L'Eclipse

L'Eclipse leans into a dark, animalic profile dominated by Indian oud, amber, and a smoky Lapsang Souchong tea note. It opens with sharp aldehydes and tart gooseberry, creating a complex contrast between brightness and deep, earthy resins. This composition feels like a sophisticated choice for those who enjoy challenging, resin-focused scents during autumn or winter evenings.

The opening is bright and slightly metallic due to the aldehydes and coriander, which pop against the tart gooseberry. As it settles, the heart introduces a smoky, leathery tea vibe from the Lapsang Souchong. The base finally reveals a heavy, animalic skin scent grounded by civet, musk, and dark, woody oud that lingers for many hours.

I would advise against wearing L'Eclipse to the office. The combination of civet, strong Indian oud, and smoky tea creates a heavy, diffusive sillage that might overwhelm coworkers in a confined space. It is much better suited for intimate dinner dates or dark, atmospheric events where you want a signature scent that projects a powerful, grounded presence.

L'Eclipse demonstrates excellent performance on the skin. You can expect it to last upwards of ten hours, with the base notes of patchouli and styrax clinging to fabrics even into the next morning. If your skin chemistry holds onto resins well, the longevity is firmly in the beast-mode category, requiring very few sprays for all-day coverage.

While marketed as unisex, L'Eclipse leans masculine due to the heavy reliance on Indian oud, civet, and smoky tea. The rose and mimosa notes are present but act more as a soft veil to buffer the intense, dark base rather than making the scent traditionally floral or sweet. It is a fantastic choice for anyone, regardless of gender, who loves animalic resins.

L'Eclipse is not a safe blind buy, especially for a beginner. The use of Lapsang Souchong tea and civet makes it a highly polarizing, artistic composition. If you are new to the fragrance hobby, I strongly suggest you sample it first to see how the intense oud and earthy accords react with your body chemistry before committing to a full bottle.

This is a quintessential cool-weather fragrance. The resinous weight of the labdanum and oakmoss shines in cold, crisp air, making it an ideal companion for deep autumn nights or harsh winter days. The warmth generated by the amber and styrax notes feels out of place in high heat, where the animalic elements could become far too suffocating.

Not in a traditional sense. The Lapsang Souchong tea here is smoky, leathery, and dark rather than green or aquatic. It contributes to the overall mysterious atmosphere of the scent, blending seamlessly with the oud and patchouli. It adds depth and a specific textural grit that makes the fragrance feel more like a rich velvet than a light, airy citrus.

If you are a collector who values the specific, dark style of perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, it is absolutely worth the price. The quality of the ingredients, particularly the oud and civet, is evident in the development. However, because it is so distinct and powerful, only purchase it if you are certain you will actually reach for such a demanding scent.

The projection is quite strong during the first three hours, filling the room if you are generous with your sprays. After that, it settles into a robust arm's length sillage that remains consistently present. Because of the musk and ambergris, it leaves a noticeable scent trail when you walk, making it a great pick for outdoor events in winter.