L'Ombre Dans L'Eau Eau de Toilette

Usually... I would hate something like this. I cannot always get behind the rose heavy scents, but this... wow... simply blew me away. It is so light... so refreshing... But beautifully composed. Diptyque really is a perfume powerhouse and you can just smell the quality immediately. This one surprised me. I was standing in Mecca doing the rounds sniffing at each bottle on the Diptyque shelf and I just kept going back to this one, totally mesmerised and perplexed by it's quality. I was also quite attracted to the simple design on the label, so dainty and understated, it stood out amongst its peers of more intricate landscape illustrations. I did not really like Eau Rose, which just goes to show that rose, for me, struggles to really pull a good balance in a scent depending on what's surrounding it. For example, Byredo's 'Rose Noir' was quite delectable and rich, very palatable, but their 'Young Rose' was screechy and headache inducing, high pitched and sickly sweet. Ironically, Eau Rose may be the more mature rose scent compared to this, but L'Ombre Dans L'Eau sparkles with a delicate and breathy bat of the eyelashes, sweet smile: juicy currants smashing into soft dewy rose petals, tang of thorn and leaf, then carried by a current of waves (that ambergris...) into an earthy bed of myrrh and amber. Yes oh yes oh yes. This is the fresh green floral fragrance of dreams. This is soooo... astounding. I wish I could put my finger on what it reminds me of, as it has a quality that is deeply comforting to me. Perhaps it is its general air of nostalgia... I like strawbrrymelk's allusion to the gothic in this scent because it is indeed of some quality— it's probably the myrrh. Church-like, in that way. I can picture green green trees after rain, flanking a gorgeous old church, and in the church yard, closed in by iron gates, budding white roses, tinged with pink. Fleshy. And you pluck one, the thorn digs into your finger as you wander inside. 'Father forgive me for I have sinned'. Hail Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with thee... She's a girl of certain innocence, but one that is subdued sad and forlorn. She'll make you smile when you think about her, and in a crowd, you'll long to hear what (little) she has to (is willing to) say, because whenever she speaks it is always in a quiet manner immensely profound and well educated. Nothing is overstated. No superiority whatsoever in her intonations. Her books are hidden behind heavy cupboard doors, and their margins are lightly marked, notes taken only, with pencil. L'Ombre Dans L'Eau lifts off the little cream note that possesses a scrawling of 'listen to me' atop a carefully burnt disc: White Poppy 'Something Sacred' Sea Oleena 'Calvisius' Lovesliecrushing 'Plume' Lewis Baloue 'Bringing You a Rose' bar italia 'Rage Quit' Anna Laplantine 'Where it Goes' Woo 'Don't Delay' A vial is all I possess currently but I'm so taken by this scent that I feel feverish for a full bottle. • 3 Feb 23 • The girl that helped me at the Mecca that I acquired the tester from, we really hit it off, chatting for ages all while testing perfumes and dissecting their scent profiles. We added each other on facebook. I went back to the store the next day she was working and she told me it was her last day there, and offered to gift me her employee's discount for any perfume of my choosing. Such a kind, thoughtful gesture rendered me so overwhelmed with weepy joy, I couldn't believe it. I plucked out the 100ml of L'Ombre Dans L'Eau. I can now say, from wearing it properly, this scent seems to really project beautifully off my skin. I adore these notes in tandem, though I noticed included in the ingredients is citronellol, which once I saw, I could not ignore the citronella smell. This made me fear it to be of an 'insect repellant' quality. Luckily, it dissipates. I wore it over to my friends house and when I hugged her, she hummed 'wow, you smell yummy'. We went swimming in her pool, and apparently, she said, when I jumped into the water, a big wave of the scent burst out after me and she was hit with a wall of L'Ombre Dans L'Eau. I was quite surprised to hear such a thing! To me, this is a delicate and intimate scent, but I seem to get nose blind quite easily. But it turns out, it's quite a powerful fragrance! At least powerful enough to withstand the wash of chlorine. I guess it performs well in its natural habitat: dans L'Eau.

