Les Essences de Diptyque

Mostly more of the same

Last week I had the opportunity to smell the newly launched collection of Diptyque, dubbed Les Essences with the theme of capturing odourless objects from nature. That being said, tree bark does have an odour and so do some lilies, which are cited in the marketing…

Bois Corsé is the fragrance that clashes the most with the marketing concept. This is a heavily coumarinic composition with a creamy, chocolate facet. While black coffee absolute is useful for chocolate accords, this creamy accord feels like the effect of isobutavan or a similar lactonic material. The end result is rather vulgar and not textured like tree bark. It also lacks greenness and earthiness that you would expect. Such sweetness you would not associate with the setting of a tree either.

Lilyphéa is a watery, lightly green transparent floral. It is not particularly fleshy or petal. While I’m all for an impactful, abstract floral accord that is not necessarily naturalistic, this doesn’t achieve either end of the spectrum. I would have liked a higher dosage of cardamom green too. A far superior but discontinued lily accord is featured in Gold (Donna Karan) by the brilliant team comprised of Calice Becker, Yann Vasnier and Rodrigo-Flores Roux, or the vanillic Baiser Volé (Cartier) by Mathilde Laurent.

Corail Oscuro was a pleasant, well-judged ozonic note with a soapy rose and an aldehydic, incense aspect. While I found it too cosmetic, it was nonetheless interesting.

Rose Roche was a bizarrely heavily citronella rose-patchouli, with a mineral nuance. It was certainly impactful albeit rather sour, and it felt like there was a clash somewhere with the patchouli. At least there is something polarising in the collection.

Lunamaris unfortunately seems very functional. I did not find the balance between the citrus facet with linalool and the pinenes of the spices used to be well-judged.

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