Nuit d'Issey Bleu Astral

Nuit d'Issey Bleu Astral by Issey Miyake smells like SWIMMING POOL WATER, AIRY FRESH-CLEAN LIGHT MARINE-BLEU-AQUATIC (A MORE MATURE BLEU FRAG) the first couple of minutes of the opening reminds be of CK Eternity for Men, that soapy barbershop scent just not as bold or floral as Eternity so it's slightly shower-gelly then turns very blue/bleu aquatic just like your average mass production blue/bleu aquatic but without the bubblegum or fruity sweetness, only slight sweetness comes from the lime (w/ slight zest) and amberwood (similar to YSL Y amberwood); Nuit d'Issey Bleu Astral has a swimming pool blue/bleu aquatic vibe to it, it's clean fresh with a hint of sweetness and salty spiciness (probably the Coriander), when it dries down the leather shines through real nice, it's not a loud leather note but bold enough to be noticed and add some complexity and depth and blends very well never overpowering the fresh clean aquatic bleu/blue water accord, the leather and lime note sets Bleu Astral apart from your basic bleu/blue frags; not a loud or beast projection frag, definitely "mass appealing" "safe" fragrance and can garner likes from those in-close, won't offend anyone and can't be over-sprayed; very versatile masculine fragrance, can be worn for gym office/business or casual day or night-time use, best suited for Spring or Summer, ages 24+; kind of reminds me of TB Maritime Deep Blue; * Issey Miyake (IM) is one of my favorite fragrance brands because they're not scared to be different... with that being said, Nuit d'Issey Bleu Astral is imo a good smelling and safe fragrance. Sure majority IM fragrances have more complexity & depth and aren't consider 'trendy' except for L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme (a warm weather classic), and with Nuit d'Issey Bleu Astral IM got back to being 'trendy' and 'mass appealing'. Projection/Sillage: DECENT, good 'scent bubble' for about 1-2 hours then turn to a more in-close scent the more it dries. Performance/Longevity: DECENT, will last on avg about 3-5 hours

I picked this up right away, knowing this fragrance was previously discontinued and not wanting to take a chance. I got it pretty cheap off of discounters and I am happy with this purchase. This is an odd fragrance in that it opens with incense first that's typical in nuit and nuit parfum (which I adore), with a blue tinge. Then 15 mins later the lime pops out out of NOWHERE. Never had that with a fragrance where the citrus doesnt dominate first and die off eventually to get to mid and dry down notes. 45 mins later and that beautiful lime is still present, taking front and center while the woods and incense give it umph as supporting players. Nuit was good, but compared to Nuit parfum, it's underwhelming. This is the true eau fresh flanker to Nuit parfum. If you like Nuit parfum and always wanted a spring/summer version (ignoring Nuit EDT), this is the pick up for you. I just got it so this is based on first impressions off a strip, but I will update/edit if I need to after an official skin wear. At around 45 bucks for 120 ml, I think it's a no brainer. As far as performance, maybe it's a batch thing, as I have the newest release and I don't have issues. It projects well around 3 feet for the first hour, goes down to around a foot and half for the next two hours and then becomes a soft scent bubble for the remaining 3 hours (around half a foot). I get around 6 hours before it becomes barely noticeable.

Not sure why I didn't review this before, as I have had it for a few years. I like a lot of Issey miyake frags. The problem is they are always hard to get, unless you want leau dissey or it's intense brother. Both of which I do love. Blue Astral was one of my firsts when I started purchasing fragrances at an alarming rate. I love fresh citrus scents, and if you can make one that can perform in the colder months, then here is my money. I will be honest. It's a beautiful scent. Holds onto the nuit dissey dna. Adds a wonderful unique citrus opening, but it's downfall is performance. It's not loud or intrusive. It's something you wear for yourself. On a special day. Like new years day. Bois Arctic is another great Issey scent with similarities to blue astral. Everything I've said about astral can be said about bois arctic. Great scent. Not so great performance. Good luck getting your hands on either one for a fair price. I paid 40 for my 2.5 and 60 for my 4.2 of BA. Got super lucky last year and scooped a bottle of bois arctic for 50.

Issey Miyake (IM) have such amazing fragrances in their Homme and Nuit Homme lines that it is easy to pass on the flankers that aren't as daring (recall the florals in the original) or intense. Astral fits in to the Nuit line by offering sweet lime and soft fresh woods for a casual and playful experience. Less serious than those that came before, the herbal freshness in this provides a great balance to the sweet lime while the leather and soft woods keep the whole thing grounded and comfortable. It performs really well as most IM fragrances do on my skin and will be my most worn out of the IM fragrances I own because it's office and family friendly. Wifey compliments me almost every time and I really enjoy it too. In my collection, this is has the same vibe as Azzaro Chrome Pure but way more interesting, and Bvlgari Wood Essence but more gentle. This would get lost in freezing temperatures and winter weather but other than that... day or night, Bleu Astral can fit any occasion. A very versatile and beautiful fragrance.

Beautiful name, lovely scent. An all season scent in my opinion that despite its "Nuit" designation can easily be used in the daytime as well. The lime and coriander top notes mix beautifully so that despite their different ingredients, its smell reminds me a lot of Aramis Gentleman - masculine, fresh, smooth and spicy - although Bleu Astral lasts much longer. I definitely pick up the underlying dark musky background that it has inherited from the regular Nuit D'Issey. Unbelievably classy, impressive performance, and great value for money. Recommended! Update: Having tried it again in 5 degrees c, I found that it performs only modestly in cold weather, same smell but retreats into a skin scent within the hour. This leads me to decide that it's best used as a warm weather evening fragrance, where its performance remains impressive. Update 2022: Davidoff Cool Water Reborn EdT has a very similar smell and performance and could be used as a replacement for this increasingly rare scent.