I have been curious about Mauboussin HISTOIRE D'EAU for quite some time, always tempted to buy blind since it's being nearly given away for free, but I'm trying to curb my bad habits from the past and avoid accumulating bottles that I'll never use. Happily, awesomeness came to the rescue with a sample. Now, what do I think?
My first impression was: what a surprise! I had no idea what this was about: spices and leather. I, like others, was persuaded by the name that HISTOIRE D'EAU was going to be an aquatic fragrance, when nothing could be further from the truth. I am intrigued by one reviewer's interpretation (at another site), according to which 'eau' is homonymic for 'O' and this perfume is about leather and bondage! Hmmm...
The scent is quite likeable and of much higher quality than I had been expecting, to be honest, at this price. (I was in fact fearing a scrubber...) Of course it's also true that I have found that many of these sorts of apparently cheap fragrances were composed by big noses (in this case, Christine Nagel) and often these sorts of houses, apparently on autopilot, do not make the tragic mistake of reformulation, which would require an effort of some sort, a willful act of consciousness, a vision, a plan, and a budget for execution. Consequently, what survive are quite decent perfumes at incredible prices.
HISTOIRE D'EAU features cardmamom, nutmeg, and pepper all light enough to form a pleasing melange along with the equally light leather note. This is a nice, eminently wearable, all-occasion oriental perfume. My perceptions of this creation vary a lot depending upon whether I dab or spray. The leather becomes much more prominent when I spray, but either way, I like this a lot!
