Eau Chic

Launched in 2008 by French luxury homeware brand Astier de Villatte, Eau Chic eau de cologne quickly became a cult-favourite in Paris.

I remember buying my first bottle of Eau Chic and developing a slavish devotion to it so strong, that I vowed never have another summer to be without it.

Colognes follow a very simple formula: alcohol that contains a mixture of citrus oils, herbs and/or flowers, with a light base of woods or musk. Formulas might sounds boring, but there’s enough wiggle room in there for a talented nose, such as Françoise Caron, to put her mark on the category and she has done it beautifully with the colognes she has created for Astier de Villatte, like Eau Chic.

Eau Chic opens with a note of tart, vibrant lemon. Its sunny summer brightness softens and fades as the cologne blooms, revealing a gorgeous aromatic note of rose. The rose is light and romantic, not dark and brooding and it’s balanced beautifully with creamy, white creamy flowers: heady tuberose, banana-nuanced ylang-ylang and sweet orange blossom. Every once in a while I get a whiff of gentle soapiness from aromatic lavender, which keeps the creamy whites from taking over. The flowers sit alongside fragrant herbs – I smell rosemary, basil and thyme – which gives the flowers a fresh bite. Petit grain with its soft, woody aspect is at the base.

The drydown is upbeat, refreshing and surprisingly complex for a cologne and I think it is perfectly unisex.

Eau Chic lives up to its name. It’s stylish and elegant and, to me, it’s very Parisian. Eau Chic is très chic and it’s the perfect antidote to summer heat.

Notes: lemon, lavender, petit grain, ylang-ylang, rose, rosemary, basil, thyme, orange blossom tuberose.

Type: EdC

Parfumeur: Françoise Caron