Vinaigre de Toilette

If you've got the patience to enjoy the tart, loud, unmistakable vinegar opening, you're in for a subtle, smoked, almost savory treat that stays close to the skin for hours. I first picked this up as a way to bring some comfort to my routine when I was travelling for work all the time. Even the most plain and boring hotel room can feel a bit more like home if I sprinkle a few drops of this vinaigre onto the bedsheets before tucking in for the night. Over the years, though, it's become a comfort that I keep in my home, too. With the transition to working from hom full-time, I'm in the habit of splashing a bit of this under my arms in place of wearing a harsher deodorant or antiperspirant. I wave my still-wet hands through my hair and--the best part--add another splash to my palms before rubbing it into my beard. I genuinely love the savory-sourness of the first half hour, but take note that sillage is at its maximum right after application and your friends amight not be so fond of it. Enjoy it, and once it's settled it stays so close to the skin that it makes a nice foundation for any woody, spicy, leathery fragrance you'd like to add during the rest of your day. It won't clash.

Regarded as a panacea for all that ails, vinegar was a valued accompaniment for the mid-18th through mid-19th century toilet. Hence, recipes were developed containing healing herbs, spices and resins that were steeped in vinegar. These were applied to baths to ameliorate body aches and pains, rubbed into the hair and scalp to give sheen and add scent, or as an astringent toner for freshly-shaven skin. The vinaigre de toilette would also be added to boiling water to purify the air of one's dwelling. Diptyque's Vinaigre de Toilette, sold since 1975, is based on one a 19th century recipe with all the above suggestions in its accompanying insert, and surprise, surprise, I enjoy wearing it as a fragrance. It really does smell of vinegar for the first thirty seconds or so, then an ephemeral neroli follows, but it then eases into an old world melange of smoky, savory herbs: oregano, thyme, bay. There's black pepper, clove, and olibanum resin as well. The dry down smells closest to dried "pine straw" as anything I've ever smelled. It feels much like that of the vieux jeu potions from Santa Maria Novella (Potpourri, Marescialla, etc.). I am crazy for it.

"This vinaigre de toilette is inspired by an ancient preparation of spices and wood essences to which flowers were added. Its many uses include softening bath water, and refreshing and toning the body after a shower or shave. Or infused in boiling water to cleanse and perfume the house." It smells like vinegar for the first 30 minutes or so. It's sour and acidic, which is not at all unpleasant but rather strange to find in a perfume (although a vinegar based "perfume" may not be a perfume after all?). But this sourness does begin to vanish and what remains is the boiled down essence. If you've ever cooked with vinegar, you know that at some point that sourness is defeated and you can come away with sweetness and savory delight. That is what happens here. It's absolutely unique and brilliant, in my opinion. Apparently can be used liberally on anything, including the skin and hair, as it's essentially a toner. I really admire the creativity. 8/10

There's absolutely nothing like it on the market. I actually discovered it through a magazine in which a French theater actor said it was his signature scent. Reading the descriptions from Dyptique themselves it's actually not marketed properly as a "perfume". You can use it to rinse your hair, as a room perfume... I received some samples and I was absolutely under the spell. I loved this mixture of spices and knew also that it would not be something that a lot of people would wear. I must admit that I like the idea that my perfume is also not a crowd-pleaser. I thought it was too good to just use as a tonic and began using it as a proper perfume. No one ever commented on it. At the moment I use it after the gym to feel fresh and clean. I'm sure it must be noticed in the locker room but in a good way? At least that will change them from the alpha-male scents that linger on.

A comforting skin scent. It surprises at first for the pungency of the vinegar, but this fades away immediately. It envelops you with a gentle neroli sweetness and aromatic thyme, that gives it its light-heartedness and imaginative zing, grounded by the solemness of an airy incense smoke and a hint of spices. All of these notes rest on a bed of woods, like the barks of a forest behind one's childhood home, maybe of pines, cypresses and citrus trees. It has a vintage softness to it; makes you think of an imaginary familiar place you would like to visit again.

I really enjoyed this. It starts with a blast of vinegar (which, as someone who grew up using vinegar to clean, I enjoy). But after about 20 minutes it’s basically faded away leaving only a zingyness reminiscent of lemon. This combined with the incense/frankincense (which can also have a lemony note) makes a very good summer scent. It’s clearly niche but also accessible and slightly sweet. The dry down somehow becomes creamy—though I can’t pinpoint why. In any case, give it a try as it’s not like anything else

For 0.5 sec I smelled the vinegar scent, then it's all 100% insence and a little bit of something woody when it's colder weather. It's pretty much like one of those esoteric shops, which is disappointing because I was expecting a bit more off putting unconventional notes. At least I don't smell salad as in the reviews stated below. One of my friends said it smells like an old man, another friend agrees with me and says it's pure esoteric shop. Do with that what you will.

