Reviews of L'Eau d'Issey pour Homme Fraîche by Issey Miyake
If you want a lighter and less spicy version of the original, Eau Fraiche is a good option. The floral spiciness is toned down, and the nutmeg is softened, while the grapefruit note is well-blended and not overpowering. Although it's difficult to test in-person as it's not widely available, it's worth a blind buy if you're a fan of the original and its vibe. It's not as redundant as some of the Summer Editions, so there are enough differences to justify the purchase.
The performance and longevity are decent, and you could wear it in the same occasions as the original. It could also serve as a versatile signature scent. In summary, Eau Fraiche is a sweeter and less citrusy version of the original, but still captures its essence.
This is a herbal Rosemary fragrance with grapefruit, mint, vetiver and musk along with way. It is similar from a distance to the original L'eau D'Issey to my nose. I like it and find it would be a nice weekend or casual/office juice. I don't think it is over bearing with 2 or 3 sprays and lasts close to 7 hours on my skin. Overall, for the price and quality, it is a winner IMO. Enjoy!
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Not bad. Light, fresh and clean. Not very sweet. For me, I feel like this is a unisex scent. There's nothing overly masculine or feminine about it.
Similar to the original but with grapefruit replacing the yuzu. The grapefruit is sharp and bright. There's a greeness to it, probably the mint and rosemary, giving it a natural, herbal feel.
Average projection and longevity in the 7-8 hour range. It's lighter so the performance is dulled compared to the original for me.
Similar to the original but with grapefruit replacing the yuzu. The grapefruit is sharp and bright. There's a greeness to it, probably the mint and rosemary, giving it a natural, herbal feel.
Average projection and longevity in the 7-8 hour range. It's lighter so the performance is dulled compared to the original for me.
Not much more I can add that hasn't already been said by Zealot and others, other than I'm surprised that I like this one as much as I do.
Before trying this one, the classic Acqua di Gio was my mainstay for this style of frag. As a novice to the fragrance world, I have not yet had the privilege of sampling the original 1994 classic L'eau D'issey Pour Homme, nor the mysteriously discontinued re-boot of 2009, but for what it's worth, among the dozen or so "Freshies" I've tried, there's something about this one that's really captured me.
Initially, after smelling the opening notes, I didn't think I would like this one because of how sharply citrusy its opening notes are. But eventually, I found I began to really crave the light, minty, citrusy crispness of this fragrance. It's just so bright, crisp and well blended, and it uses some different fragrance accords that make it distinctive from other freshies.
I think it really is the "Fraiche"-ist of the the freshies I've tried. To me, this is almost as good a Terre D'Hermes EDT in terms of freshness and brightness, but with Bergamot-Mint-Lemon instead of Neroli. It will no doubt make for a great summer fragrance.
The longevity is about average, and the sillage could be better, as projection weakens fairly quickly after the initial opening, and is down to a skin-scent within a couple of hours as far as I could tell.
I've tried 4 or 5 other L'eau D'Issey flankers, but none close to as good as this one. Based on the more experienced reviews here, I suspect that this is the updated, modernized, well-deserving heir to the original 1994 classic that the Miyake house has been searching for. I too do hope it catches on and sticks around. It's really nice!
Before trying this one, the classic Acqua di Gio was my mainstay for this style of frag. As a novice to the fragrance world, I have not yet had the privilege of sampling the original 1994 classic L'eau D'issey Pour Homme, nor the mysteriously discontinued re-boot of 2009, but for what it's worth, among the dozen or so "Freshies" I've tried, there's something about this one that's really captured me.
Initially, after smelling the opening notes, I didn't think I would like this one because of how sharply citrusy its opening notes are. But eventually, I found I began to really crave the light, minty, citrusy crispness of this fragrance. It's just so bright, crisp and well blended, and it uses some different fragrance accords that make it distinctive from other freshies.
I think it really is the "Fraiche"-ist of the the freshies I've tried. To me, this is almost as good a Terre D'Hermes EDT in terms of freshness and brightness, but with Bergamot-Mint-Lemon instead of Neroli. It will no doubt make for a great summer fragrance.
The longevity is about average, and the sillage could be better, as projection weakens fairly quickly after the initial opening, and is down to a skin-scent within a couple of hours as far as I could tell.
I've tried 4 or 5 other L'eau D'Issey flankers, but none close to as good as this one. Based on the more experienced reviews here, I suspect that this is the updated, modernized, well-deserving heir to the original 1994 classic that the Miyake house has been searching for. I too do hope it catches on and sticks around. It's really nice!
