DIPTYQUE
Les Essences – Corail Oscuro

2024

PERFUMER
Alexandra Carlin

mandarin
floral notes
mineral notes
rose bourbon absolute

‘Corail Oscuro is a tribute to coral, a true treasure of nature. The crystalline effervescence of mandarin meets rose bourbon absolute and a warm, salty mineral accord. A potent fragrance with a lingering sillage, its name evoking the contrast between the fiery red of coral and the darkness of the sea bed. Like a tree spreading itself over the bed of the lagoon, coral fans out across the bottle in black lines, and across the sleeve in watercolor.’ – Diptyque

Corail Oscuro is an interesting fragrance, albeit, not one that I love. It’s probably my least favorite of the 4 Les Essences that I’ve tried, maybe tied with Lilyphea, which wears nicer, but is arguably even less to my taste.

It opens dewy, green. In a sense I found it quite traditionally masculine leaning, which was a surpris. To me, this smells like a bell pepper or some sort of other pepper (someone referenced jalapeno on Fragrantica) from start to finish. It has that distinct, green, spicy, almost vegetal aspect that sticks out. People have been comparing Corail Oscuro a lot to Kyoto (2021) for this reason; I’ve only smelled Kyoto in stores, so I can’t really comment on the similarities.

It’s a pretty airy, but harsh wear; along the same lines as Lunamaris from this collection; I find the two to have a similar feel and wearing experience in the first hours, although I much prefer Lunamaris’ scent.

As it dries down that vegetal skin turns into suede or some sort of soft, muted leather. Overall, not bad, quite interesting, but definitely not one of my favorites.