Belle de Jour

Though it is an aquatic, a perfume genre I struggle with, Belle de Jour, colloquially "Morning Glory" or literally translated "Beauty of the Day" was surprisingly not hard for me to enjoy when I first tried it. It is truly a lovely daytime floral aquatic perfume with some scandalous energy. It is really hard for me to get excited about an aquatic perfume, let alone enjoy one, so Belle de Jour is quite a class act. After Mxxx and Scorpio Rising I ordered the rest of the Eris line to sample. I became very curious about what the others could smell like upon my rather emotionally tumultuous journey with the first two. If the first two could both confuse and impress me in equal amounts I wanted the whole line so I could dive in and have that experience times 7. I've come to the conclusion that I cannot find a single invalid in the whole line and I find myself consistently wanting to wear them out. I was most curious about Belle de Jour. It was a toxic kind of curiosity as I usually have with marine/aquatic/ozonic/blue perfumes to see if I would hate it like most aquatic fragrances I try. I would find something I couldn't stand by the house and be able to save some of my money. But no... Belle de Jour is a fabulous spicy floral aquatic. The thing I loved most about it is that it never goes too bitter, gluey, metallic, bacterial or chlorinated like overdoses of calone can typically become. The seaweed is slightly chlorinated and creamy but it is balanced surprisingly well behind the spices, soapy musk and white flowers to reflect a very realistic tropical paradise by the ocean. Maybe even suggestive that some playfulness has occured. The minor chlorinated quality of the seaweed might still put folks off because it does get slightly bitter and rubbery. To me I think this facet adds a lovely if not attractive edginess to the composition that sets it apart from the quotidian, girly, superficial, fruity, "I am Paradise in a bottle...", aquatics that have come from designers and niche alike. Belle de Jour's unique restraint keeps me interested in it as it lingers around. I'll try my best to explain what I smell but it is a very seamlessly blended profile so this is hard. At first blast it smells spicy, musky, creamy and soapy almost fougère like then it settles becoming sweeter and more feminine. There is not a fruit to be found in the composition but the pink pepper and orange blossom add a very delicate fruitiness in the fragrance that comes across more in the heart. Along the heart while still receiving a delicate fruitiness a light, spicy, jasmine, chlorinated, seaweed and rubbery, labdanum add a slightly more sophisticated beefiness a little rubbery and soapy but refrains from becoming thick or powdery. Belle de Jour stays fresh. It is slightly bitter, creamy rubbery and sweet. A scent profile that I would characterize as faint yellow or light blue very neutrally colored but naturally cheery. Upon the far dry-down the jasmine, seaweed and musk linger leaving a very pleasant creamy, soapy and sweet musk behind with a slight incense edge from the woody and warm allspice seeds and labdanum. Belle de Jour reminds me slightly of Abdul Samad Al Qurashi's Body Musk which is slightly less complex and more unisex, but has a very similar soapy, creamy floral feel existent. Belle de Jour is feminine but I love wearing it. For warm and temperate days. Surprisingly with how much I like this fragrance it has enticed me to maybe give aquatics/blues a chance once in a while. However they are not a genre that agrees with me ultimately, and I still would hesitate putting my money at risk just trying more when Belle de Jour already does what I want well. 9.5/10

For me, this was another home run from Eris. I'm a guy and I love floral scents. I remember a girlfriend, from way back in the day, used to wear "Pavlova" amongst other florals. I always loved the way that scent worked for her. I've never been one to limit myself or do what I'm "Supposed to do" as a man. If I want to wear a floral, or a "Women's" fragrance... I do! Belle de Jour started, for me, right out of the gate with the flowers and there was something else. It was under the floral note, like celery. Then I realized it was like cut flowers. I could smell the flowers AND a bit of their cut stems underneath. I thought that was pretty genius perfume making right there. After the opening it settled down and began to warm up. The florals were still there but it was getting a bit spicy, powdery, warmer and more aromatic. At this point I was sold. I loved this part of the development. After about an hour the powdery flowers and something else very intriguing was going on. I didn't get the seaweed note that's listed in the scent profile; this was more animalic and sexy. Really loving this stuff now. I put this on last night and woke up smelling wonderful from it. Definitely has some staying power. In summary, this is some total genius fragrance art here. 10/10. Couldn't love it more!

I've been dying to try some ERIS perfumes for a couple reasons: 1: their nod to vintage fragrances, and 2: Antoine Lie!! As a huge white floral lover, Belle de Jour and Night flower topped my 'must try' list and were a couple of the first Eris samples I ordered. Belle de Jour smells of super musky-powdery florals right out of the gate to me, and I'm LOVING it!! I was worried about the seaweed note in here, but it just gives the florals an aquatic tinge; the orange blossom is more of a water-color orange blossom. The heavy musk notes make it feel like you're experiencing the floral notes through an almost transparent sheet hanging on a clothes line in the sun: the aroma of clean laundry with hints of orange blossom and jasmine carried by the ocean breeze swirling around you, with just the tiniest bit of ocean-salt-brine keeping things from becoming too clean and predictable. Belle de Jour is now at the top of my 'must buy' list - it's an absolute niche work of art and like nothing else in my collection.

This perfume makes me feel like I’m laying on a wet beach with white flowers in my hair, the seaweed laden surf crashing over me. It smells a little breezy, too. It’s very well done- never turns indolic, rubbery, artificial, cloying soapy, nor cheap smelling. The pyramid above accurately reflects the notes. Jasmine, seaweed and musk rounded out by coriander. The allspice provides some backbone. ETA: this perfume is classified as female on luckyscent, but with the allspice-musk accord and the cedar I can actually see this is as more unisex.

Like kissing in a garden at the end of a day spent swimming, though on me it's less beach than it is private pool. I love the namesake film and this is kind of hilariously demure given the inspiration. It's not so much Severine but Severine's YSL wardrobe. Or, it's Severine but Severine in her tennis whites. She hasn't yet been to see Madame Anais. She's got the little pleated skirt, but her buttons are done up to the collar. (Antoine Lie u will always be famous)