The other day on these pages l’Eau d’Hiver was mentioned and I was brutally forced to retrieve the small bottle I purchased at Barneys eons ago (when there was still a Barneys.) It was a 2003 release created by Jean-Claude Ellena, with top notes of citrus, middle notes of white flowers and base notes of Tonka, musk and angelica (more complete info at Fragrantica.)
I have to admit that I never really wear this one in winter. I do love it in the heat of summer, where all those citrus notes and the candied angelica (which is there for me from the get-go) make for a bracing chill. This week (Feb 5th) its cold and rainy and I usually reach for something warm and comforting, but in the interest of science I gave myself a generous spritz of winter.
l’Eau d’Hiver is Ellena at his best. You can parse the notes all you want but frankly it’s better to lie back and just let the whole thing wash over you. It does, to me, smell like winter: that clean ozonic smell of the coming of a really thumping snowstorm. The otherworldliness of an ice storm, where everything is glazed with a layer of freeze, icicles dripping from every surface like tinsel. Deadly beauty making movement impossible for adults but the world a magic playground for kids and pets. Snow day in a bottle, and you don’t have to worry about clearing the walks..
December Ice Storm: 1+” of ice
Having taken out the bottle I realize that it’s nearly empty, Looking at prices at the Malle Website I see that there are several iterations including a handy travel size (refill) at $85. I am also seeing it at some e-tailers at a discount that will give you the 100ML for about the same $225 as the 50ML at the source. I don’t know if that means it’s older packaging or there’s been a reformulation. Surrender to Chance has samples of this as well if you’d like to try and aren’t, like me, a stones throw away from the boutique and willing to shamelessly beg free samples. I purchased my bottle from Barneys.
So do you like this one? Any other scents that say “winter” to you? Let us know in the comments.
Images: my iPhone, Pexels, and Wikimedia Commons
A good snowy scent, although (like others) I prefer to wear it in wet, windy spring, I don’t really know why. I’ve been on a bit of a daily routine of Lush’s Chelsea Morning, it just smells so good to me when it’s crisp and cold, and yet it’s not too much when it warms up later. We’ve had a very mild winter (by our standards — highs 45-50 most days) and I am NOT complaining!
Ours has been fairly mild as well, for which I am glad.
I haven’t done Chelsea Morning. Now I have to go to the Lush store. Again…
Have it, love it. The only Malle in my collection.
I admit I have a few others. I do love that they do the small sizes, otherwise I would not.
I do like Malle L’Eau d`Hiver and enjoyed your post. In fact, I am going to wear it today. Thanks.
Thank you for the kind words!
I think I’ve tried this one, but I’m not remembering the scent of it, so I’m doubtful. It sounds great. I know I like the Angelica note which is a bit like celery. Guerlain’s Angelique Noire is great. Just last week I used the last drops of the wintery Eau d’Italie Sienne l’Hiver. It was a sample left over from years ago. Upon looking it up, it seems discontinued. Thank goodness the Malle catalog seems stable. They have so many excellent scents.
Malle is a wonderful house that for me personally gets over shadowed by Serge Lutens. SL seems more me (or the me I aspire to be)
And yes, it’s great that the line stays intact.
I like this scent but also don’t wear it often. I have the travel size – actually I’ve gotten a few of the FM scents in travel size which seems just the right amount and a more forgiving price point. I also had the body lotion at one time which I also liked. To me it is a beautiful soft skin scent.
I agree on both- it is lovely and those travel sizes are a wonderful thing.
Heya Tom,
While liking l’Eau d’Hiver, my winter smelling fragrance is L’Heure Convoiteé II by Cartier. Like strawberry gelato in a snowstorm. MMMMMM
Portia xx
Never tried that one- I’ll have to. Normally not big on strawberry in scent but I live and learn.
A perfect description, Portia!!!
Now I really want to sniff it..
I wore this today, and it’s definitely winter here. Seems like it’s been winter for 44 years-so sick of driving in snow lol. But I do love your description. I like it in the spring part of winter-from March onwards we might get a day or two where the sun has some strength, and those moments do feel special. You can almost smell twigs coming to life on the tree under the snow and ice.
Beautiful review of a favourite scent of mine 🙂
Carole, now that you mention it, early spring is also when I like to wear it. I was so proud to have found a 30 ml bottle in Dublin a few years ago as it was the perfect size.
I used to think I had to get the big bottle because it was less per ounce. No more..
AnnieA, I love the clever 30 ml bakelight size FM offered a few years ago. Loved the amount of juice, loved the packaging. No wonder you were proud to find one in real life 🙂 I have Musc Ravageur in that format, and I feel the same way about it. I would love the find the Frederic Malle book.
I used to love the time in New England where everything was about to bud. You’d be going through weeks and weeks of drab and grey, then a week of where it was fairly buzzing with impending life. Then seemingly overnight all the trees had leaves and the grass was green and it was spring. Magic.
yes, Tom! I’m in Nova Scotia but lived in New Brunswick for decades-I think we have similar weather. I love March for that very reason but you’ve described it better than I ever could have.
That’s why, to me, March always means spring regardless of the actual weather.
I have had a sample of Hiver. I found I dislike cold smelling scents from it & from SL Iris Silver Mist. 4160Tuesdays Die in the Snow does the same trick.
I need to try these cold scents during a humid period this coming summer
I prefer the chilly ones in the summer. I like the warm ones when it’s actually chilly.
Doe in the Snow!
I agree, chilly willies should be worn in the sweaty dog days of summer
I wonder if the price situation at the discounter implies this is a Malle that will be phased out by the new owner of the brand. I am sure I’ve smelled this. I do wonder why perfumers use citrus scents up top in ‘winter’ fragrances. Anyway, our ‘winter’ is so far off what I grew up with / experienced living in NYC as an adult that what I wear over the ‘winter’ months doesn’t necessarily evoke ‘winter’. I do miss proper snow. Like, seriously.
Idk about that. It seems like even the newest one is at the discounters. I’d just take advantage while you can.
Great description, Tom! It’s one of my favourite Ellena creations, but like you, I usually save it for summer. I enjoy the swirl of purple and white flowers, almost like snowflakes. Despite the name and the images it conjures, the warmer weather seems more appropriate for this soft, musky, watercolour scent. You can tell Ellena took many of his cues for L’Eau d Hiver from Après l’Ondée.
Good catch! I don’t think of that. Hiver has that winter sting while the Guerlain is more spring but yes they do have similarities. And are both lovely.
I love the smell of winter and your description of an ice storm is perfect. I will add how beautiful it is when the sunlight hits the ice and the world around you sparkles. I would love to try L’Eau d’Hiver and hope Ellena worked his magic here. He obviously did for you. I do think that I would wear this perfume only in a tropical or semi-tropical winter.
There really isn’t anything as lovely (or treacherous) as an ice storm. They’re wonderful to behold from the comfort and safety of a well-heated home.
Amen to that. I remember one where we lost power for 4 days. Downed power lines everywhere. At night you could hear the ice coated trees cracking and come crashing down.
I had a co-worker who grew up in Kansas in an all electric home (without battery back-up). She’s the one who mentioned the upside of houses like my parents that used fuel oil. Power goes out, heat doesn’t.
This one really is‘Ellen’s at his best’!!! It’s a lightly spinning snow squall, one in which you are both in and not. I rarely wear it… because I can’t figure out how to !!
It is one that I appreciate but don’t wear often. It’s also one that you need to go somewhat steadily with- not quite Miel de Bois territory, but the Angelica can get a bit aggressive with over application.