Comptoir Sud Pacifique launched L'Eau du Gouverneur in 1993 under the name L'Homme — a clue, perhaps, that it isn't one of the sweet fruity vanillas that now comprise much of the Comptoir Sud Pacifique line. If, like me, you're a woman who prefers dry to sweet (see: the best [fragrances] for borrowing), you might find much to love among Comptoir Sud Pacifique men's offerings*, which are quite different in character than the women's and which can be found at very reasonable prices.
The notes for L'Eau du Gouverneur include verbena, bergamot, lemon, clary sage, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, clove, cedar, vetiver and musk. If that sounds like a dense, heavy spice-fest, think again: like many of the Comptoir Sud Pacifique fragrances, L'Eau du Gouverneur is more transparent than not. So, a sheer spice-fest (ever-so-vaguely along the lines of Lubin Idole without the rum and leather), nice and dry and peppery, a bit green-ish, with decent blast of citrus in the opening and a light but earthy dry down of vetiver and woods. The focus is on the nutmeg and allspice: if you don't like nutmeg and allspice, don't bother. It has a relaxed, casual feel that resonates nicely with the brand's "island voyages" theme, and it wears well in just about any weather (it's perfect in the frigid weather we're having here today, but I've also worn it quite happily in mid-summer). The lasting power is good but not fantastic.
Comptoir Sud Pacifique L'Eau du Gouverneur is available in 100 or 150 ml Eau de Toilette, or in a whopping 315 ml refill (my 100 ml bottle does not seem to be refillable, so perhaps that's for the 150 ml size). For buying information, see the listing for Comptoir Sud Pacifique under Perfume Houses, but do shop around — a number of fragrance discounters carry the line, and you should be able to find the 100 ml online for around $30-40.
*Also worth exploring: Bois de Filao and the wonderful but now discontinued Ecume de Thé (see Kevin's comment below), assuming you can find it. I have never tried their Vetyver Haiti or Sultan Safran, but would love to hear from anyone who has!
Robin: I enjoy when you review “oldies but goodies” that may have either fallen off the radar or never been on one's radar in the first place.
I love spice, and nutmeg/allspice sounds very good — I may need to seek a decant of this. I've heard good things about Ecume de The — are you sure it's dc'd? It's still on the CSP website and seems widely available at discounters. Only CSP I own is Aqua Motu, in part thanks to you, and it's such a great scent.
I do love some of the vanilla ones (Vanilla Passion, Vanilla Banana, and Vanilla Abricot) but they do tend to be sweet.
Barbier des Isles is normally the one that I turn to for a decent not so sweet scent from CSP.
But I now have to try L'eau du Gouverneur…..
Thanks
Joe, no, I'm not at all sure it's dc'd, but thought it was, and was on the US & French CSP websites this morning & thought it wasn't on either site — which one did you see it on? It's a very unusual tea scent, nothing else really like it that I can think of. Might be too much tea for some folks. Very much worth trying. I think Kevin might be planning to review it, I know he's a fan.
In general I think the CSP line is underrated — they really do some unusual scents, and while they're not a bargain brand, they're easily found here at bargain prices. I don't love all the vanilla stuff though, and guessing that's both what sells & what they're best known for.
Ah, and I didn't even remember Barbier des Isles…never tried it, what's it like?
Barbier des Isles has a nice sharp dry smell that, to me at least, does bring back memories of entering an old fashion barber shop. (I might have been 8yrs old the last time I entered one such place…)
On me, the incense, myrrh , clove, cardamon and rosewood comes out as well as a nice vetyver.
I wore Sultan Safran a couple of times back when it was called Safranier (I also wore Ecume de Thé back when it was just Thé), and there was WAY TOO MUCH SAFFRON. It was overwhelmed by that medicinal quality that the spice can have (and that Olivia Giacobetti cleverly sidestepped in Safran Troublant). Of course, it must have been reformulated by now–Safranier was released in 1996, an eon in the modern perfume business–and I'm sure it smells entirely different.
I have a boatload of the sweet-vanilla CSPs and love them, but it's true that their men's scents are dramatically different from what people have come to expect from the line: Bois de Filao and Aqua Motu are quite wonderful.
I was on the US site and just checked again — Ecume is there under the Spice Route section. I'm this close right now to buying some Gouverneur on a discount site — gosh, CSP product can be found for next to nothing. You and your danged reviews! I'm resisting… for now.
R/Joe: Ecume de Thé exists and CSP will swear on their founding father's grave that it's the same as discontinued Thé (orange bottle/silver cap). They LIE. Ecume de Thé is watery, insignificant. Thé was SUBLIME…and I've been looking for a bottle (or bottleS) for years and years.
Ah — sorry, I entirely mixed up what you told me!
