L'Eau D'Issey pour Homme (1994)
by Issey Miyake

If you’ve followed my Basenotes reviews knows you’ll know that I’m no fan of aquatic scents, and hence not predisposed to enjoy L’Eau d’Issey. Indeed, I find its brash, synthetic, calone drenched opening repugnant. To me it smells less like the ocean than like an industrial chemical. (Which I suppose is exactly what calone is.) I don’t detect much change as the scent ages, except perhaps for a few bright flowers and a helping of artificial fruit flavoring. (Think green Lifesavers.) Two or three hours later I’m left with a harsh woody (cypress?) base, but as Issey transforms it passes through a phase that I can best describe as rotting seaweed.

One thing I especially dislike about L’Eau d’Issey is that its ozonic note is not even minimally blended. The result is crass and crude, as if L’Eau d’Issey has its naked butt up against the school bus window, mooning any motorist unlucky enough to pass. Paradoxically, I have to give the scent some credit for its brashness – it’s far less bland than the thousands of limp aquatic imitators that have come in its wake. As much as I dislike it, I must also acknowledge L’Eau d’Issey’s significance in the history of scent. It is a landmark composition that epitomizes the past decade’s dominant fragrance genre. So though I rate it very low, it’s not so much because I think it smells bad (which I do), but because there are so many more well-constructed, nuanced, and sophisticated clean aquatic scents to choose from.

Nice strong citrus. Have gotten compliments.

Very feminine but nice scent. It may work on hot summer days but it´s nothing for me. Poor longetivity. Pretty good sillage.

I like the opening notes,but after that ist becomes like Lemon Fanta,sticky lemon candy, boring .I miss more green notes in the base notes .I agree with Mario,it makes me yawn. I prefer eau de Rochas Homme o Versace's Man Eau Fraîche. If you are simple and conformist this is your fragance.

the best aquatic fragrance ever made HANDS DOWN this is what aqua di gio was really tryin to copy and this outdoes anything women absolutely love it. there is NOTHING even close to this one its in a class of it's own and probably one of the best colognes ever made

its a fresh 3d scent with LOTS of notes all blended and a very unique drydown that is probably the sexiest drydown u can get

A massive 1994 hit from Jacques Cavallier, I dare say L'Eau D'Issey pH was the inspiration behind the wildly successful Armani's 1996 release, Acqua di Gio. Fortunately for me it fell short of achieving the latter's insane popularity and thus remains sufficiently obscure, at least in my part of the world. Guys, women adore this scent even if you find it a little too safe. Let no amount of hype detract from the fact that this scent truly belongs in the pantheon of great fresh/aquatic fragrances.