Acqua di Parma Colonia and Pleasures of Colognes

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Patricia on Acqua di Parma Colonia and other citrus favorites, from Parfums de Nicolai and Annick Goutal to The Different Company and Guerlain. 

Colonia by Acqua di Parma is a fragrance with a past. Created in 1916 as the first fragrance of a small perfume factory in Parma, Italy, it was first used to scent the handkerchiefs that men carried with them at the time. Later it was the darling of worldwide celebrities seeking Italian chic in the early and mid twentieth century. Acqua di Parma then fell on hard times but was revived, along with Colonia, in the 1990s.

acqua-di-parma

I must confess a partiality for aromatic citrus fragrances. Like one who works out real-life problems at night through recurring dreams (being caught unprepared for an examination is a personal favorite), I repeatedly buy citrus colognes very similar in nature, the most recent of which is Colonia, purchased on a hot sunny September afternoon in the South of France.

Colonia opens with a blast of realistic lemon, like the best-quality, tart, lip-puckering lemon drop imaginable. Almost immediately, the lavender and rosemary are faintly discernable, grounding the citrus with a touch of earthiness. As the cologne wears, the lemon softens and the herbs start to dominate, along with a soft and pleasing rose.

The dry down is woods, amber, and a faint hint of oakmoss, lending substance and making this citrus wearable outside of the dog days of summer. Longevity is average for a perfume, but good for a cologne. I put it to a wrist-to-wrist test against Annick Goutal’s Mandragore, and I could discern faint traces of Colonia on my skin long after the Mandragore had vanished.

Perhaps each citrus fragrance in my collection brings something a little different to the table. Bergamote (formerly Divine Bergamote), created by Jean-Claude Ellena for The Different Company, is a lovely transparent bergamot and ginger citrus perfume. It reminds me most of Chanel’s Cristalle Eau Verte, which with white flowers and minus the ginger, shares the same light, refreshing quality. They are both easily worn in the hottest weather and  stand up well to humidity.

L’Eau Chic and Eau d’Été, both by Parfums de Nicolaï, are colognes scented with geranium and mint and cinnamon and sweet musk respectively. Eau de Guerlain throws caraway, carnation, and oakmoss into the citrus mix. In another favorite, Bvlgari Eau Parfumée au The Vert, also by Ellena, the lemony green tea is spiked with coriander and cardamom.

Yuzu Rouge by Parfums 06130 is a fruity citrus, with yuzu, grapefruit, and black current, making it as refreshing as an iced summer punch. The Queen of the grapefruit citruses must surely be Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune by Guerlain, a sweet/tart grapefruit concoction that is so realistic wearing it is like pushing a serrated grapefruit spoon into a juicy Ruby Red and inhaling the spray.

I’m always open to more cologne recommendations, if you have any favorites.

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80 Comments

  • Cornelia Blimber: Acqua di Parma has another fabulous cologne, my favourite: Colonia Intensa, bitter with a touch of leather.
    If yoy want longevity: Eau de Rochas, loved by many of us!
    Refined refreshment is for me Osmanthus by The Different Company.
    And my all time favourites are L’Eau de Cologne du Coq and Imperiale, Guerlain. Nothing beats Guerlain in my view, save Equipage by Hermes and Pour Monsieur by Chanel.
    I remember fondly Eau de Mûre MPG and Sanguine Muskissime MPG, but did not rebuy them. July 24, 2014 at 7:20am Reply

    • Patricia: Hi Cornelia, What a great list! I own the Rochas and Guerlain and love them. I have (or used to have) a sample of Osmanthus and remember liking it but will have to find it to refresh my memory.

      Colonia Intensa will definitely go on my to-try list…you had me at bitter and leather! July 24, 2014 at 7:47am Reply

  • Andy: Interesting that you love a cologne.

    I like spices and bitter citrus (so most of JC Ellena’s) in summer time because they last longer than the AdP style zesties and give off a dirty hot summer vibe.

    Have you tried Byredo’s Sunday Cologne? I find it very wearable and easy going.

