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tumbKiftefe – :
Serene yet melancholy. This scent is truly evocative of one’s emotions, which is an absolute treat. For me, the beginning is dry and almost dusty with purple flowers and musk. It feels cool – not cold – and gentle. Soon after, a subtle sweetness emerges from the honey, and this fragrance really shines. This is a departure from typical winter scents – it’s not overtly warm and cozy nor is it cold and harsh. It falls somewhere in between, in this poetic little space that really speaks to me. What a delight.
ExStRemaL – :
after reform this is a very expensive skin scent the only solid performace is made by the price tag, don’t buy blind!
erorover – :
A wonderful, powdery iris fragrance. Lasts all day. Melancholic, moody and mysterious
vinart777 – :
This perfume needs a mood in my opinion. I really love its atmospheric character but it is too light on the other hand (almost fades after 30 minutes). If you love whisperer perfumes, L’Eau d’Hiver is totally for you. It is cold, watery, touchable and dramatic.
Plarryviave – :
L’Eau d’Hiver is a really nice fragrance. Upon application I noticed the honey right away. All the other notes are blended well together but on my skin I only get about 2 hours before it becomes a skin scent. I was hoping it would last longer. I’ve noticed other Frederic Malle fragrances have similar longevity on me but other people might experience better longevity on their skin. I think L’Eau d’Hiver is a bottle worthy scent if you can afford the high price tag.
evsandre – :
Smells very clean and cold, I get orris and iris. Doesn’t have a male or female ” feel”. I find it peaceful and serene,a bit strange but definitely in the like category.
The only one that reminds me of it a little is Victorinox Swiss Army Snowflower but that one is decidedly more feminine. Is either wear this with a sweater in deep winter or conversely when it’s too hot for most perfumes. This won’t overwhelm or offend anyone its more of a nature scent.
PopovAL – :
Outside
listening to the snow fall.
At my back
a sturdy house
hearth fire blazing.
Excerpt for L’Eau d’Hiver (winter water) from Editions De Parfums Frederic Malle-A soothing whisper. A warm cloud of iris, hawthorn and heliotrope pervades a transparent sea of bergamot and hedione to make a paradoxical “eau chaude”: a subtle intimate expression of personal comfort. A reconciliation warmth and transparency.
МОПС – :
I got this for two reasons. First, Jean-Claude Ellena is one of my favorite perfumer. Second, there’s heliotropin in this. And I might finally get my dose.
Yes there is heliotropin. A lot of it, so you might think of bitter almonds, but there’s also angelica, white musk and honey. The iris was very transparent, nothing greasy and lipsticky. The mix comes as bitter sweet, and like Ellena’s other creations, there’s a landscape feel to it. You will imagine your own, I got mine in my head.
One thing that puzzled me though is that after two hours, the whole feeling I got from the scent was tarragon. And there’s no tarragon in it. I compared it to the actual herb and yeah, I still get it. I guess a mix of molecules that compose perfumes can totally trigger something unexpected during a personal experience.
This is a lovely and complex scent, bitter sweet, like I said, with that natural overtone Ellena manages to give to his creations.
My final thoughts is that Ellena is an artist and he is one of the biggest argument to elevate perfumery to the status of art.
Thanks for reading my review!
Вова73 – :
this is mesmerising and brings a lot of scent memories.
Definitely will buy.
heckfy2011 – :
The old version:
It’s as lovely as a warm nap in winter days. I fell in love with the name immediately.
It’s the right type of powdery. The iris and heliotrope are puffy here, the airy lightness possibly owing to a hint of citrus notes. As it dries down, a slight honey note joins in, dimming down the whole perfume a little.
The current version:
It’s severely watered down. If I didn’t buy it in FM boutique I’d say it’s a fake.
I guess in the perfume world, good thing never last unless it’s Gurlain. Fuck, sometimes even Gurlain doesn’t last.
4229 – :
I will be the third person to say that this is really that calming that it could be classified as a cozy bedtime scent. However, I wouldn’t want to waste any time not getting to smell this, so I would want to wear this while I am wide awake and can fully enjoy this beauty. It is indeed very gentle and soft. I believe L’eau D’Hiver translates to winter water and I understand why that was chosen as the name. I picture a frozen lake on a sunny winter day. The smell of the cold all freshened and cleaned up, embracing you like your favorite blanket that has a hint of honeyed iris. This is a hug in a bottle. 🙂
23reg – :
Another reviewer describes this as “cozy sleepy time scent” which is absolutely spot on. It was love at first sniff for me, the Heliotrope and Iris working very well together.
