Le Sel d’Issey

This is going to be a VERY emotional, and passionate review for me. I LOVE fragrances. I have a collection of 450 bottles, and it has become increasingly harder to impress me with new releases. With that being said.... What Quentin Bisch did with this fragrance brought me to LITERAL tears.... The nostalgia, and beauty of this scent spoke to my SOUL... I grew up on the east coast in the USA. Every year, my family would go to Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina for vacation. 18 years of visiting this island for summer vacation, and it NEVER got old for me. As a teenager, when I came to understand and know my sexuality, I realized my attraction toward men was part of my design as human, and as a spiritual being on this planet. And this is IMPORTANT for this review. You see.... During the years, my awakening to my sexuality, and my desire for LIFE, was steadily occuring... But each year, when we went to the beach, and the smell of the ocean surrounding me... Being on the beach in my bathing suit, with my body exposed to the elements.... And seeing other men in their bathing suits entering, and leaving the waters of the ocean, with the sun and water glistening on their torsos.... my excitement for life, my sexuality, my awakening to myself, would just EXPLODE within me. That mixture of the scent of the ocean, and the scent of men being in the sun all day, covered in salty water, with the seaweed, and slightly spicy nuances of various sun lotions..... It was like my soul went into hyperdrive, in its excitement for life, and the exploration of it.... The ocean just made me feel the MOST ALIVE. Now, back to the scent- When I first tested this scent, I was in a perfume outlet, and I sprayed this directly on my skin, without first testing on a strip... I let it set for a minute and walked around before smelling, and I was already getting whiffs of something that made my energy start to peek.... I lifted my hand to my nose, and I kid you not.... I started crying in the store... Almost INSTANTLY, I was a teenager sitting on the beach, excited about life, and all of its possibility.... The scent to me is the personification of a man who is FREE, ALIVE, IN the natural elements of this world, kissed by the ocean and sun.... It is this SALTY, SENSUAL, SPICY, and yet CLEAN aroma.... As a teenager, when my hormones were RAGING, this was the scent that I imagined I would experience the FIRST TIME I was allowed to have intimate contact with a man. In my mind it would be in the summer, on the beach, as the sun begins to set. The heat and scent of my partner's body, from being in the ocean and sun all day, begins to fill the air around him. He is dressed in a white unbuttoned, linen shirt (freshly washed, and dried in the ocean air), his chest, and torso exposed, still in his bathing suit, sunglasses on, wind in his hair, the lingering scent of a gingery, sweet sunscreen still on his skin..... The smell of the ocean water still in his hair..... This scent is just the MOST nostalgic, and sensual fragrance I have ever smelled.... I am OBSESSED... I bought 3 bottles immediately in fear of it ever going out of stock... My only wish now, is that I can get through smelling it without being brought to tears. So... Who should wear this? Any one out there who identifies masculinely, who wants the world to experience them as wild, untamed, free, and so excited about life itself that they exude the natural origins of life itself (the ocean).... You want to smell clean, but also have that edge of natural, masculine, salty musk about you.... This smell is for you.... The ginger lifts this scent to a vibrant etheric aura, while the seaweed and salt ground it in the origins of life on this earth (the ocean), woods and vetiver deepen the masculinity of this scent as if to say, I am strong, I am sturdy, I am.... If this describes you... BUY THIS, you will not be dissapointed. I think I just had another awakening at the age of 40, thanks to this fragrance.... WOW, and THANK YOU Quentin Bisch... THANK YOU!

