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There isn’t much I can say about the crisp corporate floral Cristalle that hasn’t already been said. It is a lovely and feminine, yet also very terse fragrance, with standout notes of lemon and honeysuckle. Not much stands in the way of those two sharp notes, much like few people would stand in the way of a well-postured businesswoman wearing black clacking heels. That being said, though, it isn’t a happy fragrance. There’s something wistful about Cristalle, as if it were nostalgic for the passion of its younger years.
The eau de parfum is the one I am talking about here, designed by Jacques Polge in 1993. I don’t know if they reformulated the eau de toilette since Henri Robert designed it in 1974, but it is kind of disappointing. Maybe this is because the lower percentage of perfume oil doesn’t allow for the depth of effect. Cristalle EDT is sharp, but it only seems to have those two notes.
Cristalle Eau Verte, designed by Jacques Polge in 2009, is an entirely different story. Like Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere, it was made to freshen up a classic. Eau Verte is a very pink grapefruit smell. It’s nice and sunny and floral. But there isn’t much else to it. Someone dissected Cristalle and took out the green. There’s also very little citrus, and whatever citrus it does contain is inauthentic and smells of drain cleaner. There’s no charm. Cristalle is the nostalgic businesswoman, and Eau Verte is the maid.
Price Range: Moderately Expensive
Recommended Occasion: Moderately Dressy
Cristalle Rating: 7
Eau Verte Rating: 2
