Some time ago, I discovered the collection of L’Artisan Parfumeur and I was immediately enthralled by several of their fragrances including the one I’ve chosen for this review: L’Eau du Navigateur.
Since the current information has this fragrance being discontinued (editor’s note: this is a product that has had on-and-off availability in the US, so this may simply be a temporary removal from the market to determine future demand), reviewing now may seem belated save for those who have been hesitant about a blind-buy purchase. This entry may hold some sway over the tendency to undertake that purchase.
L'Artisan Parfumeur L'Eau du Navigateur (1978)
L’Artisan Parfumeur L’Eau du Navigateur (1978): While the vintage of this fragrance would suggest it being characteristic of the late 1970′s, complete with the trappings of scents of that period, I can state with honesty that Navigateur is as relevant now in the context of the woody/spicy genre as it would ever have been, and compares very competitively with other scents that border on the wood/tobacco/leather theme. The nose for this fragrance is the late Jean Laporte, also the founder of Maître Parfumeur et Gantier, who passed away in November.
The notes for this reviewer were simply exquisite: In no particular order, this fragrance is composed of coffee notes, spices, incense, resins, rum, woody notes, floral notes, tobacco and leather. Expect a scent with depth based on the ingredient list, and that’s precisely what you’ll experience. All of them are present in the composition at any time, but it’s the tobacco that tends to win out over time, mixed with the incense, resins and woods. The leather is a subtle hint, but it provides a nice background and canvas for the other notes to feed from. At the top, there is a hint of rum, not in an alcoholic fashion. This blends with the coffee, albeit briefly, and the spices that suggest the worldly characteristic the fragrance looks to inspire. Those floral notes that exist are carefully blended and muted such that they don’t conflict with the scent, only lending it softness and balance.
Navigateur is unmistakably masculine. There is no chance that I could envision this on a woman, nor is it a scent that portrays feminity in any way. It captures the essence of an old sitting room with well-worn leather furnishings, the tobacco aroma wafting about, and the unmistakable smell of coffee and rum mixed into the surroundings, a hard and resinous wood smell distinguishable.
Longevity and projection are slight downsides to this fragrance. As an eau de toilette strength, this is to be expected, however. I found that the longevity against skin was solid over the course of a full-day, but projection deteriorated after the first 3-4 hours. All of that stated, I’ll explain more in the verdict of the review.
Results: 4.5/5. Highly recommended. I’m reserving this from being a pure 5/5 based largely on the projection shortfalls. If you look beyond that and can enjoy it as a very personal experience and one more intimate to the wearer, you may find this as I did.
Bottom-Line: L’Eau du Navigateur is truly an intoxicating and exquisitely composed fragrance, one of the highlights of the L’Artisan Perfumeur collection in my view. For those with a preference toward woody/spicy/resinous fragrances, or those who desire the combination of tobacco and leather in a balanced scent, this is without question a fragrance you will want and a clear blind-buy recommendation provided the caveats I’ve listed above for longevity and projection. If tobacco/leather/woody/spicy scents are not your profile, this would not be a safe blind-buy.
L’Eau du Navigateur has the capacity for being a very timeless classic. It would be tragic if L’Artisan didn’t recognize that.
Editor’s Note: Scentrist will be off for the Christmas Holiday, the next updates will appear on December 26th, in time for Boxing Day in the UK and Canada. We wish everyone Season’s Greetings!
I'm Andrew Buck, the man behind the words. I'm a published author, project management practitioner for over 20 years, work on Wall Street, and am a fragrance aficionado. I've had a passion for fragrance for 30+ years, and enjoy trying scents and adding to an expanding and rotating collection for some time now. This site is dedicated not only to fragrance, but also to the notion that quality matters now more than ever. 