As others have said, in terms of projection it is quite weak. However, this is the first time i’ve come across a fragrance where this is a positive point. If L’Eau D’Hiver had a massive sillage I feel it would be sickly; it’s subtlety is it’s strength.
If I had one word to describe it, it would be ‘gentle’. Absolutely lovely. I must remember to try spraying it on clothing for increased longevity!
666Shade666 – :
L’Eau d’Hiver is one of the most interesting fragrances I’ve ever stumbled upon. It stands between our world and the unseen. The winter air as a fragrance! But it is even more than that. L’Eau d’Hiver creates enigmatic ambience. It is an immense emotion, an abstract embrace. The perfume as a déjà vu… An invisible presence that will stir you in the softest possible way.
sashik – :
Unfortunately it has almost no sillage (even my partner struggles to smell it on me) and lasts about, ooh, 5 minutes. Result: I managed to burn through 50ml in about a month. I’m not looking for Kouros (that dates me!) but, what a shame, because it is a lovely, lovely scent.
toqqiwdhmgq – :
so i was really curious about frederic malle and decided to go safe and asked for this perfume as a valentine´s day gift.
first i love jean claude ellena but and there is a huge but all he does is basically non projecting at first i was smitten with the hermessence line because it was so very mild and exclusive and unique AT THE TIME, but then it gets on your nerves because what you smell is indeed lovely but no one else will smell it on you and it won´t last so yes i like it while it last ……and that is about 5 minutes , it feels very anti climactic
killerand – :
a real waste of time…lasts nothing and projects like nothing..the only outstanding factor is its price tag!
Kirishima Haruto – :
L’Eau d’Hiver opens in an intriguingly tactile fashion, with a sparkling bergamot and powder that hit the back of the throat like a breath of cold air. The drydown, however, is lackluster, with a generic mix of white musk and honey that fade quickly into a sweet, amorphous blob of nothingness. The highest praise that I would have been able to give this fragrance would have been “inoffensive,” but it treads so far into the realm of the “fresh” and “clean” that it ultimately leaves me with the impression of a scented tampon. Longevity is nonexistent – one might argue that “it’s an Ellena!” and that this fleetingness is as much a part of the concept of the fragrance as is the tactility of the opening, but I find that a poor excuse for the lack of performance. As a huge fan of heliotrope and orris and a lover of all scents powdery and “retro,” L’Eau d’Hiver was a huge disappointment.
aerordHoome – :
Preliminary report: I’m going to give this a proper skin test tomorrow, but couldn’t resist just a wee spritz this evening-
and so far, all I smell is heliotrope!
…like a cross between Piver’s Heliotrope Blanc and Frederick Malle’s L’Eau d’Hiver… (that’s not a bad thing)
cjq745Diobtetty – :
Oh man……. I’m a newbie only a year or two into my fragrance journey.. And thanks to a trade on this wonderful website, I was generously gifted a sample of this from a fellow member, and I cannot even attempt to describe the size of the door that just opened for me because of it. So beautiful, it’s transformed my rather typical warm and breezy winter saturday, into a day I will never forget. My world has just doubled in size and I’ve instantly been reborn into today with a dreamy and peaceful calm in my soul. It’s an amazing and alive summer morning with a soft and calming winter afternoon, all the while reassuring me that everything is going to be just fine. That’s what this fragrance is… And has done, to me.
Immaphapy – :
Honey scented powdery dream that is elusive and transparent to the point of being evanescent and even nothing. While I usually appreciate Jean Claude Ellena’s minimalism, this one has gone too far to the point of being a scam. Not worth it, especially given the outrageous price policy from the FM perfume house.
lzp128Negeltzex – :
Morpheus and Iris by Guerin Pierre Narcisse 1811
escape – :
It’s a beautiful, gentle perfume. This is the perfume that changed me from being an iris hater to a lover. All the notes blend together beautifully, the iris, heliotrope, musk, and honey are the most prominent scents to my nose, but not a single one overpowers the other. The sweetness of honey keeps the iris, heliotrope, and musk from going too cold and metallic. I don’t pick up angelica or bergamot, perhaps they just accent the main notes. The jasmine is very subtle, I barely pick up on it and I’m normally someone who gets awful headaches from white florals like jasmine and tuberose, so if I’m okay then it must be in low quantities.