    Alas Pamplelune goes cat piss on me after an hour! July 24, 2014 at 7:35am Reply

    • Patricia: Andy, I’ve loved cologne since childhood and I appropriated my father’s bottle of Royall Lyme that he brought home from a tropical vacation.

      Haven’t tried Sunday Cologne but just read that the notes include cardamom and star anise…sounds unusual and worth a try.

      Thankfully I don’t get the cat piss in Pamplelune that so many others experience! July 24, 2014 at 8:06am Reply

      • Cornelia Blimber: Do we have two Andy’s, or are you the Andy of tea and botanica ? July 24, 2014 at 8:15am Reply

        • Andy: No, Cornelia, it looks like there’s two of us! 🙂 July 24, 2014 at 12:02pm Reply

      • Chris: I heard this cat-pee-reference regarding Pamplelune and other grapefruit centered perfumes quite often. This might be related to natural traces of sulfur in grapefruit oil in the reaction with the skin flora. Otherwise I love Guerlains Pamplelune.

        And don’t forget Hermes Eau de Pamplemousse Rose. I would like to drink this zesty refreshing lemonade. July 24, 2014 at 10:17am Reply

        • Patricia: Interesting about the sulphur.

          The combination of grapefruit and rose sounds very appealing. I don’t know how I’ve gone this long without trying it! July 24, 2014 at 2:09pm Reply

  • Anne of Green Gables: This summer, I’m using Osmanthe Yunnan and Rose Ikebana in rotation. They’re not really classical colognes but they’re light enough to be worn as colognes and one spritz lasts whole day on me. I’m quite fond of grapefruit and it’s rendered very nicely in Rose Ikebana. I don’t know why but Pamplelune didn’t work for me. I got a huge bottle of Cedar and Grapefruit Cologne by Durance for my birthday present last year. It’s very simple, uncomplicated and doesn’t last but I like to douse myself after shower. Although I don’t own them, I also like other Hermes colognes. I haven’t tried DC Bergamote so thanks for mentioning it. I love ginger! July 24, 2014 at 8:19am Reply

    • Patricia: Hi Anne, I must try Rose Ikebana. Now that I can no longer eat grapefruit, I have to satisfy my grapefruit cravings through perfume 🙂

      Ginger is another favorite note and one I haven’t found often in fragrances. It is so refreshing on a hot summer’s day. July 24, 2014 at 8:32am Reply

      • Anne of Green Gables: Oh no, why can’t you eat grapefruit anymore? I’m sorry to hear that. I LOVE grapefruit. The combination of sweet, bitter and sour taste/smell is always fascinating, like a nice suspended chord in music. I’m craving for freshly squeezed pink grape fruit juice now!

        I also love yuzu as I grew up drinking yuzu tea. Yuzu Rouge has been on my radar for a while but I still haven’t managed to aquire a sample. Oyedo is often mentioned as a yuzu fragrance but it really doesn’t smell like one to my nose. The weird candy-like note ruins it for me. July 24, 2014 at 9:03am Reply

        • Patricia: Grapefruit reacts adversely with a medication I take :-(. I miss it terribly and there is no good substitute.

          Yuzu Rouge is just delightful…one of my favorite summer chill-out fragrances. Haven’t tried Oyedo. July 24, 2014 at 9:54am Reply

          • Anne of Green Gables: That’s really sad… I don’t know what kind of condition you have but I hope that you could eat grapefruits again in the future. Please do try Oyedo. I don’t like it myself but I think it’s a very unusual citrus perfume. July 25, 2014 at 8:13am Reply

            • Patricia: Thank you! I will give Oyedo a try. July 25, 2014 at 8:55am Reply

              • Elisa: I have heard that what grapefruit does is make some medications *more* effective, so it screws with the dose. You could perhaps eat grapefruit if you don’t do it near in time to when you take your medication; I’d ask your doctor.

