Form is temporary, class is permanent (Issey Miyake Aftershave)

Member Name: Morgenhund

Product:	Issey Miyake Aftershave
Date:	09/05/02 (1666 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: longlasting, no such a meainstream cologne as others, giving it an air of exclusivity

Disadvantages: doesn't suit everyone

I first discovered Issey Miyake's L'Eau D'Issey pour Homme in late 1999, although the fragrance has been on the market for ten years now, having been released in 1992. As well as the Men's Eau de Toilette there is of course L'Eau d'Issey for women, which is similarly packaged although the bottle is a conical shape, rather than the "wedge of cheese" shape.

In 2000 L'Eau D'Issey pour Homme Été was introduced - a lighter summer version of the classic fragrance with a sea blue coloured frosted glass bottle rather than the colourless frosted glass bottle. L'Eau D'Issey is a classic fragrance for men, and seems to turn a few heads/nostrils, as it has a strong spicy and citrus scent, which lasts, and tends not to die unlike some other fragrances. The precise composition (according to www.100perfumes.com) is:

Top fragrance Notes: juniper, bergamot and lavender.
Middle notes: sage, coriander and freesia
Base notes: sandalwood, moss and cedar.

One of L'Eau D'Issey for Men's greatest pluses is the fact that it is long lasting. Whereas some fragrances seem to "die on you" after about an hour, L'Eau d'Issey still smells good several hours later. Additionally although quite an established name, it is still relatively non-mainstream, and therefore is more likely to set you apart from others than say something by Ralph Lauren or Tommy Hilfiger. As well as the fact that it is long lasting, it is also a relatively delicate fragrance, which isn't as overpowering as many which you have to put on a while before you go out just to allow them to "die" sufficiently rather than overpowering everyone in a 500 metre radius.

It you are flying in the near future, also keep an eye out for the Issey Miyake Travel pack, which is available only in flight (I have seen it on KLM and British Airways Flights). The set, which costs EUR 35 (that's about £22 in pro
per money) contains a 75ml EdT spray and a 50ml deodorant spray in plastic bottles with the deodorant (the blue bottle) slotting into the EdT bottle (the white transparent bottle). Being in plastic they can obviously survive the knocks of being in your luggage, and they can be refilled, so best off keeping the travel pack (hey you could even decant another fragrance into it once you've finished...).

The only down side is that it doesn't suit some people at all, as when it reacts with their skin, it becomes a very dull fragrance, so it can be said that it is not for everyone. I have being wearing it for nearly three years now (I've got through four bottles and a travel set) and I have still not got bored of the fragrance, although I do now wear it in rotation with other fragrances, although a lot of people still remember me as the guy who used to wear Issey Miyake in lectures - most of them claimed that I shouldn't waste it on a mediaeval German literature lecture - rather wear it in the evening.

As has become a tradition for my aftershave ops, something which was first mentioned by Hannah Poulton (hpoulton), I tend to assign each aftershave with a colour - to try and express what colour I feel it best represents. Given its citrusy zing, and its assured expensive refinement, I would have to say that this is a champagne coloured perfume.

There are also accessories available, from soap and shower gel to deodorants, although many of these are being discontinued (according to my friendly counter assistant at Douglas in the Kohlmarkt). As far as prices go, I would advise getting this one in duty free, since you are looking at around £45 for a large bottle of L'Eau D'Issey and £25 for a small bottle otherwise.

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