L'Instant d'un Eté pour Homme (2006)
by Guerlain

Well, I found this on ebay and couldn't help a blind purchase, and this review is designed to set obsessive minds at ease. This fragrance is simply (L'instant+citrus)/3

Yes, that's right, divided by 3, because it's less potent.

Now, I don't regret the slightly overpriced purchase, but the truth is, I probably wouldn't have made the purchase if I were able to smell it in advance. The incredible similarity to L'Instant makes owning both (even if the EDP) a little redundant. It's actually better this way since, because it's discontinued, had this been a really unique gem, I would never wear it. This way I can wear it all summer because it's great, but I never have to feel guilty that I'm wasting something irreplaceable.

So, if you feel like you missed the boat on this, I hope I've helped. If you'd really like a summer version of a dark, sweet scent, you may want to consider A*Men Sunessence Orage D'Ete. I actually prefer that one (despite being slightly allergic to it).

6th April, 2011.

This one is truly masculine in a decent and classic way, the first impression of citrus and herbs a bit similar to a man coming out of a barber's shop. The clove/vanilla notes make it a warm scent, but never take control of it as they do in the original scent. Perfect stuff for urban men!

29th November, 2008.

If you love L'instant PH (like I do), then you'll love the d'un Eté version.

In fact, my ONLY complaint with the original L'instant was that it was a bit heavy to wear in warmer weather... that problem is now solved with this one. As others have noted, the character is not fundamentally different with this one from the original, only the top is fresher and the bottom less deep and heavy, which allows it to play well and be a little crisper, and easier to wear in the heat.

Definitely a must to round out the wardrobe of the L'instant fan... the original for all purpose day wear, the EdP Extreme for evening or cold weather wear, and d'un Ete for the hotter days!

8th November, 2008. (Last Edited: 16th November, 2008.)

I find this one clever. The addition of the citrus is actually a nice added step to the development that I enjoy immensely. The citrus notes are VERY sharp and stick around alot longer than I was expecting - ALOT longer . . .

The overall mids are also a bit more pronounced, in fact, alot more than I was expecting (esp. the patchouli) . . .

The drydown is where the lighter side comes out. The sandalwood is a bit more subdued (smoother) and as mentioned before, the cocoa and anise notes are less heavy, but, nonetheless, still very similar to the original.

So its lighter, yet sharper and just as smooth the original. . . NICE.

Of the two, it kind of a toss up as which on is better, but I would have to say, I lean towards this one over the original. A definite favourite in my collection AND a limited edition. Brilliant - glad I have it!

21st July, 2008.

This is indeed a lighter, fresher version of the classic L'Instant pour homme. It is still similar enough for me not to warrant having both. The anise and bitter cocoa notes are toned down in this and because of this I would go for this new version.

26th March, 2007.