The men's fragrance L’Eau Majeure d’Issey From its launch in perfumery, Issey Miyake chose to pay tribute to water. Source of all life and an element indispensable to humanity, water is for him the most important material there is. It is also the one that makes up most of our planet.
Our review of the fragrance L’Eau Majeure L’Eau Majeure d’Issey Miyake was released in 2017, and resembles a sea breeze. Like its predecessor L’Eau d’Issey, L’Eau Majeure references the scent of water, and pays tribute to this element indispensable to life. Going entirely against the trends of its time, L’Eau Majeure positions itself as the masculine counterpart to L’Eau d’Issey. Free and inventive, the composition of L’Eau Majeure sits at the crossroads of the Western and Eastern worlds. A woody aquatic, L’Eau Majeure is shaped by water.
Olfastory’s review
L’Eau Majeure d’Issey Miyake, at the heart of nature
Like its clean and easy-to-wear collections, Issey Miyake's fragrances are sober and based on nature, primarily water. Here, water is the symbol of masculinity and natural strength. Without overdoing it, Issey Miyake lets the elements come to us. Between citrus and a marine accord, L’Eau Majeure offers a men's fragrance that is both simple and beautiful. Citrus fruits form a vast family. Mostly originating from Asia or Japan, citrus fruits have existed for millennia. It was citron that first arrived in France, followed by bergamot and lemon. In perfumery, it is the citrus family that groups together all citrus fruits. Highly appreciated in both masculine and feminine compositions, citrus fruits are at the origin of the famous Eaux de Cologne. Citrus fruits bring very fresh, zesty, soft and sweet tonalities and are generally considered volatile notes.
L’Eau Majeure d’Issey Miyake, a masculine aquatic world
L’Eau Majeure thus takes flight on the freshness of a citrus cocktail, with notably the presence of grapefruit and bergamot. Originating from Asia, grapefruit dates back about 4,000 years. It was in the 12th century that grapefruit was introduced to Europe. The pomelo is a hybrid of grapefruit, but the two are very often confused. Grapefruit has a thick peel that is yellow or pink in color. Its flesh is juicy and often bitter. In perfumery, grapefruit essence is obtained by cold expression of the fruit peel. Grapefruit gives off fresh, light and slightly tart tonalities. Then, the heart of L’Eau Majeure carries marine notes, as well as a salty accord, giving the composition its full character here. Finally, the base of L’Eau Majeure is delicately sensual and combines cashmere wood with a woody complex. Also called cashmeran, cashmere wood is derived from a synthetic molecule, marketed and patented by the company IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances) in 1970. Cashmere wood gives off scents unprecedented in perfumery and offers tonalities that are at once warm, vanillic, woody, soft and balsamic. Like its composition, the bottle of L’Eau Majeure is clean and elegant, and resembles that of its predecessor. Flat with a contemporary silhouette, the glass reveals a navy-blue color, in complete harmony with its contents.