L'eau D'issey Pour Homme (Issey Miyake)

[Monsta_AU]

I was in the city on Friday morning, and went and had a look in a shop I was passing for some cheap 'general' fragrances. I know a few places have CK one on special now for $30.... there are a few others too. I was really after a cheap and suitable (lighter) fragrance for work and more general daily situations. Was considering Cool Water and the like.

Didn't find anything on special that I was thinking was suitable, but I did spy a box in the cabinet which I had kind of been looking for. And for more than I wanted to spend too, but sometimes you just have that moment where you know you HAVE to get this.

So ignoring the Polo Black, I reached for the L'eau D'issey and went to the register. Just before entering the office at which I was working, I applied a small amount to my wrist and rubbed together, and then a quick neck application.

This is an extremely strong burnoff with this scent, certainly in the citrus/melon side. I can smell mandarin and Japanese melon, almost Midori-like. There is also some nice spice early, smells a bit like corriander.

Otherwise this is a pretty decent aquatic scent with a bit of everything - wood, spice, and a slight oriental feel. There is some cypress in there which gives a Norsca moment, but there is a bit of amber too which helps. Late in the day, sandalwood becomes more evident. With my warm body temperature plus quite oily and acidic skin, it lasted the full day and then some.

Got a couple of comments in the office, especially from women my age or younger. If you want to bag yourself a cougar then this is not the stuff for you, but seems to slay anything younger than 30.

I think this one will be a staple of mine, unless I find a significant other who does not like it.

 

[JugV2]

That's a myriad of scents. So it sounds more of a summer cologne.
Would it be suitable for winter?

 

[Monsta_AU]

It is a very confusing scent for the first 30 minutes on me.... then it mellows a bit. You could say it is a generic aquatic, smells fresh and clean once the ethanol burns off.

Basenotes gives the following pyramid:
Top:Yuzu (Japanese Citron), Cypress, Coriander, Mandarin, Clary Sage, Fresh Verbena.
Middle: Blue Water Lily, Nutmeg, Saffron, Bourbon Geranium, Ceylonese Cinnamon.
Base: Tobacco Amber, Musk, Indian Sandalwood, Haitian Vetiver, Cypriol

3 hours in and I am getting a general citrus, plus cypress and geranium, and a small amount of amber while the musk is starting to show. It certainly changes as you go, and I know if I was to increase my activity (and body heat) I would get some of the others.

The funny thing is that the women go absolutely gaga for the stuff. It's really well layered and most women smell some sort of note that they like.

As for a winter fragrance, not really a performer in the cool I would suspect. However, I tend to run a very warm body temperature and usually I am the first person in the room to break into a sweat. Even walking down George St on a cool Friday night in nothing but a business shirt and some Fred Bracks slacks, I felt my brow getting a bit moist. I also got a nice glance from the girl walking beside me, she stuck to me like glue

For most guys, probably best to break this out on the first warm day of spring.

I'm only starting to get a few scents right now, trying not to let the FAD bite. I am going to try and get a few 'different' scents, and maybe a couple of cheapies for working in the city. Want to try Armani Code, D&G pH, Rochas Man and I also have my eye on some Azzaro Onyx. There's plenty of good ones about, I have a local source of some which seem cheaper than FragranceX and the like.

 

[~Spyne~]

nice write up - i must say i've smelled this instore and thought it a relatively fresh, light scent, through i didn't try it on my skin to get the full development of it over the course of the day.
i currently use CK Euphoria for the cooler months and Versace Au Fraiche during the warmer months, however both are getting very low at the moment and i've started looking for new scents.
D&G 'The One' has a great scent - woody, spiced/baked fruit and a little bit of smoke.
L'Essence De Cerruti i stumbled across, having never heard of it, and really liked it - citrus and pepper jumped out at me (though no mention of citrus on basenotes), drying down to a warmer leather and amber smell.

Only very new to colognes etc, so my descriptions could be way off, but they are what i remember from them. The Cerruti was VERY impessive and the missus loved it too.

 

[SmallYetDeadly]

I liked this one. Got to be careful with the trigger though, plenty of sillage and longevity for a lighter scent. Just starting to come back into the weather for it I reckon.

 

[Monsta_AU]

I wear it all year, but less in winter. Usually try to get it on the nice sunny winter days. In most cases I have been hitting the Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin when going into the big CBD offices during winter. Really love the Aniseed/Vanilla accord in it, and so do a couple of the girls. It's too much for warmer weather though.

That said, I find the Issey has a large amount of Calone (what gives it that ocean/aquatic smell) to be a bit over the top and it smells a 'bit strong' to most. I find it can be offputting about 15mins to 90 minutes into the wear. It is an overtly strong synthetic smell. After that it settles down okay.

If you are interested in this sort of thing, ckOne is your best bet. You should be able to get 100ml/$29 or 200ml/$39 at enough places. It has that same synthetic note from the Calone. If you can't deal with it in ckOne then you won't be able to cope with the Issey. The ckOne should also be a relatively inoffensive work scent in most cases.

