Vinaigre de Toilette (1975)
by Diptyque

Oh, my God! This stuff is utterly vile! Even Virgilio is more tolerable to wear than this. And, yes, it does smell like vinegar.

[Original submission date: 27 September 2008]

this's really funny and bizarre but not that disgusting
first kinda strong vineger blended with spices reminded me of some stew thing
and the drydown turned into very interesting baby powder or talcum powder smell even with a hint of water toilet?
the conception seems related to Demeter but this is Diptyque
i can't imagine it XDDDDDDD

I do appreciate the concept of this vinegar “fragrance” as a skin tonic: It is possibly an aromatic precursor to a skin toner. My skin needs a ph adjusting toner and something like this would serve that purpose. As far as a description of the movements in this fragrance, the_good_life describes it perfectly, and I fully agree with his assessment of it. Vinegar aside, Vinaigre de Toilette does not present a winning olfactory formula. In addition to that comment, I would say that it would be relatively easy to create something similar to this scent in the kitchen. This is much too expensive for what it delivers.

Judging from the negative reviews on makeupalley and trebor's comments, this prodct seems to be frequently misunderstood. It is not a perfume, but a sin tonic. Scentred vinegars bcame popular in the mid-18th century coterminously with new washing habits. Increased use of soap required skin tonification and vinegar served as an astringent, cleanser, disinfectant and refresher. It can also be used as a hair tonic or room freshener etc. pp. - in a way its multipurpose application as a toiletry is not unlike that of bay rum. The Diptyque product, apparently based on a 19th century recipe opens with a neroli note. this is followed by a herbal note clearly dominated by thyme. As these notes blend together they produce an impression of factory workshop - lubricated metal and rubber machine parts generating heat at high speed. This phase fades quickly to leave a strong thyme with a light floral element lingering on. Probably some lavender is involved, too. I actually only get a very light whiff of vinegar and it is not unpleasantly sour in any way. In sum this is quite close to an Eau Tonifiante by Roger & Gallet I own, based on thyme; citrus and sandalwood - that one is lighter but actually more interesting fragrance-wise, while Oyedo's offering, apart from being much too expensive for a simple skin tonic, is too monotonously thymey to evoke much olfactory enthusiasm.