Reviews of L'Eau (1968)
by Diptyque

Augh. I put this on thinking it would be a regular l'eau something or other. Freaking clove bomb. It's like I went to the Willy Wonka Factory, ate some clove candy and turned into a clove.

I haven't been drawn to spice fragrances in the past -- actually received this sample by accident -- but with the weather getting colder now, the idea of something warm and cozy does sound more appealing. Although clove is definitely dominant in the opening of L'Eau, I didn't find it overpowering or unpleasant. It's actually a rather subdued scent on me, without a lot of silage. My main complaint is that the clove note dies down without revealing anything dramatic or interesting underneath. Florals may be adding a tinge of sweetness, but the drydown mostly reminds me of some clove-dominated cologne my dad used to wear -- probably Old Spice. Meh.

Some ambery resin and a whole lotta cinnamon with a touch of clove. Has a few other greeny herbals in there somewhere too.

If Joop is as bad as cinnmon comes, this is the polar opposite. Very Christmas, it would make an awesome room spray. Potpourri to the max, slightly more manly than Secret Melange.

Diptyque’s first scent has a stupefying opening: it’s a blaring accord of cinnamon Red Hots candies and citrus rind that while blatantly artificial, keeps me sniffing just because it’s so utterly weird. As things progress the citrus settles down, the cinnamon candy mutates into cloves, and a soft rose emerges in the background, all of which results in a much more conventional carnation accord. At a distance L’Eau’s main movement is a pleasant rose/carnation over creamy woods, but smelled up close there’s still something harsh and disturbingly “chemical” about it.

Like so many of the Diptyque scents that have come since, L’Eau remains relatively linear once its core arrangement settles into place. As it wears on I feel that this represents Diptyque’s trial run at personal fragrances – which of course, it was. As such, I can’t say it was a promising first effort. Its oddness soon begins to look like clumsiness, with the clove note in particular being far out of balance. In retrospect it’s both remarkable and gratifying that L’Eau’s successors include such beauties as Virgilio, Eau Lente, and Philosykos. More an item of historical interest, I think, than a viable personal fragrance

Simple and quite strong spicy pot pourri fragrance. Very Diptyque-ish.

As pointed by many times in previous reviews, this is definitely not for clove shy people. It comes out very strong with warm support from cinnamon. Somewhat very similar to CdG EdP this, but its less sharp without that a bit of metallic edge. This is more natural smelling.

L`eau is very simple, natural and “raw” without any sensual aspects. I like it a lot, but I never would use this as a personal fragrance. In some specific way I am sure it would make me way too self conscious scent wise.

This would make a fine room spray. So my suggestion is that instead of yourself and your clothing, spray this at your home (or in your vehicle) to various places; curtains, sheets, hand-towels, carpets etc.

Easy on the trigger on this one, no matter where you decide to spray it after all.

This is too much cinnamon and too much clove. I like cinnamon, but just a hint is good for me, not all that. The intense cinnamon smell gives me a headache.

I would wear this on very cold, very "unusual" nights out, and I would spray too little, much like Annick Goutal's Sables. I don't think I'd ever want to wear this more than three or four times a year, so I would never finish 50 ml in a hundred years, but thumbs up for originality. L'Eau has to be the most eccentric Diptyque I have tried

Nope, too much clove for me as well. I much prefer Eau Lente, where the clove is more restrained and works better with the rest of the composition.

WOW, this smells alot like "red hots" canides in the opening notes, however it dries down to significantly less cinnamon notes and begins to spicen up a bit. This scent has certain heat to it that makes it very sensual, sexy, and quite literally hot. It is unique and I have yet to smell anything like this, which, to me, is quite amazing. I like this scent very much, beautiful!

Very interesting frag. It starts with heavy clove/cinnamon, but after an hour or so it melts into this japanese temple type incense (f.ex. Horyu-koh) - sandalwood lurking way behind other bold spices - which is right on the brink of being unpleasant. For me this scent is one of those that i've been searching without exactly knowing what i'm looking for. Definitely not for everyone. Love it in the rainy september nights.

Their very best fragrance, authentic and original. made from 16th c. pomander and pot-pourri.

Nope, me neither. Wwwwaaaayyy too much clove for me—Not that I dislike clove, but it isn’t my idea of a good choice for a long-lasting linear fragrance. A good, strong, aromatic clove note is capable of sucking the breath out of the body, and this note is as powerful as any I’ve experienced in a fragrance. If there are other notes in L’Eau, you can’t prove it by me…OK, I lied. I’ll admit that I smelled cinnamon for about seven seconds immediately upon spraying, but seven seconds doesn’t really count. This is a very simple scent for a person to make a purchasing decision about: If you don’t like the first twenty seconds, then don’t buy because it is strong and aromatic and it doesn’t change except for getting gradually weaker. If you like it, buy it—what you smell is what you get. As for me…no thanks. It’s a great scent for a potpourri, but it’s not my idea of a desirable EDT.

Too strong. Very clovy, almost licorice-like. And I like clove and licorice. Perhaps it is too manly for me. Anyway, guys, give it a try. Ladies, I doubt this would appeal to you, but go ahead and prove me wrong.

I like this one due to the spices. It is pretty linear, but that is a good thing because all the scents together are quite lush and sensual.

No, no- not a good one, Diptyque! The clove is just too much. This will absolutly make you smell like potpourri. This is more of a room spray scent to be used during Christmas. It's not a bad smell in and of itself. It just should'nt be worn on a person. A bowl of wood chips in the middle of one's table would suit this fragrance wonderfully.

i tried this beautiful fragrance and i really went crazy for it,i found it gothic reminiscent of ancient times,i personally adore all the dyptique fragrances ,surely i will buy also this one cos i 've finished the little tester

My gosh, this is a strong fragrance. For scenting a most likely dank and mildewy 16th century castle-type dwelling, yes, I can imagine this would be tremendously effective. But as a fragrance to wear, it's just too powerful for me. Cinnamon, cloves and geranium are all incredibly deep, pervasive notes, and combined together they account for the high degree of sharpness this scent possesses, particularly upon application. They also tower above anything else in the mix; I've never been able to distinguish the sandalwood or rose, even hours after drydown. On the plus side, this does smell very authentic, as if made by medieval herbalists, and that gives it a certain drama and mystery. If you can tolerate the heavy spiciness, do try it.

Reminds me of a less complex version of LV Piper Nigrum. Definitely a must have (well, for ME at least...)

You'll really notice the cinnamon and rose notes in this. Based on a 16th century potpourri recipe, it is pleasant and aromatic. Well suited for men, this is one of my favorite Diptyque offerings.

Mega-spice!! Not as dark as Eau Lente, but still just as spicey and full of holiday cheer. Again, this changes little from beginning to end, which is certainly typical scents dominated by spice. If you get it and don't like wearing it you can still opt to use if for a deoderizer. Very similar to Commes des Garcon EDP and the drydown of Santa Maria Novella's Potpouri.