L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Eau & Cèdre

Surprising. To elaborate, this does not have the symphonic gladiator-mode volume and projection as l'eau and Wood.... but I think that might be in its favor. This is masterful in its own right. Not exactly ground breaking, no.... but a unique direction for this designer and its typical DNA. This scent, I believe, is meant for atmosphere. Like a pair of sunglasses on an early summer evening, adding a lovely kind of summer holiday glow to everything. Compared to the dazzling lights of other Issey works, this is a gentle small candle in a frosted glass lantern. It is an intimate scent, sweet, sentimental, touching. And this is coming from someone who rarely enjoys vetiver or patchouli. I wouldn't call this "cedar", but its got a very gentle mild sweet wood base that yall will know as Issey. It's a very casual resort, linen beach wraps and cabana curtains. No salt air, but a sweet driftwood note that hovers about. First blast: Clean, citrus, fresh as a cool breeze. Real nice, familiar. It holds this for a good 15 minutes before calming way way down. 1 hour in: you'll smell like you've been at the beach all day, just without the saltiness that other beachy scents have. Warm, a touch green, still fresh and very carefree. It's a captured moment on a patio with a cocktail and a lover. Only they will catch this scent on the air coming from you, and that's ok, because it's only for them, and it makes them want to get a little closer.... 3 hours in: well, your lover will hopefully be close enough to smell this on your skin. They won't know if it's you, or something you're wearing. It's sexy. Mild, sweet, natural warm skin and flirtatious words. I'm surprised that I can still smell it on my shirt 24 hrs later, even though it's so so mild. Good for office, obviously. Good for first dates. Great for all genders. Bring it on vacation with you. You won't be mad.

This is for two types of people, ones who don't want to stand out but want to smell pleasant, and/or someone, like myself, who literally has a fragrance for every situation and approaches fragrances like art and fashion. IMHO this is a perfectly useful "outfit " for an occasion that warrants it. Definitely work friendly, I couldn't see even the most over-sensitive "Karen" at the "office" being offended. To an experienced nose it's apparent the vision the artist had with this one, and Marie captured it. For me Im sitting just aside a crystal clear, cold, fresh flowing stream just outside of a cedar grove. Early morning, dew still on the fresh grass, and a very slight fog. All is quiet save for the soft trickling of the water over rocks and an old fallen cedar branch or two. The Grapefruit I consumed for breakfast still aparent on my fingertips and mouth as well as the sleeve of my light pullover that I catch traces of a Cardamom based scent I wore from days earlier. Very peaceful and pleasant. There's an addictive property to this one, I find myself not necessary awestruck however I want to keep smelling it and coming back for more. That opening, although short, is fantastic. The Cardamom about a minute in is beautiful. If this is Issey's answer to the common safe/signature scent then I think they nailed it in their "very different from the crowd" way that Issey tends to do. This is a very nice offering for what it's meant to do.

I wonder why this fragrance gets trashed on a lot on YouTube and here. As such, I was extremely hesitant in purchasing it until very recently that it was on sale in my country. Spoiler alert: I love it from the first spritz. The fragrance is atmospheric. A reviewer below mentioned that this smelt like spending a day at a luxurious resort by the beach, just without the saltiness of the sea, and I think that's spot on. It is not a strong fragrance by any stretch of the imagination; on the contrary, it is as light as a feather in terms of scent, and that might be why it gets trashed on. However, I don't think all fragrances have to be potent. This one seems to have been designed to be classy without trying, and in that respect, it succeeds, exceedingly well, at that. l'Eau d'Issey pour Homme Eau & Cèdre gives a similar vibe as Bvlgari Blv. If you like Bvlgari Blv, you might want to check this one out. The scent is intimate and is best worn on the skin to help with the projection. Most likely, you will get whiffs of it from time to time, and it'll always be pleasant so long as it lasts. Also, the bottle looks really elegant.

Although this perfume lasts a long time the projection is very low right from the start. Personally I don't mind having an option like this in my collection since it's such an easy wear. It could be described as generic but it's incredibly smooth and elegant. The Scent itself is simple but really well done. There's a subtle grapefruit note which isn't listed above, its a little sweet and doesn't lean on the overly rindey side like D&G light blue. The sweetness is not even close to cloying, without it this scent would be incredibly dry. There's also prominent cardamom which is more green than spicy, and a soft woody base. The reviewer below me is right about the beachy vibe this has. Smells like an expensive holiday. A good pick up I find reaching more often than some of the heavy hitters.

This is such an interesting Fragrance... I get why a lot of people say this is boring and weak. It might be...? All I can say is I'm still intrigued by it. It smells amazing, fresh and mild, woody and deep, it's SOFT and SMOOTH, it doesn't annoy or obtrude. It's safe and really fuses with my skin in a pleasant way. Many don't want a safe and innoffensive scent, they want to stand out, they want attention. I absolutely love the idea of being hidden in plain sight, this will just make you smell good, that's it. No head turning, no frantic sniffing - just gentle olfactory delight, plain and simple. And that's why this might just become my new signature scent.