Brioni Eau de Parfum Éclat
Brioni (2022)

Eau de Parfum Éclat by Brioni (2022) didn't get quite the same rollout that the original house-relaunch scent and it's intense counterpart did, telling me this was more of an afterthought or contractual obligation than anything. Again we see Michael Almairac perfuming for this brand, so at least there's an expectation of competency here, so that's nice. Because nobody wanted to carry this, I had to go through Hell and back (no sweat for a devil like me) in order to get a sample for this review, but here we are a year after launch with me ready to spew up my brainworms just to opine for you what this is (to me). So, I guess the "blue" take on Dior Fahrenheit (1988) hasn't done so well after all as a warm-weather or all-season option, and I'm guessing nobody saw that coming (sarcasm), so here we get a contextual "fresh" summer option to sit alongside the OG and it's intense variant (the latter great for winter) in the form of Eau de Parfum Éclat. This time around, the attack vector seems to involve trying to add rose in place of the geranium found in Terre d'Hermès (2006) to an otherwise similar structure of citruses, spices, wood, and patchouli, all made modern and transparent. Eh, it works.

So the opening here is mildly stunning; and that may seem like a contradictory pair of descriptors until you smell it, get taken aback by the rose, then go "oh Terre d'Hermès" after a few minutes, so I do think it's fit enough for print. Grapefruit is the big "this smells like Ellena" factor for seasoned enthusiasts, while the pink pepper replaces his usual predilection for harder-edged spices, mixed with a bit of synthetic incense materials that will send the hipsters packing. There isn't a ton of scratchiness from whatever they're using to replicate incense, so if you like stuff such as Acqua di Giò Profumo (2014), you won't feel gobsmacked by woodyambers; but if any amount of this stuffgets your goat, then stay away. From there on out it is the usual transparent woods and musks that you have come to expect from modern freshes, and Eau de Parfum Éclat starts feeling a lot less like Terre d'Hermès, but a lot more like something such as L'Homme À la Rose by Maison Francis Kurkdjian (2020). The rose and patchouli mixed with grapefruit are the big points of this scent, and being priced comparable to the Hermès rather than the MFK, may offer some value for deal-seakers.

Performance as an eau de parfum is a little above adequate, and I think you'll be able to detect Eau de Parfum Éclat for some time. If you're someone that loves these kinds of citrus and woods exercises, and wonders what a bit of ambroxan and rose in place of the usual denser fare can do to a profile like this, then Eau de Parfum Éclat may be worth exploring. If you're someone that already has enough things like this from other houses that do them, such as Cartier, Montale, and countless others in that no-man's land between standard designers and luxury fare, you may want to skip by Eau de Parfum Éclat. This last fact may be why the brand hasn't really pushed sales of this fragrance, as it really does feel like its plugging a hole in the line-up rather than being something worth showcasing or pumping real ad money into. Hell, even the usual YouTube clown show doesn't seem to be making much fuss about it, meaning Lalique Group skipped out on sending them freebies to promote. Do I like it? Sure. I already have the discontinued Terre d'Hermès Eau Très Fraîche (2014) which is spiritually-identical, so I don't need it; but fans of that who missed out can switch to buying this Brioni instead. Thumbs up