It’s very clean and cold smelling in the beginning, but the dry down goes in the opposite direction, it warms up against my skin and the iris goes from cold to warm and slightly sexy. On skin, it lasts a couple hours and it becomes a close to skin scent. However, it lasts for hours on wool and I often spray it on my scarves in the winter; the scent of wool or cashmere adds another element to it, making it a very solid winter perfume.
This is a total outlier in my collection. I normally don’t like floral, soapy musk, or powder dominated scents, yet I love this. Most of my perfumes are spicy, woodsy, warm, and/or sexy. It’s a great addition to anyone’s collection, especially if you are like me and willing to veer way off course to create a more rounded collection. Maybe in a year I’ll end up actually liking a white floral or gourmand perfume lol
bubmix – :
Beautiful soft almond and etrog (kind of limon that grows in Calabria)
Love it it is soft cozy not cloying powdery but fresh scent
LedaChonnaRen – :
I have a sample of this that I’m wearing for the first time today. The rebel in me is wearing it on a hot day at the beach in Spain 🙂
It smells like a quality fragrance, for sure. An impressively smooth, soothing powdery note from first spray and right the way through the drydown.
But the iris note overpowers everything else for me, and Iris being a bum note to my nose unless it’s lifted by something sweeter, this isn’t a winner.
Timon4uk90 – :
This has become my cozy sleepy time scent! To me, it really smells like an eau de cologne created for babies and their mothers! Soft, lush and powdery clean like a baby’s head. Perhaps Ellena had prepared an “Hermes L’Enfant” collection, and for some reason got cancelled and the formula became part of the Malle line? Longevity and sillage are very soft. If I spray on my nightshirt, I do get a faint whiff left in the morning but no trace left on my skin… For this reason it gets a like not a love.
UPDATE: Spraying on clothing is definitely the way to go with L’Eau d’Hiver! Stays for days on clothing! <3 I’ve upgraded to a LOVE. It really really is the ultimate smell like a baby comfort fragrance!
Chigivara – :
This is so beautiful: delicate, just a touch sweet, powdery but not in a heavy makeup way. More wet and loose, like fresh snow. But also warm! I think that’s the great/weird thing about this one. It’s very changeable. Sometimes I’m sure it’s almost gourmand, with edible salty-sweet honey notes, and sometimes it’s all light, cool, watercolour-y nuances. And the whole time it still smells quite linear. So, it’s complex, but still manages to seem simple, which is quite a trick to pull off, I think.
I do wish the longevity were better. I bought a 10ML from the Frederic Malle website and it’s already half gone, both because it’s great and because it only last 3-4 hours on me, with the last two hours being very faint. Still, definitely getting a full bottle once the 10ML is out. It’s that good. Also curious to try this out in winter and see how cold weather affects it.
Mensj130Bessinepome – :
Opens very pretty like a clean powdery soap. But it’s not very memorable and begins to smell like white gravy on me.
irinka347 – :
Powdery freshness. I first smelled this years ago in a department store while away for work. I was a lot more naive back then and not as knowledgeable with perfume.. From the first spray I was in love. I smell honey, musk and light florals.. It smells almost angelic. I wear this when I can’t decide what to wear. It makes me feel so clean. fresh and pampered. It’s very inoffensive, airy, ethereal and clean. I tend to over spray as it’s so gentle.. A life long favorite, I will always love this.
krimax777 – :
This is a very pretty fragrance. The heliotrope is here, with Iris and honey. I do not pick up angelica. While very pleasant, I believe there are better fragrances for me, in Frederic Malle’s collection.
