L'Eau d'Issey pour Homme (1994)
by Issey Miyake

There was something in the air in '94. With Monsoon, Blue Jeans and Voyageur, and aquatic flankers of Insensé and Quorum, it was a very wet year.
As well as these, there was of course the arrival of CK One and L'eau d'Issey pour Homme, two formative templates that changed the course of perfume for years to come. Aquatics were officially the new Black.

All of this happened a generation ago, so it's worth going over Issey pour Homme for those who don't remember it : sour citrus with milky-powdery woods, made masculine by spice - which is lightly sweet, a peppery overtone, green herbal nuance, white-lily flowers, the twang of calone.

Like its sister from '92 the masculine is thin and pale but powerful. It has more body than the femme and feels darker, and (as Bal a Versailles puts it) less 'technological'. They both have an amazing ability to project themselves from nowhere - like a ventriloquist.

Both Les eaux d'Issey are on the Parfumista's 101 List, required sniffing - even if they don't get worn that much. But, having said that, à chacun son eau. The Issey's are likely to have a cult following, being good heat-busters for the climate change summers we now get.

4*

Carded mini spray

Initially fresh, turns into dead flowers in a matter of minutes. Really funereal. I had to wash it away.

This is a somewhat reserved, almost neutral rating. It's a thumbs up with a very big caveat - that you've never worn it before the reformulation.

L'eau D'Issey pour homme has become a great lesson for me in respect to the effect of reformulation and the effect of scent memory upon a buyer's expectations. It's probably not for me anymore, but I still think it's good, and I'll explain why.

This was my daily driver for some time, an easy dumb grab for the office and a fragrance I really enjoyed. Fresh as fork, went really well with my skin and that yuzu note... woof. I love me some yuzu and this was just magnificent.

I don’t know if I’d be as harsh to say it's now lemon pledge, because let's be honest, this was never subtle or gentle in its delivery. It always punched you square in the nose with sharp, dry freshness. For me, this is now Sad Panda pour homme, or just straight up L’eau Disappointment.

So why the thumbs up? I went in to my local cafe wearing some of the reformulated juice a little while ago and the owners (husband and wife) came out for a chat with me. I've been a customer for over a decade. They've both admired some of my fragrances before, but they immediately fell in love with L'eau D'Issey and the husband chose to purchase it right then and there. They've both been stoked with it and keep thanking me for letting them know about it.

I've recently acquired Guerlain Vetiver for the first time - to me it's magnificent. There is, however, a gentleman who's reviewed it on Basenotes and has been quite scathing of the modern reformulation, because he regularly purchased and wore the original. The current version simply doesn't measure up to his expectations.

After having this experience with L'eau D'Issey, I completely understand his point of view... but it doesn't stop me from enjoying the current Guerlain Vetiver fragrance I've come to know. In this case, ignorance truly is bliss.

This is still quite wearable and I have too many good memories to trash it. I won't enjoy wearing what I have left and may regift it soon, but for a new buyer who's never experienced the original, it's a worthy purchase.

This opens up very fresh, bitter, and initially really sour from the yuzu. I imagine this goes an alternate route to grapefruit. The sourness goes away in about 5 minutes. I get the floral quality which isn't bad at all. A tiny mixture composed of vetiver, saffron, and sandalwood. The wood takes a little moisture out of the yuzu as it develops. It goes to almost a skin scent within 30 minutes and is gone 5-6 hours.

In my opinion L'Eau d'Issey PH may use a few exotic notes, but it smells very generic for a fresh scent from it's very bland construction. Why this one is well rated is beyond me.

A sweaty techno club in the 90th, everybody wearing CK One, smelt from inside the fresh deodorized men's room.

.Sexy.