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

There’s one thing I’ve noticed about most newbie Basenoters – they usually tend to latch onto the ‘holy trinity’ of designer scents that, automatically, creates the perfect foundation for any man’s fragrance wardrobe: Le Mâle (cold weather), Envy for Men (special occasions and dates) and L’eau D’Issey (warm weather). Although these may not be the first three scents that a newbie Basenoter will purchase, chances are they will definitely be among their first 5-10 full-bottle purchases. I, myself, have been a victim of this ‘beginner’s crutch’ and it, admittedly, took me some time to bring myself to remove all three from my wardrobe without feeling even the slightest bit of remorse.

L’eau D’Issey was actually the final one that I managed to weed out. A good indication of its ‘superior’ quality compared to the other two, no? Well, not exactly – they’re all just as synthetic and flawed as each other. The fact is summer scents, with decent longevity, are incredibly difficult to come across (especially for those not in the know). Therefore, any reservations I had about L’eau D’Issey were put on hold due to its stronghold on my arsenal for warmer weather (which wasn’t particularly impressive back then). It was only after a period of time (during which I encountered better quality and longer lasting scents for spring and summer) that L’eau D’Issey eventually lost its grip and fully revealed itself for what it is – a highly synthetic and artificial smelling yuzu (grapefruit) composition with average lasting power.

From the very start, I always overlooked the fact that (upon application) it always made me sneeze; for a person who rarely suffers from migraines, for quite a while, I never questioned whether it was the sillage from L’eau D’Issey that was responsible for my subtle headaches; and I always found myself refusing to accept that its longevity wasn’t as great as originally thought (skin chemistry or olfactory fatigue were usually held accountable). Yes, the fear of not having something appropriate to wear on warm days worried me, and L’eau D’Issey successfully tapped into this fear and preyed upon it for quite some time. Now, luckily, those days are long gone…

L’eau D’Issey is a great starting point for any newbie but please bear in mind the hazards mentioned in the above paragraph. If nothing else, it does serve as a decent ‘starting out’ fragrance. Just don’t expect anything more from its shallowness, as your nose becomes more sophisticated, or you may end up being sorely disappointed.

[Original submission date: 20 May 2008]

Acquatic fruits and floral. Strong sillage and longevity. Overhyped and overpraised.
A mega-hit with the kinder that have moved up from Curve, as well it should be.
Bottom line? If you like Acqua di Gio you'll probably like this one.
I yawn in your general direction.

Though this can be overly common, I still find this to be one of the best "fresh" scents. It has great longevity and projection and serves its purpose very well. I like the floral dry-down alot.

Waxy lemon!

Have you ever seen those fake fruits in a bowl for decoration? Take one of those lemons and imagine how it would smell if it were real. That's L'Eau d'Issey PH. It's a real fake lemon floral. Sillage and longevity above average.

If you're looking for a civilized L'Eau d'Issey PH, try Floris Cefiro.

I love the freshness of this scent. It can be a little overpowering on the first sniff, but once the fizzy top notes have died down a little it retains a fresh crisp ginger zing all day. Again, I prefer the 'pour homme' to the ladies' version. Its more definite, somehow.

A nice springtime/summertime fragrance.

I bought this back in 1994 while I was at uni. It was my 3rd signature scent, and one I've kept in my wardrobe ever since. That it is so popular really is of no worry to me. This is a beautiful acquatic scent that manages to be woody, citrusy and spicy as well.

I keep meaning to buy some high grade sandalwood oil to layer this with, to see how that would work.

The scent of many years of my life. I'm moving on to woody orientals and forays into oud, but this one will always be on my shelf.