StAnSer64 – :
Super cozy! Heliotrope iris and musk, a very light musk, more floral / honey / a little earthy. Very smooth and comforting
ccora – :
It’s a cozy, comfort scent that envelops like a blanket. It’s a sip of warm tea in front of a fireplace. A thick warm cashmere sweater. A cat purring at your feet. But like all these small pleasures it’s for your enjoyment only, and a fleeting enjoyment it is as well.
maksimovae – :
love this perfume but its sillage n longevity is reli disappointing given the fact tht its from fm.
fm is my fav house hence im expecting more from it. otherwise this wud certainly b a must have ;(.
Register – :
Many have described this as a winter fragrance, and the strangest thing is that it actually *feels* cold going onto your skin. The bergamot announces itself immediately and beckons the heliotrope and iris, which are both faintly honeyed and musky. The jasmine lurks somewhere, but never seems to fully arrive. Minutes into applying, I still read it as a citrusy scent, but a cold one, which is somewhat counterintuitive. The frostiness is abstract, and sits high, while the flowers and almost anise-like sweetness wear low in the scent. Still, everything that is happening in this fragrance seems to be on tip toe. It is almost as if the scent is unfolding somewhere other than on my skin. Its layers are diaphanous and shift in response to each other; they have a spatial relationship, a breeze between them. I suspect if you like Jean Claude Ellena this will be a pleasure, and if not it may be a frustrating experience. The color of this fragrance is a sheer, icy lilac.
иаг – :
fragranza liscia,strapulita,con boccioli appena schiusi.
Nostalgica e innocente,un pizzico smielata.troppo per un uomo.
Perfetta la mattina non supera l’ora di pranzo.
Buona la persistenza su i vestiti.
Il prezzo e’ un po triste….quello si’.
energetic27 – :
Great fragrance but disappointing intensity and longevity.
Atreas – :
musky and powdery, it smells very pleasant, clean, soft and subtle, i love this smell but id really prefer it if its more longlasting and intense like the other fm perfumes… quite disappointed with its lasting and silage performance :/
max367 – :
Can you guys recall that moment when someone (a friend or someone you enjoy having around) in the middle of the winter enters your warm house, their cheeks are red and their kiss is cold ( they took a bath at their home just recently, they put on clean clothes and a wintercoat and then headed to your place walking)? That moment is in this bottle. I’m in love with this stuff.
dprof – :
Clean but not like joyful, citrussy-energetic, in other words uplifting one. It is really shy and fragile. How i feel about the dominant notes? Heliotrope: has tiny bit of sweetness (combined with honey) and smells creamy, iris: powdery but not like lipsticks, musk: smells clean and adds some depth.
Well if Serge Lutens De Profundis is depression in a bottle, for me this one is sadness in a bottle. It is not a cold scent but it feels like muggy days and loneliness.
L’eau d’hiver can not offend anyone. It can not nauseate or give a headache. Some might find it boring but nobody can hate this one really. Thus, it can be a great gift. Men or women of all ages can wear this i think. Also it can easily be signature scent.
Even though i love l’eau d’hiver, i can’t justify myself to buy it (no sillage or whatsoever). If you want bang for your buck look elsewhere. Yes, it’s the cheapest from the line but a skinscent with weak longevity for the hefty price tag is not ideal for everyone. Pity, i really wanted to buy it so much 🙁
Arhangel_88 – :
Well like a few reviews I read about this soft delicate masterpiece I would have to agree with some of the reviewers that indeed it does smell similar to a body lotion or really close to a bottle of Nivea and I mean that in a great refreshing way. Its like taking a shower then putting on your moisterizer.
BlacKSokoL – :
Very well balanced and extremely successful in his proposal.
It even translates almost the scent of water from a river in winter, really has something that conveys that feeling.
I believe the success of this perfume is through the balance of the iris touch, does not overpower the fragrance, does not get so powdery, and is mixed with an aromatic chord of white musk that is used infallibly.
The Heliotrope appears with almond-shaped nuances and makes it softly sweet and creamy, the whole set transports something mineral, clean, like stones to the bottom of a very cold limpid river, in the extreme north of the USA or Europe, at least I associate with it.
It’s a simple, sophisticated aroma, it’s that story, sometimes less is more
Rating: 8,5-9/10
alex010678 – :
L’Eau d’Hiver is a very associative fragrance with its title, the vision of Ellena over the winter is very much in the line of their work always so bright and full of subtleties.
The fragrance begins with a light freshness of bergamot, angelica undertones but in a third plane (not as obvious as it feels in French Lover) which produces a certain effect between green and spicy.
