Gabrielle’s Worst Nightmare: Blandness

I distinctly remember when the original Gabrielle was launched and how hyped it was, only to fall flat almost immediately after release. The issues with the original Gabrielle are extended into L’Eau as well, if not exacerbated.

The opening of L’Eau is a rush of very crisp, fresh, and luminous notes. It’s both green and slightly fruity in a narcotic-berry kind of way. It’s actually very pretty at its start, but that doesn’t last terribly long. As it dries down it becomes a fresh, clean, white musk laden, floral-laundry scent. It’s cottony and fresh, but it also sticks to your nose in an unpleasant way.

Like the original Gabrielle, it just does not stand out in any conceivable way. It doesn’t do anything different that hasn’t been done better by other compositions. Is it the ugliest scent in the world? No absolutely not, not even close to it. I am positive it has its fans and I’m happy they love it. But it IS a very bland and creatively bankrupt composition from a house that can and should do better.