                Also, I love Oyedo! To me it smells like lime and there aren’t very many lime fragrances, but there is a bit of a gummi candy note. July 25, 2014 at 10:50am Reply

    • rainboweyes: I’m wearing Osmanthe Yunnan and Rose Ikebana a lot too! Actually, RI joined my to-buy list thanks to your recommendation, Anne. It’s so lovely and fresh!
      Eau de Gentiane Blanche gets a lot of wearing too. And AP Ananas Fizz which technically isn’t a cologne but it’s another very light and refreshing scent. July 24, 2014 at 8:33am Reply

      • Patricia: I’m definitely going to have to make a trip to my local Hermes. The SAs there are pretty tight-fisted, but the samples themselves are generous in size! July 24, 2014 at 8:46am Reply

      • Anne of Green Gables: I’m so glad to hear that, rainboweyes. I was actually thinking of you as I was writing the comment as we talked about these two perfumes already. I’m wearing RI today. 🙂 I actually didn’t like it at first because I was expecting a more realistic rose perfume but I slowly fell in love with it. I also like its sister Eau de Pamplemousse Rose but since I can’t buy everything I ended up including RI in my coffret collection purchase. You know, I was actually ashamed of loving RI because it’s not as interesting or distinctive as other Hermessence collection. But once I realised how happy it makes me feel and that’s what really matters, I’m thorougly enjoying it. Eau de Gentiane Blanche is so unusual, isn’t it? I haven’t tried Ananas Fizz. Is it very sweet? July 24, 2014 at 9:16am Reply

        • rainboweyes: I don’t perceive Ananas Fizz as overly sweet, to me it smells primarily fresh and fruity, with a light woody base note. Not a masterpiece really but a nice everyday summer scent. It remindes me of MP&G Bahiana which is less sweet.
          Actually, the fact that Rose Ikebana is NOT a realistic rose was the reason why I finally fell in love with it 😉 July 24, 2014 at 1:57pm Reply

          • Anne of Green Gables: Thanks for the description AF. I can see that RI could appeal to people who usually don’t like conventional rose fragrances. I started appreciating RI once I accepted that it’s meant to be an abstract rose. BTW, I changed my moisturiser to SantaVerde creme light and I’m loving it (although it’s quite pricey)! Thanks for your recommendation. 🙂 July 25, 2014 at 8:18am Reply

            • rainboweyes: I’m using SantaVerde light now too! It’s great in the summer, isn’t it? I’m glad you like it 🙂 July 28, 2014 at 7:32am Reply

  • Sandra: Thanks for this great article.
    I enjoy eau de cologne by Chanel.
    Also has a lemon opening-
    My husband thinks it smells like a household cleaner- but I am not wearing it to please him!
    One thing I do love about the Eau De Cologne is you can layer it with all the other scents in the collection. Sometimes I layer it with 1932 or Beige.
    I own the small travel size bottle , but could easily own the huge one! Makes me feel fresh on these humid east coast summer days. When I take it out of NYC and to the suburbs it smells stronger and completely different. July 24, 2014 at 9:10am Reply

    • Patricia: Thank you, Sandra. So interesting that the Chanel Cologne smells different in the suburbs. I wonder why?

      That’s great you’ve found something that helps in this humidity. Sounds like you need a bigger bottle! July 24, 2014 at 9:43am Reply

      • Sandra: Probably because it’s competing with all the NYC smells 🙂
        not too much fresh air July 24, 2014 at 10:14am Reply

        • Patricia: 🙂 July 24, 2014 at 2:10pm Reply

  • Annette Reynolds: Hi Patricia. I’m always on the search for the perfect cologne (for me, that is). I’d found one years and years ago (Prince Matchabelli’s Sun Shower), but it was discontinued and my life’s never been the same. 🙁

    Then I discovered Myrurgia’s “Le Bain Natural” concentrated cologne and I was ecstatic. There was a similarity to “Sun Shower” that I can no longer explain. Discontinued, of course.

    Finally, I found one that I thought would never go away: Berdoues’ 1902 EdC Naturelle. It came in a huge splash bottle and I was happily buying it online (as it wasn’t readily available in the U.S.) until – yes – they DISCONTINUED IT. (What’s passing for this classic now doesn’t smell anything like the original.)

    Since I still have a couple of those big bottles, I’m still using that.