L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Fraîche (2016) is yet another in a long line of almost soul-searching flankers from Issey Miyake, but comes out to be quite the hit in what is otherwise a minefield of duds. The scent is penned by Christophe Raynaud, who is perhaps most infamously known for being the nose behind Paco Rabanne 1 Million (2008), and overall is known for more work in similar fields than ones pertaining to lighter or fresher scents such as this. Now, I also know "freshies" are literally a dime a dozen, which is why so many hobbyist fragrance enthusiasts almost dispense with them altogether to stay within the realms of floral, aromatic, oriental, or gourmand tones, which are far more distinct and comparatively fewer in number. The term "fresh" itself has been the victim of ritual abuse in the perfume industry since the mid 1980's, but I don't mind a good fresh fragrance if it has an air of distinction, which is admittedly asking for too much from most in this overcrowded genre. What L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Fraîche does is go in an uncommon mentholated direction, adding a focus on rose in the heart, and finishing on a bed of green aromatics. There really is nothing aquatic at all about this "fresh" flanker, and that's why I love it.
L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Fraîche opens with bergamot and grapefruit just like L'Eau d'issey Pour Homme Sport (2012), but with absolutely no presence of yuzu to be found. Arguably, this makes L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Fraîche not really a flanker at all, but we've already been down the road of what makes a proper flanker versus what often passes for one, and it's fruitless mental gymnastics at best. The mint comes in right away, light and breezy like the kind you'd expect from a home scent diffuser, not the usual culinary mint we see in scents like Yves Saint Laurent Live Jazz (1998) or Cartier Roadster (2008). Obviously, the presence of mint can entirely invalidate a fragrance for some because it is so dominant, and a love-or-hate kind of note, but it's balanced here very well with a nice rosemary. The heart of the scent contains rose, pink pepper, and yerba mate. The latter fuses well with mint and is often the focus of "Mate" drinks, with a greenish herbal smell. The rose is of a dry kind expected in anything masculine marketed, and is rounded some by the pink pepper. The base of dry patchouli, Iso E Super, and white musk also slightly recalls Terre d'Hermès (2006) minus the flint note. Overall L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Fraîche is a dynamic, vibrant, and aromatic alternative to the venerable original, with less sillage but similar longevity, best used in warmer climates casually.
The amazing thing is despite the lack of yuzu and other characteristic nods to the original (like dry spice), L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Fraîche still feels like a proper flanker, even if it's ingredients and overall aesthetic might say otherwise. In the final stages of the wear when the whole thing has reduced to a skin scent, I finally "get it" and see how it relates. Christophe Raynaud may not ever be out of the doghouse with more uppity elitist colognoisseurs that hate all things mainstream or unashamedly synthetic, but he's had an artistic stroke of genius here by making a freshie that doesn't smell like a typical freshie, and a mint-forward scent that isn't obviously minty in tone. There's such an interplay between citrus, mint, florals, and the patchouli base that L'Eau d"Issey Pour Homme Fraîche almost feels niche. I hope this one stays on the books and doesn't fall off the rails from the flanker glut the house already inflicts upon itself, as the tone of L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Fraîche is almost that of an eau de cologne, and would appeal to fans of modern cologne takes like Chanel Allure Home Sport Cologne (2016), which coincidentally came out in the same year. Thumbs up from me, and definitely worthy of a sniff for fans of the original.
L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Fraîche opens with bergamot and grapefruit just like L'Eau d'issey Pour Homme Sport (2012), but with absolutely no presence of yuzu to be found. Arguably, this makes L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Fraîche not really a flanker at all, but we've already been down the road of what makes a proper flanker versus what often passes for one, and it's fruitless mental gymnastics at best. The mint comes in right away, light and breezy like the kind you'd expect from a home scent diffuser, not the usual culinary mint we see in scents like Yves Saint Laurent Live Jazz (1998) or Cartier Roadster (2008). Obviously, the presence of mint can entirely invalidate a fragrance for some because it is so dominant, and a love-or-hate kind of note, but it's balanced here very well with a nice rosemary. The heart of the scent contains rose, pink pepper, and yerba mate. The latter fuses well with mint and is often the focus of "Mate" drinks, with a greenish herbal smell. The rose is of a dry kind expected in anything masculine marketed, and is rounded some by the pink pepper. The base of dry patchouli, Iso E Super, and white musk also slightly recalls Terre d'Hermès (2006) minus the flint note. Overall L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Fraîche is a dynamic, vibrant, and aromatic alternative to the venerable original, with less sillage but similar longevity, best used in warmer climates casually.
