Issey Miyake’s 2nd men’s fragrance, a follow-up to 1994’s L’Eau d’Issey pour Homme, smells more like something that might have been created for Comme des Garcons than Issey Miyake. A far cry from the citrus-packed L’Eau of the early 90’s, L’Eau Bleue is an unusual mélange of mandarin orange, lemongrass, rosemary, elemi, star anise, nasturtium, may rose absolute, ginger absolute, palmarosa, patchouli, sandalwood, and musk mallow. It was created by perfumer Jacques Cavallier.
A surprising blend of notes that might work well in a dish at your local Thai restaurant, L’Eau Bleue is anything but your standard aquatic fragrance. Herbaceous, sharp, and truly all about patchouli, L’Eau Bleue is simply not going to be for everyone. I’ve often complained that the many designer fragrances of recent years lack all originality and creativity. With L’Eau Bleue, I think Issey Miyake may have headed in a very interesting albeit perhaps too “natural” direction.
I originally tried this scent when it was first launched in the summer of 2004. I quickly dismissed it when my stepmother asked if I had just applied Vicks Vapo Rub. But after a friend’s comment that L’Eau Bleue smelled to her like a country meadow, I just had to revisit it.
The fragrance opens with an effect similar to standing too close to an essential oil display in your local whole foods shop. Rosemary, lemongrass, ginger, anise and orange combine to create a calming herbal tonic. As the tang of the mandarin quickly settles, an earthy yet subtle patchouli (!) begins to emerge. A hint of floral nasturtium and rose surface in the middle stages of the scent, and from there the composition fades to a just-washed skin effect…just-washed with a soap that your favorite neighbor who’s still firmly rooted in the 70’s makes in her guest bathroom on the weekends and sells at the local church bazaar. After an hour the topnotes had all but faded, leaving behind a slightly sweet and mellow patchouli and sandalwood blend.
The jury’s still out on whether this is a thumbs up or down because, well, it’s just so darn unusual. Just when I think I’m ready to once again dismiss it, I sniff my arm yet again and am surprised by how much I like the scent, and then I remind myself that it’s actually L’Eau Bleue.
L’Eau Bleue is a throwback to such unsuccessful herbal fragrances as Joseph Abboud’s eponymous men’s scent and Guy Laroche’s Horizon. Whether this fragrance will fare better than its other herbal predecessors remains to be seen, but the bottle certainly is striking. Leave all ideas of what a “Blue Water” might smell like when trying this one. Its originality will surprise you.
L’Eau Bleue is easily found online at sephora or any of the major perfume discounters.
Note: image via Images de Parfums.
Note: Please feel free to comment, but Marlen is offline for the holidays and not sure when he’ll be able to respond.
11 Comments
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I was not moved by this fragrance. I have the L'eau d'Issey and it's nice every once in a while. But I probably never should have bought a whole bottle of it. L'eau Bleue did nothing for me, even the name seems generic.
Please let me share Luca Turin's review on this one …
http://lucaturin.typepad.com/perfume_notes/2005/06/eau_bleue_miyak.html#comments
I was not curious about it before, but now I have to try it. Sounds rather intriguing.
Mark – I completely understand how you feel,.
Rafael – thanks for the link, I knew Luca wasn't terribly impressed and love that he adds that a family member used it to spray the couch – LOL!
Victoria – definitely worth a sniff…again, very herbal scent with a surprising soapy patchouli drydown (on my skin). Looking forward to reading your review!
marls
I have to find this to try it just for the unusualness of it. I have walked passed Issey Miyake fragrances and never sniffed any yet, now I have a reason to. Thanks, Marlen! (pS are you still in Malaysa?)
I think it's a breathe of fresh air so to speak from the bleak men's fragrance counter as of the last 5 years. I agree that Commes des Garcons would've put out something like this one. Seems the ladies scent counters have more interesting scents than what's offered to the guys. Just like men's clothes in the retail market are so humdrum stodgy for many years. Not like I want to try to get away with taffeta here, LOL
I like L'Eau Bleue very much. The patchouli drydown was the clincher for me here. I even like the vaporub top notes. Hey if it can clear my sinuses and make me feel good, I'm all for it, LOL
Amen, Mando! Oh my, I just adore this. I literally shouted “Yessss!” when I spritzed the tester on my wrist. Unfortunately, my boyfriend said “Nooo” just as vehemently!
I find this to be so refreshing and unabashedly masculine, and very unique. Yes, it's a bit VapoRub-y initially, but it doesn't take long before it settles into this beautiful, earthy, herby delight. Reminds me of the forest near the coast in Maine. I knew it wouldn't be popular because it isn't another Acqua di Gio clone…so sadly, I'm sure this one will be yet another masterpiece thrown into the discontinued pile. 
L'eau Bleue is one of those rare UFOS you can smell in men's perfumery : “extra-ordinary” and unexpected, the whole mediterranean area is concentrated in this small little blue bottle. The scent can't stop evoluating again and again, deeply and beautifully, on your skin hour after hour. A real must have (with 'Un jardin en méditerranéé” from Hermès) if you want to remind your last summer vacation in Sicily or South France. For those who would prefer a much more “sea scented” mediterranean perfume (sorry for my english, I'm french), maybe you should try “Rem” from Reminiscence ( http://www.reminiscence.fr/flash.html ) : imagine the soft smell of your tanned and salted skin after an entire day spent on a sunny beach. Imagine sand, sea, wind, oil and refreshments, and you will get quite the picture ! One of those rare moments ! One of those rare perfumes you will hardly smell !!
if you wanna give it a try, there are 2 versions : men and women. The juice is exactly the same in the masculine version but less concentrated (so, for the same price, you'd better buy the women version !!!).
Yes, I forgot about “Rem” which is one of my favourites :
Top notes : bergamot, cyclamen, notes of oceanic ozone. Heart Notes : honeysuckle, geranium, palmarosa. Base notes : musk, vanilla, coconut, patchouli, mysore sandalwood, tonka bean. Rem is not an Acqua di Gio clone ! It is absolutly different and unique !
Hi –
Marlen, who wrote the review above, is no longer with NST and I'm afraid I have not yet tried the L'Eau Bleue, although I do have a sample waiting. Nor have I tried Rem!
I completely agree! “unabashedly masculine” is a great description of it. It's my BF's staple fragrance. I love how it smells on him! Yes it's very different from the L'eau D'Issey and I think that's the point! I find it sex and very unusual. I'm just annoyed how hard it is to find it now.