    But here are a few (that I’m sure you’ve already tried, but what the heck, I’ll mention them anyway) that are nice and that I’ve put into rotation this summer:

    Claus Porto’s “Musgo Real No. 3 Spiced Citrus” is a wonderful, long-lasting, bracing cologne. Goes quite masculine on me, but I like it nevertheless.

    Diptyque’s “L’Eau de L’Eau” is one I’ve only recently discovered, but I love the spicy sweetness of it.

    Another one I’ve tried (much more lemony) is “Agua de Colonia Concentrada” by Alvarez Gomez (Spain).

    Good luck! July 24, 2014 at 10:54am Reply

    • Patricia: Hi Annette, Isn’t it so frustrating how perfume companies seem to discontinue their best fragrances?

      Thanks so much for your recommendations. I haven’t tried any of them and would like to, except perhaps for the Claus Porto. If it goes masculine, it probably would be one I’d enjoy more on other people. July 24, 2014 at 11:30am Reply

    • robin: Hi Annette, I have Sun Shower and I recently acquired a vintage bottle of Jean Nate spray cologne from the late 70s or early 80s – it smells exactly like Sun Shower. I’m now pretty sure that Sun Shower by Prince Matchabelli was a copycat of old Jean Nate cologne, which became very popular in the late 60s/early 70s as people became obsessed with lemon perfumes. (I believe modern Jean Nate smells different from the vintage stuff…) January 15, 2016 at 5:19pm Reply

  • Lynley: I also love colognes and find them essential for surviving our long hot summers in West Australia. I love pretty much everything JCE and have about 15 of his light, colognish creations (voyage, terre, the jardins, the cologne series, etc) with more on the to-buy list. In addition: Guerlain Imperiale cologne and Du 68
    Caron Eau de Reglisse and Les Plus Belles Lavandes (lavender- just like it says on the bottle 😉 )
    Marc Jacobs Bang
    Dior Escale a Portofino and Eau Savauge
    Clarins Eau Dynamisante
    O de Lancome
    L’Occitane verbena
    And a big bottle of 4711 in the fridge!
    Ok so not all of these are colognes, but with the JCE collection too, I didn’t realize how big my summer cooling collection was! July 24, 2014 at 11:13am Reply

    • Patricia: Wow, Lynley, that is quite a collection!

      Like you I have a number of the JCEs. No full bottles, but two Jardins in travel size and decants and samples of many others.

      Another nice summer citrus is the now-discontinued Coconut and Lime Verbena by Bath and Body Works. I bought mine online several years ago, but am not sure how easily it can be found these days. It would be a nice one for the fridge, too! July 24, 2014 at 11:48am Reply

      • Elisa: I’m surprised they DC’ed that one because I think it was very popular. Heeley Cocobello smells very similar but is obviously wayyyy more expenso! July 24, 2014 at 12:51pm Reply

        • Patricia: Yup. Heeley prices are up there. I’ve sampled, but never bought. July 24, 2014 at 2:12pm Reply

      • Lynley: Gee it looks like lots written down doesn’t it.. :-/
        I have become an expert at not paying retail prices if I can help it at least 🙂
        We dont have Bath & Body Works here, although I’m sure it’s just a matter of time… July 24, 2014 at 1:09pm Reply

        • Patricia: Good for you for finding bargains. They are out there, but sometimes I’m too impatient once I’ve decided to buy something to do the work necessary to find them! July 24, 2014 at 2:15pm Reply

  • Ariadne: I love the longevity of the Atelier colognes. Lemon ice soothes me during the sultry summer heat waves and talk about big bottles of citrus as a teen I used to set my hair in rollers with Jean Nate! July 24, 2014 at 11:17am Reply

    • Patricia: Hah! I well remember Jean Nate, but think I used Dippitty-Do when setting my hair 🙂

      I agree that the Atelier Colognes are long lasting. At 18% they should be! Which one is your favorite? July 24, 2014 at 11:57am Reply

      • AndreaR: Jean Nate was THE summer scent when I was growing up in SoCal. Think I still have dents on my head from sleeping in rollers:-) July 24, 2014 at 3:47pm Reply

        • Patricia: Or dents in your hair from using foam rollers 🙂 July 24, 2014 at 7:11pm Reply

  • Elisa: I’m the opposite, I almost never buy citrus colognes! On the rare days when I want something like that, I usually go for Eau Dynamisante. I do love grapefruit scents which are almost a different category. I believe I sent you a smidge of my favorite, L’eau Mixte. July 24, 2014 at 11:24am Reply

    • Patricia: Yes, you did, and I very much enjoyed it!