Here the focus is an agreement musk aligned with heliotrope and powdery iris effect under a pale jasmine waiting in the distance as the Spring to arrive on time. During drying an almond facet appears with a honey sweet spot.
The entire mixture is well integrated between notes, with a soft and elegant evolution.
This winter Ellena is dusty, fluffy, soft, warm and above all very serene, conveys peace and naivete.
The fragrance is very nice, but has a problem with the short duration as soon becomes pegadito to skin with a low projection (a penalty). On the other hand, the agreement: heliotrope-iris is so marked that makes it not so unisex, so L’Eau d’Hiver will be thinner in a female skin.
Rating: 7
dmitriysega – :
This is a WOW fragrance, from the opening to the very last hour you can feel it. Must admit, long lasting and not boring. Smells young and smart – unisex, I’m surprised by its versatility.
Ber – :
I haven’t read reviews so sorry if this is duplicated, but it smells good and very boring. Too light, which I know some like light, but too boring to enjoy much. If I want to smell boring I would just leave my soap on longer and not rinse it off.
достинекс – :
Opens with a juicy green sharpness (the bergamot?) juxtaposed with a sweet, powdery vanilla base. Light and transparent, with low sillage – even immediately after putting it on I have to strain to smell it. As it dries down the floral note develops more. One of the prettiest irises I’ve smelled; sweet, creamy… very ladylike. L’Eau d’Hiver is very soft compared to the other FM fragrances I’ve tried. As it develops more I get a soapy musk, clean but still soft, soft. It’s like the first real day of spring when there’s still a nip in the air but the sun is out, warming you with promise. I agree with other commenters that this is a skinscent that you wear for your own enjoyment. A beautiful and quietly happy fragrance.
Нагорнов Сергей – :
If you picture L’Eau d’Hiver to be a Jacquard weave composition it could be the reverse side of Eau de Gentiane Blanche.
VigRx0ibik – :
I’m wearing this today, from a tester and it’s my first wear. It’s a couple of days after the blizzard we had this weekend, and I’m wearing a snowflake necklace and thought it’s a perfect day to try L’Eau d’Hiver! All of the notes have been discussed; I’ll say for me that the iris and heliotrope make themselves known in a beautiful understated way – and there is an edge of green that I’m guessing may be the angelica? And somehow, water. So far I’ve got 4 hours of wear with this gem and I’m curious as to how it will take me through the day. I have a hint of honey as well.
My sensory experience has been a truly delightful surprise, I must say. Somehow, this manages to be both cool and warm for me, both uplifting and soothing – such a comfort that I didn’t expect. The comfort of water…I had a beau that I had been separated from for a time (this was ages ago) and I recall seeing him at the airport after those long months…and I still remember so vividly the feeling upon seeing him, the relief to my eyes, and then thinking that seeing him was like water – the life-giving, vital comfort of water. I know I’ll always remember that moment. I never told him that; perhaps I should have. This fragrance for me is the comfort of water. Beautiful.
Digger – :
I do like it and would probably love it if it hung around longer than 15-20 minutes. The opening is a fresh blast of powdery clean goodness. This is quite linear and goes close to the skin quick. Longevity is between 5-6 hours realistically and projection on a good day is fourty five minutes. I definitely plan on buying a bottle but not anything I’m looking at right away. There are fragrances that I like more but this is still good. It kinda walks that thin line between unisex and feminine but I think a confident guy could pull it off. Got a sample of this along with other Malle fragrances NE and DTB. This was my favorite of the bunch.
werinenty – :
IMO THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE HELIOTROPE. THAT LIGHT ALMONDY POWDER SCENT. I LIKE THIS TYPE OF SCENT SO FOR ME THERE WAS NO STRUGGLE FOR SHELLING OUT THE DOUGH. THIS IS QUIET UNDERSTATED EASY. I WOULD GO SO FAR AS TO SAY THIS IS A MASTERPIECE
ANDI – :
Last time I ordered perfumes from Strawberrynet I realized I could either pay $10 for shipping alone or pay $10 for shipping AND a bar of soap. Of course I took the soap. I chose the cheapest one available, namely L’Occitane Bonne Mere Milk Soap (100% vegetable ingredients).
