Fragrance review: Issey Miyake: A Drop d’Issey

If you’re looking for a taste of spring on what is a pretty grey winter’s day, look no further than the unabashedly floral, delicious new fragrance from Issey Miyake: A Drop d’Issey. The latest chapter in the story of L’EAU D’ISSEY fragrances that began in 1992, the creators says it “expresses drops, the fundamental shape of water”, in a stunning, nature-inspired new way.
Around 30 years after the emblematic L'Eau d'Issey first graced counters around the world, Issey’s Miyake latest pioneering women's fragrance is designed to be a happy, optimistic, innovative. As a new pillar in a symbolic story of scents around the topic of water, this scent is made by people, but created by nature.
Unabashedly feminine in composition, the fragrance was created by Perfumer Ane Ayo, who says: “Inspired by water drops, this fragrance has been reproduced to reveal what cannot be seen by the naked eye.” Lilac is in the heart note, a rarity in modern fragrance due to the fact its aroma can only be reconstructed, but not captured. Ane Ayo learned the profession of perfumer in Grasse in the south of France, the capital of perfume art, and she has succeeded in beautifully reproducing the unique note of lilac in A Drop d’Issey. She says she stuck to the most original of all inspirations: "Making the invisible visible, working out a perfume down to the smallest details so that surprises unfold in the heart note." Ayo has succeeded in capturing a previously unknown beauty and showing it to the world, and the fragrance is all the more intoxicating because of it.
Lilac forms the centre of this thoroughly feminine fragrance composition, and it’s is in good company. In the top note, a Damascus rose note ensures pure floral delight, while to bring out the sunny, reconstituted lilac even better, the talented Ayo added a note of orange blossom to it, ethically sourced. The result: an explosive bouquet that is rounded off by a touch of star anise, which echoes the aniseed facet of the lilac. A touch of almond milk makes it soft and warm, while the bouquet is underlaid with a full musk note, with vanillin enhancing the enveloping floral musk scent. I can best describe it as a like being wrapped in a soft, warm blanket, which is exactly how I want to feel right now!

The A Drop d'Issey bottle is the work of American designer Todd Bracher. From his New York studio, he works with numerous brands to give them a unique recognition value with the help of unmistakable designs. For the teardrop-shaped bottle of A Drop d'Issey, he looked to replicate of a drop of water, and I love the integrated white soft-touch lid that ensures it nestles perfectly in the hand.
The comforting fragrance we need right now, A Drop d’Issey Eau de Parfum is available in three sizes right now at Farmers, selected pharmacies and independent department stores.