      If not citrus, what (if any) type of fragrance do you tend to overindulge in? 🙂 July 24, 2014 at 1:34pm Reply

      • Elisa: I probably have too many ambery orientals and patchouli gourmands, but oh well, I wear them all! July 25, 2014 at 10:53am Reply

        • Patricia: Then you have just enough 🙂 July 25, 2014 at 1:12pm Reply

  • Mary K: I am wearing Acqua d Parma Colonia today. I think it works well in warm weather. I get quite a bit of lavender from it. July 24, 2014 at 12:10pm Reply

    • Patricia: The more times I wore it, the more I noticed the lavender, especially in the dry down. July 24, 2014 at 1:44pm Reply

  • Andy: I just realized that I have or am drawn to more citrusy scents than I thought. Au Thé Vert and the more smilingly cheery Arden Green Tea are favorites, along with Pampelune. Remembering Victoria’s Chamomile post the other day, I revisited some Fleur du Male (I don’t necessarily detect it, but I remember it purportedly having a chamomile note), which although not exactly fleeting, is based around the same sorts of citrus leaves/fruit/flowers materials that make up the basis of so many colognes. And I am quick to forget, the Atelier Cologne-s, so many of which I love, are based largely around the freshness of citrus, with variations in the floral and woodsy accents responsible for setting each one apart from the next. July 24, 2014 at 12:12pm Reply

    • Patricia: Thanks, Andy, for your on-point comment. If I went through my collection, I would find many other fragrances with citrus as their base.

      Ninfeo Mio by Annick Goutal comes immediately to mind, mixing lemon, galbanum, and fresh fig leaves into a refreshing combination. Not a universal favorite…but I love it. July 24, 2014 at 2:04pm Reply

      • Andy: Oh, that’s another! Ninfeo Mio is one of my favorite takes on fig. And so many of them (Womanity’s weird, pink-tinted lemon-or-is-it-grapefruit top notes come to mind) open up with some kind of citrus. July 24, 2014 at 2:30pm Reply

        • Patricia: I only gave Womanity one spritz, which isn’t much of a try, but found its weirdness too, well, weird for me!

          Glad you like NF, too. July 24, 2014 at 3:02pm Reply

  • Nikki: Lovely lists everybody! I would like to add Bulgari’s Eau du The Vert extreme, another JCE creation. I love it, and it is discontinued!

    I like Jean Nate a lot, such a nice citrus with cinnamon. I also have my colognes in the fridge for hot Arizona summers.

    4711 is always in my car and I spray it deliberately. I do like the Spanish colognes, too, their drydown is nice. I use Maja soaps.

    Fa used to have a cologne made of limes which was so refreshing! July 24, 2014 at 1:31pm Reply

    • Patricia: I need to try those Spanish colognes! July 24, 2014 at 2:05pm Reply

  • Austenfan: I love this post, and as it is hot here in Holland, it is very timely. I must have tried this one at some point and probably liked it. But owning so many cologne like fragrances I haven’t felt the need to purchase.

    Grapefruit is an odd sort of fruit in it’s interaction with medication. Not just one group but a whole lot of different groups of drugs.
    Some other grapefruit scents that I like are Balle de Match ( now called Eau des Sports) another excellent De Nicolaï,Yuzu Fou (Parfums d’Empire) and Histoires de Parfums 1873, which is somewhat similar to the gorgeous Pamplelune. No cat pee anywhere, I love it. July 24, 2014 at 2:47pm Reply

    • Patricia: Thanks, Austenfan!

