L'Air Des Alpes Suisses

On me, L’Air des Alpes Suisses is all about the tonka and ambergris and lily. But especially tonka. The best description I have for tonka is “creamy white and sweet” but now that I smell it by itself, without its frequent accompaniments like vanilla or amber, I’m noticing that it’s also got a cooling tonality and a sort of putty-like or play-doh-like texture. It feels more smooth and doughy, like fondant, than “creamy.” The ambergris blows a hot breath of golden earthiness around the tonka, and the lily gives it a graceful ornamental undertone. There’s a sort of pale-yellow, almost “lemonade” tonality as well, that I’ve noticed in the openings of some other Tauer perfumes. Sweetened citrus seems to be one of his signatures, along with ambergris and dry woods. It is a totally new accord to me, and totally enchanting. It smells like it could be some wonderful, impossibly luxurious soap or lotion that melts softly into my skin. The lily-ambergris is similar to the clean-skin vibe of the lily-musk in Kiehl’s Original Musk, but the tonka gives L’Air Des Alpes Suisses a luminous magic all its own. Then in the heart I start to get more of a dry, “spicy” herbal-woody scent. It eventually overtakes the pale tonka chord and makes L’Air Des Alpes Suisses into more of the evocation of mountain meadows I’d expect from the name. I think the thyme is most prominent, along with something bitter-medicinal. But the creamy tonka and lemonade isn’t dead! It floats above the herbal brush like a cloud. Where the pure, sharp herbs and the lemon note intersect, it smells like looking up into a brilliant sky. This is a similar effect, in a different key, to Tauer’s Phi: Une Rose De Kandahar. Phi was a layer of creamy almond-vanilla (spiked with cinnamon) over dark, earthy tobacco and patchouli. Basically, apricot-cream over mahogany brown. L’Air des Alpes Suisses is the same “cream top” effect, but this time palest creamy yellow over loden green. If anything, I like it even better. (Interestingly, Caron’s Third Man *also* has a “pale sweet yellow note over earthy-spicy green” structure, but in a low-fat form — its clear vanilla-lemon-jasmine topnote reminds me of refreshing ice wine, not creamy custard or frosting.) Wow. This is a masterpiece. Unisex, in the sense that it doesn’t fit neatly into gendered perfume categories. Men who find florals too soft or women who find lavender-herbal scents too masculine might have trouble. Me, I love it. Hike-in-the-woods meets lounge-at-a-grand-hotel? Hell yeah.

I've been wearing since late August to really understand the nuances before writing my opinion. At first blush, I immediately thought it was a copy or inspiration of Amouage Reflection Man. I've also worn Reflection for around a couple years, and side by side they are not as similar as I thought. Firstly, the opening of this is different, especially side by side with reflection. They both share vanilla and perhaps coumarin, but Reflection is heavy on jasmine wherein L'Air Suisse Alpes is pine, something rubbery like western oud, wild thyme, and a mountain air accord. The mountain air air is pretty good but not photorealistic IMO it's like a rendering of it, but still really good. Mountain air is hard to describe, but it also feels like a different version of the steam accord created in Penhaligon's Sartorial which is meant to replicate a hot iron in a tailor shop. I enjoy it, but I can see why some people may not. Beyond that it feels "rugged clean" with white amber and pine mastic feeling. In my minds eye, Reflection man is a clean shaven gentleman in a white linen shirt, and L'Air Suisse is Swiss mountaineer that has spent some time trekking in the snow and woods, finally arriving at the mountain base where the temperature has warmed up from the sun, but the day is still crisp. The snow is melting and turning into slush. He's still relatively clean but he carries the scent of his mountain travels on his person. Late drydown carries a soapy amber quality. I like both fragrances but I find myself reaching for the Tauer because it's just more interesting to me. I've also received compliments from strangers wearing it in public, so it's not so niche that it is off-putting to the average person. Great concept and really fun to wear. ----------------------------------------- Scent 8.8/10 Performance 8/10

