L’eau D’Issey Pour Homme Review

L’eau D’Issey is a fragrance that receives a lot of hype so as a Cologne Guru, I was excited to give it a chance. If you’re wondering where I’m getting all this hype from, let’s take a look from a few of the biggest and baddest sites regarding fragrances in the world.

Basenotes.net – Over here, you’ll see a site that has a whopping 65% positive approval rating and an above average 3.5 star rating. These high ratings is enough to get anyone’s interest a little peaked and when I saw it as a top seller a few months ago, I knew I had to try it.

Fragrantica – The people that wear L’eau D’Issey and have reviewed it, give it an average of 4.0/5 stars. If you’re a fragrance on Fragrantica and you have a rating over 4, especially after almost 5,000 votes, that’s simply amazing. I have to agree that seeing this rating also gets my blood flowing a little quicker because you don’t see that too often.

Parfumo.net – Another one of the giants when it comes to reviewing fragrances, Parfumo gives Issey Miyake a 7.5 out of a possible 10 score.

dracdoc – One of the most famous YouTube fragrance reviewers said, “Personally I love this scent”, “A very good scent”. Since I highly respect dracdoc, this interested me as well.

So after reading about L’eau D’Issey Pour Homme online, my excitement continued as I opened the box I received from Amazon to wear for the first time.

The Cold Hard Facts Surrounding L’Eau D’Issey Pour Homme by Issey Miyake

Let’s have a quick discussion about the facts regarding L’eau D’issey…

Top notes: Yuzu, Verbena, Coriander, Mandarin, Clary Sage, Cypress
Middle notes: Bourbon geranium, Nutmeg, Saffron, Waterlily, Cinnamon
Base notes: Amber, Cyprioll, Musk, Sandalwood, Tobacco, Vetiver

Longevity (Based on 1000+ ratings)

7.316 out of 10 – Pretty dang good!

Average Rating From People That Have Tried It –

7.235 – Pretty dang good! (Click to see the best!)

Popularity (How many people are wearing/talking about it)

4,220 – Pretty Average (Click For Full List)

L’eau D’Issey Pour Homme by Issey Miyake Thoughts by CologneMasters

“A light, sharp, citrusy floral smell” – dracdoc

I think dracdoc said it the best. When you first spray this scent on, you do get a sharp, citrus smell. In a matter of fact, the sharpness is so direct and in your face about it, it turns me off immediately from liking it.

The opening of L’eau D’issey is so strong with the Yuzu note, it prevents me from giving it a chance. After spraying it on my wrists, the smell makes me want to go wash it off as quickly as I sprayed it on. However, because I am a self-proclaimed Cologne Master, I stick to my guns and decide to tough it out for a few more hours.

As L’eau D’Issey dries down after 45 minutes to an hour, it starts to become pleasant. This is where I can start to believe that ratings and positive feedback begin to make sense. The scent is much softer, sweeter, and the citrus is less strong which made my girlfriend approve of the smell after a while. She didn’t “love” it, but it was certainly a “like”.

My personal take is that L’eau D’issey should only be worn by perfume enthusiasts and not the mass population. The high reviews I believe are from people that enjoy how unique this scent it is compared to all the other mass produced fragrances out there like Acqua Di Gio.

It is NOT a fragrance for young men, because you need a level of appreciation to enjoy it. I would recommend this fragrance for any man mid 30s or older that is looking to stand out from the crowd and wear something light but unique.

Longevity – I disagree with the longevity rating it received. L’eau D’issey almost falls off a cliff after a few hours. You’ll smell it, then before you notice it, it’s gone.

Projection – Weak projection in my opinion. I had to press my wrist to my girlfriend’s nose in order for her to even notice it.

Unique – Here is a citrus smell that doesn’t smell like all the others.

Experts  – It takes a true perfume enthusiast to enjoy this smell. When I read the reviews, it seems like this type are the ones that enjoy it.

Mature – Great for older guys that don’t want to smell like the youth of today.

My final thoughts –

L’eau D’issey doesn’t live up to the hype. In a matter of fact, if I ever end up writing an article of the most overhyped fragrances, this one might headline it.

Alright, so who should buy L’eau D’Issey Pour Homme?

Age Group: 35+

People that wear it need to have more of an appreciation of fragrances to enjoy it.

Season: Summer

During the warm, more humid months are where this fragrance is said to shine above others.

Time of Day: Day

Most light/citrus fragrances work best for daily use. This is no exception.

Gift?: No

I wouldn’t chance this by giving it to someone as a gift.

Longevity: Good

My experience with longevity with this one was not what others reported. I only received about a freshness for about half a day, which was not that bad.

Harmless? – No

The harsh yuzu note in the beginning just doesn’t make it safe to wear at grandma’s house.

Popularity – Average

With a little over 4,000 searches per month, it’s pretty average for a fragrance popularity scale.

Price – Average

Bottle prices vary, but you can find one for about $30-40 on Amazon.

Awards – 0

Sexy – Friend zone

The people that enjoy this one, don’t say it is sexy. Rather they describe it as a citrus explosion that is great for the summer.

Signature Cologne – No

Unless you live in a hot and humid environment, this one would not work out for a signature smell.