Perfume Review: Diptyque Eau Lente

Diptyque is one of the houses that, for some unforgivable reason, I tend to overlook in my never-ending search for the exotic and the unusual. And I really shouldn't, because the company has created some of the most interesting fragrances, comparable in their uniqueness to some of the weirdest Lutenses or SIPs, and some even surpassing these universally acknowledged masters of the odd. Take Eau Lente, for example. Said to be inspired by the times of Alexander the Great, it is a spicy perfume extraordinaire. The spices, of which cinnamon is one and cumin, I would swear, is another, rest on a pillow-soft, powdery-sweet opoponax base, and the contrast of sharp and fluffy is as disconcerting as it is appealing. It is also a contrast of alluringly exotic and comfortingly familiar, of sensual, even animalic, and cozy. One could wear Eau Lente on a cold day to warm up and in the heat of summer to let the piquancy of the notes refresh the senses. If you love spicy-herbal, slightly dirty, quirky fragrance, don't make my mistake of overlooking Eau Lente. Eau Lente is available at Beauty Habit, $70.00 for 50ml. The painting, Dusk, is by Michael Parkes.