      I will try your grapefruit suggestions. Must try to get it wherever and however I can 🙂

      Today is cool with low humidity here in the Boston area. Just lovely after many muggy days. July 24, 2014 at 7:14pm Reply

      • Austenfan: Our weather is going to calm down after today. I’m glad both my small garden and me need some cooler temperatures. Have a great weekend! July 25, 2014 at 6:29am Reply

        • Patricia: Thank you! Enjoy your gardening. July 25, 2014 at 8:58am Reply

  • Merlin: Since no one has mentioned it yet i’m going to put Concentre d’Orange Verte on the list.

    Also I’m wondering why Du Coq, Imperial and Cologne 68 are so popular while La Cologne du Parfumeur (done by Thierry Wasser) is very seldom mentioned. Though I have only tried it a few times at the Guerlain counter, it has always struck me as the most beautiful of all… July 24, 2014 at 3:06pm Reply

    • Merlin: And great review – now that I know Colonia has lavender I do need to try it. I like the Colonias but have been a little put off by my difficulty in distinguishing the names. There is Colonia and then the Intensa, the Assoluta, and an Essenza… July 24, 2014 at 3:27pm Reply

      • Patricia: Yes, I find it all rather confusing, too! July 24, 2014 at 7:15pm Reply

    • Cornelia Blimber: Thank you for mentioning Cologne du Parfumeur! I visited the Guerlain web site: it is on the same price as Eau de Fleurs de Cedrat, Mouchoir de Monsieur(lovely!!) etc..€ 85.
      Never saw it in a Guerlain corner, and it is not on the list from Douglas on line shop. I never heard of it. Strange!

      Anyway the only place for Guelain here in Amsterdam or Rotterdam is De Bijenkorf, and the Guerlaincorner there is shabby.
      There were plans for enlargement, but they found it too pricey. Instead the installed Tom Ford Private Line, Armani Privé, a huge corner Jo Malone, and some expensive Dolce & Gabbana. Grrrrr.
      Sorry for this effusion. I was carried away. July 24, 2014 at 5:10pm Reply

      • Merlin: As far as I know there is only one Guerlain counter in the country that stocks the more exclusive/unusual Guerlains. It was there that I tried this. When I inquired about buying, however, it seemed that it came in some preposterous size for several thousand rands (or hundreds of US dollars). I’v seen it for a better price, and a more appropriate volume on Amazon, but with customs, etc, I’m always afraid of overseas orders. Perhaps I’ll make inquiries at the Guerlain counter again as this one has impressive longevity and lovely floral notes along with the citrus. July 24, 2014 at 6:35pm Reply

        • Cornelia Blimber: Douglas Den Haag (The Hague) carries the exclusive Guerlains, I bought my Sous le Vent there. I don’t like going to Den Haag, don’t know why, it is a beautiful city.
          According to the Guerlain web site, you can order there a bottle of La Cologne du Parfumeur for € 85.
          Maybe I will go to Den Haag one of these days; I am fond of Guerlains colognes.
          Good luck in finding your bottle! July 25, 2014 at 3:57am Reply

          • Austenfan: Have you ever visited Celeste in Den Haag? I’ve always found them very friendly and they have Guerlain. ( And a lot of niche brands as well) July 25, 2014 at 6:35am Reply

            • Cornelia Blimber: Thank you! I googled them and saw that they have Penhaligon’s, so I can at last smell that famous violette! July 25, 2014 at 7:05am Reply

          • solanace: I got miserably lost in Den Haag, one day. The train conductor only spoke Dutch, and when I saw the big city and the central looking station, with loads of people getting out of the train, my inference was that Den Haag meant someting like Central Station, and that I had arrived in central Amsterdam. So I got out, and even checked into a hotel. However, as I began walking, the city didn´t look like Amsterdam at all. People looked perplexed when I asked them where the area with the channels was! I had lunch, and it wasn´t until I came accross the International Court that I realized my stupid mistake! July 25, 2014 at 7:39am Reply

            • Austenfan: I know it is not what most people would agree on but Den Haag is my favourite of the 3 biggest cities in the Netherlands. But it doesn’t have as many canals as Amsterdam! July 25, 2014 at 11:33am Reply

