• About
  • Login to comment
    • Facebook
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Menu ▼
  • Perfume Reviews
  • New Perfumes
  • Perfumers
  • Perfume Houses
  • Shop for perfume
  • Resources

Perfume review: Oyedo by Diptyque

Posted by Robin on 26 July 2005 25 Comments

Diptyque Oyedo fragrance

Diptyque named Oyédo for the ancient capital of Japan, Yedo (the modern spelling is Edo), now known as Tokyo. It was released in 2000 and has notes of yuzu, grapefruit, lime, orange, mint, thyme, and woods.

It starts with strong, fizzy citrus, and smells very much like the concoction they used to serve at children’s parties that was made by pouring 7-Up over orange sherbet. It teeters dangerously on the edge of being too sticky-sweet, and is saved only by the addition of the mint and thyme, which give it a nice green-herbal kick, and by the prominent woody undertones.

Oyédo was included in one of the first sample orders I made after becoming seriously interested in fragrance, and I did not like it one bit. It has since wheedled its way into my affections. It is perfect in the winter when you can't bear another day of cold weather and you need something to cheer you up, and it is perfect on those early days of summer when you break out the sandals and shorts for the first time. On a day like yesterday, when we were having a "Severe Weather Alert" because it was simply too hot and humid to go outside, it was just too sweet to work. A basic little Eau de Cologne like Borsari Acqua Classica would have suited much better. My mistake.

A 50 ml bottle is approximately $58; for purchasing information, see the listing for Diptyque under Perfume Houses.

Included in...

5 Perfumes for: the Winter Blues

Possibly also of interest

Diptyque L’Eau Papier ~ new fragrance
Diptyque Opsis ~ new fragrance

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: citrus, diptyque

Advertisement


25 Comments

Leave a comment, or read more about commenting at Now Smell This. Here's our privacy policy, and a handy emoticon chart.

  1. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 8:46 am

    Lovely review, which describes my relationship with Oyedo perfectly. I also find that it smells like Concord grapes a little, especially when thyme starts to kick in. My favourite way to wear it is by layering with Philosykos. Philosykos seems to cut down sweetness, while enhancing the tart yuzu aspects I like about Oyedo.

    Log in to Reply
  2. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 8:50 am

    Hi R! I am not a fan of Oyedo hence it never made it to my collection. However, I like V's layering idea – love and enjoy Philosykos – more as a room spray (please don't shoot me). You see what an ardent fan I am of the house of Diptuque.. ;D

    xoxo

    Log in to Reply
  3. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 8:51 am

    Diptyque – type too fast :(

    Log in to Reply
  4. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 9:17 am

    The combination doesn't sound appealing, but I am going to take your word for it and give it a try — but not today! It is too hot :-)

    Log in to Reply
  5. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 9:18 am

    My beloved Philosykos — a room spray, LOL? Don't they make a fig room spray?

    Of course, I use their room sprays as perfumes so who am I to complain :-)

    Log in to Reply
  6. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 9:20 am

    LOL! Thanks for not shooting me for this. I have this habit of doing this with perfumes i still enjoy from time to time.

    :D

    Log in to Reply
  7. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 9:25 am

    Hi R – As you know I do not appreciate the Diptyque fragrances except for Tam Dao and Philosykos (although I do appreciate their packaging and enjoy some of their soaps). I have tried Oyedo and thought – not for me. As for hot days and fragrance selection – a hot day really can put you off a fragrance – which is why I haven't truly formed a strong opinion about my new SL. I long for light, airy and non-cloying scents right now. I truly admire your dedication to testing and reviewing scents in this heat – brava my friend.

    Log in to Reply
  8. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 9:36 am

    F, I wish I could say it was dedication, but it was just foolishness. It was so hot yesterday that I thought only citrus would do, and hadn't worn Oyedo in so long I forgot how sweet it was.

    Hope everything goes well for you today!!