Now every time I go shower I smell like I douse myself in L’eau d’Hiver. It’s truly wonderful and I’ll probably get the soap again.
Now back to the perfume review part: I will not spend $300 to smell like a $10 dollar soap, but the decision is up to each person. To those that want to sample this perfume but couldn’t, get the soap and grind some pepper on it, and viola! You just made some L’eau d’Hiver for 10 bucks! The soapiness and and musk is identical it’s shocking.
wgt143elipseskism – :
It is oh, so peaceful. I use it at night when I am tired after a long, hectic day. It instantly has a calming effect on me. Like sipping tea from your favourite china cup. It is comforting and softly wispers into my ear that we are gonna be together.
Transparent veil of scent surrounds me. Night night:)
acereansake – :
Si adagia timidamente sulla pelle, delicatissimo, con una nota verde che si lega ad una fugace, tiepida lacrima di agrumi maturi.
Da questa nasce presto un fiore di velluto, leggiadro e fragile, che si lascia addolcire da una goccia di miele.
Poi una polvere trasparente di muschio e mandorla dolce, gentile, senza età né provenienza, ha il compito di posarsi per accarezzare petali inermi.
Timido, silenzioso, si dissolve molto presto, troppo presto.
Un tramonto autunnale, a Kyoto, seduto sotto un salice a fissare le pagine di un libro.
Malinconico, poetico, innocente.
Jean-Claude Ellena
8.5
bbuurrllaakk – :
Lovely and comforting – something I would prefer to smell from a candle rather than on myself.
Bioshock – :
I agree with the previous reviewer: it does remind one of Nivea, the kind that comes in the tin. It’s a typical Ellena, so if you don’t like his style you will in all certainty dislike this.
Delicate, clean, powdery, it reminds me of some of l’Erbolario’s offering (which come at a much lower price and are just as high quality as this).
I live in a tropical country, where l’Eau d’Hiver doesn’t stand a chance– its delicate powder vanishes within minutes– but, if you live in a cooler climate and like this type of scent (think a less original version of Eau de Gentiane Blanche, without that wonderful cold clay note), you may enjoy it more than I did.
Sesh – :
Evanescentissima delicatezza fiorita.
Un soffio trasparente di polvere d’iris e eliotropo color verde acqua, minimalistico, pulitissimo. Muschi sottili, timidi.
Si intuisce come un chicco di riso travolto dal vento.
La pelle lo assorbe subito trasformandolo in skinscent dolcerugiadoso, di brevissima durata.
Fragranza trasparente molto debole e costosa.
Sorry.
ярослав 1996 – :
Instantly reminded me of Nivea cream, based on my memory of it. Very different from any other heliotrope scent I’ve tested or own. Not really sweet until the honey kicks in as the scent approaches the drydown/base notes but it disappears a short time later. Not incredibly feminine, more unisex to me. Does have an ethereal quality, clean and pure. Dry and powdery. I like it a lot for its uniqueness amongst all the purple flower powdery scents I’ve tried.
sweeft – :
A few reviewers have hit the nail over the head already with “Ethereal” as the descriptive term for L’eau d’Hiver – that is the overall impression. Other words for this beauty: weightless, silky, romantic. The overall vibe IS quite soft – but the fragrance still gets its point across.
This fragrance is melodic – it transitions beautifully between phases. It’s what I’ve been looking for in my fragrances for ages! The opening into the drydown is delightful powdery iris notes without any earthy or “dirty” qualities, a dry and sweet heliotrope impression, atop a base of smooth, sweet, yet mildly animalic honey. The composition feels grounded and blended, where nothing sticks out above the other – you don’t need to wait for this one to settle, or mellow – it’s perfection from the start!
I see this being incredibly versatile, something almost anybody could wear in any situation, any season. Well-rounded, effortless to wear, and absolutely stunning.
