The soundbites
If Cologne Du 68 were a song, it would be Generator (1st Floor) by Freelance Whales.
If it were an item of clothing, it would be your favourite smart-casual, white summer shirt.
If it were a painting, it would be Renoir’s Bal Du Moulin De La Galette.
The review
After well over a year of threatening discontinuation, it looks as though the string-pullers at Guerlain have finally decided to cut their ties with an underestimated member of their troupe: Cologne Du 68, composed by Sophie Labbé. So before every single bottle disappears from the shelves, here’s a quick shout out in its defence. Principally a juxtaposition of solar citruses with more decadent, sugary, ambery notes, it achieves that beaming, toss-of-the-hair, happy-chic nonchalance which so many scents with similar aspirations fail to deliver. Or, to put it in Guerlain-history terms, it bridges the gap between the lip-licking sensibilities of, say, L’Heure Bleue and the more effervescent, more daylight-focussed aesthetics of Eau De Guerlain or the Aqua Allegoria scents. With its feast of notes (68, to be precise), it creates a symphonic – and yet never overwrought – olfactory expression of a contented sigh, an exhalation of breath that marks the mental shift from the demands of the morning to the more relaxed mode of the evening. I’ve been fond of it since it was released and I shall be sorry to see its unforced charm leave the Guerlain line-up. Do try to find it while you still you can.
[Review based on a sample of eau de toilette obtained by the author in 2016]
Persolaise
PS For more on the scent, check out this characteristically comprehensive article from Monsieur Guerlain.
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