Diptyque – Eau de Minthe
Everything old is new again with the latest Diptyque release. A minty fougere, that opens very green. Notes of mint, patchouli and geranium dominate the composition. This is a classic barbershop scent, that is reminiscent of Drakkar Noir. As a barbershop scent it’s convincing. Great longevity of 10-12 hours with above average projection for the first 4 hours. Interestingly, there’s no lavender (normally a key note in a fougere, barbershop scent) in this fragrance. Fans of Amouage Beach Hut Man and Maison Margiela, At the Barbers will enjoy this fragrance. I still prefer last year’s releases, Tempo and Fleur de Peau over this one though.
Versace – Eros Flame
Mercifully this is a lighter more palatable version of Eros. Doesn’t really suit the name. However, this one won’t announce its presence to anyone within a 40-mile radius. At its most basic, Flame is a more citrus version of Eros. It’s still very synthetic and quite frankly not one I’d pay full retail for. Shorter longevity than Eros. Flame lasted 6-8 hours on skin with moderate projection.
Maison Margiela – Whispers in the Library.
I was really looking forward to trying this one, as I really enjoyed Under the Lemon Tree. However, unless this library was filled with vanilla cupcakes it didn’t really smell like any library I’ve ever been in. A woody sweet vanilla that doesn’t smell bad, just not much like a room filled with books. It has soft projection though, just like a whisper in the library. Is that the point?
Mont Blanc – Explorer
A straight up Creed Aventus clone. Seems pointless. Nothing to see or smell here. Only lasted a few hours on skin.
Elie Saab – Girl of Now Forever
As far as fruity florals go this Elie Saab release is tolerable. Zingy raspberry vanilla freshness to satisfy the teen / early 20’s female target market. Lasted for over 10 hours on my skin with good projection for the first couple of hours.
Eau d’Italie – Easy to Love
I’m a huge fan of the house of Eau d’Italie. Acqua Decima is one of my favourite mint fragrances. I knew I’d like this one, and it doesn’t disappoint. A very well-done floral fig fragrance with a touch of sweetness from white currant, tonka and honey. Despite the sweetness it never gets cloying, the fig is the dominant note on my skin. A perfect accompaniment to warm summer days. Great longevity for a warm weather scent of 8 plus hours. Terrific stuff.
Notes: All samples were obtained and / or paid for by me. All images my own, other than Easy to love bottle image which was obtained via fragrantica.