Launched din 2003 by Editions de parfums Frédéric Malle, L’Eau d’Hiver, or "water of winter" in English, was signed by legendary perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena.

Ellena is known for his uncluttered, minimalist style, and it’s on full display in L’Eau d’Hiver.

It opens with a citrusy-fresh bergamot, elegant and light, softened by an airy note of powdery, floral iris. Together, they create a delicate and serene opening that’s calming and comforting.  A hawthorn note follows and adds a touch of honeyed sweetness before a bouquet of soft, powdery heliotrope appears. Hedione comes next. It’s a synthetic jasmine substitute with a green, floral scent and a luminous quality rather than the indolic headiness of natural jasmine. As a young child in Grasse, Ellena used to pick jasmine with his grandmother to sell to perfumers. Hedione used here is the smell of jasmine experienced through the lens of memory. The heliotrope and jasmine combine to create a gorgeous, gentle, watery, white floral composition. Over time, the vanilla and almond aspects of the heliotrope linger, giving the base a soft creaminess that’s gently warmed by its cinnamon facet.

L'Eau d'Hiver dries down to a tender, ethereal veil of flowers held to the skin with a hint of honeyed sweetness. Ellena balances the fresh, crisp winter air with feelings of warmth and coziness in a true olfactory watercolour.

Notes: Bergamot, hawthorn, heliotrope, hedione.