I had a bottle of D&G Light Blue some time ago that I wanted to write about, but I went through that faster than a greyhound at the races. My fast consumption was not due to my love of the fragrance, but rather due to its dismal longevity. The fragrance barely lasted an hour on my skin – something I try to avoid in fragrance, regardless of the price tag.
Much as I enjoyed that bottle of Light Blue, I most certainly do not think it offered good value. I cannot blame the fragrance entirely for this, since it’s in the nature of fragrances that center around citrus to fade fast.
When I heard that Olivier Cresp was coming out with an intense version, my curiously peeked. Could this version improve on the 2011 original’s truly crappy performance? The short of it is that it does not last a long time, but definitely out-performs the original. As for comparative smell quality, it’s not quite the same, but it’s close. Here is the note breakdown of this citrus musk concoction that came out in 2017:
- lemon, Granny Smith apple
- marigold, jasmine
- amberwood, musk
And here is the breakdown of the original:
- apple, lemon, bellflower
- white rose, bamboo, jasmine
- musk, cedar, amber
They seem similar on paper, and the main difference is that in the intense version, I think the lemons at the top are sharper, and there are fewer green apples. The base now has more perceptible woody notes, which I presume are what gives the fragrance more longevity. This perception is based on memory, though, as I only have the intense version now, but I think the effect is about the same.
As you’ve probably gathered, Light Blue eau Intense is a freshie citrus scent that’s perfect for really hot weather. I’ve not sniffed the version targeted at men, but I think this one is very unisex. There is a very gourmand quality about this to my nose. It’s akin to light and flaky pie crust that’s packed to the brim with very tarte and sweet lemon curd. Like Wilkinson’s – my favourite – mouthwatering and sour-sweet.
What’s remarkable with this fragrance is how it manages to give off the impression of being very high calorie – lots of white sugar richness – and yet it’s not heavy or cloying at all. Perhaps that’s where the magic lies in this fragrance. It has the ability to be two things at once, without really being either. One really must applaud master perfumer Monsieur Cresp for pulling that off.
Olivier Cresp is the gentleman responsible for frags like Mugler’s Angel, Carolina Herrera’s CH, Givenchy’s Ange ou Demon, and YSL’s Black Opium and Mon Paris. in 2018, he started his own brand called Akro which I’m eager to sniff out.
Yes, I do like Light Blue. It can indeed be screechy at first, but that kitchen cleaner effect does subside. It’s velvety fresh, crisp, and zingy. Although I’ve never done so, I can imagine you might find success in layering this fragrance with other smellies, too.
But, at the end of the day, I think Light Blue gets a lot more love from consumers than I personally believe it deserves. Citrusy-fresh fragrances are ubiquitous, and although this is indeed one of the better ones, even this intense version doesn’t offer exceptional performance, at least on me.
If you want to try out something similar to this, I think you have lots to choose from that offer better value. For a fresh, citrus fragrance, I enjoy anything with the name Verbena from L’Occitane en Provence. There is much more bang for your buck there.
From designers, you might also consider Giorgio Armani’s Acqua di Gioia, Moschino’s Cheap & Chic I Love Love, Versace’s Versense, Calvin Klein’s CK One, Chanel’s Chance Eau Fraiche, Lanvin’s Eclat d’Arpege, and Donna Karan New York’s Be Delicious. Light Blue eau Intense comes in 25, 50 or 100 ml bottles.