Eau Fraîche – fresh and bright and summery

Photo: perfumeniche

I remember the first time I smelled Eau Fraîche from Canadian indie line Monsillage. I was sitting across a table from Monsillage founder, perfumer Isabelle Michaud, in a café in Montréal, and she smelled fabulous.

I asked her what fragrance she was wearing. She told me it was one of her own called Eau Fraîche, and that she created it for herself. I could not get that scent out of my mind or my heart or my head. That summer, I was gifted a bottle, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

‘Eau fraîche’ means ‘fresh water’. And, in addition to being a fragrance from Monsillage, it’s also a fragrance category. Eau fraîche has the lowest concentration of fragrance, even lower than eau de cologne and a lower concentration of alcohol than perfumes in other categories; the remainder of eau fraîche is mostly water. This allows the fragrance to dissipate more effectively than with conventional perfumes, resulting in Eau fraîche being characterized by a refreshing, light scent that’s perfect for summer.

Eau Fraîche from Monsillage is, in fact, an eau de toilette, which has a higher concentration of fragrance than either an eau de cologne or an eau fraiche. Got it? Good, because I wouldn’t want you to miss out on this Ms. Michaud’s summer stunner because of semantics.

Eau Fraîche opens with a note of verbena that’s fresh, vibrant, lemony and green-nuanced. It’s sweetened by juicy mandarin. The second I smell it, I brighten. Soon, the fruits give way to a note of aromatic, heady lavender The lavender blooms, while the verbena recedes, playing a supporting role in the background as the fragrance develops. Then the herbs appear – thyme, spicy and warm, and rosemary, minty and woody. This is the phase I caught coming from Ms. Michaud that summer’s day. It’s what made her Eau Fraîche memorable for me. But when I started wearing it, I realized there was more to love, like the delicate, tender note of lilac at the heart. Here, it’s aquatic and soothing with the top notes shimmering above it. The base is woody, from cedarwood and vetiver, which also gives it some depth. Ambergris adds warmth along with an oceanic fleck, while musk is woody, faceted musk adds a touch of sensuality.

The first time I smelled Eau Fraîche was on a woman, but if I had smelled it on a man, the effect would have been exactly the same, I’m sure.

Looking back on it now, I realize two things. First, Ms. Michaud is an immensely talented perfumer; second, I should sit across the table from her more regularly. I end up smelling better after I do.

 Check out Eau Fraîche in our Shop.