    Log in to Reply
  9. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 9:43 am

    Thanks but it has been rescheduled for Friday or Monday. You really didn't think this would be easy did you?? Stay cool today!!

    Log in to Reply
  10. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 10:45 am

    I only had the shower gel version of this, and enjoyed using it but wouldn't purchase again. It is rather sweet, but not as sweet as Bond's Little Italy, which is absolutely candy-like.

    Log in to Reply
  11. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 12:38 pm

    Yes, Little Italy is sweet too. Of the two I would prefer Oyedo. How are the Diptqyue Shower Gels? I haven't tried them yet, but I love the soaps.

    Log in to Reply
  12. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 1:23 pm

    They have that foaming agent, sodium laureth sulfate, which is in a lot of shampoos and bath gels and is considered to be the MSG of the bathroom. I'm not sensitive to it, so it doesn't bother me. Oyedo is the only shower gel of theirs I've tried, and I would like to buy a box of their soap one of these days. Philosykos is yummy!

    Log in to Reply
  13. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 3:13 pm

    I agree this is a nice grapefruit scent but too sweet for hot weather. Had the same problem with Eau d'Elide yesterday – too much orange creamsicle going on for the weather. Would be better in the fall I think. I like Jardin Clos or L'Ombre dans L'Eau for really hot days.

    Log in to Reply
  14. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 3:28 pm

    Hi R, I ´m still debating whether to buy Oyedo or not. I discovered it just about 2 months ago & I don´t think it´s too sweet. Yes, it is sweet to a certain extent, but the thyme really safes it from getting too overwhelming. To me it´s perfect for wearing in warmer weather – so maybe not when it´s really hot, like you already mentioned in your review. I think it´s a good choice if you want something fruity with a kick. A lot of fruity scents do lack complexity, but that´s not the case with Oyedo. Moreover, the bottles are really lovely. Well, perhaps I should buy it ;)

    Log in to Reply
  15. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 4:11 pm

    PBI, I prefer soaps to shower gels, because I find that gels dry out my skin. I actually received a gift of Oyedo shower gel, and while the scent is nice, it does not last at all. At that rate, I would rather buy Alba Botanica shower gels, which are moisturizing and come in a variety of nice scents (including tuberose, which smells exactly like La Chasse). Plus, they are reasonably priced.

    Log in to Reply
  16. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 4:16 pm

    I like tart but Oyedo was way too sour on me. But then, I should retest in in the heat of summer when it might smell at its sweetest. I never understood why Edo was called Yedo in English because there's no “ye” in Japanese. No matter–I think it's lovely how Diptyque honored Old Tokyo with this perfume, even if scentwise it doesn't evoke Tokyo to me per se. Yuzu is used in winter baths in Japan. I recently found out that most Japanese people think of that when they smell yuzu (I don't have the association b/c I grew up in NY).

    Log in to Reply
  17. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 5:21 pm

    SLS doesn't bother me either, although like V below, I would probably prefer to buy something cheaper. I did have one bar of the Philosykos soap and it was lovely, although the scent doesn't last on my skin.

    Log in to Reply
  18. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 5:22 pm

    Love L'Ombre dans L'Eau, it is a lovely scent and underrated I think. Did not remember that Elide was that sweet! Need to try it again.

    Log in to Reply
  19. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 5:23 pm

    Doesn't sound like you need to be talked into it — you've done it yourself!

    Log in to Reply
  20. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 5:24 pm

    S, What are “winter baths”?

    Log in to Reply
  21. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 8:16 pm

    Oh, I'm sorry–literally baths taken in the winter. A bunch of yuzu fruits are put inside the tub with hot bathwater. Yuzu is known as a stimulant so during winter solstice (esp. Dec. 21), they bathe in yuzu baths (yuzuburo) to feel invigorated, which helps stay warm, and some say to keep up the immune system and fight ailments. Ofuro (bath) is a serious thing in Japan. ;-D

    Log in to Reply
  22. Anonymous says:
    26 July 2005 at 8:48 pm

    Thanks S, that is so interesting. An iced grapefruit bath would be perfect at the moment :-)

    Log in to Reply
  23. corfay says:
    9 November 2009 at 10:23 am

    Where did you order a diptyque sample?

