Eau D’Italie – Eau D’Italie

Eau D’Italie is a cologne – Duchaufour style. It smells simplistic initially, yet so exceptionally blended it is hard to break down. Some citrus up top of lemon and bergamot feels instantly soft and almost powdery on the skin. A signature Duchaufour incense – in the style of Dzongkha, creeps in and mingles with citrus along with a herbaceous greenery that may be a mere hint of cypress.

Listed is blackcurrant (a note I love), but it seems to come off as a mere fruity hint rather than anything tart and distinctive. It adds a delicate sweet/sour edge to the citrus and that is all. The incense gets a little stronger, and is clean, clear and crisp – a very, very minimalistic smoke.
The citrus is dragged into the heart by a creamy, lemony magnolia – yet again, hidden behind an almost translucent layer that successfully disguises and merges these notes together.

The notes list discusses a “clay accord”, which I completely get after reading it – without that, it is simple a damp, slightly mineralic earthy smell that is difficult to place – but lovely when it is. This clay accord, overlaid with the remains of the citrus which begins to turn a little orange-y and the smoke of incense, blurs together into something really fresh and meditative.

A dry cedar wood and a dash of bitter green oakmoss create a smooth, mossy base, slightly warmed by something amber-y, and a small bundle of clean patchouli. This warm, fuzzy base full of rich earth and greenery, calms down a growing metallic presence from what I assume is the incense. This metallic almost bilgey kind of note retains the cool quality of the opening, whilst never full turning into a full-blown salty driftwood note which it starts to verge on. The balance is perfect, and it is one of the few signature colognes (amongst Annick Goutal’s, Santa Maria Novella’s and the like…) that I am fond of and would happily splash on in the summer. Sure, this is the wrong time to be writing about such a summery fragrance, but it is definitely something that will be on my wish list early next year.

The florals last longer than expected, and the citrus feel never full disappears. The dry cedar and cool incense along with the metallic/mineralic mystery accord of the heart, are truly lovely and I smile each time I raise my hand to my nose. A perfect example of a unisex cologne – with just a little bit of weirdness, and an exquisite texture. A beauty

Eau D’Italie 100ml EDT Eau D’Italie - £87 Les Senteurs

Bois D’Ombrie – Eau D’Italie

A sweet honeyed tobacco, a fruit-laden booze and rich leather open Bois D’Ombrie, initially bringing to mind CB I Hate Perfume’s Cumming. After just a few seconds of getting your head around the gloriously rich but subdued opening, a powdery but rooty iris comes forward, it instantly becomes a recognizable Duchaufour creation.

The leather and tobacco retreat in their intensity a little, whilst still adding a hint of smoke. The iris is joined by Bertrand’s signature incense, reminding me of both Dzongkha, and Sienne L’Hiver - but with a warmer, spicier colour. The spice – a dash of pepper, and what smells like maybe nutmeg? Smoothing out the composition is myrrh – giving off its usual “breathy”, resinous scent and adding a rubbery texture, calming the spices and joining the smooth iris.

The boozy scent of warm raisins trails throughout Bois D’Ombrie, but quiet, and not given a syrupy treatment like a Lutens’ creation for example – here it is more translucent, given depth by smoky leather and rich tobacco of the heart. The powdery iris and delicate spice are cut with an earthiness of subtle vetiver, and the fragrance whilst sounding like a complicated bag of textures is executed perfectly smooth and light – smelling like a smoky stain on the skin. The spicy vibe is thankfully not loud at all, and I’m sure I get a little bit of saffron in there as well which I really enjoy.

There’s a deep woodsy note and a bunch of patchouli in the base, but the fragrance never lets go of its initial personality of booze and leather. The Duchaufour signature splattered across it start to finish may be too obvious and familiar for some, but Bois D’Ombrie is a perfect partner to Sienne L’Hiver - they evoke similar reactions in me and I thoroughly enjoy them both but wouldn’t really want to wear either. Where Sienne L’Hiver is cold and briney (which I prefer), this is warm and slightly nostalgic – easier to wear and more masculine.
I think Bois D’Ombrie is a fantastic, original fragrance – it’s handsome and charming but with a slightly melancholy aura throughout, a perfect “mood” for a fragrance – go sniff it!