You are roused from your sleep to the tranquil sound of softly chirping birds and the warmth of the early morning sun on your face. Summer has just started, and the heat hasn't quite set in yet. You rise to greet the day, don a freshly-laundered simple cotton number, and exit your cottage through the back door that opens into your secluded private garden. It rained last night - the sun's rays glisten in a thousand tiny facets of light, caught in the smattering of water droplets that cling precariously to the petals, leaves, and stems throughout your garden. The Bulgarian roses your spouse planted are in their last wave of blooming. Their luscious petals strike a vivid contrast against the backdrop of your black currant bushes that are heavy with their first round of berries and residual rainwater. Using your bare hands, you spend a few moments harvesting the ripest berries you can find. Next, you carefully select and cut a handful of the roses to create a long-stem bouquet. Carrying the bouquet in one hand and a sachet of currant berries in the other, you silently exit your garden and start walking barefoot down the trail that leads to the thicket of evergreens behind your cottage. Your footsteps are muffled by the pine needles and damp moss that cover the path. A short time later, you reach the river - you hear it before you see it. You've avoided coming here since the accident last summer - your throat seizes and chest aches once you catch sight of the calmly flowing waters. The pain passes momentarily, and is replaced by a longing, a need, a calling directly from the depths of the water straight to the center of your heart. You reach the riverbank, and follow it for a few moments until you come to a willow tree that partially overhangs the water. It's trunk is obscured by a thick leafy curtain of delicately swaying branches - you gently push them aside, and let them fall back into place behind you as you enter the willow's domed canopy. The branches flow down and around you, cocooning you as you kneel at your spouse's gravestone. You pay your respects, and place all but one of the fresh-cut roses on the stone marker. Afterwards, you sit on the cool mossy bank at the base of the willow tree and slowly eat the currant berries while overlooking the glittering water. A gentle breeze rustles through the leaves. When you finish the berries, you pick up the last remaining rose and carefully remove it's petals one by one, gently tossing them into the river. The image of the floating petals swirling between flickers of light and shadow on the water's surface mesmerizes and soothes you, and you slip into that space between dreaming and consciousness. You see the soul of your deceased spouse, reaching out and calling to you from the rocky depths, pleading for you to join them. You oblige, and step into the cool water to meet in an ethereal lover's embrace. Sinking further into the darkness and trailed by a smattering of rose petals, you look back one last time at the dimming sunlight streaming down from the water's surface...and everything fades to black.

This is the one that opened my eyes to the photorealistic world of Diptyque, and made me want to try them all. After I smelled it for the first time only just over a year ago, it quickly made its way into my short list of utmost favourite scents, and is the only scent I never tire of wearing everyday for many days and even weeks in a row. L'Ombre dans L'eau is, in my world and my humble opinion, a true masterpiece. To me it evokes a calm feeling of a relaxing summer day, in the South of France for instance, on the banks of a river. It is not too hot, the weather is perfect, the sky is blue with a few white puffy clouds. Birds chirp in the background. I am strolling under the shade of lush dark green leaves. The air is dry, and I perceive an astringent smell of the greenery. That is the opening. The scent is bright and beautiful. Then, depending on the real weather I am in, the smell can morph into different ways. In the same day I'm wearing it, it will also change. Sometimes it's like the breeze picks up and brings soft wafts of black currant buds. Sometimes they are accompanied by black currant sweet fruits. Sometimes I smell that tomato leaf people talk about. Sometimes the wind brings the smell of tender rose buds. Often during the stroll I smell the whole rose bush, which is how I most love roses in perfumery: the flowers, the leaves, the stems bush, and the soil underneath. Oh that soil! Sometimes the breeze picks up a little stronger, and the water will caress more grass and flora, bringing a beautiful damper green smell. L'Ombre dans L'eau lasts all day on me, bringing me the calm of this riverside stroll during my whole day. For an edt and a Diptyque, it's longevity is excellent. I have tried the edp many times, but (and most people might disagree with me on this matter) on myself and as with most Diptyques, while the epd is usually deeper, the edt versions brings me a little extra sparkle and joy. Plus when I compare trying the edt and edp on each arm, I have never found the edp to outperform the edt. (With the exception of Eau Rose, but I'll leave that discussion for another day and meriting their own reviews in their own pages). On a last note, as with most Diptyque photorealistic scents, I most enjoy them not when I'm in the middle of a bustling sophisticated city, but when I can enjoy a slower paced moment and with contact with nature.

