Review of A Drop d'Issey Eau de Parfum by Yaroslavna Lasytsya

Almond milk and damask rose make a most beautiful opening note, creamy and floral. The rose is very delicate (so unlike the damask variety I am used to), and almond is neither bitter nor screechy, but flows beautifully, carrying rose petals on its gentle waves. Solar notes are fresh and playful, and give an immediate sensation of joy and contentment. The classic song "And I'm Feeling Good" would be most appropriate here. Lilac starts blooming under the sun, mauve and luscious, very well replicated, with its bitterness, taken away by the orange blossom and star anise. This is why I cannot call this lilac a photorealistic one, but still a very beautiful execution on the impressionist side. Jasmine is imperceptible to me; could be because I am better tuned for the compositions where it leads rather than plays a supportive role. The top and the heart blend beautifully together, shimmering as a gauze or chiffon-like fabric in mauve-pink with the golden sheen. It is light, exquisite and a very feminine creation. Projection is close to skin, almost intimate but with good depth and intensity. You will not have the fragrance trailing behind you or wrapping itself around the others, and this makes "A Drop d'Issey" a very versatile fragrance, perfectly wearable during all seasons, environments and occasions. What is more, it is not the type that is "age appropriate". The scent is both uplifting and comforting and will suit anyone who wants some of that. Drydown is mostly vanilla wresting over the downy musk with cedar adding just a touch of woody spice in the most subtle of ways. "A Drop d'Issey" could easily be an olfactory expression of a Pre-Raphaelite movement, like an 1880 "Wreath of Roses" by Marie Spartali Stillman or the 1908 "Soul of the Rose" also known as "My Sweet Rose" by John William Waterhouse.