I hear it all the time, we want perfume to last for a week on my skin. Yes, a slight exaggeration except that sentence at the end of every review is important to a lot of readers who care about longevity. I am not one of those. If a perfume can go off like fireworks on my skin and fade away just as fast; as long as its good, or fun I’m happy. This becomes especially true in the summer months as it can sometimes be a benefit to have the fragrance you sprayed in the morning to have faded a bit by the late afternoon. It can also be a refreshing experience to spray some more on at the same time to cool your senses down. Diptyque Ilio does all of this exceptionally.
Fabrice Pellegrin
Diptyque is going all out celebrating their 60th anniversary. Ilio is part of what they are calling the Summer Essentials collection. Besides the Eau de Toilette there is also a hair mist version of Ilio. Another way to enjoy fragrance in the warmer months. Everything about Ilio is familiar to those who enjoy Mediterranean style scents. Perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin makes one change in a nod towards the current trend towards transparency. Which in this case is a plus.
It begins with the refreshing green of prickly pear. This is an ingredient that doesn’t get enough spotlight. Here it shows off its refreshing green scent profile. There is also a bit of citrus and floral as part of it too. This is given a boost through one of the non-indolic clean jasmines. I often compare the effect these have to forming a floral soap bubble for the other ingredients to float upon. That is true for the prickly pear. It seems to form pale green spirals on the surface of the jasmine. The last note is something different in this kind of concentration. Orris completes the trio of keynotes for Ilio. This is a light dusting of powder along with a sun-baked earthiness. The latter is the part I find so interesting. The usual carrot-like rootiness is turned to an opaque dried earth. it is as if that soap bubble has just landed on the dry ground.
Ilio has 6-8 hour longevity and average sillage.
I wore this on a couple of pretty hot days. I applied it liberally and often over the time I had it on. It checked all the boxes I have for a summer trifle of a perfume.
Disclosure: This review is based on a sample supplied by Diptyque.
–Mark Behnke
Lovely review Mark. This fragrance is exceptional. I’m a wearer of only Philosykos – until now! Enjoying the fruit, some sweetness, jasmine, but earth and green and wood are still there. So delighted to try this today.