Bitter Splash

Bitter Splash is a sleeper hit. It does not have the immediate emotional impact that Soie Malaquais had on me, but the more I wear it, the more I appreciate it. It is elegant, confident, and effortlessly luxurious. Bitter Splash feels like stepping onto a sunlit terrace at an expensive bar, wearing a beautiful outfit and carrying a leather handbag that probably costs way too much money. The opening is bright and refreshing. Grapefruit and pomelo burst forward with a sharp, sparkling bitterness. It has the feeling of drinking a perfectly chilled cocktail on a warm summer evening. There is something almost like an Old Fashioned or an Arnold Palmer being served at a pretentious but beautiful rooftop bar; the kind of place where the drinks are overpriced, the chairs are uncomfortable, but you still have a wonderful time because of the company you keep. As the fragrance settles, the citrus becomes intertwined with smooth leather, cedar, and vetiver. The leather is the star of this perfume. It is not harsh, smoky, or rugged. Instead, it is warm and creamy like the scent of a beautiful leather purse or a luxurious suede jacket that has been softened over time. The woody notes add structure and sophistication without making it feel too dry. I chalk up the soft creaminess to the orris root and geranium at the heart of this fragrance DNA. Bitter Splash smells like summer evenings. It feels like golden sunlight, expensive cocktails, and dressing up. Wearing it makes me feel elegant, rich, and slightly seductive. The bottle design is, as expected from Dries Van Noten, absolutely gorgeous. The chinoiserie pattern gives it the feeling of something you might find in the powder room of an old wealthy woman’s mansion; ornate wallpaper, antique furniture, porcelain decorations and tchotchkes collected over decades. The bottle itself feels like an extension of the fragrance and the fashion line as a whole. The bottle looks like it is wearing an all-silk outfit from Dries Van Noten. The performance is excellent. Longevity and projection are both very good, which makes the price feel more justified. Like many Dries Van Noten fragrances, it is expensive, but if you enjoy this fragrance DNA, I think it is worth the investment. That being said, I would still recommend testing before buying. Bitter Splash is not a safe blind buy unless you already know you enjoy bitter citrus, leather, and woody fragrances. The grapefruit opening is very noticeable, and the leather base will not be for everyone. Soie Malaquais is still my favourite Dries Van Noten fragrance, but Bitter Splash has earned a permanent place in my collection. It exceeded my expectations.

I managed to test new fragrances in the boutique and wear samples for a few days. It is difficult to choose a favorite because each time new facets are revealed in perfumes. Bitter splash opens up with juicy freshly cut grapefruit with powdery nuances. A little sweetness is felt at the start. I clearly catch the smell of geranium leaves and flowers. The smell of leather appears closer to the base. It is very soft and delicate, like in Fleur du mal. Grapefruit notes are heard throughout the opening, only with time the sweetness and powderiness disappear and the bitterness of the peel intensifies. Durability is good, more than 7 hours. Moderate sillage. An excellent fragrance for hot summer days. I ordered a bottle.

A refreshing citrus-iris composition. The grapefruit is vivid and slightly bitter, yet the iris smooths everything out, lending a soft, powdery texture to the fragrance. The result feels airy, elegant, and effortlessly wearable. I am strongly reminded of Terre d’Hermès, but imagine it stripped of some of its earthy roughness and rebuilt into something softer, more refined, and more unisex. The leather remains subtle, serving mainly as texture in the background. Beautifully balanced and perfect for warmer weather.

I wear this all year. Colder weather drydown brings out this amazing comfortable suede(cypress, cedar and vetiver are detectable but mixes so well together) with a hint of sweet citrus. Warmer weather drydown stays brighter on my skin but this fragrance just hits almost as an armotherapy scent for me and every time I breathe it in, I just feel so relaxed. Don't dismiss trying this in the colder months as I see lots of votes for warmer weather.

This lasts a surprisingly long time... The opening is a beautiful grapefruit & orange blend, and the dry down is cypress, vetiver and geranium. Where it's soft and gentle, it's rough and textured. There's a leather accord that keeps things soft, but the cypress and vetiver feel a little bit scratchy (in a good way). The grapefruit note lasts a very long time, until the very end of the wearing. I love this!