Eau Duelle Eau de Toilette

I loved this. This is the first dyptique i've tried directly on my skin. Before I dive in, I wanted to point out some missing notes that are listed on a few different websites (neiman marcus, dyptique): Top: pink peppercorn, juniper berry, green cardamom, elemi Heart: frankincense, calamus, black ceylon tea Base: bourbon vanilla, fernat vanilla, Haitian vetiver, cypriol Eau Duelle is conceptualized as a "duel" between vanilla and frankincense. It's inspired by olfactory travels through the Spice Route. To my nose this is beautifully illustrated as a warm and cool contrast. At first spray, a heavy hit of amber and vanilla almost turns talcy, like its powdery but also has a fresh sheen. I do get a hit of play doh but I am friends with that smell, like it's not synthetic, but feels gummy and tangible. Memory hit of a kindergarten classroom in the morning, wood tables, tea party with teddybears and play doh and fresh air. It is immediately delectable and comforting, but not too sweet and heavy. The vanilla is balanced by the sheer olibanum and ambergris, maybe the saffron (and vetiver?)... There is an air around this elemi and vanilla heart that is very transparent, uplifted by the pink peppercorn, almost aldehylic...yup its that ambergris trick again. That's at the turn of the warm to cool spice, because then I get this beautiful fresh and green bergamot, cypriol/juniper and cardamom dance that swirls together with the vanilla. Yes, this is a green vanilla. And sexy! It is not until about 30 minutes later that I get the smokey incense vibe, but I love that about Eau Duelle - it turns a vanilla into something thoroughly unisex and interesting but also takes away the rich, overbearing complexity that so many brands miss and cause headaches for the sake of what, a 15 minute hit? (looking at you, TF). The DNA of Eau Duelle is very versatile and acts as a skin scent. Like the name suggests, it's a happy medium between spicy, fresh, vanillac and musky / powdery. It does dry down into a straight-up cologne vibe, although musky, wow, with the peppercorn and olibanum and bergamot, reminds me of Eidesis from Aesop in the best way. I'm saving up for a full bottle for sure.

I have the EDT and the EDP. I have them on skin right now to compare for those that want this information. The EDT is less heavy. It’s airier and has more “old books, old library, balsam fir trees” going on. The vanilla in this is perfection. This has less lasting power but is my preferred scent between the two despite its faults. It’s possibly more feminine than the EDP because the EDP has a bourbon vanilla going on, while the toilette has a Madagascar, aged vanilla going on. I prefer the vanilla in the toilette. The winter trees are blended with the vanilla and they are the stars of the show, with the resins coming in as the background scents. It’s truly studying old books in an old library with a cup of tea at hand and candles lit on the candelabra. The EDP is denser, and the Bourbon vanilla here is more fragrant. It has the bourbon vanilla as the main star, with the resin coming in second and the winter trees as back up singers. The winter trees or Cypriol is sharper here as well. This scent is more serious. It’s sitting in a den library at home, with a finger of whiskey in front of a fire vibes. A touch more masculine to my nose than the EDT, but still unisex. I switch off which one I prefer. As of right now, the EDT is my reigning queen. I have purchased multiple bottles of both. They are truly in my top favorite fragrances of all time. These are among the most comforting scents I have put my nose on. I’m still as obsessed as I was the first time I smelled the EDT. The only pain about these is that a) no one else can smell them, I’ve never gotten a compliment because they’re so faint and b) they don’t last very long- 2 hours with regular spraying. With this knowledge, I tend to overspray the heck out of these, which sucks because they aren’t cheap. But still, I love them. My perfect scents 💕

Comparing this side by side with Eau Duelle EDP. EDP: Heavy punch of aromatics, its dustier & more forest-y / pine heavy. The dusty smell isnt a negative, its part of what makes this scent magical. Its got a dense incensey smell, like walking through a dark thick forest. Woody, smoky. EDT: First spray, much less aromatic than the EDP. Softer, rounder. Very light. Fairy in the woods vibe. Smoky, dusty, woody but dialed down. Middle notes EDP: leans more into the cypress. Very captivating, aromatic & strong, smoky. EDT: vanilla kicks in, becomes sweeter, almost a touch bubblegummy. Still has much lighter forest / pine notes with that "dusty" Eau Duelle DNA. Base notes EDP: Melds into this gorgeous vanilla, cypress & incense base. Really strong. To me, just very calming & captivating scent. Powerhouse forest vanilla. My favorite scent EVER for the cold months. EDT: My husband prefers this one, he likes the sweetness of the vanilla here more. To me, its just too light compared to the EDP. I like my fragrances to lean beast mode, EDT would be best if youre constrained by workplace fragrance rules or prefer skin scents! I think both are redundant to own in your collection as they are VERY similar - one is more aromatic & beastly (EDP) and the other is just lighter, leaning slightly more into the vanillic base (EDT). Its really the same scent just cranked up or down. That Eau Duelle DNA is dry, dusty, powdery but in the best way. Its just one of those scents you HAVE to try yourself. Its so unique. Never smelled something similar to this. I will always have this in my collection.

I know these notes aren't listed, but I'm getting this sweet, powdery, tobacco and sandalwood accord from this fragrance. The vanilla in here is nice and fluffy, and not overpowering, so the other notes can stand out. After looking at the notes, I think what reminds me of tobacco in here is the saffron note. Upon first glance, I assumed that this would be a fresh fragrance, but I was wrong. This is definitely more suitable for the colder weather. It's sophisticated, put together, and it draws you in. It smells like walking around in a turtleneck + trenchcoat (or other long jacket) in the winter while gentle snow falls from the sky. The saffron note is the most prominent note for the span of this fragrance, and I love it. Deep, woody, an invigorating. I think the ambergris helps to keep it dark and smooth. Lovely and spicy. Performance is alright. Projection is meh. Longevity is average. This is unisex, but definitely leans masculine for me. Smells dark and entrancing. Would I recommend giving this a try? Definitely. Is it worth the price? Honestly, nah. I usually say no when a fragrance is over 100 bucks, because there's usually a clone house that'll just dupe it eventually. But this is a fantastic fragrance. Overall rating: 8.7/10. This is a special occasions fragrance, or one that you wear once in a while. Its a special scent, definitely not suitable for everyday use.

An ode to one of my favourite perfumes: Eau Duelle EDT was love at first sniff! I'm someone who really loves vanilla, but I've always wanted a more true, pure vanilla. I don't always want something heavy or syrupy sweet. Well I was blown away when I first tried Eau Duelle. I had never smelled a fresh aromatic vanilla before, and it rocked my world! I've been in love with it ever since. I would describe Eau Duelle as a cold, spicy, aromatic vanilla. If I were to attribute a colour to it, it would be teal. I can't stop picturing the colour green while I wear this. It's so well-blended, it just feels natural and organic. This is high class, in my opinion. Subtle but sophisticated. It keeps an intimate scent bubble, which is to be expected of this type of scent. As my bottle has matured, its longevity and performance has improved, and I can even smell the scent on my clothes at night, after spraying in the morning. What more can I say? I love Eau Duelle, I think it's masterfully crafted. It always makes me feel calm and grounded, and I reach for it a lot. It's extremely versatile and fits most occasions, other than formal events where you would typically want to make a bold statement. Eau Duelle's beauty is in its refinement. If you get it, you get it. I once heard Eau Duelle described as a perfume for "cool people" and I fully concur!