After reading almost every review and watching every video I could find about this fragrance, I finally decided to blind buy it. For some context, I’m trying to keep my collection as small as possible - this is currently my fourth fragrance. What pushed me to buy it was seeing people compare it to my favorite and signature scent, Bois Impérial. I should mention that I’m not great at identifying specific notes. I’m much more focused on the overall vibe a fragrance gives me. First of all, to my nose, this doesn’t really smell like Bois Impérial at all. Maybe they share a similar feeling or aesthetic, but scent-wise they are quite different. From the opening, this fragrance smells extremely clean, fresh, and distinctly aquatic. I liked it from the very first spray, unlike Bois Impérial, which took me almost a full week to understand before buying a bottle. Some days I loved it, other days it felt too sharp or harsh. Sometimes I would go nose-blind to it after an hour, while on other days I could still catch random whiffs 10 hours later. Very strange fragrance in that sense. This one felt much easier to appreciate immediately. The projection seems decent for around an hour and a half, while longevity on my skin is roughly 5–6 hours so far. I’ve only tested it for one day, though, so I might be going anosmic to it just like I did with Bois Impérial. I’ll update later if that’s the case. What stood out to me the most was the vibe it gave off from the beginning. It didn’t smell like a deodorant, but it gave me the impression of a premium deodorant-like scent - a clean, body-care type of smell because of how simple, fresh, and inoffensive it felt. Some people might find that boring, but honestly, I would love a fragrance that smells like an elevated Dove Men product, with strong projection and a lingering scent trail. There’s nothing overly artistic or challenging about this fragrance. It’s simply a very good smell: clean, minimalist, linear, fresh, aquatic, elegant, and slightly mature. It doesn’t scream for attention. Lately, while searching for a signature scent, I’ve realized I’m no longer looking for overly complex fragrances. I want something that feels like your natural smell - almost like an invisible aura that radiates subtly around you. Something clean, effortless, and refined. That’s exactly what Bois Impérial does for me, and this fragrance touches a similar territory, even if the scent profile itself is different. If this ends up performing at even 70% of what Bois Impérial does on my skin, I’ll probably buy backup bottles for summer use. For additional context, I’ve tested fragrances from many different scent profiles over the years, and lately I’ve started losing my appreciation for sweet fragrances - maybe age changes your taste. Because of that, fragrance enthusiasts who enjoy complex or attention-grabbing perfumes might find this one a little boring. Still, I find it incredibly wearable. It smells fresh, clean, aquatic, elegant, mature, and slightly serious without feeling old. It also reminds me a little of Acqua di Giò because of that smooth aquatic character, although without the aromatic or herbal edge. If I had to associate this fragrance with an outfit - like fragrance YouTubers often do - I’d picture a man wearing white linen trousers and a linen shirt with rolled sleeves. Very effortless Italian sprezzatura energy: relaxed, but still put together.

Find a hot man who smells like this, drag him to a signal dead zone 📵, and ruin him so good he forgets his way home. The kind of kidnap no man would report. Something about Le Sel leaves me thistin’. Too much salt?🧂 Nah. Just right. Wood Sage & Sea Salt *could never*. This isn’t that repugnantly iodine-y, or “dead fish and wet flip-flops” kind of salty. It’s airy. Elemental. Like water, earth AND air swirling in one bottle. The salt is gentle, the ginger is a fresh, spicy hit, and the vetiver and cedar keep it grounded so it doesn’t turn into some sad mall-frag cheapie. FINALLY, a marine scent with no fish funk, no sewage backwash, no brined cucumbers, no wilted seaweed. And no stupid watermelon (or any melon, for that matter). I am so tired of perfumers thinking “ocean” means fruit punch sloshing in a kiddie pool. 🍉🧃 This is marine done right: salty breeze, wood worn smooth by the tide, mineral skin warmth. Do you even know how rare that is? The drydown's metallic-mineral-mossy in the best way. Teasing. Bare-skin salty. Magnetic enough to pull you in and let you believe it was your idea all along. SALTY SCIENCE TIME: 🧪 Like that infamous “Is that dress blue & black or white & gold?”, let me drop my two cents on: does salt smell? Nope. It doesn't. I checked. I even stuck my face in the salt jar just to shut the debate up. Nada. So apparently that “marine” smell must come from the stuff hanging out around the salt. Basically ocean rot, bottled up and sold back to you as something you can’t stop smelling. And for the “generic” / “boring” / “unoriginal” crowd: My, my... I don’t know what crawled up your asses and died, but here’s a thought: if your personality is a soggy gas station hotdog 🌭👎, everything will smell boring on you. You’re not gonna spray this on and suddenly become interesting at dinner. Perfume’s an amplifier, not a magic wish-brew for dull people. And it’s not about to fix your entire personality. Tough break. I find this stuff pretty damn original. And if you’re about to roll out the tired “But you’re just a chick, what can a chick know?”, save it. I’ve been doing men’s fragrance recon since diapers. Dad’s, brothers’, uncles’, male friends’, exes’... I’ve got the range. This one? Different. Almost like somethin’ familiar, but with a twist you can’t place. Skin chemistry is real. Aura is real. Layering is real. And Le Sel’s straight-up layering gold. Works with citruses, spicy orientals, dry woods, even florals. If it feels too “basic” for your jaded little soul, turn your imagination on for once and play with it. Perfume’s supposed to be fun, not like filing for divorce and doing your taxes in the same week. 🙄 I layered it with Molton Brown’s Fiery Pink Pepper. Ginger and cedar locked in from both, with a little kiss of sweetness. Basically turned myself into walking Salt-N-Peppa, and, boy, was it good. Fresh, baddie daytime pick-me-up. Heads turned. Eyes followed. And yeah, I noticed. And for the price? Steal. Bisch basically tossed us this gift like it was pocket change and kept moving. While the haters peck out their limp little reviews, Quentin's just too busy making bank and plotting his next knockout. 4.5/5 — an ultimate catch. Hook it, bag it, or watch it swim off with someone hotter than you. 🌊🧂🔥

