L'Ombre dans l'Eau

This is a lush, pink rose bush. You get the fragrant petals with thorns, leaves, damp soil and all. I’m so sad that there’s nothing left in my sample :( it’s a rose scent that manages to come off as incredibly photorealistic and introspective, and to me, it’s also so so nostalgic. After the drydown, the green leaves fall away and it smells like my memory of this scented toy I had as a child (Fur Berries), which blows my mind. This is easily my favourite rose fragrance!! It’s so dreamy and makes me want to stand outside in the rain, cold and wet, in hopes of catching a glimpse of a rainbow when the sun finally emerges from those big, dark clouds. I was a rose skeptic before I found this fragrance, so I definitely think that it’s a promising start for anyone who is also unsure about rosy smells.

Reminds me of a distant memory, the smell you’d imagine after playing in the countryside all day: dragonflies, lilies, willow trees and swans. A bit decadent, in a poetic way. You could associate it to an austere female presence, one that’s beautiful but stingy, same way Libra is a Venusian sign but exalted in Saturn. I could picture Marie Antoinette wearing this. A swan lake ballet, that sort of thing. "If you want to look beautiful, you have to suffer a little”. L’ombre, to me, represents the literal shadow of beauty.

I don’t know how I ever overlooked this beauty despite stopping by the Diptyque booth at least once a week (I work next door to a large dept store). It’s fresh, green (but not too green), dewy, slightly berry/jammy and slightly rosey. I can’t believe it was formulated in 1983, and seems well before its time. It’s understated cool girl chic. I’m surprised their marketing machine is currently pushing orpheon (smells like sharp soapy laundry detergent to me) so heavily instead of this gem.

the initial spray is bitterly green and acrid for quite a while but eventually dries down into how i would imagine a rose would smell from below, from the perspective of a tiny creature sitting one of its thorns, among the leaves, looking up forlorn at an unreachable distant beauty. there is a faint sweetness at the end of the journey out of that bitterness but you're still left lingering in a space that's sad, guarded, pointed. there's something very introspective going on here.

I didn't start out liking L'Ombre Dans L'eau. I was falling hard for the iconic Philosykos instead. However, as I continued to use both, I realized I got quickly bored with Philosykos and couldn't get enough of L'Ombre. The green tomato leaf and rose combo was harsh at first but once it settles, it's the most unassuming scent. I love wearing it to the office. It's unisex and boosts my confidence in many occasions. Hope it is never discontinued as it has been around since 1983.