Eden by Cacharel

Everything Juana P. said, times two. I bought the reformulation and it’s a shower of flowers for me. I was worried about the camphor due to TikTok reviews, but it’s the opposite: it evokes elegance and has a 10% powdery note, like makeup. The flowers emerge over time, followed by the fruits. It’s versatile and not just another fragrance. A gem if you’re over 30.

Welcome to the Garden of Eden, a paradise not for everyone. It generates both love and hate; it’s elegant, intense, with great sillage and long-lasting power. An iconic fragrance from the 90s, heaven in a bottle.

@Juana P.: It had to be said… and it was said. I loved your review.

Perfumes like Eden make me a lover of scents from other eras, for the engraved memories, quality, and concept. There was a design effort in bottles, boxes, colours, and advertising that almost no longer exists. I met it in 1995 in a magazine featuring a naked girl from behind and a border to rub your wrist on with a rough texture and the scent. I smelled it with my mother and we fell in love. Many consider it vintage due to its 80s and 90s notes, but it doesn’t smell old like a Chanel No. 5; it’s dominated by a stylised herbal note of wet forest, rain, and dew. It’s strong with great sillage, not a daily freshie, but we enjoy it as a scent of rain. It has something magical, dark, and mysterious, of forest and creatures. Although it was feminine, people of all genders enjoy it. It’s not shy; it’s a power bomb. Now reformulated, it remains strong and long-lasting, though not quite as before. It’s unique; I’ve never smelled anything like it, memorable and a gem. Try it in a shop; perhaps it’s not your style, but try to know how a rainy enchanted forest bottled smells.

I used it at university back in 1995; it was a hit, and everyone asked about it. It smells of dry forest, wet earth, and woods; it lasts a long time on skin and clothes. I live in a very hot place and it was by no means annoying. It was discontinued in Mexico, but years ago I found it on Mercado Libre and thought: let’s leave it to fate. Yes! It was my beloved Eden, and I used it until the last drop. It’s a high-class fragrance.

I disagree with the reviews. I encountered this in the 90s and didn’t like it. Reading the notes encouraged me to buy a small bottle, as I’ve trained my nose… but it still doesn’t quite work for me. Understanding the notes doesn’t mean you’ll like it. I don’t detect the mandarin or lemon; it’s not citrus. The opening is sweet due to the peach and perhaps anise-like from the patchouli or an undeclared anise. Additionally, it’s powdery; that dusty note makes it vintage. There’s a faint floral, possibly water lily, followed by sandalwood that persists until the end. No melon or pineapple, though a sweetness envelops the dusty wood. On me, it lasts 5-6 hours with moderate sillage. I see it as suitable for fresh days, for women over 30; it smells of a lady, I find it hard to wear, though it could be unisex.

What if I told you I fell in love?… I met this years ago with a miniature. I thought it was a rare, intense scent with a concentrated air freshener aftertaste. I preferred the ‘L’eau’ version. A few months ago, while cleaning the display case, I smelled it again and decided to try it on my hand. Every couple of days I’d bring it closer because there was no need to apply it directly to my nose; it smelled good from a distance, but up close it was much more appreciable. That scent became addictive; I bought 30ml to enjoy it on my hand and ended up using it several times this summer until I bought 50ml because I love it. I won’t describe it in notes because it needs to be tried multiple times. I define it as fruity-floral: on me, melon, peach, lotus flower, and water lily stand out; I detect nothing of the citrus or mimosa. The result is a bulbous, distinguished scent (it smells like a classy person). Who would I recommend it to? Someone seeking something different, with a notable personality and a desire to go against the grain. In my opinion, it’s long-lasting, with huge sillage for the first 30-40 minutes, then dropping to moderate for another 4-5 hours.

I’ve always said Cacharel makes lovely fragrances at a good price. Here, despite having a vintage aroma that initially overwhelms, it’s worth giving it a chance. It’s a super complex scent; if you read the notes, it’s hard to differentiate them. But once you get used to it, I detect the neroli enhanced by the valley lily and the lotus flower, all powdery with sandalwood. It’s a scent that brings back memories, very vintage, yet rich. I understand they use it to air freshen; I wouldn’t wear it myself either, but it’s so unusual that it captivates; it deserves more than a Chanel No. 5. It’s not a blind buy, be careful. Eden is not a magical forest, but it’s a lovely lake in the middle of the woods.

Absolutely overwhelming. It would have been a summer Rumba by Ted Lapidus in its time; today it’s reserved for winter and autumn. Sharp neroli with lots of patchouli; it’s not fresh, don’t be fooled by the image. The melon note is very present, making it almost medicinal and syrupy. It’s like wearing a coat; I sensed it on a lady walking in a very heavy cloud of Eden, strong and imposing, an unmistakable perfume.

Finally, I tried this perfume by chance in a shop. I was super excited about the reviews, but the truth is I was hugely disappointed, to the point where I laughed because it was so wild. The only thing I felt was very strong patchouli, a smell of herbs but not a fairy forest as claimed. It’s a green perfume but not as I thought, somewhat overwhelming, a bit bitter. I clearly wouldn’t buy it 🙁

I love it! It’s one of my favourites, vintage and super powdery, smelling of old makeup. Ideal for summer or spring evenings; it lasts three days on clothes, skin, and hair. You can tell a lot with just one spray; it’s a gem. When it dries, it smells of paint and green melon, so don’t buy it blindly! You either love it or hate it. I adore it; it’s more talcum-powdered and fresher than Lou Lou.

It’s endearing and brings back memories of my childhood, perhaps of my grandmother or mother. I can’t stand the overpowering scent that won’t wash off even with a shower, so I never wear it as a perfume. I apply it to the bathroom towels or as an air freshener; it lasts until I wash them, and when I enter, it transports me back to my childhood without suffering its potency on the skin.

My dear Eden, I’m writing to you again because we’ve finally understood each other. Reconciliation wasn’t easy; I went through stages of burnt plastic, lacquer, and adhesives, until one day you stopped irritating me and I felt pleasant. I started scrutinising you, and I tell you: you’re not easy, but once you’re tamed, you’re fascinating. You are a wild forest with otherworldly vegetation, intense green, with that mossy, humid microclimate, yet also sweet and sticky like sugar. Patchouli and woods give it a mystical touch. In short, you’re a gem I hated and now adore.

Ays of Cacharel, how well you used to do things and how you’ve come down in the world. This perfume is a delight from when things were made as God intended. It’s a blend of notes I can’t distinguish but it’s tannnn delicious. It’s exactly as advertised: a paradise locked in a plain bottle and a psychedelic box. Incomprehensible projection and unburnable longevity. Along with Lou Lou and Anais Anais (the unrefurbished one), it’s the best of Cacharel, far ahead of everything else. Long life to this wonderful otherworldly paradise!

I would like it to smell of humidity as people say, and I understand it can be interpreted as a wet fruit, even an overly ripe one, which I wouldn’t mind. But the slight touch of talcum powder makes this smell to me like a strawberry stick (the candy).