without a doubt, the best thing i have ever smelled. the further i delve into my exploration of fragrances, the more frequently i run back to this scent. the central white rose is the star of the show to my nose, but it’s beautifully complemented by the shadowy cassis and slightly marine ambergris. it conjures up an image of a secluded faerie garden under a cloudy sky, or even shakespeare’s tragic heroine ophelia. contrary to diptyque’s current marketing, i hesitate to call l’ombre dans l’eau unisex; it’s almost hyperfeminine, so confrontational in its bracing green stemminess that i can see how its cold, elegant confidence can be perceived as having a masculine edge. the notes aren’t traditionally “seductive” in that they eschew warmth and skank of any kind, yet i constantly get compliments wearing this from people of all genders (especially other women who want to know what i’m wearing!) i’ve also seen it described as gothic by others before, though i can only imagine it being gothic the same way early cocteau twins’ music was— melancholy, yes, but comparatively romantic and delicate, in stark contrast to ‘80s heavy-hitters like dior poison. speaking of cocteau twins, this scent really reminds me of their music as a whole, and i’m looking forward to layering it with ethereal wave, the new release from liis fragrances that’s directly inspired by them. the reviews on this perfume seem to be rather polarized, and i can’t say i blame anyone for that. the scent profile isn’t the most conventional, and both sillage and longevity admittedly aren’t the best. but for anyone looking for a unique rose or a true, green freshie, l’ombre dans l’eau is THAT girl. that true, one of a kind, wistfully aloof it-girl.

okay, so i had doubts with this perfume. first time i smelt it, i was like... wayyyyy to green, and took a step back. but as i waked around the store with the tester in my hand, i gave it another sniff. i was confused, i didn't know if i liked it or not, yes it was still green but the sweetness came through. Then i tried it on my hand, and then i realised, it smelt like a very green bush, people mention it smelling like a tomato.no. it smells like tomato leaves (i think thats what cassis smells like). and you get this fresh rose, which is syrupy but fresh and not too sweet like eau rose. This rose does not smell plasticky at all, i love this rose (i am picky with my rose). like 70% green, 20% rose. then there is something that breaks between them i wanna say its 10% berry like. This is your fresh (freshest and greenest) summer scent, it can't be for any other season, wear this when you are running errands on a sunny day. This gives off an artsy feeling, like you need to have taste to like this scent, i see this on 20-30 yr old's cause of the lack of powderiness and heaviness. Not your strong in the face scent, this is an in and out projection, you get whiffs of it every now and then. Its dreamy in the sense that i've never smelt anything like this, very much like a fairytail scent (idk why it reminds me of romeo and juilet), but it feels like you wearing your summer dress, and laying out in the grass under the sun. there is this dark element to it, feels like a plot twist idk. its you either love it or hate it, there is no in between, so test it out if you get a chance to, otherwise this is the scent which will grow on you as you keep wearing it. Edit: i still love this scent!!!

L'Ombre Dans L'Eau by Diptyque is not just a perfume; it is a sensorial experience that transports the wearer to a rain-soaked garden. Created in 1983, it still remains one of the cornerstones of artistic perfumery for its ability to be avant-garde while being profoundly natural. masterpiece by Serge Kalouguine. A garden by the river. Unlike classic sweet or powdery florals, this fragrance explores the green, harsh and wild side of nature. An explosion of blackcurrant leaves. It is a pungent, almost "scratchy" odor, reminiscent of fingers crushing a green leaf between their hands. The Damascena Rose slowly emerges. It is not a confectionery rose, but a dark, fleshy and wet rose, made fresh by the citrus touch of Bergamot and Mandarin. The base brings out Ambergris and Musk offering a clean and slightly aquatic base, which evokes the image of shade (hence the name) and coolness near a stream. This fragrance is famous for its contrast between the sweetness of the rose and the vegetal acidity of the currant. L'Ombre Dans L'Eau is the ideal choice for those looking for an intellectual and melancholy olfactory signature. It is distant from commercial fashions; it doesn't try to please with sugar, but enchants with its almost "botanical" naturalness. It is the scent of those who love solitary walks, literature and the smell of the earth after a storm. If you know Philosykos (also by Diptyque), you will surely appreciate this masterful management of greenery.

