Eau Illuminee

This is a nice one. Perfect summer scent for a guy (cannot speake for the women, some seem to like it, some don't). The citrus-lavender combo lasts for a a decent couple of hours after which it becomes a very enjoyable skin scent. In the evening it is still there but quite subdued. A perfume with its own character that lets you smell nice and not like everybody else. Comes recommended

To me, this begins as a classic fougere skeleton fleshed out with citrus, herbs, spices, and vanilla that together produce the illusion of frankincense and clove. The first thing that’s apparent is the lavender-tonka “men’s cologne” combo, but the scent is much, much more than that. Frankincense isn’t listed in the notes, but I could swear that I smell it in there. Clove isn’t listed either, and that could well come from the basil, which does have a bit of a clove-like scent. In fact, it’s possible that the frankincense note emerges from the combination of citrus, basil, and some other unlisted materials. Or maybe it really is a lemony variety of frankincense. Whatever is in Eau Illuminee, the overall effect is that of a bouquet of fresh herbs and resins that’s refreshing and warm at the same time. It’s a light scent, floating easily on the skin, a summery fragrance if ever there was one. After about 6 hours the scent dries down to a powdery base that remains on skin for a few more hours and on clothing considerably longer. I’ve tried most of the offerings from Parfums Delrae, and so far this is the only one that I’ve liked.

I am rarely so overwhelmed with a perfume to be inclined to call it a master piece, but in this case, that is not an exaggeration. This perfume has so many wonderful facets that it becomes impossible to pin down just few notes. I have never smell anything like it, this is such a distinctive composition that has life on its own. It develops beautifully and it constantly changes its character. Yes, the ingredient specification is true, but there is so much more in this juice than a bare ingredients checklist. I believe it is suitable for men and women. This is not a perfume for everyone's taste, be aware that this one can actually wear you instead of the opposite.

"Whoops, I put on a men's cologne!" were the first words out of my mouth upon applying Parfums DelRae EAU ILLUMINEE this morning. I examined the vial, re-read the name, and came directly to Fragrantica to verify that, in fact, this was a made-for-men composition. Not satisfied with the answer I received here, though the notes clearly confirm my suspicion--lavender, bergamot, basil, vetiver... why it's the very recipe for a men's cologne!--I embarked upon a fact-finding mission to determine the correct categorization of this creation, fully prepared to register a correction for the administrators in the Fragrantica threads. But no, the most I could find was that EAU ILLUMINEE is "unisex, leaning toward feminine". Say what? Perhaps unsurprisingly, the folks (mostly guys) at basenotes love this. As for me, I must respectfully demur. Even the touch of vanilla does not help, serving to remind me (over and over again...!) of the only BBW aromatherapy scent which I really do not like: lavender vanilla. Yes, I'm afraid that EAU ILLUMINEE conforms fully to Murphy's Law of Longevity: the less I like something, the longer it seems to last... Désolée.

I can't say I'm a huge fan of this. It's a giant burst of bergamot, lavender, and basil, that's for sure. It's very crisp, fresh, and green. It's quite a dark green fragrance, especially from the labdanum and oak moss. I don't get much of a tonka accord, but I do definitely detect the labdanum working in the background, giving a sweet, resinous background upon which the bursting aromatics can take flight. As it dries down, the bergamot calms, which leaves a slight chorus of lavender and basil. This scent is very herbal and lush, but it borderlines a bit on being a bit indolic, which can be unpleasant in warmer weather. It lasts several hours, which is a bit longer than I hoped for. I'm not typically a fan of these aromatic, herbal concoctions, but it's definitely a nice experience if you're a connoisseur of new ideas and concepts within perfumery. It doesn't suit me, but if you like herbal, fresh, aromatics, give this one a shot. Lavender, basil, and labdanum fans should take note of this and add it to their collection.

"Eau Illuminee" smells like every single drugstore shaving cream I had ever smelled all happening at once. When it came out of the bottle, I experienced it on a saturation scale of 1 to 10 at about a 7. I could safely bring my arm up to my face to breathe deeply. Then, just like that, a 12—I couldn’t get my nose far enough away from it. It was like having a Brooklyn-born Italian barber sitting on my head, and almost caused my left eye to involuntarily close. It was billed as the "little black dress" or "perfect white shirt." I can't recommend it to anyone other than a hard-core after-shave addict.

Eau Illuminee opens with tangy citrus (to my nose it's closer to lemon than the bergamot mentioned in the official notes), green herbs and a touch of lavender. This is sunny and clear and almost sharp. The orris appears later to soften the crispness a bit. This clean and soapy scent is genderless and I see it being quite popular as the sun starts to warm up the air. DelRae presents this as a scent inspired by San Francisco; to me this is reminiscent of a nice Italian cologne. It’s not a terribly complicated scent and personally, I kept hoping that it would develop into something more interesting, but those looking for something consistent will enjoy the lovely simplicity. To me, it’s like a beautiful day in the park spent romping in the sun for hours until your stomach starts to growl and you head back home for a little sustenance. Others may want to linger in the sun.

Rita@leftcoastnose - your review had me cracking up! I can see where people get 'shaving cream' from this. My first whiff of this scent was that I imagined cold juiced citruses (I was picking up lime) that have been infused w/ wonderfully crushed lush green herbs straight from the garden. Very green and crisp. Very masculine and fresh. Nothing feminine here for me.

It opens with a bright lemon. It zaps your senses. The basil and lavender keeps it from being to harsh. It somewhat borders towards men's aftershave but i dont mind at all. This all sunshine and happiness. It softens towards the drydown and moves into a somewhat warmer citrus scent with hints of green.

Just put on a sample and definately feels more manly to me....the lime-basil really comes out....maybe my son will like it!

i think it smells just like Hermes' Eau d'Orange verte. they are very similar.