1986 Eclectique

I tend to have good luck with honey scents, and 1986 is no exception. Along with the apple and clove notes, there's something that's just yummy about this, without being overtly gourmand nor autumn-inspired. I'm beginning to quite enjoy davana in fragrance as well, as it adds a fruity note that's naturalistic and interesting. The dusty black pepper note at the beginning is the only aspect I dislike, though it dissipates within about fifteen minutes (and as the temps cool off, it seems to be lessening). After dry down, the warm tobacco comes out, like a high quality cigar. The smokiness is soft and incense-like. Background patchouli stays well-behaved. Eclectique is sweet but not too sweet; it has depth without heaviness. Reminds me a lot of Dolce Amalfi by Xerjoff, but more unisex and without the airy musk aromachemicals. I find it to really suit me as a woman, though it wouldn't feel feminine on a man. Not headache inducing with "just right" strength. I will say that I don't get much of a party vibe from this scent; if anything it reminds me of getting back home after a night out and having a sweet snack.

When I first tried this perfume on Mouette, I thought I would rate this perfume as dislike. Smells of metal and tobacco. The metal is probably from cloves. This gave me the impression that I was in the dentist's waiting room and the person next to me started smoking a sweet cigarette. Very disappointed. I tried it on my skin before tossing it. Wow, it's completely different from the scent in Mouette. where did the cloves go? The top note is a nice assortment of honey and dried fruits. And there's a tobacco smokiness that just doesn't make it sweet and simple. And the cloves are waiting quite far back, giving the scent a three-dimensional effect. And what I like most about this perfume is the scent it leaves on my skin. It smells incredibly good. A bright light gold sparkling scent. I have no idea how it was constructed but it was just beautiful. If there is a perfume with this lingering scent in the middle, I will try to get it by all means. This perfume taught me the dangers of judging by Mouette alone, and the wonderful miracles that can occur when perfume meets the skin.

I'm excited that after so many years of smelling things, i continue to find stuff that is new. This is a unique concoction that is more of an experience than anything else. while this is classified as a green scent, it's certainly not green in the sense of a traditional masculine (oak moss, pine, etc). While there are some green touches, it's only a small part of the story. Whenever i smell something new, i try to compare it to something ive smelled before - sometimes things sell identical, and other times things smell like they could be a 17th cousin. In this case, there are two 17th cousins that i can relate this to: Chanel Egoiste and signature wild (art de parfum). Again - 17th cousins. they share a "feeling" - but certainly dont smell the same. At any rate, i find this to be very enjoyable and transformative through its stages of development. Very good stuff here. 7/10

A bit of a flanker to Duchaufour's 1978 Le Bains Douches, but this one's a touch rowdier; both are excellent variations on the Naxos theme, and deserve to exist. I bought Le Bains Douches, but this seems like the kind of thing where you just want to own both.

This is very nice! A complex sweet and spicy tobacco with some interesting floral and citrusy nuances. For me it also smells quite boozy, something like a liquor made of bitter orange peel and spices. It’s fresh, it’s sweet and it’s bitter. Lovely!