Nuit d'Issey Austral Expedition

You know what I get with this? An early morning sunrise out in nature. Right between spring & summer, that crisp morning fresh air with some florals surrounding you enclosed in snow capped mountain tops as far as the eyes can see. Fresh briskness with the signature Miyake citrus punch that engulfs the senses with a uniqueness all its own. The first first 30-45 minutes are awe inspiring and just down right gorgeous. Then it just goes into a masculine woody with vetiver semi-sweet clean scent. I’m left wanting more of that delicious opening before it transitions into the mids and beyond. I’m heartbroken of it’s too early of an exit. The drydown is not bad, it just goes into more of the other designer scents that have a clean lightly sweet vetiver accord with masculine woods to round it out similar to Encre Noir Sport. And that’s not bad company neither. Oh but, that opening! If you can find it cheap say, under $50 US for a 120ml, definitely worth it just to experience the opening. Invigorating and very unique despite the average drydown. I can live with it....

I think I've just about found my perfect fragrance in Austral Expedition. It has everything I love in a men's perfume: realistic citrus, a hint of sweetness, woody base, a touch of classy florals, and an x-factor- that note of uniqueness that sets it apart from the herd. The x-factor? coriander and gentiana create an opening that is at once fresh and unique. Absolutely invigorating combination of fresh top notes and earthy undertones. I get similarities between this and Nuit D'Issey with the vetiver, tonka, and leather, but the added florals and absence of patchouli make this a scent for all seasons and occasions. My ONLY criticism is that longevity could be better- it seems to disappear completely after 5 hours on my skin and even clothes. As a limited edition flanker, Austral Expedition will go largely unnoticed in the fragrance community, so the fact that few people will ever encounter it makes this signature scent material for me. It's hard to find, so blind buy may be necessary, but if you like the notes and description, you will love this.

The opening has a very interesting coriander note that sticks around for about 20 minutes much like Bleu Astral. AE has a noticable pinch of mint and a subtle smokiness from the vetiver and geranium that are absent in BA, but aside from that it's BA minus a bit of the fresh cut lime that I love in BA. It's actually EXTREMELY close to BA. If you have ever smelled Nuit D'issey EDT, the DNA is here. The smoke and wood is greatly toned down and the grapefruit is replaced with beautiful realistic lime. While the original EDT is geared towards night use in the cooler seasons, this is geared more towards the warmer months and is more daylight friendly.

Yes this is all about the first 30 minutes, which are gorgeous and mood changing. Not as elegant as Hermès Eau de Gentiane Blanche, but prettier. One of those scents that is fleeting aromatherapy more than a day or half-day fragrance. Austral means "of the southern hemisphere" and this fragrance is a ship sailing from a tropical island, loaded with citrus fruits and spice for the voyage, heading to Antarctica or along cool Tierra del Fuego. The blending is artistic and the fragrance very evocative. Rare jewel.

This is not as close to Bleu Astral as some commenters would have you believe. In a nutshell this is half Bleu Astral and half Nuit d'Issey Parfum. It has less of the "blue" vibe that Bleu Astral has, and has stronger vanilla and patchouli. I don't think this is redundant if you are a fan of the line.