I've not smelled the original Drop from 2021, although it looks like it'd be right up my alley—lilac, powdery notes, fresh musks? What's not to like?
The only reason I own the Essentielle flanker is an eBay seller offered a deal I couldn't refuse on a 100 ml bottle, so there you have it. All three of Miyake's Drops feature a prominent lilac note, my favorite floral in nature and perfume, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with any of them. Essentielle is beautiful and ethereal, with a lovely lilting lilac accord that permeates the entire structure, but I'm struck by one undeniable reality: it smells a helluva lot like the original Tommy Girl (Calice Becker, 1996).
It's like the perfumer took an unused Tommy Girl mod, swapped lilac in for green tea, and amped up the synthetic green magnolia accord. Smells great, albeit softer and a little better quality than its nineties progenitor.
Very Saturday-at-the-mall casual, but good stuff!