This is my second Tauer fragrance, and I was specifically looking for something that could capture the spirit of spring in a way that stood out from the usual fresh scents. With a collection of nearly a hundred bottles, I wanted something special to make me instinctively reach for this one perfume in particular – and it absolutely delivers. From the start, the experience felt great. I adore the distinctive metal packaging, and the handwritten note from Andy Tauer himself adds a unique artisanal touch that enhances the overall charm. The signature Tauer bottle design – angular, bold, and tactile – suits the scent’s character perfectly. The visuals for this perfume are evocative and mirror the mood it sets: expansive, airy, and grounded in nature. The only minor drawback is the cap mechanism, which feels a bit less refined than the rest of the presentation. That aside, everything else radiates quality and intention. Scent-wise, it’s hard for me to pinpoint exact notes without looking at the pyramid– and in a way, that’s part of the magic. What I do perceive is an incredibly vivid impression of a mountain meadow right at the edge of a forest. There’s a green, resinous sharpness reminiscent of pine needles, mingled with wild alpine herbs and a breath of fresh, cool air. It’s a composition that doesn’t follow present trends; instead, it carves its own trail and I love that. Unlike many warmer weather fragrances that lean too heavily on citrus or aquatic notes, this feels grounded, original, and even versatile enough to wear during cooler days. It commands attention not through power, but through atmosphere – an olfactory escape into the Swiss Alps, bottled.

A long overdue sampling of one of the latest releases from Tauer Perfumes, the 2019 L’Air des Alpes Suisses, which unsurprisingly translates to “The Air of the Swiss Alps,” a fresh spicy aromatic fragrance that I instantly liked when smelling it Perfumology for the first time some months ago. My first reaction was that LADAS smelled like a spicy variation to Creed Himalaya, with mixed citruses and woods, complemented by a variety of spices, none too overwhelming but pleasantly accenting. The main standout notes to me are lavender, lemon, ambergris, birch, lily, rosewood, and nutmeg, with a handful of others. It’s a complex composition but the result is pleasant and fairly easy to wear, a year-round jack-of-all-trades that has freshness but not to the point of being bland or generic. I conclude that while Andy is not reinventing the wheel with these, it’s nonetheless a special twist on a familiar fresh spicy DNA that he makes his own, highly wearable and enjoyable and a bottle I’ll seriously need to consider buying. It comes in EDT concentration but feels like a comfortably moderate performer, not too airy nor pulling a disappearing act like many freshies, but certainly not as dense or rich as say, a Profumuma Roma fresh offering, with its high oil content. I don’t believe it’s in stock currently at Perfumology but other US boutiques like Luckyscent and Tigerlily carry it at its retail pricing of $135 for 50ml, in line with house’s pricing for most fragrances. 8 out of 10

TLDR: Freshly washed clothes drying in the air on a mountain full of flowers. Very floral and clean, ignore the rest of the notes listed above. This is complex the way Tauer scents tend to be, but I really only get a lot of florals and lemon. Not coniferous, no ambergris, not spicy, just super clean florals, and it’s beautiful and easy to wear. If you think flowers are feminine, you might be inclined to think this scent is too, though I’d say it’s squarely unisex. The comparisons by people below are so wild I have no idea what anyone is smelling. Comparing this to a Fougere is completely off the mark. The lavender in this is hardly, if at all, noticeable, and it shares nothing with that genre of perfume. I guess it’s like, adjacent to Reflection. I wouldn’t say they smell the same, but are in the same realm. Scent: 10/10 Projection: 6/10 Longevity:7/10 Full bottle? Definitely. Fans of Tauer who want something summery need look no further.

I grabbed what I thought was my sample of L'Air du Desert Marocain, and sprayed it with abandon all over both arms and my neck, thinking 'let's just finish this off' as I'll probably buy a bottle soon. First thought was "Wow - this smells NOTHING like I remember. Has this been wildly reformulated?!?" Second thought was not a thought but a realization - it was L'Air Des Alpes Suisses I'd sprayed! 🤭😂 While I've never LOVED this one, I've always enjoyed it when I've tried it. It truly does give high altitude, CRISP, FRESH Swiss mountain air. It's a nice alternative to all the usual 'clean laundry scents' out there. I find this totally unisex. It wears well - very strong and a little abrasive at first spray, but quickly settles into a super refreshing very clean and pure scent. This is a nice break from all the sweet, gourmands out there. Revisiting this one today, I AM loving it!

