Au Lac by Eau d'Italie, 2010

It starts with excellent citrus notes, very zesty. It then opens into a lovely rose note, with some woody/bark notes (probably from the fig leaves) as a frame. At first, the scent is not particularly sweet. It is a dry floral, and thus quite unisex in style. As the floral notes deepen and develop, the rose becomes more prominent and the scent becomes a bit richer and sweeter. The florals become complex, more than a simple rose note. The papyrus gives a stalky-green aspect with is interesting. It is not my style, but it is a fine scent.

Au Lac is a light, fresh, dew-cool, spring-green floral, quite lovely, with just a touch of distinguished powderiness. I feel I "should" agree with previous reviewers that it's unoriginal and not niche enough, but I can't - to me it makes a genre that so often turns harshly synthetic and inhumanly cold, like nothing you should put on skin, wearable, and for that alone it deserves a place in my collection. I think part of the reason I like it so much is that it features a fig leaf note that's simply fresh and green, without the sweetly stale, nauseating milk note that ruins most fig scents for me. Unlike previous reviewers I also do get a subtle marine accord out of it - yes, indeed something like the soft saltiness of Heeley Sel Marin. I really appreciate the softness of this scent, the fact that it succeeds in creating a cool, aquatic atmosphere without harsh ozone or rotting melon and cucumber. In that sense it reminds me a bit of Diptyque Ofreesia, but while Ofreesia has the cool humidity of moist earth and spring rains, Au Lac has the cool humidity of a sea breeze on a summer morning.

I like Au Lac. Along with my liking it, I must agree with Off-Scenter that Au Lac is not niche quality. The opening is citrus / creamy green which very soon morphs into a creamy osmanthus and calone. It is attractive and enjoyable and oh so reminiscent of so many very good womens designer scents of the past dozen years. From the creamy citrus beginning to smooth jasmine / amber / papyrus base, Au Lac is balanced, refined, subtle, and hopelessly neutral. I dont get this as a marine scent at all, and I firmly concur with Off-Scenter that for a true niche quality aquatic floral one would be wise to seek out Heeleys Sel Marin. And, yes, Bulgari Aqua Pour Homme is also better than this. But I do like Au Lac I just dont like the price.