As springtime draws closer, many houses are proposing lighter, refreshing variations on their fragrances. Both Chloé and Thierry Mugler, for instance, are featuring fresh eaus. And we’ve tested them for you.

To begin with, you’re bound to like the L’Eau de Chloé’s color code. Both the ribbon gracing the bottle and the new juice, signed Michel Almairac, flaunt a bright, spring-like shade of green. As for the scent itself, unlike what you might expect from both the name and the hue, it’s neither a green scent nor a moist floral.

The idea was actually to work a ‘lemonade’ note. The citrus opening’s hint of spice will make your mouth water. Rose, Chloe’s emblematic flower, is there of course, but it has a sweet, cocooning feel to it, thanks to a perfectly controlled touch of patchouli.

For Thierry Mugler, revisiting Womanity was a bit of a dare. On the one hand, there were the women who hated the original, which was too out-there for them… And on the other, there were those who worried that a reformulated flanker would turn their new pet scent into something ordinary. They needn’t have worried, even though it is true that Womanity Eau pour Elles (the new eau’s name) isn’t as sassy as its elder. But oddly enough, while the eau seems gentler at the top and at the base… it has kept the unique salty-sharp signature at its heart.

Reworked by Christine Nagel and Serge Majoullier, the fragrance introduces new notes like strawberry, and creamier and more crystalline facets… as well as a lightly soapy effect. Overall, the effect is sweet and subtle.

Are these eaus more interesting than the originals? It’s up to you to say. But you can be sure they are going to be making some women happy this spring!

Do you ever prefer a flanker to an original perfume?