Green, salty, fresh, spicy, slightly aquatic, inky and tart. L'ombre Dans L'eau is all of that in one bottle, basically. I've always wanted to try this, and when I spied a SpaceNK when I was in York, I took the opportunity to sample the entire Diptyque range, and this, which I nearly blind bought earlier on that month because I thought I'd like it, turned out to be a solid love at first sniff! I find with L'ombre Dans L'eau that it doesnt smell like it has a typical top, mid and base construction, its more kaleidoscopic, every note becomes apparent as soon as you spray it, but at the same time its not a linear scent. The notes that stand out the most on me are blackcurrant leaf, ambergris and there is an unlisted tomato vine note in this, I'm positive of it, its also got a very greenhouse type green grassy-ness to it. Its a compliment getter for sure, it gets me compliments like "You smell great" rather than "Your fragrance smells great". its a very natural scent, I love it so much that its now my signature scent, its so unique and not very common where I live. I'm looking forward to wearing this in the warmer humid months, I think it will smell wonderfully refreshing in the heat of the summer.

L’Ombre dans L’Eau is a niche (pun intended) continuation of the Eau de Campagne theme. While EdC focuses on the herb patch of the garden, with the midday sun and the galbanum overdose, L’Ombre moves to the front porch, where the afternoon breeze and the cool water in the pond carries over the rose bushes, the fruit tree in the neighbors yard and the plants that surround the flowers. L’Ombre carries a rich moist greenness. A heady ripeness, where the blackcurrant shines with its twigs and leaves primarily, and fruit secondary. It’s not fruity but ripe. The roses, naturally similar to geranium, give a rich floral sweetness that shines with the buds and leaves, lending a slight lemon touch. Mossy, ambery notes anchor it to skin for hours. There’s a similarity to 70’s chypres like Amazone, later Courreges In Blue, but it doesn’t feel like a clone. They share the same vibe. Edp is slightly richer and sweeter. Edt shines stronger with a more ethereal (yet not fleeting) feel. It captures the scent better imho. Malle followed on the theme with his Synthetic series, although Diptyque does it better. Still excellent, still impressive and worthy of green scent lovers. The whole garden in a bottle!

Listening to chillwave, drinking a full glass of ice water then spritzing Diptyque L'Ombre Dans L'Eau is what I would call "Shadow in the water" The dreamy, shoegazing sounds of whispers and synth touch on the icy feel of the water and aromatic qualities of L'Ombre Dans L'Eau. The music is like a soft shadow, starts off melodiously with celery and black currant leaf notes. Purely green - a naturopath's paradise. Five minutes in, a violin ensemble of budding roses and black currants bewitches the consciousness. Offbeat yet so softly feminine. The bundles of black currants are sour, unripe and organic, neither candied nor syrupy. The black currants never overpower, always subdued with the timbre of black currant leaf and cassia. The transition from middle notes to dry down is simply enthralling. The rose and black currant lose their character as woodsy ambergris and classical musk stirs, as if the freshness had dematerialized. L'Ombre Dans L'Eau lingers from morning to twilight for a full 7 hours, and flourishes with medium to heavy sillage. L'Ombre Dans L'eau is an abstract yet down to earth experience of sorts. Best enjoyed with a glass of chilled water on a clear, early summer's day.

