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Greysolon
Helpful Review
7
Sitting in the captain's chair
When I was young my dad belonged to a Masonic organization and our family would frequently attend ceremonies at the fraternity's lodge. The lodge was a large, redstone edifice built over 100 years ago by wealthy industrialists and was a proud reminder of my hometown's golden era. It was modeled after an English gentlemen’s club so it was absolutely luxurious. It had dark, worn, hardwood floors; oak paneling oxidized to a deep, rich patina; furniture upholstered in leather and worn soft from years of use; every surface was infused with the slightly sweet incense of pipe tobacco and the aroma of coffee being brewed in big silver urns could be smelled everywhere in the building.
Of course, no one would have realized it at the time, but all the notes and accords infused into the skin of that building comprised the essential character of L’Eau Navigateur. Honestly, J.C. Elena could have duplicated his fragrance from that happy accident of notes using headspace technology. However, given the name "Navigateur" the setting Elena had in mind for his creation is obvious: the captain’s quarters of an old sailing ship. The only scent listed that's missing from the building and the perfume is rum. I'm sure Elena really put it in the fragrance but it's hidden away like a flask in a lodge member's coat pocket.
Now to the scents you can smell. The tobacco accord is not a smoky tobacco nor is it the sweet-sour essence of tobacco leaf. Rather, it is the slightly sweet, non-smoky incense of pipe tobacco. Pipe tobacco is not something I normally find appealing but this accord creates a very subtle aura that is easy on the nose and very comfortable to wear. On my skin it is the most prominent aspect of L’Eau Navigateur until the woods make their appearance.
Navigateur's leather accord is warm and soft. It's the smell of an old leather arm chair that, whether used for years by the captain of a sailing ship or an ample, grandfatherly lodge member, has lost all the bitter, acrid notes of birch tar and smoke. Constant wear and long naps have created a mellow accord between the chair and its owner.
The woods don't really make their appearance until late in the development. Like many JC Elena creations they are dry and aromatic rather than green. At one point there is a soapiness to the woods that reminds me of a product used here in the US called Murphy’s Wood Oil Soap. Most people love the smell of the stuff and it was probably used in my dad’s lodge to clean all the wood surfaces. If you’re a person who dislikes soapiness in a fragrance, don’t fret, the note doesn’t last too long. Besides, it’s worth tolerating for a few minutes as the woods unfold.
Finally, jtd is spot on in his review (see below) when he describes the coffee accord as being the aroma of roast coffee beans. It’s very subtle and I experience it in the way that patchouli or an earthy vetiver can be used at a light level to unify the disparate notes in the final stages of a fragrance.
Released in 1982, L’Eau Navigateur is one of JC Elena's earliest creations that is still available. And even though it dates from early in his career you can sense his subtle touch with the materials. If you ever want to take a journey through the evolution of Elena’s fragrances then sample L’Eau Navigateur and Terre d'Hermes side by side. They may differ in character but you may be surprised by the family resemblance.