Another 10/10 from the house of Frederic Malle!
gz77 – :
Well, this is a tricky one for me.. I first got it as a decant but i could hardly smell it, it was that soft. Accidentely i dropped the decant and it broke and even though i had it spilled all over my bathroomfloor, i still could barely smell it. I didnt exactly cry about that spilled bottle since i thought it was a boring scent. Now, months later when i intended to purchase another Frederic Malle; Iris Poudre, i ordered and bought the wrong one and ended up with L’eau d’Hiver. Instantly i tried to sell it but i didnt get a god response so i decided to hang on to it for a while. Now i have tried it several times and…i think i like it! It’s so soft, so soft but sometimes you just want a fragrance like that. The iris, musc, honey …It’s all there but very, very light. For me the main note is a citrusy heliotrope wich is quite pleasant and original. I think i will keep this bottle after all…for some reason L’eau d’Hiver must want me to wear it since it went through all this trouble to seduce me 🙂
Guasiabeaddet – :
Very nice fragrance. I wear this for me as it is a very comforting/relaxing scent. I wear this to work fall and winter so far. Love.
Sirfrolov – :
If the iris flower produced a honeyed milk…
This has a vibe of many iris based perfumes without the harshness of the iris that many have. Very smooth. A very excellent iris indeed, still too costly for what it is.
artem81_ – :
‘Winter-Water’ Wonderland!! Soft….dreamy…..ethereal…..enchanting….romantically sweet garden of love & lifelong happiness! Such a beautiful unique ultra feminine kind of smell. Nothing remotely masculine about this masterpiece. I was worried about the longevity hence sprayed a little on the back of my hand this morning and still smells yummy 7 hrs on. Notably, the initial citrus note quickly dissipates leaving clean semi-sweet muskiness. For me, it’s a ‘anytime of the year’ scent as with my other perfumes hence my choices tend to be governed by mood. Love! Love! Love!
furunka – :
L’eau d’hiver…such a beautiful name and perfume !
To me this is a dark violet and liquorice no matter the notes…
The heliotrope, iris and musk are definately there too as well as a toned down raw honey. It is quite a shy skinscent after some time, but it suits me as I am using this for daytime only…
I love it but pick it to seldom ,even though this is the season for it in my country !
nardiner – :
As a lover of iris i liked the smell, but unfortunately its last only 20 minutes on me. comparing to the price I don’t think I ll pay $220 for a perfume that last only 20 minutes. sorry not for me.
Immisporpm – :
Simply beautiful. If you want to know a little bit more about Jean-Claude Ellena, the nose behind this… a book suggestion:
« The Diary Of A Nose » (Journal d’un parfumeur).
A year or so in the life of Jean-Claude Ellena in the form of a journal/diary. Him commenting his research and travels and visiting bergamot orchards in Italy. Fascinating for all scents hunter!
veryaz1970 – :
A masterpiece. Atmospheric, associative, surreal. Works like time-machine. This takes you closer to understanding of existence. It smells like changes, like waiting, like desire, like eternal spring, like better days. It’s very ‘in-between’. If subconscious mind had a smell that would be it.
besfamilnyi – :
I tried this on just randomly and forgot about it. Then I kepts smelling something very pleasant and recalled it was Malle’s Hiver.
I cant pick out what is the composition of this baby, but it is a MUST TRY. Very pleasing and socially clean and fresh and luxurious. Not over-the-top but understated elegance.
More of a day time and wonderful for something to spray after a shower or bed time. So pleasant nice to even spray the sheets.
I did not accept to like this.
I see the comparison to L’heure blue but this is nothing like it this is much much better and that is hard for me to say because I have a love and respect for Guerlain and Not a Maller Ethusiast.
Very very nice. Try it you just may like it.
atterparton – :
The first word that comes to mind to describe l’Eau d’Hiver is soft. It’s an extremely soft , almost fluffy floral musk. As has been mentioned before, it calls to mind cashmere sweaters and snowy landscapes (although that last one might just be the suggestion of the name, of course).
It’s very nice, but there’s some note in it that’s putting me off a little bit. The heliotropes, maybe? It’s especially strong in the opening and heart, when the fragrance is quite powdery, which is a quality I normally quite like, but here it doesn’t really work for me. Maybe this works better in very cold temperatures; I’ll be sure to test it again in a couple of months. Anyway, for now I vastly prefer the drydown: after a couple of hours, the note that bothers me retreats into the background and is replaced by a woodier, sweeter kind of musk that I enjoy very much.
I have some of my sample left, and before I got to the drydown I was quite convinced I wouldn’t ever need any more of this perfume. Now, however, I’m curious to see if I co