I love Diptyque perfumes; they evoke the atmosphere and nature in an extremely poised and refined way. L'Ombre Dans L'Eau recounts a carefree moment from the childhood of its creator, and it deeply affects those who smell it for the first time because it evokes a memory that is actually common to many of us: when, tired, after playing, we sit in the shade on the lawn and our hands take on that sap-filled smell of fresh grass. Leaves, the slightly tart tone of currant, an aromatic hint of citrus, dewy wild roses, a fresh breath of hill air—how can you not be enchanted? It's marketed as feminine, but to my nose, it's perfectly unisex. I don't consider it a fruity floral but more of a pungent aromatic, and I detect it as tart with a sweet undertone that barely peeks through in the drydown. I think it would work equally well on men's skin. Spraying it on in the height of summer is an extremely satisfying gesture, refreshing and quenching like a glass of iced infusion, and smelling it is a peaceful and meditative experience worth experiencing at least once in a lifetime. For an eau de toilette, its performance—while not stellar—is absolutely satisfying.

The brand’s own line: “A fleeting, nature-filled moment transformed into a perfume”; already sums it up perfectly, but I can’t help adding my own thoughts. That opening (the one most people seem to dislike for being too green and stemmy) is, for me, the most beautiful moment. I keep coming back to it, over and over again. Every stage of this perfume has its own charm, but that first burst feels the most alive. It makes me want to spray it all over my hair and run through the wind... Here, you’ll find a delicate rose, powerful bergamot, and plenty of blackcurrant berries. But these berries aren’t sweet and ripe; they’re green, tangy, slightly bitter, and full of juice. If you know Luna (by Penhaligon's), imagine her greener twin; that’s this one. I blind bought this, cautiously, avoiding the EDP because of the ammoniac note; and it turns out that was the right choice, as I don’t get that nuance here. Normally I’m not into layering at all, but this one with Philosykos (EDP) creates something remarkably green and vivid. They’ve become complementary companions. Tag(s): Green, citrusy, juicy, spring, vivid

This is the most artistic perfume I’ve ever smelled, and a completely unexpected true love. It feels like a story in a bottle, and I wish I could experience these kinds of feelings about a perfume again. “Garden after the rain” is probably the closest description. The opening has very strong blackcurrant leaf notes, and then the rose appears. I used to associate rose perfumes with older ladies or with very polished, pedantic people, which is completely opposite to my personality. But this rose is different. It literally makes my eyes water with how accepting this perfume is of every part of the rose - its stems, leaves, and thorns. This rose was not raised for sale. It’s not sitting in a vase or arranged in a pretty bouquet. It’s a wild rose still blooming on a shrub that hasn’t been pruned in forever, now all enmeshed with a blackcurrant bush in a mysterious garden. It rained heavily last night, and now it’s foggy, and the rose has dew on its petals. There is so much character and honesty in this fragrance.

Gosh, this is gorgeous! Crushed green cassis leaves served with yummy rose marmalade. Aggressively green, sweet and sour, fresh to almost astringent heights... ...a composition which probably messes up your concept of pretty roses for ever. If you are more into aromatic and green scents than straightforward florals you will probably love it. Even if not - it has a chance, this one is a brutal charmer. The green elements do some magic to the rose, it stays unusually realistic and fresh on the skin for the whole lifeline of the scent. Still I find it somehow romantic - dark romantic even - like neglected and overgrown but still very beautiful garden with hidden ponds and fountains; the growth haphazardly revealing patches of bright light and creating deep shadows - both equally inviting. Its charm is effortless. It does not try to please, it just is. It's not my everyday scent, but I find myself being in a mood for it quite often these days.

This is my current favorite, and it was a blind buy based on the notes (and, I have to admit, the lovely swan on the bottle). Looking at the notes, I was expecting a fresh, green, berry-rose scent. I don’t get a single note listed, however. What I do get is photorealistic tomato leaf, which luckily I adore. It smells wet and damp and dark and green, like sitting in the shadow of a willow tree in a tangle of vines by a pond on a dark, stormy day. It hints at earth but stops just short of the smell of decay that you’d expect in real life. I can’t stop sniffing my wrist when I wear it. Kind of strange and mysterious, definitely unusual, and fresh but in a cold, rainy sort of way. I’ve only ever worn it in the winter but I think it would suit any time of year. I’m excited to try it in hot weather!