I bought it finally 😋 I really love this fragrance its like smell of Switzerland and spices and very fresh Lot of pine in there and woody notes Im wearing it in winter but i can not wait to wear it in summer i think the fresh scent of l’air des alpes suisses working very nice in summer and hot days. This is the second masterpiece i had after l’air du desert Marocain and i really love it its like you are walking in the woods in the alps and suddenly and slowly lots of flower and spices surrounded you . Well done Mr Andy Tauer I have to say this niche and art not just normal designer Parfum! I got lots compliments for it <3 My points: Longevity: 10/10 Tauerperfumes Power Projection: 9/10 Unique: 10/10 Presentation: 10/10 Going to buy again: 10/10 Overal: 9.8/10

I did not this the first few times I wore it. After a couple of weeks of testing, I realized I preferred this and found Reflection boring in comparison. This is more masculine and slightly dirty while still staying soapy clean. Performance is strong (my bottle is a little older), and it gets a surprising number of compliments in any setting. This scent grew on me over time, and years later I still wear it regularly. It’s one I’ll keep buying as long as Andy keeps making it. Summary: I sold Reflection after two weeks of testing this and haven’t looked back. ××××××××××××××××××××× Scent 95/100 Performance 90/100 ×××××××××××××××××××××

As others have noted, there are definitely some similarities to Reflection man here, but I like this better than Reflection man. This is softer and airier, with more of the 'granite' and coniferous notes coming through. I don't know how else to describe it other than it feels like a cartoon version of nature -- not natural smelling, but gives you the sensation of freshness and being outdoors. Projection and sillage are moderate, and longevity is above average. I like it a lot and ended up getting a full bottle! L'air du desert Marocain is still my favorite from Tauer, but this is a solid second.

Andy tauer is a creative genius. He has created olfactory masterpieces and as such, I think we hold him to a higher standard - at least I do. The unique concept of Swiss Alp air, or a winter scent is inspiring and fairly accurate in the opening. The dry down does have the signature Tauer DNA and warms up as it dries down. It is certainly unique and I am happy to own this and would encourage anyone looking for a unique winter scent to sample. But, due to the high benchmark set, this falls just short of a masterpiece for me but is exceptionally good.

Any woods or fir or spice here are a flash in the pan. This is a fougere through and through, with the ambergris giving it a unique quality. There’s a healthy dallop of it here too and combined with the creamy floral note backed by tonka, I can see how this is cloying/too strong/nauseating to some. I find lavender to be the dominant note throughout this. Unfortunately this does not remind me of the Swiss alps in any way but it’s a very timely fougere. Should have been called l’air du bureau.

Short review since I haven't fully understood this masterpiece yet. 9.4/10 - Currently my favorite summer fragrance overall. Very fresh and airy with hints of conifer, great blend of notes to the point where I can barely pick out individual ones. Extreme longevity, and the dry-down is very complex, a lot of care went into making this fragrance as enjoyable as possible for as long as possible. And the opening has a tiny hint of herbs.

I've been feeling a little guilty about not liking L'air du Desert Marocain that much, so I'm more than happy to say that L'air Des Alpes Suisses is one of my favorite samples of recent memory. It's slightly powdery, slightly masc, and such a nice use of lavender. It's botanical without being astringent and outdoorsy without relying on too much wood, which is something I didn't realize I was looking for until this moment.

In the top, I get some powdery benzoin, reminding me (shortly) of PP Minotaure. In the heart, the florals step in, reminding of something navigating in between Fahrenheit 32 and Apom. In the base, it veer into a plastick-y/lavender-y vanilla, reminding of Bvlgari Black and Chopard 1927 Vintage Ed. A very interesting one for sure. I love it, but still, try before you buy. A great work by the very reliable Andy Tauer.

Beautiful, transfixing, but for the price, it becomes a skin scent WAY too quickly (2-3 hours, then skin scent). Spend it if you have it; pass if your budget has a limit. Edit: Still soft, but it definitely lasts longer than I originally said. Easily got 7 hours yesterday, but to smell it, you needed to be close.

It feels like outside breathing in open area to me! Well blended notes; although the sillage not possible to find unless someone really close to you while wearing. Otherwise, its a very good perfume that I liked and I wanted to stay in my collection for the long run

I now like this more than reflection man. Reason being, reflection man can almost get a little stuffy, dense and powdery, whereas this is more spacious, airy, cold and crisp. Really the epitome of clean and fresh laundry wafting through the air.

L'Air Des Alpes Suisses smells very close to Amouage Reflection and MFK Apom, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants that type of scent, but doesn't want to pay Amouage and MFK prices. Will do a full review on scentgrail.com very soon.

best aromatic ever with this soft rounded warm amber/ tonka loveliness wrapping the fir and herbs in a sweet cocoon; fir, tonka, nutmeg, lavender, rosewood, basil; tonka should be the top note in this and nutmeg and rosewood much higher up

LOve from the first sniff. Like a scent from a fairytale forests and meadows, covered fairy dust.Not cold at all,yet it manages to provide a certain freshness and sweetness at the same time. Easy to wear, easy to love. a true masterpiece.