Eau Neuve (original) (1968)
by Lubin

2007 Re-issue


Opens with a clean and not tart lemon and chamomile blending. There's also something from the Chinese kitchen coming through but I just can't place it. Soon lavender appears and a growing similarity to Blenheim Bouquet becomes clear. Like with most lemon fragrances the lemon can't stand up too long and within 3 hours I'm left struggling to pick out the lemon underneath the light lavender and fragrant wood.

There is something important to note here and it's that I've never come across chamomile in a fragrance before. When I smell it here, paired with lemon, it surprises me that the pairing is not more common, it really seems like a natural choice. But really that's by the by in this case as ultimately this novelty can't raise my interest in this rather boring lemon fragrance.

2007 Reissue

It opens with a crisp citrus accord, it really is zesty! Not too sharp for me but others might be challenged. The lemon, orange, and bergamot are very well blended, in a way that lets the wearer detect each accord but without any dominating.

As it transcends to the heart I get lavender and chamomile. This is the first time I've ever detected a chamomile accord in a fragrance and it works! Again, I must mention that the blending is masterful.

The dry-down is a combination of oakmoss, wood, and musk, It isn't very long lived but I get 4 - 6 hours with liberal application. The journey however is fantastic.

Together with GFT and Colonia Assoluta, L'Eau Neuve now stands head and shoulders above the rest of my citrus frags. It is classic but modern and never becomes animalic (which was my major gripe with Eau Sauvage). This is a complex composition that I believe would be a nice addition to any citrus lover's wardrobe.

(This review is of the 2007 reissue.)

The reissued L’Eau Neuve opens with very brisk citrus top notes suggestive of both bergamot and grapefruit, dry herbs, and just a dab of gentle lavender. These are soon joined by what smells to me distinctly like civet (unlisted), sweet floral notes, and woods in a moderately animalic, citrus-and-woods heart accord that’s somewhere between Eau d’Hermès and Déclaration on one side and Eau Sauvage and Cristalle on the other. L’Eau Neuve is drier than all of these, save perhaps Déclaration, and comparatively quiet as well, which leaves it feeling both sophisticated and civilized, despite its animalic content.

As it dries down L’Eau Neuve’s citrus notes inevitably fade, and the composition grows more and more woody. The foundation consists of a luxuriously creamy sandalwood, moss, and lingering animalic musk (civet). The final impression is of rich understatement and quiet elegance. It is, if you will, a softened, and ever so slightly “naughtier” take on the classic citrus chypre represented by Eau Sauvage and Cristalle – the former of which was a near-contemporary of the original L’Eau Neuve. I’d hold the current L’Eau Neuve as a fine example of gender neutrality in fragrance, equally easy to wear for men and women. With its discreet sillage and projection and its quiet poise, I can’t imagine a setting or situation where it would be objectionable. It would make a fine everyday scent, especially in warm weather, where its refreshing citrus notes would be most welcome.

This one opened up really sweet, a fruit note that didn't smell like lemon to me. Then it dries down into very soft, powdery lemons and the only real fault I can find with it is that it flits in and out of perceptibility.

Lemon and cedarwoods. Aramand Basi with a stronger lemon. Decent.

At first all I got was lemon Pine-Sol. The cleaning product impression was strong, yet I didn't mind it too much because of the lemony brightness. Then it eased up within five minutes and the cedar came through, mingling softly with the lemon, and it became very pleasant on my skin. Drydown is soft cedar which didn't last long. Longevity seems to be an issue.