1994 was the year L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme came out. It was also the year I had my first crush. I was coming to terms with my sexuality even though I didn't have a name for it. I just felt things. I was a short, skinny, 14-year-old softie. D was tall, dark, handsome and everything I thought I was not. He had a queen-sized waterbed. He wore baggy shorts with white socks and sandals. We played SEGA Genesis and watched Beavis and Butt-Head and Janet Jackson dance to 'If' on MTV. We went down to the cove to swim. He taught me how to snorkel (I gulped a good amount of saltwater in the process). We spent entire days in the pool till our hands were pruned and wrinkly as driftwood. We slept in the same bed and sometimes showered together. He let me use his shaving cream, his double-edged razor, his Gillette Clear Gel deodorant (which at the time I thought was the BEST SMELL EVER) and drink from his Crystal Pepsi. Most of the time he was an asshole in a "boys will be boys" way that made me roll my eyes. Sometimes he was a sweetheart. Sweet and salty. The closer we got that summer the more I felt it: a sweaty stuffiness around him. Like I couldn't breathe when he touched me. Everything came rushing back when I first smelled Le Sel d'Issey. The original L'Eau d'Issey was all about abstraction: capturing the smell of water, which has none. It was part of the great 90s purification pushback. Clean-cut, slicked-back, waxed-chest aquatic masculinity. Dirt and desire rinsed out almost completely. I've never connected with abstract briefs. I get direct scent associations. In this case: wet towels rolled up in the backseat after a day at the beach. White striped socks fresh out of the laundry. The hairs on his toasted arm turning gold in the afternoon. Sweat and seawater dripping down between the little grains of sand stuck on his neck. Something crystallized right before it melts into a messy pool of wanting. Yes, I get the bright gingery zing in the opening. I get the ghost of the original's melon accord (which, funnily enough, is one of the fragrances my ex-husband still wore) and a whiff of Quentin Bisch's Bois Impérial (my newly-single clean-start signature scent after we separated. But that's another story). What's beautiful about Le Sel d'Issey is simpler: a salt accord that puts the body back in.

L'Uomo e l'Oceano: L'Eleganza Minerale che ridefinisce il Sex Appeal. Una Firma Olfattiva d'Élite Le Sel d’Issey non è solo una fragranza; è un manifesto di stile. Firmato dal celebre naso Quentin Bisch, questo profumo si colloca di diritto nell'olimpo delle creazioni moderne, superando in originalità e pulizia molecolare molti nomi della profumeria di nicchia dal costo proibitivo. È un ritorno alla natura nella sua forma più pura, dove il sale non è solo un odore, ma una texture. L'Equilibrio che Incanta L'apertura è un gioco di contrasti magistrale: il Sale Marino si fonde con lo Zenzero, creando un'aura minerale e frizzante che comunica immediatamente ordine e freschezza. Nel cuore, l'unione di Alghe e Vetiver proietta un'immagine di pulizia assoluta, priva di quelle derive dolciastre ormai inflazionate. Il Segreto del Layering: Equilibrare l'Opulenza Un aspetto sottovalutato e rivoluzionario di questa fragranza è la sua incredibile versatilità tecnica. Grazie alla sua struttura cristallina e asciutta, Le Sel d’Issey è perfetto per essere stratificato su profumi più impegnativi e pesanti, come le tipiche fragranze arabe a base di oud o spezie calde. Aggiungendo una vaporizzazione di Le Sel, si riesce a bilanciare l'eccessiva densità dei profumi orientali, regalando loro una "luce" minerale e una freschezza che ne eleva l'eleganza finale. Perché fa impazzire le donne? Il vero punto di forza di questa creazione è l'effetto che ha su chi lo circonda. Indossare questo profumo significa proiettare l'immagine di un uomo: Sofisticato: Che predilige la qualità e il minimalismo rispetto al rumore. Realizzato: La solida base di Legno di Cedro e Muschio di Quercia trasmette stabilità e successo. Magnetico: Crea un sex appeal cerebrale e pulito. È l'odore di un uomo sicuro di sé, che non ha bisogno di gridare per farsi notare, ma la cui presenza riempie la stanza con una freschezza e pulizia disarmante. Il Magnetismo del Sale e la Nuova Mascolinità: Le Sel d'Issey è la scelta definitiva per l'uomo che vuole distinguersi. Non è solo un profumo, è uno strumento di stile: perfetto da solo per un'eleganza zen, o come alleato tattico per equilibrare fragranze più intense. È il segreto meglio custodito per chi vuole comunicare classe e sex appeal senza compromessi. Voto 9.5