 

[SmallYetDeadly]

The L'eau D'Issey can give you a headache and those inside 20' if you are heavy with it for sure. The synthetic tone gets you down. Apparently this one was a groundbreaker when it was released. I have only had a sample and never commited to a bottle as I worried it might get overbearing. Still a nice scent and progression for me.

I am actually into the Bulgari Aqua atm for filling the same type of spot as the Issey. I haven't really got a wintery cologne as yet. Maybe my 3rd Man by Caron but I find it a bit formal for daily wear.

 

[JugV2]

i chucked a half bottle of bulgari aqua (the disc shaped bottle) because i got sick of it. Too watery and too floral I found.

I loved it when I first got it but was over it pretty fast.

 

[SmallYetDeadly]

i chucked a half bottle of bulgari aqua (the disc shaped bottle) because i got sick of it. Too watery and too floral I found.

I loved it when I first got it but was over it pretty fast.

Bugger! I would have taken it off your hands

I find anything in the "aquatic" genre is pretty easy to get tired of. I don't wear cologne all the time, maybe once or twice to the office and once on the weekend and I'd say I wear this style the least.

 

[Monsta_AU]

The L'eau D'Issey can give you a headache and those inside 20' if you are heavy with it for sure. The synthetic tone gets you down. Apparently this one was a groundbreaker when it was released. I have only had a sample and never commited to a bottle as I worried it might get overbearing. Still a nice scent and progression for me.

I am pretty sure that AdG came before LdI and was pretty much a retail smash. It is a quite different scent and find it much more refined in many ways.

If you want something in a similar power as LdI but in the Wood/Spice area, Marc Jacobs 'Bang!' is a Cedar and Pepper stormer. Again, has some very synthetic aromachemical notes early on but with judicious use it is quite nice. You end up like you have been working with Cedar in a joinery all day. Masculine for sure but reasonably linear and two dimensional. Would have been nice to have a touch of citrus up top.

I am actually into the Bulgari Aqua atm for filling the same type of spot as the Issey. I haven't really got a wintery cologne as yet. Maybe my 3rd Man by Caron but I find it a bit formal for daily wear.

For a winter one you want heavy wood or heavy spice. Not much point looking for one right now, but consider the 'Big Guns' when you do. Just of the top of my head:

• YSL Rive Gauche (relatively cheap too)
• YSL M7 (more expensive)
• Chanel Pour Monsieur
• Chanel Anateus (It's an absolute monster)
• Guerlain Habit Rouge
• Guerlain Heritage
• Givenchy Gentleman
• Caron Pour Un Homme (gentler than 3rd Man)

i chucked a half bottle of bulgari aqua (the disc shaped bottle) because i got sick of it. Too watery and too floral I found.
I loved it when I first got it but was over it pretty fast.

It's a love it or hate it scent. I find it okay, it's a different slant on the normal Aquatic/Citrus accords and moves to the lighter Aquatic with some light florals. It's not bad in a rotation if you are a heavy Aquatics user as it is similar yet different.

I tried the Bvlgari Homme Soir and loved it. Very similar to the YSL La Nuit De L'Homme. I think I would go for the original Bvlgari pour Homme first out of the Bvlgari range though.

 

[gthomas04]

i chucked a half bottle of bulgari aqua (the disc shaped bottle) because i got sick of it. Too watery and too floral I found.

I loved it when I first got it but was over it pretty fast.

Jug I am shocked - You threw something away whilst a member of Paste and CUT?mg:

You must think of us newbies as a nest of hungry chicks hoping against hope that someone will drop a juicy worm (or even half a worm) to us. (Or a pack of ravenous seagulls fighting over who will be first to the stale chip
All that aside, what are you splashing on now?

 

[JugV2]

No, I threw it away before P&C came along. Of course, now I would never do that. I also threw out Hugo Boss, Davidoff Hot Water, and Joop Nightflight.

Now I am wearing (not all at once)
TOBS Eaton
TOBS Jermyn
A tiny bit of Floid I am conserving
Sexual by Michel Germain
Hugo Boss Black
Jack Black Black Signature (even though I tried to give it away)
I'm sure I've forgotten some.

 

[gthomas04]

No, I threw it away before P&C came along. Of course, now I would never do that. I also threw out Hugo Boss, Davidoff Hot Water, and Joop Nightflight.

Now I am wearing (not all at once)
TOBS Eaton
TOBS Jermyn
A tiny bit of Floid I am conserving
Sexual by Michel Germain
Hugo Boss Black
Jack Black Black Signature (even though I tried to give it away)
I'm sure I've forgotten some.

My faith is restored cant say I am wearing much of anything apart from the scent of the creams I use. Just got a Spanish Leather sampler so looking forward to trying that. One day I will go on a buying binge.

Cheers
Glen

 

[SmallYetDeadly]

I am pretty sure that AdG came before LdI and was pretty much a retail smash. It is a quite different scent and find it much more refined in many ways.

