In the UK we’re all walking around in a daze. The sun is out, it’s warm and there hasn’t been any rain in at least 48 hours. People are whispering to each other; “could it be?”, they ask; “I’m not sure”, they say. The ‘s’ word is on everybody’s lips but no-one dare say it. Could it really be summer? Maybe. The sun is out and the temperature is rising, but we did have rain, snow and hail last week, so perhaps we should wait before cracking out the shorts and sunscreen. I’m not ready to call it quite yet, folks, but I have an inkling that ‘s’ may be on its way…

For me, the summer season mean one thing: cologne. There is nothing better on a hot day than a generous spritz of a refreshing eau de cologne, except a water fight perhaps, but those are harder to come by in one’s old age. As far as colognes go, there is no beating Cologne Indélébile, the everlasting cyber-cologne created by perfumer Dominique Ropion for Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle. Cologne Indélébile squeezes lemons the size of the sun into its bottle, boasting metallic freshness, hay-like neroli and a whirlwind of technical musks to keep it going up & up, and on & on. It’s a marvel of perfumery and now there’s a new way to make it last even longer.

This summer Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle are launching an accompanying Body Wash and Body Milk to the Cologne Indélébile, promoting the idea that to make your cologne truly everlasting, it’s best to layer up! So before spritzing on twenty sprays of Cologne Indélébile (something I am often guilty of), one can lather up in a deluge of delicately soft bubbles scented with Malle’s neo-cologne, before then smoothing on a moisturising layer of the Body Milk and then finally, spraying on the fragrance to finish. By building layers of the scent on the skin, one can dial back on the sprayer a bit so that Cologne Indélébile really can last longer than the average British summer.

I’m picky when it comes to shower gels, it must be said. To me, a good body wash consists of three elements; firstly, it should be well-scented, but not overpoweringly so with a pleasant fragrance; and secondly, it should have a soft and silky texture, not gloopy or overtly viscous; and finally, it should lather up into lots of bubbles. If a shower product meets all three of these criteria, then it’s pretty damn good.

So how does the Cologne Indélébile Body Wash fair when it comes to the trifecta of shower gel greatness? Pretty well, I must say. The scent is immediately recognisable, but in the body wash format, the hay-like sunniness of the neroli and the metallic edges of the lemon are amplified, creating a truly refreshing smell that fills the room. It has a soft texture to it and it lathers up without creating an excess of bubbles.

The Cologne Indélébile Body Wash is the foundation layer so the trail of scent it leaves is relatively subtle, but it is quite impressive when compared with other shower gels. I know this because I had told the husband not to use the Body Wash until I had taken some photos of it first. I think he thought he could get away with ignoring these instructions but he was quickly rumbled when he walked past me and I could detect a whiff, nay a steamy cloud of Cologne Indélébile surrounding him like a halo (a halo of shame). There’s an endorsement for you!

So now that one is squeaky clean and suitably refreshed, it’s time to; a) lotion up; and b) get dressed – up steps the Cologne Indélébile Body Milk. This product 2is not only soft, silky and moisturising, it’s also heavily scented with hay-like neroli, musk and lemons. It’s delightful and unlike many scented body products, it isn’t oily or greasy and soaks into the skin nicely. The Body Milk provides a nice base to lock in the fragrance once it is applied on top, speaking of spritzing, that is our third and final step. So let’s spritz away!

As a person with an experimental mind, I tested out the theory that showering, moisturising and spraying  gives a more present, long-lasting scented experience, without having to overdo it with the Eau de Parfum. First and foremost, it was enjoyable to dedicate such a ritual to one fragrance, especially one so clean and uplifting. I really felt like I was giving in to Cologne Indélébile for the whole day. So, did this long lasting cologne last longer? It did. I felt like it was more present for longer and that it was somehow warmer and more complex. The other plus is that the Body Wash is subtle enough to go under any fragrance and the Body Milk is powerful enough to wear solo. Consider me sold! Now I want the Geranium Pour Monsieur range…

Availability

The Cologne Indélébile Body Wash (€40/200ml) and Body Milk (€65/200ml) launch this summer.

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Disclaimer
Samples and info via Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle. Images are my own.