Eau des Sens
Diptyque (2016)

I enjoy putting orange blossom water in my drinking water. Eau des Sens, especially its opening, evokes the taste of orange blossom in fragrant form, and it's exquisite.

There is a juicy, succulent sensation combined with the decadence of white florals that eventually yields to the more piquant facets of juniper berry in the heart. This is a lovely development that I haven't found in other orange blossom centered fragrances: celebrating the bitter qualities of all that is aromatic. Bitter and sweet choreographed in a sensuous dance. I start to get some Campari, some gin, some herbal elixir energy in the heart.

The green, vegetal musk of angelica (you haven't lived until you've smelled the essential oil of angelica root) really begins to surface a couple of hours in and really is in my opinion, steals the show in the dry down. The patchouli really is a modifier here and not muscling its way in, it's the angelica that seamlessly surfaces from the orange blossom leading role that escorts this beautiful scent into an alluring skin scent.

Being more a fan of the earlier releases from Diptyque, this is one of few recent frags in the oeurve that has thoroughly impressed me.

The eau de cologne genre is a hard one in which to innovate, and if Eau de Sens manages anything, it is to give the classic soapy-herbal eau de cologne a sleek, modern aura.

That said, I can't say I find Eau de Sens particularly thrilling or memorable; it smells like a high-end bar of hotel soap, which means it's by no means unpleasant, but doesn't offer a strong signature accord, either.

Measured against stuff like the Acqua di Parma Colonia line (which is by no means consistent in quality, but offers a spectrum of contemporary reinterpretations of the classic eau de cologne structure), it seems overly simplistic and flat.

This sounds smug but I don't remember even purchasing this but there it was boxed up in one of my drawers.

It reminds me of an old style fougere fashioned around orange blossom.

It has a fresh and crisp barbershop pulse to it and lasts a whole day.

Not the most complex of fragrances but a mighty fine wear and I will be wearing this a lot.

Orange Blossom sets the chalky tone for a light aromatic planted above a sneaky WAC Floral, Laundry Musk. Bitter Orange puts a touch of, well, bitter Bergamot, to mildly contrast. Nah.

An orange impression combines with orange blossom defines to opening blast. Unlike in a classical Eau de Cologne there is no bergamot used here, and there is only minimal neroli used in Eau de Sens.

In the drydown juniper is at the core, a pleasant juniper with a boozy touch. The base adds a very soft patchouli, never sharp or tangy, woodsy notes, with slightly boozy with touches and herbal undertones. The latter stage has a bright, light and agreeable soapiness attached to it.

I get moderate sillage, very good projection and eight hours of longevity on my skin.

On me this scent - good for warmer spring as well as cooler summer days - is never a fully refreshing cologne for hot days; it is more of a refined, elegant and discreetly hesperidic composition. Whilst it is not ultra creative, it is well-blended and displays variegated stages of development that can sufficiently enthuse. 3.25/5.

A good and fresh masculine fragrance. Much like a cologne, with a better sillage and longevity.