The amazing thing is despite the lack of yuzu and other characteristic nods to the original (like dry spice), L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Fraîche still feels like a proper flanker, even if it's ingredients and overall aesthetic might say otherwise. In the final stages of the wear when the whole thing has reduced to a skin scent, I finally "get it" and see how it relates. Christophe Raynaud may not ever be out of the doghouse with more uppity elitist colognoisseurs that hate all things mainstream or unashamedly synthetic, but he's had an artistic stroke of genius here by making a freshie that doesn't smell like a typical freshie, and a mint-forward scent that isn't obviously minty in tone. There's such an interplay between citrus, mint, florals, and the patchouli base that L'Eau d"Issey Pour Homme Fraîche almost feels niche. I hope this one stays on the books and doesn't fall off the rails from the flanker glut the house already inflicts upon itself, as the tone of L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Fraîche is almost that of an eau de cologne, and would appeal to fans of modern cologne takes like Chanel Allure Home Sport Cologne (2016), which coincidentally came out in the same year. Thumbs up from me, and definitely worthy of a sniff for fans of the original.
Fresh but after a lovely citrusy opening with mint there is something discordant -perhaps the rosemary- in addition to a beating heart of pepper hiding behind a veil and ready to get up your nose although it never does.
Not for me.
Fragrance: 6.75/10
Projection: 7/10
Longevity: 7/10
Not for me.
Fragrance: 6.75/10
Projection: 7/10
Longevity: 7/10
This fragrance smells like the word 'zen'. This smells very similar to the regular L'eau d'Issey pour Homme by Issey Miyake (a very 'Japanese' smelling citrus fragrance) but with grapefruit instead of the japanese citrus fruit yuzu. On the opening of this fragrance you smell deep sour grapefruit (which is somewhat pleasant) on a base of Japanese oriental spices (in fact the same ones as the regular L'eau d'Issey pour homme) and woods. I tested a decant of the original L'eau d'Issey a while ago and absolutely loved the strong yuzu note in it. But when I got an actual bottle it smelled nothing like my decant, with the yuzu being extremely muted and it being mostly spicy in a warm way (which I wasn't a fan of). This Fraiche flanker of the original presents a solution to that as the grapefruit is both deep and unwavering, at least in the opening. I like this flanker better than the original as it stands today - which is probably reformulated and doesn't smell as good as vintage examples. As it dries down I get the same light Japanese style spices as the original L'eau d'Issey pour homme, while the grapefruit note persists in the background (hence the "Fraiche" monicker). Sillage is moderate while longevity is also moderate at around 5-6 hours. Overall it's nice and better/more fresh than the original in its current formulation. Bottle design is also amazing and done in this minimalistic Japanese Zen sort of style - and the fragrance smells similar.
4/5
4/5
Being a lover of the original L'Eau d'Issey pour Homme, I just had to give this one a try.
L'Eau d'Issey pour Homme Fraiche takes the essence of the original (there are traces of cinnamon, saffron, and vanilla) and hits with a classy, bright and fresh vetiver sensation that hearkens back to men's colognes of yesteryear (most notably - IMO - Boucheron). There's a wall of clean floral and citrus, unbridled and quite bold, lasting all day.
Excellent flanker of the now legendary original.
L'Eau d'Issey pour Homme Fraiche takes the essence of the original (there are traces of cinnamon, saffron, and vanilla) and hits with a classy, bright and fresh vetiver sensation that hearkens back to men's colognes of yesteryear (most notably - IMO - Boucheron). There's a wall of clean floral and citrus, unbridled and quite bold, lasting all day.
Excellent flanker of the now legendary original.
I sampled this fragrance in the store and went on my way, thinking that it was okay, not bad. However, as time wore on, I found myself sniffing the spot repeatedly and it just grew on me.I like the freshness of this fragrance and it has caused people at my office to ask me its name.Another hit for me by Issey Miyake and I own five of his fragrances.
When I first saw this, I thought, 'how can Miyake's ever fresh standard be any fresher'?
And the truth is it isn't fresher than the original, but instead it is far more transparent (as the bottle suggests) and more alive. Like living breathing alive. There is a mineral quality that recalls the taste of blood. And instead of the linear nature of the original this gets more 'natural' as it wears, becoming one with the wearer.
By far my favorite flanker of the original.
And the truth is it isn't fresher than the original, but instead it is far more transparent (as the bottle suggests) and more alive. Like living breathing alive. There is a mineral quality that recalls the taste of blood. And instead of the linear nature of the original this gets more 'natural' as it wears, becoming one with the wearer.
By far my favorite flanker of the original.