Oh wow. I love this🌹 It's like cutting a bouquet of roses from the bush, stems dripping with sap, then scattering heaps of rose petals in a hot steamy bath, and soaking in the rosewater bath until your skin is supple, dewy and fragrant of roses. It opens up super vegetal, almost like tomato vines, almost astringent, but mostly bright rose stems, almost thorny. Then an hour in, the rose starts to bloom. They're deeply red roses, dewy and transparent. Not sure why but I don't picture white or pink roses. I love that this isn't powdery lipsticky rose. It feels more youthful, but poised and elegant. It lasted a good 8-10 hours on me as an intimate skin scent, like a soft rosewater bubble. The green stem juicyness also continues to linger, balancing out the rose petals. What an exquisite scent 🥀

From the very first spray, L’Ombre Dans L’Eau captivates with an unexpected burst of green, bitter notes—fresh, sharp, and almost wild. Then, as if emerging from a hidden garden, a luminous rose appears, blending seamlessly with the greenery to create a fragrance that feels both natural and deeply intriguing. As it settles, the scent takes on a darker, more mysterious edge—like a rose rooted in damp earth, rich and almost melancholic. It’s a fragrance that tells a story, one of quiet intensity and effortless elegance. True to Diptyque’s signature style, it remains beautifully linear, allowing each note to shine. The sillage is strong, so a little goes a long way—just enough to leave a lasting impression. For those drawn to the poetry of scent, L’Ombre Dans L’Eau is a masterpiece.

Diptyque's Do Son is my signature scent - and I also am really drawn to L'eau Papier and Eau Duelle from this fragrance line. So, it is no surprise that I would find another that fragrance of theirs that I am drawn to. However, it is odd that I fell hard for L'Ombre Dans L'Eau given that its main note is rose. And yet, I find myself loving this earthy, green, rose scent that has a grounding hint of spice. More insane is that this scent has been around since the early 80s and it is still relevant and modern. It has great silage and lasts for a good 8 hours. This scent is sexy, warm, fresh and everything you look for in Tom Ford scents but at a much better price. So, if you are into rose and even if you aren't - this could be your new old scent!!

First off, I’m a slave to my cats and scoop their litterbox day in day out. I don’t get so much as a whiff of cat piss from the black currant leaf, so anyone trepidatious about testing because of cat piss reviews, don’t be alarmed. It’s a DNA thing just like sandalwood smelling like pickles for some people. I love this frag so. much. Almost certainly the blueprint for Hermes Sur La Nile and Le Toit. I’m a hobbiest gardener and I smell the green sappy scent of tomato vine first and foremost. The rose emerges on drydown but it’s almost hidden amongst the vines. It’s more watery and green - leaf, stem, roots, thorns and all - than ambery Turkish delight or soapy petals. Performs beautifully in hot humid summers and I get 6+ hrs of longevity.

I haven’t had a perfume that touches my soul as L’ombre dans l’eau. Contrary to it being described by people as a spring scent or floral, it’s artistic and makes me very sad. It paints this picture in my head : a lady in a secret garden next to a pond. Dark tones, contrasting light, shadow with colder hue. Melancholic, mysterious, nostalgic. When I initially tested it, I was taken aback by the bitterness of it. After 15 minutes, I was so pleasantly surprised by it that I kept smelling myself. It also smells different on different days. It smells most beautiful when it’s raining. I explored many more by Diptyque after this but does not have the same effect. My heart longs for it eventually, I had to get one.

Comparing this to the EDP, is like having the clues shift and the sun come out. Suddenly you are hit with a burst of bright sunny mandarin - or at least i was. This warm frothy citrus is the first thing that hit me before the fresh green of the black currant leaf and bud, then the berries and rose cut through, bringing in the EDP notes of a clean, fresh , garden of currant bushes bordering a rose garden and rockery. The EDP is morning still and wet with dew, possibly a little overcast, cloud burning off. Thr EDT is the afternoon edition, with the mandarin trees heavy in fruit and the sun out. I love both, and my next experiment is to layer them with the rose EDP, and the hand cream. Heaven.