OH my my my... this Le Sel d'Issey EDT is powerful and truly sublime! I have over 70 fragrances in the collection, and this one certainly wins the Wife Award. Within the first few minutes wearing it, my wife smelled it in her office across my room, and she literally dropped her work to ask me what new fragrance I got and she LOVES it! This Le Sel d'Issey EDT definitely carries a very elegant profile, bright yet uniquely restrained, unlike many other designer fragrances. I haven't bought an Issey-Miyake fragrance since 2005, believing this brand belongs to the 80-90's generation; yet this Le Sel d'Issey EDT has defied my prejudice against the brand. I always liked this house, but this Le Sel d'Issey EDT has surpassed all my expectation. Its sillage is 9/10, creating a very large aura around your presence. As for its longevity, oh my Lord, it's truly awe-inspiring! I sprayed 6 times on my clothes and my forearms at 12PM before heading to work, and now it's been 7 hours, and the sillage is still going very strong. Its scent profile hit all the perfect notes with intentional balance. Comparing to my Aqua Di Gio Profumo with its smokey incense note and prominent seaweed note, this Le Sel d'Issey EDT toned down the slightly nauseating seaweed note and let the seasalt note take more of a front seat, which gives this Le Sel d'Issey EDT a much more pleasant scent profile in my humble opinion. As for the price, I got the 150ml/5oz from Jomashop for $60, which is absolutely a steal against humanity. Somehow Jomashop is selling the 150ml/5oz for the exact same price as their 100ml/3.4oz, so it's a no-brainer that I jumped on the larger bottle. Speaking of the bottle design, I find the design very hefty and elegant. Only wish it comes with a heavier magnetic cap to make the presentation perfect on the shelf. Overall, this EDT has longer longevity and stronger performance than many of my higher end EDP from niche houses and French designer houses (looking at you, Guerlain). Do not be fooled by its EDT designation, as it belies its quiet beastly performance. Amazing work from the legend perfumer, Quentin Bisch. This is a 9.5/10 masterpiece!

When you first unbox and spray Le Sel d'Issey, you might be overwhelmed by a sharp, dominant salt note. Do not judge it immediately based on the first spray. Let it macerate for 2-3 weeks. The maturation process transforms the fragrance completely-the harsh salt mellows out and integrates seamlessly with a prominent ginger and smooth (but not passive) aquatic accords. The dry-down eventually reveals a light, clean woody base. Scent Profile & Originality: While the general aquatic DNA might seem ubiquitous in today's market, this fragrance is a perfect remedy for those exhausted by the typical heavy "Ambroxan blue" bombs dominating the designer space. It manages to stand out as a highly distinct, modern aquatic within the mass market. Performance (Longevity & Sillage): * Projection: Pushes strongly for the first 1-2 hours. Sillage: Settles into a moderate but consistent scent trail, easily detectable within a 1-2 meter radius. Longevity: Lasts a solid 6-8 hours on the skin. It is perfectly engineered to get you through a full workday. Do not expect an overnight "beast mode" performer, but for a fresh profile, it does its job flawlessly. Application Strategy: I highly recommend spraying this on clothes. Because the scent development is relatively linear, applying it to fabric helps lock in that fresh ginger-aqua-salt scent bubble, allowing it to project consistently throughout the day without breaking down. Versatility & Value: Extremely versatile. It works as an everyday "dumb reach" for any time and occasion. If you can grab this at a discounter, it is an absolute steal. At full retail price, the value proposition is fairly average, though entirely justifiable if you intend to use it as your one and only signature scent.

