Foreword: Yesterday, completely randomly and without any prior notice, a sample of this interesting piece was left at my doorstep. My neighbor is just as addicted to perfumes as I am and regularly leaves little olfactory surprises at my door. When I brought the scent inside in the evening and tested it, I had exactly 0.0 expectations.
In general, I really like the Issey Miyake DNA and I have a weakness for that slightly nostalgic 90s vibe, as known from Uomo? Eau de Toilette or the Chanel Allure line. And this scent hits that note as well - at least in its initial approach.
About the scent profile: The opening is spicy-citrusy. The ginger immediately shows what’s going on. It becomes clear right away: We are dealing with a true clean man here. Clean, polished, polished². What follows - and here I actually understand the somewhat critical voices - develops into a modern interpreted, aquatic-synthetic direction.
First off: I generally do not like synthetic fragrance materials, as they are often used in the designer segment. But (and this is a big but): There is one man whom I greatly admire when it comes to exactly these components and who knows how to implement them well - Quentin Bisch. The man behind the infamous Bois Impérial Eau de Parfum or Ganymede Eau de Parfum. Scents that I personally consider to be small masterpieces.
Aha moment & nerd pride: And now comes the part that makes me a little proud of myself. Hihihi After the opening - especially throughout the day and in the drydown - I suddenly thought: This spicy-warm, synthetic-aquatic background noise … it feels very much like Quentin Bisch’s signature. Almost like Bois Imperial.
And lo and behold: I was right. I actually recognized his signature. Ok, some people are proud because their child brought home a good grade or they handled a critical conversation with an employee. And I’m like: :D So deep in the rabbit hole of the perfume world I am now. Help.
Conclusion: So what remains in the end?
If you are looking for something fresh, clean, and masculinely pure, roughly in the direction of Bois Impérial Eau de Parfum, but with a sea breeze twist, and if you are open to synthetic fragrance materials, then this scent could be just your thing. I found the longevity and sillage to be strong. It consistently transported a little whiff from my wrist to my olfactory bulb over several phases. And that for several hours. A good sign.
However, I want to fairly note: The comparison with Bois Imperial may not hold for some. Fragrances are extremely subjective, and no one smells the same.
This little gem has positively surprised me anyway. I really like it a lot. Will it finally find a place in my collection? I don’t know. Make your own judgment. Stay 90s!
