02/26/2013
Greysolon
74 Reviews
Greysolon
2
"Now that the sun hath veiled his light"
Lately I’ve been trying too many fragrances that start out beautifully but run out of steam too quickly. In the case of Eclipse it’s a good news, bad news situation. Initially, it lives up to its shadowy name in good way. Unfortunately, it then falls into that category of short lived fragrances making its name all too precise.
Part of the good news is the opening. It’s lily of the valley infused with mild black pepper and herbs. Initially this gives Eclipse an almost soliflore like effect with the lily of the valley being tinged with just enough black pepper that it borders on smelling like rose. This assures the lily of the valley is tamed of it’s heavy, funerary connotations. This was a relief because my most vivid memory of the flower comes from attending church on Easter Sunday as a child and being overwhelmed by their smell.
There’s more good news as the fragrance develops. The green herbal accord -basil- starts to gain dominance, darkening and shading the floral notes in a very handsome way. This is where I imagine the fragrance gets its name and we enter the shadowy penumbra of Eclipse. It’s all very balanced, beautiful and reminiscent of Diptyque’s L’Ombre dans L’Eau which is another fragrance based on shadows. If we could stay in this moment Eclipse would be wonderful fragrance.
Unfortunately, every eclipse has its umbral phase. We’re not in total darkness but after about 2 hours Eclipse’s projection drops off precipitously. The scent is still pleasant but barely present and Eclipse takes on a melancholy air that reminds me of Henry Purcell's song, 'Now that the sun hath veiled his light.'
Part of the good news is the opening. It’s lily of the valley infused with mild black pepper and herbs. Initially this gives Eclipse an almost soliflore like effect with the lily of the valley being tinged with just enough black pepper that it borders on smelling like rose. This assures the lily of the valley is tamed of it’s heavy, funerary connotations. This was a relief because my most vivid memory of the flower comes from attending church on Easter Sunday as a child and being overwhelmed by their smell.
There’s more good news as the fragrance develops. The green herbal accord -basil- starts to gain dominance, darkening and shading the floral notes in a very handsome way. This is where I imagine the fragrance gets its name and we enter the shadowy penumbra of Eclipse. It’s all very balanced, beautiful and reminiscent of Diptyque’s L’Ombre dans L’Eau which is another fragrance based on shadows. If we could stay in this moment Eclipse would be wonderful fragrance.
Unfortunately, every eclipse has its umbral phase. We’re not in total darkness but after about 2 hours Eclipse’s projection drops off precipitously. The scent is still pleasant but barely present and Eclipse takes on a melancholy air that reminds me of Henry Purcell's song, 'Now that the sun hath veiled his light.'