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.

This is a really fantastic smelling tea fragrance. A vibrant Earl Grey vibe that is perfect for the Summer. It opens with a realistic bergamot note that is fresh and citrusy, but not a chemical or sharp citrus. It's a bright citrus that smells like freshly squeezed juice. It dries down to a realistic tea smell that is rich but not too overpowering for the hot weather. Really good stuff. I also own Thé Noir from Le Labo and you could almost say that this is a warm weather version of that. It replaces the Fig note with Bergamot, and the dry down doesn't have that dry Tobacco note so it could be a brighter, fresher Summer sister of Thé Noir. Longevity could be better, but just overspray and spray on clothes. 8/10.

I have tried a lot of tea perfumes, and I must say, this is one of my favorite tea perfumes. Natural, calming, and unisex. It got an ancient and timeless quality to it that I have noticed in a few of the other Etat Libre d'Orange perfumes. Herbal, smokey, oolong/ pu-erh, black tea, yet still fresh and light. Above the Waves is not trying to show off or follow any trend, it is unique, pleasant, and unassuming. Might not be enjoyable for people wanting a fragrance that makes bolder statements. I will be quietly enjoying this while everyone is focused on the other hyped tea perfumes.

Really into this from the initial spray all the way through the dry down. It’s so hard to put my finger on what exactly this smells like. At first it’s kind of orange/patchouli vibes, but that quickly settles down into more of a creamy wood with splashes of something bright and citrus like. I’m not really getting tea but there is a fresh and watery sort of character to everything, like water at a spa, so it’s kind of tea adjacent. Really wish this projected a bit more but it’s quite lovely regardless!

This is a really nice tea scent! I was tossing up between le labo thé noir or above the waves and ended up preferring this one. It has a similar dry-down to thé noir, but where thé noir is darker and slightly briny, this is more citrusy. It reminds me of the scent of a cup of Lady Grey. The bergamot is super strong in the opening, but does blend in more gradually. There is also something a bit spicy in the background, almost like ginger. Calm, restrained, sophisticated.

delicious. i've long been on the hunt for a white/green tea perfume that is strong while still being true to the light, fragrant nature of those scents, and this is a great option for me. i love tea scents and i love Mazu. unfortunately, the citrusy bergamot scent overpowers the tea in the drydown, but i still like it. an office-safe frag that i like (looking for alternatives because i smell like a club rat with my regular signature scent).

This perfume is only sale in Taiwan. Also the fragrance is a tribute to the Goddess Mazu. All the notes are inspired by Taiwan elements. Especially the base note Cypress is Calocedrus formosana (Taiwan Incense Cedar). Moreover, the tea notes are Four Seasons oolong tea and Ceylon black tea. This fragrance would only sale for one year and will Change some notes and packaging into a new one as a regular item.

this is my signature scent. it's effortlessly wearable for all occasions, its even classy and decadent enough to wear to a night out in my opinion. The citrus opening is so refreshing, such a great start to the day. as it dries down, the comforting tea and rose notes stay all day on me. balanced with really light woody notes, there is NO amber in this at all which makes it my perfect everyday wear.

if you love tea frags, this is THE tea frag. uplifting, calming, fresh... day spa type. self care in a bottle. love at first sniff and bought it the same day i have plenty of tea fragrances in my collection and i prefer this over imagination, neroli outrenoir, wulong cha, SMW, winter palace (in terms of best fresh-tea scent, performance, and price)

A woody, aromatic fragrance for the hot weather. Can definitely smell the tea, cedar and cypress here. Reminds me of being on a beach, when the weather is not that hot yet, on a spring day. Someone else commented downstairs that it reminds them of a scented oil in a lobby, and I can definitely definitely see that.

Above the Waves smells like an essential oil that they'd have on in the lobby of a hot yoga class - mellow enough to be friendly, but there's a layer of intrigue - almost minty? gingery? - that give it a gorgeous kick. I will be wearing this all summer! My only wish is that it had a bit more body and sillage.

My initial reaction was “This is Thé Noir’s spring/summer cousin.” and immediately fell in love with it. The tea notes feel authentic like a satisfying whiff of a freshly opened tin and sweetens up beautifully on my skin as it dries down. Easy blind buy and a must try for the tea lovers.

To me this is a very fresh, green and spicy scent. It is strong and the tea notes are amazing. I love this scent but don't get much citrus from it. Weird but it smells like a bar i worked at and makes me nostalgic! I think this could be a year-round wear.

I really enjoy this fragrance. It's a very bright uplifting Bergamot and strong tea scent and that just puts a smile on my face. I get really good projection and sillage from this and just feel like my head is finally above water when I wear it.

A beautiful spicy-aromatic tea scent, similar to tea tonique but without the leather note, which I despise. The first association that came to mind when smelling this fragrance was ginger tea, and I was surprised that there isnt a ginger note

Citrus Tea, in contrast to The Noir, presents a less fruity and herbal profile. This blend bears a closer resemblance to Vivamor's Tea Temptation, evoking the experience of Lemon Iced Tea by the seaside.