My story with this fragrance is funny, When I was in a perfume store trying various scents, the seller came to me and told me try this it is very good, out of nowhere, he told me it edt and fresh so I didn't give it a lot of attention, anyway, I spray maybe 1 or 2 sprays on skin, honestly the smell was good and I liked it, but thr thing that threw is that it is edt and those scents dont last long at most 3 to 4 hours and they will be gone. Well you know what? In the next day I was moving in the house and I was always smelling something special and pleasant to my nose, at first I didn't know from where it came! Later in that day I was washing my hands and moved my hand by mistake and it was the same pleasant smell but more stronger, It took me more than 10 minutes to remember that this is the Issey Miyake Le Sel D'Issey edt, since I sprayed a lot of scent the day before. Now, I have a perfume that is: 1. salty, which i was looking for a scent like this (i bought Atlas a dupe of Megamare but i didnt like Atlas, something was wrong with it) and the Le sel d'issey was right on the spot. 2. The perfume is edt though it lasted more than 8 hours, ofc with time it will be more and more skin scent but i will be there and you'll still feel it, and on clothes it lasts days! So I have the good scent and the performance, the only last thing is to buy it (: I bought it for about 65$ in my country. 9/10 scent 8/10 performance (for an edt) In general with the last release of edp and thr the confusion and bewilderment between who is better and what to buy, well the same is quite similar, if you one a release then the other release is redundant, for this confusion from thr company I give it 5/10 really poor decision making. Thank you

Truly a refreshing change from many of the citrus based aquatic scents (not that I dislike citrus). I tried this and the EDP version side by side, and the openings & dry downs of both captivated me for weeks. Just recently was gifted a full bottle for an anniversary, and couldn't be happier to own the EDT version of Le Sel D'Issey. The Smell: Fresh, clean, & minimalistic. It's progression is a bit linear, but I actually like that about Le Sel D'Issey. I appreciate that this fragrance isn't trying to jam dozens of different accords into a single scent. I can actually pick out the different elements fairly consistently with this one (can't say the same for many other scents, probably just my nose though). The Vibe: Le Sel D'Issey succeeds at capturing the raw "elemental" coastal vibe, without the use of citrus. More of a Japanese Coastline rather than the Mediterranean Sea. I get such a clean, minimalistic, quality/luxury vibe from this scent. It isn't trying to be the loudest, but don't get me wrong, this stuff has got some projection. Performance: Great! I could smell this on myself even when swimming outdoors after some generous sunscreen application lol. However, I can go nose blind to this, so I stick to applying it away from under my nose so I can still catch it on the air around me. Final Thoughts: I think this might be my favourite fresh fragrance at the moment, and won't be easily dethroned. It's versatile, welcoming, and pretty safe for the office or church if applied conservatively. Probably redundant to own the EDP if you already have the EDT, but I look forward to trying the new Parfum that came out this year.

Aquatic scents are nothing new, and most of them aren’t very good. They never seem to nail the vibe, they’re either too synthetic, or too weak, or too strong, or not marine enough, too fishy, too citrusy, too this, too that, and then, on very a rare occasion, you get something like this. Le Sel D’Issey just gets it right. First you get a flash of sweetness with some fresh spice from the ginger, and you immediately start getting a very prominent, very dry, wind swept salt accord that you would usually find in something a lot more expensive like Tom Ford’s Oud Minerale, Parfumum Roma Aqua Di Sale, or Heeley Sel Marine. The thing that really makes this one stand out is the sparkling, metallic, mineralic Akigalawood that replaces the traditional amberwood/calone base as the thing that makes it powerful and long lasting (and holy crap does it do a spectacular job), and that well judged sweetness, which makes it far more accessible than the others. If you want a scent that works in high heat, it just doesn’t get much better than this. That salty, sweet, dry freshness really feels just like a cold, cleansing, life affirming marine breeze that offers a brief escape from the monotony of everyday life.

