Eau De Neroli Dore

Eau de Neroli Doré is a worthy farewell for Jean-Claude Ellena, I think! It has that rather minimalist air that he became famous and admired for - light and natural, and altogether wonderful in its (deceptive) simplicity. It's a typical cologne in that it packs all of its power in the opening, and then quickly settles down close to the skin, but what an opening it is. The neroli is earthy and not sweetened at all, very natural, brightened by the sparkling bitter orange note, and with some softness from the saffron. Very, very nice, a happy fragrance - sunny golden yellow really is the color for it. And I may be a sucker for marketing, but I totally buy it as a reminiscence of youthful summer days spent around a perfume factory in the south. The fact that the fragrance itself is just as fleeting as any memory makes it difficult for daily wear from a practical point of view, but I'm adding it to my wish list anyway - it's the perfect kind of perfume to serve as pick-me up after work or in the morning before showering, for example.

'Eau de Néroli Doré' begins with a euphoric burst of natural smelling citrus. An acidic yet sweet orange envelops you upon initially spraying the scent, which is lively and invigorating. There are nuances of the floral and spicy effects yet to come, as the juicy citrus scintillates away. Gently but assuredly, the eponymous neroli flower's honeyed scent finally emerges. It is a delicate, fresh scent, one which is imbued with a slightly bitter opening, a herbal midrange, and a floral drydown. Neroli's odor melds exceptionally well with the sweeter facets of the opening orange, as indeed botanically one gives rise to the other. Lastly, a well positioned warm spice is included to compliment as well as contrast the exceptionally beautiful neroli essence. Saffron with its dusty, earthy, and somewhat leathery smell offers an interesting counterpoint to the very clean and fresh neroli. In a way it dirties up the composition just a bit, rendering depth and personality to the fragrance which may have otherwise been a bore.

I passionately love neroli, adore saffron, and think Hermes Concentre d'Orange Vert is one of the loveliest smells in all creation. So this ought to have been a slam dunk, but sadly it misses the mark on a few counts. First its barely-there-ness: even an EDC can take subtlety too far, and if you can barely smell it at all, then that's too far! It does project a little more in warm conditions, but not massively. Second, the mix of saffron with citrus doesn't seem to bring out the very best in either: there's a weirdly earthy-dusty feel to this one which may not please everyone. Longevity also sadly poor. I still enjoy it plenty, but it is well back in the line of Hermes greats IMHO and I definitely wouldn't pine after an FB. Unlike other reviewers below though I'd say gender has nothing to do with it- both male and female skins could wear this with ease. Overall, an intriguing misfire.

I admit Im a sucker for the Les Colognes line, and I blind bought this as I got a deal on eBay. I love Narcisse Bleu and Im obsessed with Gentiane Blanche so I felt this was worth the risk. This is pure Neroli through and through and has that clean familiar barbershop soapiness one can expect. Its mature and masculine but cleverly avoids being old and stuffy. It has a Guerlainesque feel to it, but it comes across fresher and more lively as the touch of saffron gives this a tiny speck of a spicy bite. Im adventurous in warning men's and women's fragrances, but this runs all male in my book. Its not as groundbreaking as Narcisse or Gentiane but Im not sorry in the least I bought this as I will certainly enjoy wearing it. Clean, fresh, classic and simple and perfect for everyday use. Thumbs way up.

Eau de Néroli Doré is a cologne of great dosage. With great textural crunch, the neroli is luminous and sunny with an herbal breeze. Such a high dosage of neroli reveals a mesmerising greenery, and a bitter counterpoint of piquant herbs and greenery compliments neroli’s naturally soapy bitterness, delivering a unique take on an otherwise classical cologne ingredient. On one level, this reminds me of yellow Chartreuse with its intense green aroma and flavour, and yellow colour due an application of saffron. This is appropriate on two levels: the addition of saffron is found in Eau de Néroli Doré with its bittersweet leatheriness, and the bottle of both fragrance and liqueur maintain a beautiful off-yellow hue.