Jean Paul Gaultier Classique Eau Fraiche

One of the women’s fragrance samples that I picked up recently is an entry from Jean Paul Gaultier. This is a summertime edition of Gaultier Classique, Eau Fraiche. In this post, I am going to break down what it smells like, how it performs, and whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does Gaultier Eau Fraiche Smell Like?

Notes include: sorbet, vanilla, sugar, musk, orange blossom, jasmine, tiare, and ginger

Click here to try: Jean Paul Gaultier Classique (Betty Boop) Eau Fraiche Eau De Toilette Spray 100ml/3.4oz

My Full Review

Just to be clear from the start, this is a review of JPG Classique Eau Fraiche with the Betty Boop logo on the bottle. There are seemingly 50 different variations of Gaultier Classique and so it can get quite confusing as to which is which…even when they can be almost the exact same fragrance.

Okay, so the opening of this perfume is a sweet blend of the floral notes. What I detect from right out of the gate are the jasmine, tiare, and orange blossom notes with some musk thrown in. Maybe, a slight ginger kick.

To me, it’s almost an inversion of the note structure. I get more floral notes up front. Then, the sorbet and sugary sweetness really come on.

It is a good deal like what I remember the original JPG Classique smelling like. It’s a pretty powerful opening and immediately hits you as to what sort of fragrance you’re going to get here.

As it dries down, the sweeter aspect of this scent gets stronger and takes the center stage. The lemon sorbet adds to the sweet vibe but the citrus keeps Eau Fraiche in its intended summertime category.

It is sugary and refreshing with a creamy vanilla note which only adds to its appeal and balance. So, you have this sweet and somewhat musky blend that is really feminine and confident.

The floral notes are still present the further along, but it’s more of a musky vanilla and sugared blend, versus being completely dominated by flowers.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Classique Eau Fraiche, struck me as being pretty powerful. Before I even wore any on my skin, I sprayed it on a shirt hanging in a closet, and could smell it when walking down the hallway.

That sillage is a monster with the trail that it can leave in your wake, especially in tat first hour.

It does mellow out as it moves through the wear, but it can feel like an absolute bomb upon first application. When in doubt, go light with it and see how it reacts to your skin.

Longevity here is also excellent. This is an all day wear in my opinion, it was definitely over 8 hours of performance. I lost track of time, but I dare say, that it got to double digit hours. Great.

It’s not one to go super far into double digits on skin, but on clothes it’ll be days of strength.

In terms of the versatility, this could be worn casually or for a night on the town. As a man, I actually think that this perfume is sexy, and that it is really appealing. I found myself wanting to get another sniff of the aroma it produced.

Not a formal or office sort of scent, but for most everything else, Classique Eau Fraiche works well.

Eau Fraiche is also one for the spring and summer months specifically, but I don’t think it’d be bad during the winter either.

Overall Impressions of Classique Eau Fraiche

Overall, do I recommend Jean Paul Gaultier Classique Eau Fraiche? Absolutely. I think that it smells really good, is sexy, and gives a great performance. Now, it is a really sugary sweet type of fragrance, but not in a teenage girl perfume kind of way.

It’s more mature and musky, but if sweet scents aren’t your thing, I’d look elsewhere.

I really like the lemon sorbet, orange blossom, and vanilla. It comes together to be sweet and creamy, while maintaining a light, fun, and summery aroma. 

This is a pretty heavy scent to wear. As such, it can get on your nerves, especially if you’re sensitive to these sorts of perfumes. With the name, Eau Fraiche, I was expecting something a bit lighter and fresher. But, it’s still well worth a try.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.