citrus perfumes: 22 posts

Parfums de Nicolaï is launching a new fragrance called L‘Eau à la Folie. L’Eau à la Folie is part of the trilogy with l’Eau Mixte (a citrus melange) and l’Eau Chic (elegant fragrance dominated by lavender and geranium). It is a citrusy floral fragrance, with fruity accents. Perfumer Patricia de Nicolaï wanted to capture the perfume of sun ripened fruit and also to suggest a refreshing Mojito cocktail. The mango, orange and lime set the tone for the composition. Egyptian jasmine absolute, mint, juniper and pink pepper are the additional notes in L’Eau à la Folie.

The fragrance is available in 30 ($45) and 100ml ($115) spray bottles. Nowsmellthis reports that L’Eau à la Folie can already be found at Beautyhabit or Parfum1 in the US.

Via press release

Those of you who enjoy eaux de cologne know how refreshing and uplifting these citrus accented fragrances can be. The effervescence of bergamot peel and orange blossom gives a jolt that I find comparable to a cup of coffee. Even if the buzz wears off quickly—citrus perfumes are quite volatile—the initial effect is rejuvenating. But what took me longer to understand–and what I discovered via the iris inflected Thirdman Eau Moderne—is how elegant and versatile citrus colognes can be.

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You know that the summer is coming soon when you see more citrus themed summer editions on the perfume counters. Besides L’Artisan Parfumeur Mandarine, there will be another sweet citrus perfume to try–Donna Karan Essence Mandarin. It includes notes of bergamot, lemon, mandarin, petitgrain, jasmine, neroli, oakmoss, vetiver, and styrax. Donna Karan Essence collection includes Lavender, Jasmine, Wenge, Labdanum, and Iris. $95-100 for a 3.4oz Eau de Parfum spray. Via Neiman Marcus

L’Artisan Parfumeur Mandarine is available again as a summer limited edition. It was previously launched as Mandarine Tout Simplement. The Eau de Toilette was created by perfumer Olivia Giacobetti, and it includes notes of green mandarin, ginger, yellow mandarin, frangipani, red mandarin, and cedarwood.

“Travel to Calabria or Sicily… green, yellow and red mandarins, 3 beautiful essences treated at different stages of maturity.” £55 (100 ml), available from L’Artisan as well as its Neiman Marcus, Barneys New York, and Henri Bendels counters. Via l’artisan.com

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

The refreshing crispness of classical cologne with its brilliant citrus-woods accord and the uncluttered simplicity of its composition can belie a mesmerizing richness. One only needs to experience Guerlain Eau de Cologne Imperiale or Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien to understand how alluring a cologne can be on a hot summer day. Or, for that matter, on a freezing winter morning when reminders of spring are so welcome. At the same time, even more interesting are modern interpretations seeking abstraction where classical tradition relied on nature. For this reason, Hermes Cologne Trio was an anticipated launch for me, including as it did the classical Eau d’Orange Verte as well as modern renditions such as Eau de Pamplemousse Rose and Eau de Gentiane Blanche.

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