Histoire D'Eau by Mauboussin, 2002

Is this the intermediate species between the classic amber oriental and the Lutens cedar oriental? Its 2002 birth date tells me no, but my nose says it could be. Histoire dEau is a smoky, spicy cedar/amber. There is just enough sweet amber to fall into the Shalimar camp, and enough cedar and fruit to be an SL Bois. It also has an opacity that sits right between Shalimars richness and SLs transparency. Unfortunately, the middle ground is not necessarily the ripest locale for inspiration. I cant help but feel with a few tweaks, this could have been spectacular. Ive only smelled SLs Daim Blond once, and while HdE does smell like it a bit at the outset, it doesnt hang together like Daim Blond. It doesnt so much fall apart as become flatter over the course of the heart. It rallies a bit in the drydown, leaving a pleasant but unexciting spicy cedar.

From what I read about this it sounded like something I was really going to like. I grabbed it off of the internet for about $14 for 1.7 oz. I like scents with a leather note which is why I was interested in this. However, this does not come off very leathery to my nose. What it remindes me of is a cross between Mauboussin's Mauboussin (which I like much better) with it's stewed fruits, minus the booziness (and some of the quality ingredients), and Armani's Cuir Amethyste, which is another "leather" scent that I own that doesn't seem to have enough leather to support it's name. If your a fan of either one of those scents or both, you may lke this. As it dried down it did have some of the (very subtle) "suede" qualities that other's have mentioned and some people may be looking more for suede than intense leather and so they would be satisfied...if so, this is a good buy, especially for the money. It's not bad at all, but since this didn't have the more of the leatheriness I expected, I can only give it a neutral thumbs up as a big leather fan. The packaging, everything from the bottle to the box, is gorgeous in a funky, space-age kind of way.

This is excellent, period. However, if you don't like the notes, it obviously may not be for you. I don't find it aldehydic at all, but I do avoid top notes, and I agree that they may be "harsh." In fact, if I smell the sprayer, I sometimes think of it as "funky ketchup." Otherwise, it's "natural" smelling, well balanced, dynamic, and pleasant. I haven't tried Daim Blond so I can't compare. It is certainly a bit similar to DKNY's Fuel for men. Sillage is at least good and longevity is excellent. Some have said that projection/"sillage" drops off quickly, but I find that two sprays to the chest is plenty, though I keep my shirt open a little so that it wafts up nicely. At the prices it's selling for at the time of this writing, this is one of the best deals I have ever come across in the world of fragrances, and I'm undeniably a "bargain hunter."

I'm with UBU on this - I wore Daim Blond one day and this the next, and I think I may actually prefer this! Plus I got my bottle for less than $10. How can you beat that?

I can totally relate to uandimeme's relation to Serge Lutens' Daim Blond--to a certain extent.

Histoire d'Eau is much like a suede (daim) scent, but the way this scent executes is awfully harsh with this underlying bitter medicinal undertone.

Histoire's lofty notes are very much like Daim Blond, probably because it does smell like the apricot pits of Daim Blond, but pondering on this further, I think an aldehyde note is used rather than a true leather note that's putting this scent into wack and preventing it from giving forth its clarity.

The scent smells better as the aldehydes slowly melt away, but not by much more.

This was a blind buy, with no regrets. The first blast (one spray will suffice) is rather briskly masculine to my nose and maybe a bit artificial. In a sense, this reminds me of my other Mauboussin favorite (the eponymous one) in that it gets better and better for hours -- it really lasts. And as the elements evolve they get racier and brighter, till the tangerine begins to recall the transparent sweetness of my favorite Christmas fruit, clementines, the cardamom gives off an almost skin-like warmth, and the listed "leather" -- whatever that means -- recalls the refeshing, mysterious scent of a carton of cigarettes. Can you tell I love this?

Side note: Though this is marketed as a feminine, to my nose, this is one of the most gender-neutral perfumes I've tried yet.

To my nose on my skin it was like an unsophisticated mix of Boucheron Jaipur and D&G LightBlue.
Way too generic for my taste

Found notes listed as:

Top: Green Tangerine
Middle: Cardamom, Pepper, Nutmeg
Base: Leather, Musk, Amber

I regularly wear Serge Lutens' Daim Blond - which I classify as a slightly fruity/soft suede fragrance.
Histoire d'Eau by Maubboussin is incredibly similar! The leather note is soft and subtly infused with gentle spices. Delicately sweet. This can also be found for purchase on-line at about 1/5th the cost of a Lutens...I definitely recommend this sleeper!

Haven't tried this yet; I've read about it recently and I'm intrigued. But I can't seem to find it either online or in US stores. Can someone help? Thank you!