Hey, that sounds like something I need to try, thanks!
I had only seen their women's fragrances, which didn't sound appealing to me at all.
This sounds nice, I might have to try their men's fragrances
Someone else who loves Vanilla Banana! I like it on its own as a simple summery scent, but recently I've taken to layering it with Sonoma Scent Studio's Fireside Intense. After this review I'll have to check out both L'Eau de Gouveneur and Barbier des Isles. They both sound pretty terrific.
Ok, I do *not* like the Vanille Banana, but layered w/ Fireside Intense actually sounds kind of cool. Woody/smoky vanilla banana. Will have to see if I can't find a way to try that.
That's 2 eons in the perfume business! It's probably been reformulated twice.
My 3 favorite CSPs are this one, Filao & Aqua Motu. Which do you think is the best of the sweet vanillas?
I don't think I've tried any of the vanillas, although I've had an eye to try the apricot one, but I have tried Aloha Tiare and it is fairly nice – one of those ones I like a little better each time I sample it. My sample is ancient so it may be different now.
I have a couple of cheap Perlier Caribbean Vanilla scents – Coffee and Mango, and like both of those. The vanilla seems a bit more grown-up. Wearing the coffee today, in fact.
I wear the Vanilla Extreme and Vanilla Abricot, but usually layer it with other scents like NARS Musc for her, or L' Artisan Patchouli Patch.
Vanille Abricot, without a question. It is MAGICAL. Dark, intense dried-fruit smell, not fresh at all, glazed with sugar that's cooked down so much it's almost but not quite burnt, and then of course the expected CSP vanilla. That's the whole thing; ridiculously simple, but executed perfectly. You'd think a sweet-fruity-vanilla scent would be all ruffly and girly, but the unexpected darkness moves it into an entirely different category of scent.
Of course, they may have reformulated since I got my bottle (years ago).
Then, in order: Vanille Orange (limited edition, a bright fresh juicy creamsicle orange), Vanille Amande (bitter almond and sweet vanilla), Amour de Cacao (cookies!), Vanille Café (dark coffee: relaunched as Vanille Moka, never tried it), and Vanille Pineapple (sweet sunshine). I own all of them, as well as Vanille Cannelle (creamy patisserie cinnamon), Vanille Peach (fresher than Vanille Abricot), and Mora Bella (a less severe version of Fruits Sauvages), so as you can see, I am inordinately fond of this line.
I'm not a big vanilla fan, and find the womens' scents in this line sweeter than I like. But I, too, would like to try the mens'.
Pyramus, I'm sold! I'm going to have to skulk around the women's side of Sephora this weekend and steal a big fat spritz of Vanille Abricot. My mouth is actually watering right now.
Pretty sure I've smelled VA, but will give it another go…and maybe I never put it on skin. Been meaning to try the Moka too. You do have an impressive CSP collection!
Couldn't hurt to try! They seem geared towards a very different audience than the women's (other than obvious point that they're geared towards women, you know what I mean).
Just thinking…not at all sure I see any CSPs at all on the men's side at Sephora. Might not be so easy to come by…
I just hope that if they've reworked it, they haven't changed it too much. I was reading some reviews on Makeup Alley (there are over 350!) and one reviewer, 1badcat, says they “relaunched this scent and changed the sweetness of it.” I don't know if that's good or bad. (The new list of notes includes things like jackfruit and sugar candy, for what that's worth.)
The old version that I have–from around 2002/2003–smells the same as when I bought it; I'm sure it hasn't changed and darkened in character since then. You should let us know how it smells to you.
Sounds like something I'd like to eat for dessert! 😉
I have three of the vanillas (Abricot, Passion, and Extreme), but haven't tried any of the others yet.
On a different subject, I used my Perfume House gift certificate to buy SL Ambre Sultan. It was a difficult decision being surrounded by all those bottles with their come-hither looks!
Congrats on your Ambre Sultan — and I'll bet that was hard!
They ALL end up on the women's side.
IMHO Sephora does not always accurately display scents…
Men, schmen, women schwomen. A scent is a scent!!!
at my local Sephora Tom Ford for Men is on the women's side with Black Orchid and White Patchouli.
but when I went to the Sephora near my sister's house it was on the men's side
That's funny! I guess they can't decide.
You've inspired me to re-try this scent. I got a sample of this a while back and wasn't quite sure what to think of it. I find most of the more “feminine” CSP scents a little too sweet (although I have a fondness for Matin Calin), so I'll see if I can dig my sample of this up. Thanks for the review!
Hope it's better the 2nd time around, but if not, hey, plenty of other fish in the sea 🙂
Vanille Banane was my shamefull perfume 🙂
Beginning to think this was everyone's secret love & I never knew about it!