Eau du Gouverneur

L'Homme

Comptoir Sud Pacifique 1993

“Nous ne sommes pas des anges” is the title of a quirky, somewhat pretentious film from 1955 that I occasionally enjoy watching: Three convicts, shipped off to Devil's Island, escape on Christmas 1895 to make their way back to France. They slip into a merchant family under the darkest of pretenses (which no viewer would believe), but ultimately, they prepare a lovely celebration for the good people instead and even alleviate some of their troubles. For instance, they eliminate the nasty relatives with a poisonous snake, thus ensuring a decent inheritance. Not to mention, they procure the daughter a dream husband from the 50s, perfect for a mother-in-law.

The film is based on a play, is correspondingly sparsely furnished, and completely focused on the actors. However, at the end, there is the greatest special effect in film history: The convicts have just decided to return to prison (where one always knows upon waking where one is; the people are much better, etc.), and then they and their little poisonous snake… but more will not be revealed. Watch it! The film always airs around Christmas, banished like the protagonists, just not to a distant colony, but rather to the late-night programming of a lesser channel.

In the cashless procurement of the accessories required for the celebration, there is a cute, forced dialogue: “We still need flowers!” - “As beautiful as those in the governor's garden?” - “Hmhmmm…” - “But don’t step on the grass!” - “Of course not, what do you take me for?!? …step on the grass…”

The garden and the governor do not appear, yet I now know how it must have smelled at the high gentleman's place. EdG is certainly the perfect scent for a tropical Christmas celebration, not just for dignitaries. It has a spicy aroma that can be interpreted as festive, yet is simultaneously tropical and not at all cloying. At its core, EdG is consistently a fragrance for warm weather. Anyone who suspects (or fears) that it contains one of the usual suspects from the CSP house - even in part - is completely mistaken. A modular commentary like that of some representatives from the Eaux-de-Voyage series does not work here. The opening, with its bitter citrus fruit and rough verbena, is completely unsweetened. After a few minutes, an intensely spicy-woody note joins in, and it becomes unmistakably clear what kind of blend this is.

The fragrance notes can practically be checked off, aside from the geographical designations that hardly withstand any serious scrutiny…:-). While it does not have an overwhelming sillage overall, it is quite strong in style. Almost oily-sharp; in this regard, clove, nutmeg, allspice, and co. are certainly not subtle, and in this case, they are brutally squeezed out to the last drop. In this way, the scent rejoices and exults for about three hours, with a slightly hesperidic undertone. Therefore, anyone who does not want to smell like a two-sense Advent arrangement should definitely avoid overdoing it. The cedar, by the way, does not get overshadowed by this cocktail. Almost from the beginning, it is present and increasingly noticeable. Because when the spices start to calm down around the fourth hour, it still has some reserves left and thus becomes the predominant player.

In the following hours, a softer, airy-woody blend settles in, which no longer reminds me of a tropical Christmas, which, by the way, I do not know from personal experience. EdG has simply become an unspectacular yet beautiful wood-spice skin scent. As such, it bids farewell during the eighth hour essentially. The somewhat musky remainder that accompanies me for a few additional hours, I simply do not count.

Conclusion: The only thing EdG has in common with the other CSP works I know is the fact that overdoing it does not do any good. Anyone who has so far avoided CSP under the impression that they only produce vanilla & co. hammers in all variations from animal sweet to disgustingly sweet should definitely give this one a try!

P.S.: The best part is that I snagged a 100ml bottle in the form of an unused tester for a mere 15 bucks. The fragrance itself was a tip from a dear perfumista, and I was able to grab it just in time because another perfumista immediately informed me about the clearance. I thank you for that.