L'Eau D'Issey Eau & Magnolia Intense

At the first spritz I was ready to write it off as bland and as I don’t like bergamot, but moments fleeting by I found myself addicted again to that signature Issey Miyake water scent. Can water smell ethereal? It seems so. I think I am realizing Issey Miyake is my spirit animal as far as fragrances go. Hundreds of perfumes tested, from the highest end houses to dupes, and only a few loves with a majority going to the l’eau D’issey flankers. There’s something so captivating to me about the evasive scent of a pure droplet of water. A skin scent? Yes. Fleeting? Yes, but my is it beautiful while it lasts. I normally wear perfume on clothing, but this is perfect for those bare skin days.

I've been looking for a summer fragrance. On my short list...D&G Light Blue, Aerin Mediterranean Honeysuckle, Tiffany & Love For Her, but then L’Eau d’Issey Eau & Magnolia came into my life and I'm done with my search. This fragrance has more depth, longevity, and non body wash-like or dish soap scent than any of the citrus above. HA. Also, I'm not a fan of musky in a summer fragrance. Smells like BO on a hot day. This perfume has sandalwood at its base and it's gentle, clean, daytime sexy. It takes me to the Amalfi Coast.

Beautiful and tranquil are the words that I want to describe this scent. I amagine a well mannered girl in a minimalist Japanese house wearing this. It's flowery and softly sweet. Although the scent maybe linear because of creamy magnolia from start to finish, it has depth and not fleeting. Actually I'm not a fan of Issey Miyake L'eau d'Issey (the original one) because of its strange greenness and sweetness, this L'eau & Magnolia is much better.

I like this. It wasn't absolutely mind-blowing, since it smells initially like an old woman- in a good way! Some clean elderly woman that you love to death. This also feels a bit nostalgic to me because when I was eight my stepdad gave me a magnolia body spray and since then I had never smelled magnolia, so now I found that time has a heavy association with the smell of the flower, and I'm not sure I'll ever dissociate from it.

This fragrance lingers beautifully throughout the day, leaving a soft, comforting trail I can still detect on my clothes the next morning. It carries a clean, creamy elegance—subtle yet unforgettable. Though it remains linear in its development, it exudes a refined femininity. I can easily imagine someone like Audrey Hepburn wearing it: effortlessly graceful, timeless, and quietly captivating.