L'Eau Bleue D'Issey pour Homme (2004)
by Issey Miyake

Unless you've had positive experiences with herbal scents or possess an enlightened attitude towards anything weird in general, you're likely to find L'EAU BLEUE D'ISSEY's rosemary dominated citrus opening as unpalatable as bitter medicine. So I'm not surprised to read a few negative reviews here. But good things do come to those who wait; the rosemary receding well enough for the ginger, lavender and juniper berry accords to take centerstage and paint the scentscape in gorgeous hues of dark and deep green. And I can't help thinking, surely 'Bleue' is a misnomer. Then something interesting happens - the lush greenery all but vanishes and I'm left with a freshness that reminds me somewhat of cool ocean sprays. Hahaha! You certainly got me there, Jacques Cavallier. This IS 'BLEUE' after all!

One of the best Issey has to offer and the top one for me from this line. This one catches ones attention right from when it lands on skin. Very powdery & to an extent herbal in a very cool way. This one has that unique quality which I have
seen in only few scents...the way this surrounds/engulfs the wearer. The other scent which created this domain for me was L'Instant. The peppery zing along with exotic florals and dash of spices leads you into a beautiful woodsy accord which forms the heart of this scent...the interplay is just plain amazing. The best part isn’t over yet, it has to offer one of best ambery, woody mossy drydowns ever, making you feel totally refreshed for another round. A classic somehow underplayed and ignored on BN.

An aromatic and very resinous (rosemary, pine?) opening, then spicy (ginger), for a very dry (patchouli) and somewhat powdery (sandalwood?) drydown. After about 45min the amber kicks in to soften the edges. Yet the whole always stays quite airy, in a montain-forest-ocean kind of a way. I

Though the L'Eau Issey pour Homme theme (top notes and the very dry drydown) is present in the composition, the overall effect of L'Eau Bleue is of something never smelled before. It's not the sort of scent that is appealling right away, it's a smell more than a fragrance. The Eau Fraiche version is easier to wear.

It's not really for me (too dry), but I admire Shiseido for having dared to put something like this on the market.

Love the monolithic outer space bottle.

I´m a devoted fan of Miyake/Kenzo because of the different of their perfumes.
I absolutely love L'eau D'issey.Sexy,and that Kind of i´ll-wear-it-to-be-smelled :).
Now, There´s something in this new fragance, a mystery. First I´d change the name for brownish-orangy, definetly not blue.:) brings confussions for sure.
In my opinion, in colder weathers could be nice. I just can smell Rosemary-anised and woods, rosemary far too prominent, and in Madrid with 45º in the shadow on summer,I just can´t stand it.
the best part is the drydown, is more soft herbal, non woody founded,and kind of orangy dry note.
I have to say that this perfume has caracther, but it´s individual itself. You love it or you hate it as A*Men.
If you like herbal scents go for it, if you don´t avoid it.
I reommend try the fresh version, it´s sooo lovely and opposite to this one and the L'eau D'issey fans won´t be dissapointed.

The front of the box looks like a billboard, but inside there’s a gorgeous bottle that rivals even Bvlgari for good looks. Unusual & very strong smell that lasts a long time. A scent that you’ll either love or hate, not for everyone, & only for those daring to be different. I bought this & Creed’s Erolfa at the same time & put each on a different arm at the same time. Bleue D’issey is a stronger scent & longer lasting, although Erolfa lasted a long while also & smelled very nice too. But I don’t smell any sea/marine here, as others have noted. If you want a good sea/marine fragrance, try Mare, Aqua Motu, or Oltre.

A dirty, herbal, and slightly demented fragrance that one wants to either embrace or hurl at various stages of its evolution. The opening is the olfactory equivalent of the first minutes in "Saving Private Ryan", with a nasal carnage almost unparalelled in modern perfumery. Thankfully, this assault of rosemary and lavender is brief, but it certainly leaves its mark on the wearer. Once it has been suitably tethered, it becomes a much more civilized entity, the balance is better, and there is no dominance from any one single ingredient. A slightly sour sweetness is afforded some attention in the middle and base notes, and I sense that it is the juniper causing this interesting twist in the proceedings. It is very difficult to rate Bleu, but I have to say that it caught my attention from outset, and it never released its grip. For having the cajones to be different, and providing such entertainment, I give it a thumbs up.