              • Cornelia Blimber: Den Haag is absolutely beautiful, maybe even more than Amsterdam, more open space, not so grey, more ”allure”.
                I could not explain why I don’t like going there. July 25, 2014 at 11:38am Reply

            • Cornelia Blimber: Hilarious! July 25, 2014 at 11:35am Reply

              • Cornelia Blimber: Solanaces Dutch adventure is hilarious, I mean, not Austenfans comment! July 25, 2014 at 11:39am Reply

            • Austenfan: I have to agree with Cornelia this is one hilarious mistake! July 25, 2014 at 1:58pm Reply

      • Nikki: I understand your frustration! There is no longer a decent Guerlain counter in my city either….. July 25, 2014 at 10:19am Reply

  • Katy McReynolds: I like Caron L’anarchiste and Thierry Mugler Cologne. Both of these are quite citrusy and quite clean! Refreshing in the humid South… July 24, 2014 at 3:45pm Reply

    • Patricia: I forgot all about Mugler Cologne, probably because I tried to give it to my husband and put it with his things. It’s a nice one, and I think I’ll steal it back. July 24, 2014 at 7:19pm Reply

    • nemo: Colognes are new-ish to me in that I have only really started exploring them this year. So far I also like Thierry Mugler Cologne (the price helps, too!) and Eau des Merveilles, if that counts as a cologne 🙂 Unfortunately, Pamplelune and its kitty litter note made me a bit leery of grapefruit, and I have yet to try a cologne with detectable lavender. July 25, 2014 at 12:01am Reply

      • Patricia: L’Eau Chic by PdN is a light concoction with geranium, lavender, and mint that is very nice. I wouldn’t say that lavender has the starring role, though. July 25, 2014 at 9:18am Reply

  • Katerina: Eau de Cartier, Iskander, The blanc (Bulgari), Eau d’ orange vert, Fico di Amalfi, Eaux des fleurs Capucine by Chloe. These are my summer Eaux for years. Enjoy your summer sents and your holidays. July 24, 2014 at 4:27pm Reply

    • Patricia: Love Thé Blanc and am just finishing up a small decant. Now I must decide whether or not to rebuy. I hope it isn’t discontinued! July 24, 2014 at 7:20pm Reply

      • Katerina: No it is not. At least in Europe. I can still found the bath products! July 25, 2014 at 2:01pm Reply

  • annemarie: Lovely post, and great lists. Calyx is my favorite citrus, although it’s probably much too intense to be considered a cologne. It’s winter where I live but come summer, I have resolved that my perfume project will be to try some new colognes. Like you, I’m intrigued by the mention of bitter and leather in Colonia Intensa. Eau de Guerlain and Eau de Rochas are also high on my list. July 25, 2014 at 5:01am Reply

    • Patricia: Hi annemarie, it sounds like you have an enjoyable summer project ahead of you exploring various colognes. Meantime, enjoy the winter and the richer perfumes. I’m already looking forward to bringing out my leathers in the fall! July 25, 2014 at 8:18am Reply

  • solanace: Thank you, Patricia, and all the commenters for the very interesting suggestions! I´ve been trying many colognes lately, getting 5 ml decants in order to select the perfect one for a FB. It´s been a fun process! My favorites so far:

    Hermès Eau de Pamplemousse Rose (you really should try it, it´s lovely and very grapefruity, as the names suggests) and Eau d´Orange Verte.
    Guerlain Eau de Cologne Impériale (and now I want to try La Cologne du Parfumeur!)
    TDC Bergamote
    AC Orange Sanguine
    AG Eau d´Hadrien

    I´ll probably end up with something Hermès, simply because I´ll come accoss it first… July 25, 2014 at 7:30am Reply

    • Patricia: Hi solanace, you certainly have gone about your search in an admirably organized way.

      I also like to test with a 5 ml spray size (unless it’s something quite pricey, then I go down to 3 ml). The 5 ml provides plenty of juice for testing with some left over for reference 🙂

      Please let us know which one you select for your FB! July 25, 2014 at 8:33am Reply

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