L’Eau d’Issey Pure is making a splash with a new sensual update. Joyce Cheo speaks to perfumer Dominique Ropion on rewriting the rules of sexiness for one of the world’s most iconic scents.
L’Eau d’Issey Pure is making a splash with a new sensual update. Joyce Cheo speaks to perfumer Dominique Ropion on rewriting the rules of sexiness for one of the world’s most iconic scents.
Since its creation in 1992, the original L’Eau d’Issey has been evoking the scent of water on a woman’s skin—a vision dreamed up by Mr Issey Miyake himself, who wanted it to be the most beautiful and pure fragrance in the world. With freesia, cyclamen accord, Calone and soft woods giving it a refreshing, aquatic and super-refined effect, it was like a breath of fresh air, literally, amidst the headier and more gourmand creations at the time.
So when the task of creating a modern take on the original L’Eau d’Issey was entrusted upon Dominique Ropion—the nose behind fragrances such as Viktor&Rolf ’s Flowerbomb and Lancôme’s La Vie Est Belle—water was first and foremost on his mind. Because, to Issey Miyake, water was everything—water meant life. “My biggest challenge was the fact that this was such an iconic scent. I didn’t want to stick too close to the original, so I had to interpret water in a modern manner,” Ropion explains. “I felt like it was something very abstract because it has no scent, obviously. But because of that, I had free rein to create. And somehow in my mind, I imagined it as water from the sea,” says Ropion.
Ropion describes his final creation, L’Eau d’Issey Pure, as an “aquatic floral.” “I started with the concept of water from the sea and picked the ingredients that could help achieve a watery and transparent nature.” Crystalline lily of the valley and orange blossom give off that light and ethereal effect, while the denser rose damascena adds depth. Handpicked at dawn, the scent of rose, while voluptuous, is also watery and light, due to the presence of morning dew on the rose buds when they are collected. Jasmine was added into the mix because “it brings a natural, creamy characteristic that helps anchor the scent,” Ropion elaborates.
Combining the transparency and lightness of the original scent with a newfound sensuality, L’Eau d’Issey Pure is more complex and well-rounded than its predecessor. And, like a Pleats Please outfit, the additional layers of the scent are unveiled as it settles on the wearer, thanks to a new roster of ingredients. The original L’Eau d’Issey contained a synthetic molecule called Calone, which according to Ropion, is “at once aqueous and iodised” and feels “like a breeze coming off the sea.” To retain the aquatic effect while adding a new “salty, marine effect with some citrus accents,” Ropion employed another synthetic compound, Maritama. “It delivers a powerful sea breeze sensation, bringing an outpouring of energy—something wilder and freer than the previous fragrance,” he adds.
Adding onto Issey Miyake’s original brief of water-on-a-woman’s-skin, notes of ambergris and cashmeran help achieve a skin-like sensuality. A popular ingredient in perfumery, ambergris’ complexity (its unique odour is a mix of sweet, earthy, marine and animalic facets) not only adds depth and creaminess, it also helps fuse different olfactory notes together for a soft, seamless effect that lingers well on human skin. Another crucial ingredient is cashmeran, a synthetic molecule that is “both warm and soft, midway between wood and musk,” describes Ropion.
Ropion’s precise use of Maritama, ambergris and cashmeran come together to elevate the new L’Eau d’Issey Pure and give it a different personality. More than simply being fresh, aquatic and elegant, L’Eau d’Issey Pure now takes on an understated form of sensuality. As Ropion explains,“it seduces without being seductive, envelops without being oppressive, and electrifies with its grace and simplicity.” Wearing L’Eau d’Issey Pure is like slipping on a silk robe that feels like a second skin; though barely there, it is also undeniably sensual.
JOURNEY OF AN ICON
A closer look at how the scent has evolved over the years.
1992
L’Eau d’Issey EDT, $169 for 100ml, was in a league of its own with its blend of freesia, carnation, cyclamen accord, Calone, precious woods and musk.
2011
L’Eau d’Issey Florale EDT, $161 for 90ml, is a contrast between sparkling mandarin and the richness of orange blossoms, and creamy musk.
2013
Featuring notes of jasmine, vanilla and precious woods, L’Eau d’Issey Absolue EDP, $166 for 90ml, leaves behind an intense yet radiant trail.
2016
Restrained sex appeal in a bottle, L’Eau d’Issey Pure EDP, $166 for 90ml, seduces with lily of the valley, jasmine, rose and a blend of salty, aquatic accents.