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      9 November 2009 at 10:27 am

      You can buy Diptyque samples at Aedes or Beautyhabit.

      Log in to Reply
  24. Zhuzhu says:
    5 February 2018 at 12:35 am

    Has anyone layered Oyedo with another scent to successfully calm the mint down? The minty explosion is overpowering anything else in it for me. Too much!

    Log in to Reply

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Advertisement

Search

From NST at Twitter

  • "Revisiting the late Paco Rabanne’s journey from fashion spaceman to fragrance king" (prestige singapore) https://t.co/Rwb7YXLb1B, 19 hours ago
  • "This Perfume Trend Is Dividing Opinion — But I’m Obsessed" (refinery29 on rose fragrances) https://t.co/4AruKSXnDw, 19 hours ago
  • "The Biggest Fragrance Trends for 2023, According to Experts" (marieclaire) https://t.co/tVmxnyMEXX,
  • "Cult Shop: the perfumer drawing on her Māori heritage" (financial times) https://t.co/9HmkvBfcvm,
  • Imaginary Authors' limited edition Decisions, Decisions from 2020 is available again for a limited time… https://t.co/CL55QrsyTB,

Browse by...

Topic

Perfume talk New fragrances
Shopping Books :: News
Body products Home fragrance
Polls Another subject

Date

January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022

Prior months

Author

Robin Jessica
Angela Kevin
Erin Guest Author

Tag

Celebrity perfumes
Cheap thrills
Collector bottles
Perfumista tip series
Video
The complete tag index

Recent reviews

Atelier Cologne Love Osmanthus
Moschino Toy Boy
Arquiste Misfit
Diptyque Eau Capitale
Zoologist Bee
Parfum d’Empire Immortelle Corse
Comme des Garcons Series 10 Clash
Frédéric Malle Rose & Cuir
L’Artisan Parfumeur Le Chant de Camargue
Yves Saint Laurent Grain de Poudre
Régime des Fleurs Chloë Sevigny Little Flower
Chanel 1957
Gallivant Los Angeles
Amouage Portrayal Woman

Blogroll

Bois de Jasmin
Grain de Musc
Perfume Posse
The Non-Blonde
More blogs...

Perfumista lists

100 fragrances every perfumista should try
And 25 more fragrances every perfumista should smell
50 masculine fragrances every perfumista should try
26 vintage fragrances every perfumista should try
25 rose fragrances every perfumista should try
11 Cheap Perfumes Beauty Outsiders Love

Favorite posts

The Great Perfume Reduction Plan
Why I Love Old School Chypres
New to perfume and want to learn more?
How to make fragrance last through the day
Fragrance concentrations: sorting it all out
On reformulations, or why your favorite perfume doesn’t smell like it used to
How to get fragrance samples
Perfume for Life: How Long Will Your Fragrance Collection Last?

Upcoming

List of upcoming Friday projects

4 January ~ damage poll
4 February ~ winter reading poll

TBA April ~ swap meet

Back to Top

Home
About Now Smell This :: Privacy Policy

Shop for Perfume Online
Perfume Shopping in New York
Perfume Shopping in London
Perfume Reviews
New Perfumes
General Perfume Articles
The Monday Mail

Glossary of Perfume Terms
Perfume FAQ
Perfume Links
Perfume Books
Fragrance Awards

Noses ~ Perfumers A-E :: F-K :: L-S :: T-Z

Perfume Houses A-B :: C :: D-E :: F-G
H-J :: K-L :: M :: N-O :: P :: Q-R :: S
T :: U-Z

Copyright © 2005-2023 Now Smell This. All rights reserved.