L'Eau de Hesperides (2008)
by Diptyque

Hoos’ review is pretty spot on and I do agree that the celery (salt) note is the main thing about the composition that spoilt my enjoyment of it, as the drydown was quite unbecoming on my skin. On first impressions, however, L'Eau de Hesperides smelt like a cologne version of Oyédo, with the celery (salt) note replacing the thyme and florals notes instead of a woody accord. Yes, it’s a very pleasant fresh fragrance but, like Hoos, I also wished that the celery (salt) note was toned down significantly.

For those who felt that Oyédo was a bit too much, this may be a very good substitute (well, that’s if you don’t mind the celery (salt) note...).

L'Eau de Hesperides seems aptly named, as there are three distinct notes to this scent: orange/citrus, celery, and floral notes.

The scent bursts out in a wonderful juicy, orange fragrance that quickly disappears. But it reappears periodically throughout the life of the fragrance - very lightly and very fleeting.

Next, most notable, interesting, and bothersome is celery. Perhaps celery salt, as there is a note of saltiness to it. But it's strong and long-lasting. This is the predominant note throughout the life of this fragrance. Which is why it's bothersome. The celery scent could have been toned down a little.

A couple of hours into it, though, a truly "floral" note becomes noticeable. It's not sweet, it's not "a" flower, but it's floral. Floral in the way that a bouquet of flowers can scent a room - not in the sense of sticking your nose into the bouquet. It's interesting and is a floral I would love to wear. But it seems to be overwhelmed by the celery.

The best way of describing this is being a in a field of predominantly Queen Anne's Lace and with patches of wild flowers.

The scent is beautifully made, interesting, and lively. It will take a second testing to see if this is bottle-worthy. It may not be a scent for me, but it is beautiful.