Guerlain Patchouli Paris, Diptyque Les Essences and Jo Malone London Hinoki & Cedarwood reviews – 2024

Japan, France and a coral reef at the bottom of an ocean were just three of our ports of call in a recent session of Love At First Scent, in which I covered new releases from Guerlain, Jo Malone London and Diptyque. Here are links to all the videos, followed, as ever, by further thoughts on some of the perfumes: Guerlain Patchouli Paris review — Jo Malone London Hinoki & Cedarwood review — Diptyque Les Essences review.

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Bois Corse (Nathalie Cetto & Olivier Pescheux) 7:29
Lunamaris (Fabrice Pellegrin) 12:30
Rose Roche (Fabrice Pellegrin) 16:50
Lilyphea (Nathalie Cetto & Olivier Pescheux) 22:32
Corail Oscuro (Alexandra Carlin) 26:43

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Thanks to the brand’s marketing clout, the Diptyque quintet has turned out to be a fairly high-profile release: they’re giving it a major push on all their usual publicity channels, doing their best to make it unavoidable. Sadly, as a whole, the collection doesn’t live up to the hype, although Lilyphea and Corail Oscuro are worth sampling. The former is a convincing olfactory imagining of Monet’s water lilies, featuring shimmery, technically impressive, longlasting aqueous-green notes; the inclusion of a gossamer-like freesia facet calls to mind the haunting tranquillity of Frederic Malle En Passant. The latter is notable for its quirky presentation of contrasts, balancing a sparky, mineralic bite with an unashamedly pink rose: the perfumery equivalent of a colourful, frenetic Venetian interior that absolutely shouldn’t work and yet somehow does.

An interior of a different sort is evoked in Delphine Jelk’s Patchouli Paris. With its unexpected burst of skin-hugging aldehydes over a none-too-polite patchouli, it’s one of the more overtly bedroom-focussed Guerlains we’ve had for a while. And although it’s never allowed to become outright filthy — the iris in the heart keeps the affair on the right side of elegance at all times — it certainly doesn’t mind being more than suggestive. It could have done with a touch more projection, but perhaps Jelk’s intention was to tell a story not just about passion, but also about its frequent companion: discretion.

Persolaise

[Review samples provided by the brands in 2024.]

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