Sienne L’Hiver Bois D’Ombrie 50ml EDT – £87.00 Les Senteurs

Paestum Rose – Eau D’Italie

Paestum Rose opens recognizably Duchaufour… It has it’s similarities almost immediately to my recently reviewed Sienne L’Hiver. It is a lovely, traditional yet earthy rose, with a bizarre vegetal musk hovering over the top of it.
This lovely and somewhat delicate opening gives way to some really nice spiciness and a bit of incense. The incense is that similar to other Duchaufour creations, it is airy, and more oriental than orthodox church. The green spices and slightly peppery twang calms down relatively quickly and lets the pretty rose take lead.

The scent from here-on remains relatively linear, which is a shame really. The opening has quite a lot of promise with a little kitchen basket full of herbs and spices to get you interested but falls a little flat.
As the rose continues, some lovely woods and a little bit of patchouli are deep underneath. They don’t provide any definite earthiness or stand proud and loud, instead they sit patiently at the base and stay there, just making sure that the rose doesn’t wither too quickly. A little vetiver joins in but again, it’s just a subtle support and a little subdued, there needs to be more going on in this.

Paestum Rose feels pretty transparent, remaining linear with the standout notes of rose and patchouli leading the fragrance to its finale. That finale is a much paler rose, patchouli, vetiver and a little wood, the incense still just a whisper.

It is a very nice, simple scent. But that’s the only problem for me, it’s a little too simple and safe and with such an unusual and emotional fragrance like Sienne L’Hiver being created by the same perfumeur for the same brand, this just seems like nothing in comparison.
Whilst I can appreciate it, Paestum Rose isn’t something I would wear, there are much better rose/patchouli or rose/incense combos out there.

Eau D’Italie Paestum Rose 100ml – £87 Les Senteurs

Sienne L’Hiver – Eau D’Italie

Sienne L’Hiver opens with a sweet earthy accord and a briney olive note. My perception of olives isn’t my own, it is apparently a listed accord by perfumeur Bertrand Duchaufour, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever smelt in perfumery before (I seem to say this a lot sorry).

Duchaufour’s Dzongkha instantly comes to mind when I sniff this, whilst they don’t smell the same, they have the same half full atmospheric feel which I find enchanting – however I MUCH prefer this composition.
Back to its actual smell, Sienne L’Hiver has a truffle/mushroom note that isn’t damp and earthy like traditional mushrooms but instead is delicate and perfumed. The briney/olive note is described by some as pickles… which comes across as much less appealing. I actually love this salty/oiliness and find it utterly meditative. These complicated accords create an atmosphere that goes beyond perfumery and is instead transcendent and slightly melancholy. Whilst I feel utterly peaceful when I inhale this deeply, it is slightly cold, natural and familiar. I absolutely love it on first sniff.

It’s a very hard scent to describe and pull apart as all notes seem to be blended into complex accords and then layered into atmospheric creations. It is earthy, without being green/muddy or vetiver rich. It is gently floral with what I can only imagine to be iris. It is savoury, with the black olive and green leaves creating a rich yet transparent oily texture. It really is something subtly astonishing and I am already on the hunt for a bottle!

This actually clicked with my mother more so, and having previously had more of a liking for feminine, rich, spicy fragrances – some favourites being Aziyade and Wazamba by Parfum D’Empire and patchouli dominated fragrances- after one sniff of Sienne L’Hiver she said “…I love this, I need a bottle”. It is really beautiful, really personal, and maybe something that no one else will enjoy as much as you if you love it, but that doesn’t matter.

This fragrance seems to be the sort that gets over hyped, and obviously my gleaming review will contribute to that. I think if you are going to try this fragrance, simply get yourself a sample, apply liberally, close your eyes and just enjoy and experience it for yourself. Don’t let accord names and unusual note listings get into your head too much, because Sienne L’Hiver is much more personal than that.
It is confusing, stern, and quiet, but also a unique gem in perfumery. Give it a chance.

Sienne L’Hiver – Eau D’Italie 100ml – £87 Les Senteurs