Eau de Patou (1976)
by Jean Patou

Eau de Patou (for Women) is an incredible fragrance. It opens with a light and delicate citrus with the elegant addition of petitgrain. It has a wonderfully refined and restrained floral middle—sophisticated and transparent. Add to this the classic, discreet base of moss and amber, which exhibits its close relationship to the two classic masculine Patou’s, and what it results in is one of the best designer fragrances I have ever encountered. I certainly can’t improve on calchic’s description of the scent and I agree with Griff that this wonderfully elegant fragrance is wearable by men: There are a few minutes when the middle notes seem to move a bit to the distaff side, but that is no threat against masculinity. The top and the dry down are wonderfully unisex. Excellent sillage and longevity. Eau de Patou is a peerless classic creation. (Edit of 09 December 2006 review.)

I stumbled upon this discontinued fragrance as I was browsing through the aisles of a local discounter. There were no testers handy so I had to buy it blind. And I'm glad I did for other than affordability, EAU DE PATOU is indeed, as its marketing literature suggests, a "subtle melody of sublime floral and fruity notes, perfect for all those unhurried moments, informal meetings and pleasurable days." This is a light citrus scent somewhat reminiscent of Armani's Eau Pour Homme but dries down to a more unisexually wearable combination of amber, moss and civet/musk. Casual, everyday scent IMO. The only potential downside? It comes in a splash bottle.

Brings together two of my favourite fragrances, Eau Sauvage and Dunhill for Men. Eau de Patou though has no Vetiver, minimal pepperiness, is much brighter, and for sure has more bitterness. This is a unisex and universal fragrance. It may be a bit too bright for some men so I think it might be a perfect candidate for a little bit of layering. Given its superb longevity Eau de Patou is a keeper in my books.

Re-review of the masculine version of this citrus chypre.

This is really excellent and the quality can be smelled immediately. Citrus with a shot of basil in the opening. There's more than lemon here, but the lemon stands out to me.

The mids are very subtle with floral,wood and patch. They are almost like bystanders rather than participants. Ambery musk with a dash of musk and civet in the base and once again, it's subtle.

Close to the skin with very moderate projection and longevity. Clean and funky at the same time. It's a lighthearted and fun scent made with very good ingredients and created when this house was just about at the apex of its game as far as I'm concerned.

The homme version of eau de Patou is indeed peerless. The rich, crisp notes of lemon and lime pervades and seduces and one readily submits to its charm. Not a false note in this scent. One of the best timeless citrus scent ever made.

The best creamy citrus there is I would say, and yes wonderful in the heat of summer like running nude through a citrus orchard with a sprinkler going.
A must in your fragrance wardrobe.
Can still be found from time to time at discount fragrance store so keep an eye out.