Launched in 2008 by French luxury homeware brand Astier de Villatte, Eau Chic EDC 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 to go through 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 sound confining, 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. It’s 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 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. Petitgrain, with its soft, woody aspect, is at the base. The drydown is upbeat, refreshing and surprisingly complex for a cologne. Eau Chic lives up to its name. It’s stylish and elegant and the perfect antidote to summer heat. Notes: lemon, lavender, petitgrain, ylang-ylang, rose, rosemary, basil, thyme, orange blossom and tuberose.
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