A Drop d'Issey

Almond milk and damask rose make a most beautiful opening note, creamy and floral. The rose is very delicate (so unlike the damask variety I am used to), and almond is neither bitter nor screechy, but flows beautifully, carrying rose petals on its gentle waves. Solar notes are fresh and playful, and give an immediate sensation of joy and contentment. The classic song "And I'm Feeling Good" would be most appropriate here. Lilac starts blooming under the sun, mauve and luscious, very well replicated, with its bitterness, taken away by the orange blossom and star anise. This is why I cannot call this lilac a photorealistic one, but still a very beautiful execution on the impressionist side. Jasmine is imperceptible to me; could be because I am better tuned for the compositions where it leads rather than plays a supportive role. The top and the heart blend beautifully together, shimmering as a gauze or chiffon-like fabric in mauve-pink with the golden sheen. It is light, exquisite and a very feminine creation. Projection is close to skin, almost intimate but with good depth and intensity. You will not have the fragrance trailing behind you or wrapping itself around the others, and this makes "A Drop d'Issey" a very versatile fragrance, perfectly wearable during all seasons, environments and occasions. What is more, it is not the type that is "age appropriate". The scent is both uplifting and comforting and will suit anyone who wants some of that. Drydown is mostly vanilla wresting over the downy musk with cedar adding just a touch of woody spice in the most subtle of ways. "A Drop d'Issey" could easily be an olfactory expression of a Pre-Raphaelite movement, like an 1880 "Wreath of Roses" by Marie Spartali Stillman or the 1908 "Soul of the Rose" also known as "My Sweet Rose" by John William Waterhouse.

this was a total blind buy for me as it was heavily reduced because of it discontinuing :( this entire scent profile isnt at all what i usually gravitate towards, hell even the packaging and bottle didnt overly appeal to me. id seen a few perfume tiktoks talking about it in a very poetic way and it garnered my attention from there. first impressions were mixed, i adored the smell. the soft lilac nuances, mixed with the creamy lactones was gorgeous - but i wasnt overly sure it matched my vibe in any way. i dont usually like almond notes in perfumes, but from what i understand is that lilacs have a slightly almond-like profile to them so this fragrance doesnt come off as too almond forward, thanks to the floral facets dancing around playfully throughout. but the smell intrigued me so much i had to continue playing with her.. next day i showered, moisturised and made sure i had skin clean of any other fragrance, and boom. i am in love. shes calming yet energising, nostalgic and yet new and playful. she smells like sunshine peeping through sheer curtains on a warm springs day, the window open allowing in the scent of fresh florals and sunny air. shes simple, yet strangely complex all at once. intriguing, yet not mysterious. i fear i may have to buy a few backup bottles to pray i never run out of this beauty. i cant believe shes being discontinued :( a real gem.

This. This is what they mean when they say “a perfume that smells like Nivea lotion” or “a perfume that smells like you’ve just taken a shower” or “a perfume that simply smells clean”. I have quite a few in that category (Noa, Pure Poison, True Love) and I love each of them, but this one is the epitome of stepping out of a steamy shower and slathering lotion on your body. This is calm and comforting but oh so elegant all at the same time. This is what your aunt’s guest bedroom smells like - yes, that rich aunt of yours who always wears white and is dressed like she’s ready to step out of the house anytime, the one who has fluffy towels and miniature lotions in her guest bathroom. You take an indulgent shower, using those fancy bath products you’d never have bought for yourself, and then when you lie down on those crisp white sheets, and look outside the window through sheer white gauzy curtains, you smile because life’s beautiful. You smell good, and you feel sorted. I know some people have an issue with the bottle and the atomiser but I actually love how this looks like a drop of water because it represents the scent itself so well! This is pristine and pretty. This is what I’d reach for on days when I actually don’t want to wear perfume. My fourth Issey Miyake, and a favourite after L’eau D’Issey Rose & Rose.

I love everything about this lilac-almond concoction except for the bottle, which is awkward and unlovely, especially its alarmingly skinlike rubber atomizer-sprayer up top. But who cares about the lousy mechanics when the scent is this good? I should have discovered A Drop d'Issey years ago because it's right up my alley. Since childhood I have been an inveterate shameless lilac huffer and think nothing of burying my face in the blossoms and inhaling until I'm about to pass out. A Drop d'Issey is very lilac forward, even though it's not quite as photorealistic as the tragically discontinued French Lilac EDP by Pacifica (the body/hair mist remains available for now, at least). I'd say A Drop simulates the lilac note not as a soliflore but as part of a bouquet, along the same lines as the lilac in the original Estee Lauder Pleasures, only less crowded. The almond note imparts a bit of that expensive-body-lotion vibe, and no complaints there. Update: It surprises me that Pleasures doesn't appear on the list of similar perfumes. I suppose it's the dominant lilac note, but I find these frags extremely similar, especially on skin. I'd say A Drop d'Issey is creamier and has more lilac, but chances are that you'll like one if you like the other.

I wanted a unique perfume which does not smell like any roses or citruses or woody or spicy. An everyday wear. This fits the bill to a T. A true lilac scent. Upon initial spray on my wrist, I can smell lilac and almond notes and bit of the anise. Initial projection lasts on my skin for around half hour. Then comes the magical dry down which is amazing with lot of soapy notes coming in. That's kind of addictive and makes it a clean girl scent - powdery and creamy. Further dries down to musk and vanilla. Love that as well. However, does not project. I have to sniff my arm to be able to smell the perfume. Becomes a skin scent pretty soon. Got it at a huge discount so value for money. Lasts for 2-3 hours post which you need to respray. Spraying on clothes makes the scent last much longer...however the dry down is way toned down on clothes in my opinion. It's quite lilac forward on clothes. It's not screechy and attention grabbing. I love it as an everyday perfume.