Clean, fresh, metallic and peppery. This is not aquatic — at least not in the way aquatic means to me (like Armani Acqua di Giò). Instead, it leans into a modern, slightly metallic freshness with a distinct peppery edge. It strongly reminds me of the profile of Bois Impérial — you definitely get that Quentin Bisch signature: transparent yet noticeable, elegant but present. It’s a scent that lives beautifully in the air and gets perceived by others very well. On my skin, performance is excellent. It projects in a moderate bubble around the body for about 8 hours, then stays as a skin scent for another 6–7 hours, still clearly sniffable. Very similar longevity to Bois Impérial, although that one is louder and projects more aggressively for a longer time. I actually find this one fresher and better balanced than the EDP version, which feels slightly too sweet for my taste. For 48€ (100 ml), the price-to-value ratio is outstanding. Layering works perfectly with Acqua di Giò Parfum or Bois Impérial — both combinations enhance its fresh metallic character beautifully. A perfect office scent: clean, modern, and confidently noticeable without being overwhelming.

I’ve moved slightly back towards designers recently from Niche. Effectively some designers are offering original profiles. Le sel dissey edt is very much in that bracket. When I first smelled this fragrance I immediately thought of Ganymede. It has that mineral modern style. Where Gaynamede has that antiseptic mineral smell Le Sel is much easier to wear. It has a salty sea moss feeling to the smell. Like a true aquatic smell without being watery or shower gel smell. I found 50ml of Le Sel for £28 on e bay including a shower gel. Now the interesting part, my wife absolutely adores this scent so much she asked if I minded if she wore it too. Annoyingly she did this with LV Imagination which I now associate as a woman’s fragrance. To be fair Imagination smells better on ladies than men. In a similar way so does. Le Sel. Neither are feminine fragrances in any way. In summary I highly recommend this fragrance it’s Easy to wear unique and the longevity is superb although you will go nose blind very quickly. I bought my wife a bottle, she went swimming today. I still smelt the fragrance on her after being submerged in water for an hour.

It’s definitely not a generic aquatic scent, and that’s because it is not simply built around the ideas or the images usually related to the sea (blue, deep, wet, or even more abstract concepts such as powerfull or whatever), but it actually presents an olfactive interpretation of the sea itself, and maybe even more of the sea breeze/sea spray/see air (something i would call « maresia » in my native languge). It makes me think of the Atlantic Ocean as I see it from the mountains, of the salty air you breathe when you reach the coastal plains, of a beach town on a cloudy yet warm summer day, of a wrecked wooden pier stretching into the sea. It captures the beauty, the calmness, but also the melancholy of the coast, and for that reason it is to me a very tropical scent, a true one (that is, not a sugary bomb of synthetic pineapple and vanilla that smells just like a « peenah kõwlada »). And what is better, it manages to be conceptual while also being confortable, simple, and nice for you to wear and for other people to smell. In summary, a very nice fresh scent, original and pleasant.

Gorgeous scent ... I got an advice about it, and after tried it, I directly bought 4 bottles of 150ml and kept them as backup bottles. I don't see identical with Nautica Voyage as people voted, probably only the opening reminds you of that, but that faded away in 5 minutes. I can describe this as a fresher version of Bois Imperial. It is also reminds me of Kenzo Homme line, and that is the touch of Quentin Bisch. Performance as longevity and sillage are both very good. Price is also good and there are many discounts offers on websites. Thanks Quentin Bisch 😍 you made me add one more fragrance to my collection and I will never do without it anymore. >> Update: After tried the EDP version, I will say I will stick with the EDT. As much as I liked the EDT, As much as I disliked the EDP. Yes they are sharing together with the DNA, but there is a big difference at the same time. The EDP has an annoying and disgusting smell especially in the first hour. Surprisingly, the performance of the EDT is much better than the EDP version.

This is probably one of the cleanest and most effortlessly elegant modern designer fragrances that I have smelled. Essentially, it smells like the beach or the ocean. What I like most about this fragrance is the atmosphere it creates. It smells minimalist, modern and expensive in a very understated way. This is not a loud fragrance that fills up a room or gets you stopped constantly for compliments, but rather something that makes you smell consistently clean, composed and well-dressed. Performance on my skin is decent for an EDT. It projects for about 1.5-2 hours and lasts on skin around 6-7 hours. This has become my designated office fragrance because it feels professional without smelling boring. However, it is quite a versatile scent and I've worn it casually too. This fragrance feels like the modern evolution of L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme. Different scent profile, but the same elegant and timeless DNA underneath. I can see this remaining in my collection for a very long time.

