"An Eau for the whole family, fresh and pleasant, made without allergens."
That's what it says on the Phaedon website, and I hear a voice from the other side of the room asking, "Why are you grinning so oddly?"
Well, I see something you don't see, and that's the Phaedon family, appearing vividly in my mind: Dad, Mom, their 13-year-old, pubescent daughter, and their slightly chubby 7-year-old son, wandering through the pedestrian zone of a Central European city, ready to consume and amused, all held together by the bond of the fragrance that connects them. Actually, the daughter wouldn’t want to be part of such outings anymore, but since Phaedon’s Eau came out, she actually enjoys it again... because it smells so fresh and pleasant. Grrmmpff... muhahaha!
Somehow, this seems more fitting for Nivea or perhaps The Body Shop than for a fragrance brand like Phaedon, and I know one thing for sure: I am not looking for a scent for the whole family. Not at all. And even if it smells as fresh and pleasant as it does.
So how does this Phaedon family smell now?
Not just clean, but pure. Certainly. Fresh and pleasant, as it says. Phaedon makes great fragrances, and this is simply the "Eau" - if I only knew this one, I wouldn’t conclude it’s an extraordinary perfume brand. L’Eau de Phaedon is flawless and beautifully crafted. I don’t need to recite the scent components, but to give you an idea: it strongly leans towards a classic cologne, only that the citrus note at the beginning is somewhat subdued in favor of the quite pronounced jasmine. Musk and the green notes somehow smooth everything together, and there are no sharp edges sticking out; it’s smooth and rounded. Indeed, an elegant, beautifully curved arc is drawn in the air; the scent is round, fresh, and cool, representing a refinement of fragrance notes known from clean, floral-scented fabric softeners and detergents, the kind I often catch in the south. Fabric softener wasn’t meant as a derogatory term, but it is probably the price one has to pay for "For the whole family," the allure of freshly washed laundry and the appeal of a detergent "without allergens." That’s commendable, but to point that out specifically - doesn’t it imply that the other Phaedon scents, uh, - have allergens...?
That first sentence somehow ruins everything, and on the other hand, it’s true. If this fragrance had existed, let’s say, 20 years ago and I had known it, I would certainly have emptied one or even several bottles of it, had luxury been affordable for me. Those gray apothecary bottles look quite nice to me, somewhat like those of "Grey Flannel." And it really does smell so fresh and pleasant. In English, "suave" also means smooth, even "polished," so a bit too smooth. Too smooth for me, anyway. Apparently, I need stronger stimuli today or simply clearer statements than just fresh and pleasant. I can’t shake it off; it’s so true! Even now, I’m wearing it, and nothing annoys me; everything is skillfully crafted and beautiful, but also a bit superfluous. I have to admit to myself, and I’m realizing it more clearly, that I also seek "art" in fragrances, whatever that may be. It’s certainly not just craftsmanship. And it’s more than fresh and pleasant. And it’s definitely not for the whole family.
Neroli
Blond woods
Musk
Aloe vera
Mandarin orange
Agave
Jasmine
SchatzSucher
Ergoproxy
Yatagan
Bellemorte
Soulbalm
ClemensJ
Daneh