I'm just recalling some vague BN stuff about It being a "modern" scent that created "space" blah blah blah "interior design" etc. It's very different to AdG I reckon.

If you want something in a similar power as LdI but in the Wood/Spice area, Marc Jacobs 'Bang!' is a Cedar and Pepper stormer. Again, has some very synthetic aromachemical notes early on but with judicious use it is quite nice. You end up like you have been working with Cedar in a joinery all day. Masculine for sure but reasonably linear and two dimensional. Would have been nice to have a touch of citrus up top.


For a winter one you want heavy wood or heavy spice. Not much point looking for one right now, but consider the 'Big Guns' when you do. Just of the top of my head:

• YSL Rive Gauche (relatively cheap too)
• YSL M7 (more expensive)
• Chanel Pour Monsieur
• Chanel Anateus (It's an absolute monster)
• Guerlain Habit Rouge
• Guerlain Heritage
• Givenchy Gentleman
• Caron Pour Un Homme (gentler than 3rd Man)

It's a love it or hate it scent. I find it okay, it's a different slant on the normal Aquatic/Citrus accords and moves to the lighter Aquatic with some light florals. It's not bad in a rotation if you are a heavy Aquatics user as it is similar yet different.

I tried the Bvlgari Homme Soir and loved it. Very similar to the YSL La Nuit De L'Homme. I think I would go for the original Bvlgari pour Homme first out of the Bvlgari range though.

The M7 is on my to try list. Rive Gauche...not so sure...Keith Richards right? I love The YSL Live Jazz. probably my signature scent. My inclination is usually more to woodsy/herby than spicey/sweet. Not a big fan of bold vanilla. I want to try the Yatagan.

I guess that is the thing with cologne. You probably are in a mood that suits most of them at some time. It's finding the ones that suit more of your moods, often enough, for you to want to lay down the $$.

 

[Drubbing]

Jack Black Black Signature (even though I tried to give it away)

Yeah, sorry about that.

I recently got some samplers -

Arlington (I can see me getting so much of this gear...)

Harris Sandalwood - although it's an AS, it's a decent stayer. Not out of Tam Dao league to my nose, which is highly uneducated.

TOBS -
Shave shop - Nice. Musk, woods, Rosemary. Could see me buying this for winter.

St James - Fuck me, is there any cologne in there? Seriously? Oh yes there's something... No, it's gone already.

74 Limes. Not bad, all limes, then flowers and limes. But not florally.

I'm not really into the smellies in a big way, I'm jsut looking. I've been after the One Sandalwood, but I'd take TOBS, Trumpers or Harris. The latter doesn't really go all day though, but it is the woodiest, the other two are more vanilla.

I'm also addicted to Arlington. so not like any dept store/celeb blinged up shit. Classically understated and masculine.

 

[esaitchkay]

LdI is a unique fragrance, I must say. I bought it a couple weeks back and the top notes are just absolutely strong. I'd say the base notes are where it shines - definitely a summer/spring fragrance. It does has similarities to AdG - something about the citric top note and slightly musky base.
That said, my autumn/winter fragrance for 2012 has been armani mania - have gotten many compliments from it!

 

[Monsta_AU]

LdI is a unique fragrance, I must say. I bought it a couple weeks back and the top notes are just absolutely strong. I'd say the base notes are where it shines - definitely a summer/spring fragrance. It does has similarities to AdG - something about the citric top note and slightly musky base.
That said, my autumn/winter fragrance for 2012 has been armani mania - have gotten many compliments from it!

It's like I am talking to myself.

The Armani Mania is a really good scent, but it's gone after 3-4 hours. Just has no staying power - at least on my skin. It's one of the great scents on the card yet it disappoints.

LdI certainly has the synthetic 'Calone' note about it early on, I find it particularly strong in the first 45 mins, or longer if my bodyheat is raised. I did however try the LdI "Pour Homme Eau de Toilette L'Ete" which had much less of that ozonic smell happening and a slight floral touch.

Also in that sampling was the L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme and the Guerlain Homme L'Eau Boisée - both of which blew the LdI flanker into the weeds.

 

[Johnus]

L'EAU D'ISSEY POUR HOMME. The After Shave. You went and made me buy a bottle. 5 to 7 days we'll see how it is!!-)

 

[Monsta_AU]

So how is it Johnus?

Within the Fragrance Counter, we are usually talking about Eau de Toilette (EdT), Eau de Colonge (EdC), or Eau de parfum (EdP). We don't usually discuss the aftershaves which are usually shave-oriented rather than scent oriented but in this case it is actually on-topic. Yeah, P&C on topic, I was shocked too!

I have noticed the AS in my local perfume shop, and considered getting some, but then again for the price I could get a decent bottle of YSL Live Jazz and expand my fragrances a bit.

 

[SmallYetDeadly]

I like the Live Jazz alot RM.

I wear that one the most of the 4-5 I have. Super for the warmer weather too.