Issey Miyake Le Sel d’Issey is perfect. Not perfect in a loud, sweet, obvious way, but perfect like an intense summer romance. You smell it once, you fall for it instantly and while the summer lasts, you just enjoy it. The notes are sea salt and ginger in the opening, seaweed and vetiver in the heart, with cedarwood and oakmoss in the base. That salty opening is what makes it special. It feels fresh, mineral, slightly spicy and very alive, like warm skin after swimming in the sea, with ginger adding just enough brightness to make it addictive. The seaweed gives it that marine character, but it never becomes dirty or too aquatic, while vetiver, cedarwood and oakmoss keep it masculine, dry and elegant. For me, this is one of the best modern summer fragrances. It is fresh, but not boring. Salty, but not strange. Clean, but not generic. It smells emotional, attractive and different, like a summer love story you know will not last forever, but you still enjoy every second of it.

They should rename this to Le Sel d'Atoll because this stuff is ATOMIC. Thank goodness the atomizer is so conservative on this. Did my usual freshie routine of three sprays: inside of each elbow and back of the neck, and it was like I was waterboarding everyone who was unlucky enough to be in the same room as me with a bucket of ocean water that I brought back with me from vacation in Mexico. Hyperbole aside, this stuff punches way above its weight class. It might just be my most complicated fragrance, and I wear Creeds & Xerjoff 17/17s IYKYK. It's simple and clean, yet interesting and unique. It's dry enough to appeal to someone more mature, yet has a touch of sweetness for the younger crowd. 1⁄2-1 spray can easily be worn to work, school, or the gym. I wouldn't wear this to formal events or during the winter much tbh. And just be careful about over spray. This stuff is potent and YOU WILL go nose blind and think it wore off. Ask someone before reapplying.

Off the top, this Issey Miyake punches you in the nose with a bright and uplifting opening, kind of like the first whiff of the ocean when you just exited your car at the beach. I can’t specifically pick apart the seaweed note, but it does have that oceanic, salty minerality to it that reminds me of other aquatic-forward fragrances. Albeit, Le Sel D’issey does its own thing and is quite a unique fragrance in its own right. I would recommend spraying up to 10 sprays (maybe even more) if you want it to last the whole day, as the atomiser is horrendous and does not deposit much fragrance on your skin. Though, it has no problem radiating off my skin and clothes for the first 3 hours. Edit: After wearing it for a couple of months, I can confidently say that the performance has really improved since I've gotten it. It now lasts a comfortable 10-12 hours for me, with strong projection up to 5 hours. I adore this fragrance alot for its airiness and uniqueness.

My new favorite marine scent. Just picked this up yesterday at a local fragrance shop in my country (paying retail bad ik) but as soon as I smelled this I had to get it. I smelled the edp concentration right after, also nice, but it doesn't beat this. Now as for the scent. I get mostly marine and salty notes. There's also something that smells like a melon note in there that gives it this light, refreshing sweetness. I can't see many people having an issue with this, i can see this being in mass appealing territory, but this isn't hyped on social media yet. The wave is still sugar bombs and gourmands. This gives decent performance as well. 7+ hours and it projects a few feet for the first 3-4 hours before it comes back in. And even then I'm catching whiffs when I move around a bit. If you're like me who lives in a hot country, this fresh fragrance is a no brainer. Overall rating 9.1/10

Le Sel d'Issey - The marine flanker to Bois Imperial. Although there is no Akigalawood listed in the notes, I'm quite sure that Quentin Bisch used the same - or a very similar - backbone for this fragrance. It is slightly more salty and smoky in the opening and mid, but as the drydown gets a bit sweeter, the two get closer and closer, giving the impression of the same airy woody cleanliness. I also miss the slight grapefruit-like zestiness from the timur pepper found in BI, but a similar facet is offered by the ginger in here. The saltiness makes this decidedly more manly than Bois Imperial - which, while leaning masculine, can still be worn by women. Le Sel d'Issey is an amazing price value proposition, offering great performance and a very versatile, crowd pleasing scent profile for a bargain (especially at discounters). Will be my summer signature.