like Erolfa, but totally different profile. It is so fresh and invigorating. Got this from Max Forti’s website of all places. It’s definitely citrusy, but something about the way it’s aromatic makes the citrus very balanced and inviting. I would guess this is due to the well done supporting role of the juniper, among other notes. It’s most likely not your “typical” compliment getter, but I doubt you’d offend anyone either. And, you will get compliments from people, just not in the mass appealing designer fragrance way, more from people who appreciate good fragrance. And anyone who likes a really fresh, crisp, well put together scent profile.