WHAT I SMELL:  Eau de Patou opens with this airy, fizzy, bubbling citrus, it’s so sparkling that its like dancing bubbles when you put your nose up to a glass of champagne.  The bergamot and citrus combination is very much alive and joyous and full of bright energy which can’t help but make you smile.  After a bit, the lively opening levels off and the citrus mellows as a floral melody highlighted by lavender brings the fragrance to more of a hazy hued of radiance.  As, it dries down, a peppered and powdered finish adds just the right amount of mystery to make this perfume something very much out of the ordinary.  For a fragrance without a huge amount of progression there is something incredibly rapturous about Eau de Patou, so much so, that I find it extremely sensual and sexy.

From the Jean Patou website:

EAU DE PATOU – A crisp and vibrant scent that epitomizes carefree days and relaxation, EAU DE PATOU has a lightness of touch and a subtle freshness unparalleled in the JEAN PATOU archive. Created originally in 1976 as a unisex fragrance EAU DE PATOU is a genuine expression of freedom and style that lasts throughout the day. A light tonic with fruity notes that sparkle with accords of bergamot, Sicilian Citrus, Guinea Orange and Sweet Lime mixed with Pepper Lavender and Orange Flower. This Eau de Toilette is light and fresh yet it is undeniably sophisticated and unmistakably JEAN PATOU.  

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A young Robert Redford; clean-cut, handsome and incredibly sexy.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE EAU DE PATOU:  classic, sophisticated, unassuming sexiness

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT EAU DE PATOU:  Bois de Jasmin

BOTTOM LINE:  Eau de Patou was my one purchase at Sniffapalooza this past Fall.  It was immediate love and all the other perfumes were tossed aside once I smelled this.  I don’t believe that Eau de Patou is groundbreaking, nor revolutionary.  Instead, it’s classical with a peppered twist that speaks directly to my inner self.  Who doesn’t love a perfume that makes them feel sexy?

Jean Patou is re-releasing some of their classic fragrances from the past in their Collection Heritage.  Eau de Patou (originally released in 1976), along with Patou Pour Homme (1980) and Chaldee (1927) were the first three to be released and others will be forthcoming.  I love this concept as a vintage perfume lover and I can’t wait to be introduced to the others in the line!  You can find more about their Collection Heritage on the Jean Patou website.

• Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
• Scent: Citrus Aromatic
• Nose:  Thomas Fontaine
• Classification: Unisex
• Expense: $245 for 100ml Eau de Toilette