L'eau d'Issey

Even back in the early 00’s, Issey Miyake was considered avant garde. The style was different from what was on offer, and graduating from cK, Cool Water or Eternity to Issey Miyake was a wow factor. Cool Water was the signature of a good friend, although I never liked it then; it was immensely heavy and I associated it with a cleaning product! cK One was my go-to for a good number of years, while Eternity was the signature of a dear friend. Then, stuff like Rush, Addict, D&G, Pure Poison and Narciso came out, but among the ‘male’ oriented Roberto Cavalli’s, Calvin’s Truth and Lauders Beyond Paradise, I enjoyed the Isseys. Both versions. Something about the gauzy freshness of the edt and the zingy spiciness of the Pour Homme caught my nose and wore them for a good part of the decade. L’eau d’Issey: floral, watery, melony. We didn’t know what Calone was, we knew what we liked. And Issey’s version was far away from the blockbusters of previous years. It was fresh, clean, tender. Among the soft flowers and the powdery feel, there was an aquatic feel that captured the salty sea air and the sand dunes, intertwined with a futuristic feel. It was beautiful. Lightweight on a hot summer day. Floral and comforting, with a clean powdery sensation. The stickiness of humidity was gone. And it didn’t leave your skin, leaving a gorgeous trail behind! L’eau d’Issey pour Homme: zingy, spicy and refreshingly citrusy but not like lemon Zoflora! I first smelled it on a friend, and instantly got smitten. Yuzu, which I now know, was the culprit. The smell of the peel and rind, sweetened by herbs, mignonette and gentle lilly of the valley. It was at once refreshing, spicy, herbal, floral and aquatic. It never went full Calone territory, but used the note as a balance point to make the fragrance completely different! Under it all, there was a slightly bitter touch and a modest use of what I recall as a ‘pissy’ note. Even then, I loved it! Both were of its time, seeing ahead. They took the familiar into a future tech environment. And they were innovative and beautiful. Today, gladly, they smell of themselves. They are still unmistakable. In a crowded perfumery shelf, they stand out among the ones that have gone and the ones that have faired less well. For nostalgia, like me, for a trip to the past and happy memories or simply for educational purposes, for something that bottles SUMMER, both are excellent choices. Modern then and modern today! Review based on current edt formula for both fragrances.

I do not care that this fragrance was super trendy in the 90s and everybody who's old enough to remember L'Eau d'Issey is soooo over it. I also do not care that many perfumistas--especially those who love big, heavy orientals or niche fragrances that smell like dirty underwear and cigarettes (and that none of their friends have heard of, much less own)--think that L'Eau d'Issey smells like melon-scented toilet bowl cleaner, or whatever. I effing love L'Eau d'Issey. It's hot and humid where I live, like a giant sauna, and if I could get away with wearing something big, loud and rich I would totally do it, but I don't want to asphyxiate people. I just want to smell nice. And when I wear L'Eau d'Issey, people go out of their way to tell me that I smell amazing. But that doesn't even matter, because I'm wearing it now and I think I smell pretty amazing. I don't find anything chemical or artificial about this fragrance. It's cool, fresh, and feminine, and it's not trying too hard. I think Issey Miyake and Jacques Cavallier achieved exactly what they were going for here. Bowls full of water and flower petals, enchanted springtime forests, magical waterfalls, etc. As a novice perfumista, I feel obligated to try obscure fragrances that smell like armpits and rotten tree fungus, and usually I can at least appreciate what the designer is trying to accomplish. But seriously, if you just want to smell pretty, don't let the negative reviews deter you. Give L'Eau d'Issey a try.

Some of the impressions of this fragrance expressed by reviewers are staggering. Faeces? Fish? Cat piss? What? L'eau d'Issey was launched in 1992 at the height of 'powerhouse perfume' (for reference, the same year as Angel by Thierry Mugler). Issey Miyake released it because he hated perfume and was tired of being constantly assaulted by other people's fragrances on aeroplanes and communal spaces. He wanted a perfume that did not smell overbearing and this was the end result. Some reviewers are calling it generic by today's standards, and perhaps now it is, but at the time of its release, you must remember it was completely unique and trend-setting by its gentle simplicity. I think it could even be classed as a forerunner to all the 'smells like your skin, only better' fragrances the market is now awash with. It is a barely there perfume full of muted sweetness and sunshine. I think when you understand the history of this fragrance it will suddenly make sense. It does not smell of cat piss, faeces or fish though by any stretch of the imagination, either on skin or on paper. It is a beautiful floral aquatic, and while it's not loud enough for my personality I can appreciate it for what it is and for being so ground-breaking. There is something about it that inspires happiness and tranquillity. I find it very uplifting to wear. It also performs really well for a gentle fragrance. I get around 6-8 hours of wear before it vanishes as discreetly as it arrived.

Although it feels like I have loved this perfume since forever, in the mid-90s my bff in high school wore it and it smelled saccharine, cloying. Around 2010 I finally tried it for myself and was struck by a totally different experience — this gorgeous, persistent floral of the most beguiling manner, nothing too loud or sugary. A few bottles of this later, it still makes for an easy reach. I read a scathing review about a different perfume in which the author slammed it as being boring like L’Eau d’Issey. How short-sighted! We are inundated with scents today but this was a show-stopping stunner when it came out that remains a beautifully composed fragrance. Some of us prefer even these newer classics to most of the juices on offer in recent years. I wear it mostly in winter and it’s a performer on me, both the EDT and EDP. This needs a proper test drive or two before purchase, but if it’s not for you, no judgement. And fwiw I like melon, but on me that’s not really present in this elegant floral bouquet. And yes, it’s watery, too, in a dreamy, almost wistful way.

I ́ve been curious about this one for such a long time. The first time I smelled this was among my korean girlfriends and initially I found it to be very overpowering, weird and strong smelling. But recently I had a friend gift me this for my b-day and I love it. It ́s very fresh in an aquatic way, like you got out of the shower and used a very expensive shower gel. The white flowers are very prominent and the hint of melon gives it a nice touch. I imagine myself on a warm morning in a balcony wearing a silk white robe, eating fruits and drinking a hot cup of coffee while the sun is bathing me in warm golden hues and smelling this aura around me. I just wish it lasted longer because I ́m confuse, like... I get anosmic to it and stop smelling it, but people say it still smells very strongly after a few hours, although I find that on clothes lasts longer than on skin. Anyways, definetly a staple freshy to my collection.