Bois d’Hadrien by Goutal

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I bought it online and was given two options to choose from.

Although I have nothing to do with the brand nowadays, I remember what they used to be like. I picked Bois d’Hadrien. It arrived, I sprayed it on some cardboard… smelled it, and I couldn’t bring myself to put it on my skin. I spread it on the curtains instead. As a room freshener, it’s great: defined spiced ivy and green lemon, with a sweet hint of orange. The most curious note is that ‘P’ in the EDP, which makes me laugh. At first, I thought it would be like diving into the sea, but it turns out to be a shallow pool. After 20-30 minutes, it runs thin, leaving a fleeting trace of spices. It reminds me very much of Hermès’ Eau des Merveilles or generic Creed scents. However, those declared conifers remind me of the joke about the gypsy who gets a ticket from the traffic agent for speeding because he only had a blank sheet of paper. I was expecting something like Serge Lutens’ Fille en Aiguilles, but lighter and more refined, but it wasn’t. Due to my lack of olfactory acuity, I can’t comment on the skin trail; I’ll leave that to the experts. I just say that at home it lasted 4 hours and the cardboard still smelled the next day. In conclusion, as a room freshener, it’s perfect: fresh, original, and smells clean—a step forward in the world of room sprays. But as a perfume on the skin, it’s a mess.

• Longevity
• Fresh
• Green
• Ivy