As a big fan of Lalique and the whole Encre line, I got EI just a short few months after it's initial release in early 2024 before it had officially been distributed in the US. It's definitely a departure from the original three EN frags, but certainly maintains some of their character and definitely maintains their quality standards.
Opens punchy, fresh, and metallic with bergamot, pink pepper, juniper, strong freshly macerated black tea leaves with a zingy saffron backbone. The saffron can be a little polarizing and in your face in my opinion, but fortunately only plays a support role once the dry down starts. The tope notes mostly fade with the exception of the tea which becomes the heartbeat of the fragrance. As it dries down the signature Encre vetiver comes to the front with light whispers of patchouli. It stays fresh and green throughout its entire duration. The tea is definitely the star of the show!
Longevity is very good at around 8 hours on skin with strong projection in the first 3 hours, and I feel like it's longevity has massively improved over time since oxygen has been introduced to the bottle. It's a very versatile fragrance and can be worn year round, although I may avoid using it in the extremes of hot and cold weather. This is completely unisex, and as a matter of fact, my wife wears this fragrance far more often than I do (luckily I have a back up bottle).
This, much like the rest of the Encre line, can be polarizing, but the quality is undeniable. I think this is a 8.5/10 fragrance and only trails behind the Extrême flanker in terms of scent profile. If you include Ombre Noire as part of the line, that one is by far the best beating all of the Encre frags. This is definitely signature worthy and unlike any other fragrance I have smelled.
