Above the Waves

A small green crystal in my pocket, I walk toward the edge of the cliff and realized how quiet life can be. On paper, Above The Waves was a huge disappointment to me. It struck me as far too grassy and muddy, almost unsettlingly odd. So I put it aside. A few months later, during a summer holiday spent wandering along the idyllic Norman coastline with its sapphire-blue sea, I finally decided to give it a proper wear for an entire day. I was craving something fresh, but You Or Someone Like You felt too assertive for the mood I was after. So I shelved my doubts and sprayed on Above The Waves, just like I knew what I was doing. I'm very glad I did, because it turned out to be wonderful company. None of the off-putting facets from my first experience resurfaced. Quite the opposite. Its disciplined, crystalline freshness reminded me of Guerlain's masterstroke, Aqua Allegoria – Mandarine Basilic (EDT), the freshest fragrance I've ever come across. Because a refreshing fragrance shouldn't simply smell fresh—it should also leave room for the air itself. It should know how to fade into the background, allowing a passing breeze to tint the atmosphere ever so delicately, without ever overwhelming the scents that naturally belong there. And what a pleasure it was to gaze at the cliffs and the distant islands while these green notes quietly played their part around me. Yes, Above The Waves is unmistakably green, with green tea and cypress standing out above all else. Seeing it classified as an Aromatic on Fragrantica makes me smile a little, because it feels so different from the aromatic fragrances I know. Perhaps I'm missing something, and that's perfectly fine. I hope you'll have the chance to spend some time with this fragrance during your own summer. It's the little talisman of mindfulness we can all share.

I struggle to find perfect tea centered fragrances. While tea is a note that I quite enjoy, usually perfumes with a tea dominant note are too citrusy or too green to my nose, drowning the tea delicate scent I'm looking for. I filled my tea-citrusy-soapy-spa craving with Thé Yulong, and I was looking something a little less green, more sweet, black tea headed. I love Le Labo's The Noir, but it is a little expensive, so I went for this instead. Obviously, Above the Waves is not a copy of The Noir, but lies in the same category, and it fits perfectly in what I was looking for. It is has more tea than citrus, balancing very well the bergamot and the tea notes. This perfume smells like infused a little sweetened tea in wich some lemon slices have been added. It is the opposite of the bright fresh spa-like tea. It is cozier and warmer. And yet the freshness of the tea remains, keeping the perfume from being sweet or cloying. If greener tea fragrances are white marble luxury hotel lobbies or a pristine bright spa, Above the Waves is a cup of tea in a wooden room, a quiet spring morning, with the windows open and the shy first light of the day emerging. I am an ELDO fan, and this perfume is one of the best from the house. As is usual with this house (and with this kind of perfume's profile), it is not super long lasting on skin (3-4h, lasts way longer on clothes, 8h or so), but works wonderfully while it lasts, and it doesn't hurt to reapply.

9/10 Fresh, aromatic, citrusy, and a realistic tea note. Not trying to reinvent the wheel, and that's fine. Quality is evident and the price is excellent for this quality. The top and middle are great, but honestly the base might be the best part. Bergamot and green/black tea lead the way, then it gradually smooths out into a slightly creamy but still bright, aromatic skin scent. A lot of reviewers seem to be missing the bergamot or complaining about longevity. I'm not getting that at all. Mine performs well for what it is and the dry down is the cherry on top. Projection is right where it should be too. Noticeable but not loud and the longevity is just above average, which fits this kind of scent perfectly. A niche fragrance that anybody could wear and most everyone will like. Doesn't try to be anything ground breaking and that is okay because It is easy to grab and doesn't smell like everyone else either. UPDATE: After having Wu Long Cha X and getting rid of it because it was too tea forward for me, and also after owning LV Imagination for a month now, This is right in between both. A bit more tea than Imagination, and not too much tea like Wu Long Cha X has (imo). Pleasant, appealing, and fresh but also intriguing with that realistic tea note. If you're new to tea fragrances, start here!

this one is sooo nice, really fresh and breezy, tea, lime citrus, a bit sweet and very herbal, I feel like I've smelled this in a summer resort or a spa somewhere on the dry down it settles into something more citrusy, almost like a lime peel blended with tea, and maybe, maybe a very very subtle rose in there but it's so faint it's hard to tell. very pleasing, calming, inoffensive and comforting but not generic or basic, it still has its depth, layers and evolutions the dry down after a while genuinely surprised me, it turns super sweet, citrusy and fruity, and then after some time almost like soft fresh berries, it's like a soft hug the only thing is, I wish it lasted longer and stayed stronger, it gets pretty weak over time and dies down pretty quickly, wondering if this one you need to overspray a little it also hits me in my memories, I can't pinpoint it exactly, but I've smelled very similar scents back in Brazil, in those very fancy "shoppings", so it's a little nostalgic. feels like something my mom would wear every day and make her signature scent

Above the Waves feels like a breath of sea air — bright, clean, and full of quiet energy. It opens with a sparkling mix of bergamot and green tea, lifted by the cool spice of cardamom. As it settles, the rose and tonka bean emerge beautifully, adding warmth and a creamy softness that make the scent feel both comforting and refined. I love how the rose never becomes too floral — it simply smooths the sharpness of the tea, while the tonka bean wraps everything in a gentle glow. The drydown of patchouli, cedar, and vetiver grounds the fragrance in quiet strength, like standing barefoot on warm sand after the tide recedes. It’s serene, luminous, and effortlessly elegant — a citrus green tea perfume with a tender soul. Considering its quality, Above the Waves is surprisingly affordable. The composition feels niche and sophisticated, yet it’s priced far more kindly than many perfumes in its league. A hidden gem that deserves more attention.