Idk if this is because of the colder weather or if its macerated now but it smells so good now. Id like to correct my previous review, its now way more complex and lasts for a day on clothes. I get beautiful balsamic and vinegar resinous opening which turns very rich and woody over time with hints of insence but still remains mostly balsamic. Kind of like a very well loved wooden furniture in an old mans house. I really like it and cant stop sniffing it on my shirt.

Love it in the most vintage way. A capful in the bathtub and a few drops on my wet hands after a shave. A couple drops in boiling water for the house and a spray on linen. Reminds me of a shampoo my grandma had when I was a baby 50 years ago. The vinegar smell disappears and I’m left with a vibe of spices, woods and flowers. A light cloud of nostalgia around me bring. Ties me to the past and calms me. Bewitching. For the relatively cheap price, I say try it.

i was covered in this for years because my older brother had it, and my other older brother liked it, so he bought it too, then i used his, and i fell in love with it. Nothing has ever come close to this scent. ts smells INCREDIBLE GUYS! ! I've worn it since I was sixteen and nothing smells more like me than my vinegar perfume.

I do get that shot of vinegar on the opening, it's like a greeting of the alcohol when you first sprayed a normal/traditional perfume, but this one is vinegar instead. That vinegar smell then quickly fades away and it's all about the dried thyme that you would use for cooking. It has a little bit of that mentholated smell which what I would usually get from smelling the dried herb by itself straight from the container. I really like it for being totally different from the definition of being a perfume from a department store (well this is not so much of a perfume in fact). But I'm not sure if I really want to smell like thyme. Maybe if this is rosemary or especially basil, then it would be on my to-buy list.

This is for covering unpleasant odors around the house, especially in the "toilette." This is why it only comes in one large 200ml size. It's use is not advertised as such, which is part of a kind of chic, perhaps pretentious, but for me, welcome, reticence, kind of like how nobody talks about the matchbook on the toilet tank. As it says on the website, this product is "for those in the know," i.e., who know what it is used for. I first used it at a rich guy's house. It really works. Covers smells so thouroughly it's like they never existed. And now you know.

To my nose a potent rancid white vinegar over smokey woody notes along the lines of guaiacwood. Absolutely not for me, but also not as revolting as one would expect from my description.

Yes, original idea but must to try on skin. I don't want to smell like an italian salad.

This smells really vintagey, but in the worst way possible. Just too much for me.

@Aveparfum I happen to like the scent of a particular vinegar limescale-removing cleaning product, one which claims sustainability in a number of ways but which less transparently does not list all of its ingredients. Nevertheless, its vinegar accord seems to be accompanied by a certain floral and perhaps a certain fruit accord, and it reminds me of the home of an individual known during childhood. A few years ago I thought that "Silver Mountain Water" reminded me of said home and her mother of French heritage, but the above mentioned might be the actual scent memorised. There is a shampoo by a company rhyming with "ghoul" which also reminds me of said home, respectively their hair... but this is getting a bit personal now. As an aside, "Égoïste Platinum", as it was originally named, happens to somewhat remind me of the accord of cucumbers pickled in spiced vinegar. Now, maybe something was changed in the past eleven years in regards to the fragrance discussed here, but if you have a look at the current list of ingredients, except if the acetic acid is included in the fragrance group, then your first sentence does not seem to be the case: "Alcohol Denatured (SD Alcohol 39-C), Aqua (Water), Parfum (Fragrance), Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Hydroxycitronellal, Citral, Coumarin, Eugenol, Isoeugenol, Geraniol, Benzyl Cinnamate, Benzyl Alcohol." (As for the routines of the person commenting below... look, dear... I am not sure whether I would recommend that.)

Such appealing reviews. Such a nice aroma right out of the bottle - fresh and with hints of neroli. But once it's on my skin it's just incense, incense, incense, with maybe a touch of spice and sandalwood. This smells like an overpriced hippie shop (incense, sarongs, mediocre wooden carvings), and that's not how I like to smell. :-(

I saw this in the boutique today, and beware that this particular concoction is actually vinegar that's been infused with herbs. Apparently you can use it on your hair, anywhere on your body, and as an odor neutralizer. Seems like a cool thing to refresh your hair with, as it smells very natural and herbal. It's not perfume.

Original, unique perfume. Diptyque dares to release this perfume, based in a vinegar fragancy, but so nuanced with spices and neroli. Surprising and avocative!

This is a tonic, but oh I wish Diptyque would release this in EDP form because this smells amazing.