Histoire d'Eau (2002)
by Mauboussin

Rating: 4 out of 5 when it decides to be sultry on me.

Rating: 1 out of 5 all other times, when HdE is harsh, when the spices are combative, and when it reeks of dusty, dark places.

I adore most of Nagel's creations, but I find HdE very difficult to wear. I think it is better suited for those who can carry masculine scents. I can't.

26th March, 2011. (Last Edited: 25th September, 2011.)

Is this the intermediate species between the classic amber oriental and the Lutens cedar oriental? Its 2002 birth date tells me no, but my nose says it could be. Histoire d’Eau is a smoky, spicy cedar/amber. There is just enough sweet amber to fall into the Shalimar camp, and enough cedar and fruit to be an SL Bois. It also has an opacity that sits right between Shalimar’s richness and SL’s transparency. Unfortunately, the middle ground is not necessarily the ripest locale for inspiration. I can’t help but feel with a few tweaks, this could have been spectacular.

I’ve only smelled SL’s Daim Blond once, and while Hd’E does smell like it a bit at the outset, it doesn’t hang together like Daim Blond. It doesn’t so much fall apart as become flatter over the course of the heart. It rallies a bit in the drydown, leaving a pleasant but unexciting spicy cedar.

22nd January, 2011.

From what I read about this it sounded like something I was really going to like. I grabbed it off of the internet for about $14 for 1.7 oz. I like scents with a leather note which is why I was interested in this. However, this does not come off very leathery to my nose. What it remindes me of is a cross between Mauboussin's Mauboussin (which I like much better) with it's stewed fruits, minus the booziness (and some of the quality ingredients), and Armani's Cuir Amethyste, which is another "leather" scent that I own that doesn't seem to have enough leather to support it's name. If your a fan of either one of those scents or both, you may lke this. As it dried down it did have some of the (very subtle) "suede" qualities that other's have mentioned and some people may be looking more for suede than intense leather and so they would be satisfied...if so, this is a good buy, especially for the money. It's not bad at all, but since this didn't have the more of the leatheriness I expected, I can only give it a neutral thumbs up as a big leather fan. The packaging, everything from the bottle to the box, is gorgeous in a funky, space-age kind of way.

7th February, 2010.

This is excellent, period. However, if you don't like the notes, it obviously may not be for you. I don't find it aldehydic at all, but I do avoid top notes, and I agree that they may be "harsh." In fact, if I smell the sprayer, I sometimes think of it as "funky ketchup." Otherwise, it's "natural" smelling, well balanced, dynamic, and pleasant. I haven't tried Daim Blond so I can't compare. It is certainly a bit similar to DKNY's Fuel for men. Sillage is at least good and longevity is excellent. Some have said that projection/"sillage" drops off quickly, but I find that two sprays to the chest is plenty, though I keep my shirt open a little so that it wafts up nicely. At the prices it's selling for at the time of this writing, this is one of the best deals I have ever come across in the world of fragrances, and I'm undeniably a "bargain hunter."

7th January, 2010.

I'm with UBU on this - I wore Daim Blond one day and this the next, and I think I may actually prefer this! Plus I got my bottle for less than $10. How can you beat that?

29th December, 2009.

I can totally relate to uandimeme's relation to Serge Lutens' Daim Blond--to a certain extent.

Histoire d'Eau is much like a suede (daim) scent, but the way this scent executes is awfully harsh with this underlying bitter medicinal undertone.

Histoire's lofty notes are very much like Daim Blond, probably because it does smell like the apricot pits of Daim Blond, but pondering on this further, I think an aldehyde note is used rather than a true leather note that's putting this scent into wack and preventing it from giving forth its clarity.

The scent smells better as the aldehydes slowly melt away, but not by much more.

28th April, 2009.