Clémentine California

I used to wear the heck out of this around 2016-2018. I finished my bottle and moved like 7 times and life happened and I forgot about it. Then Atelier Cologne left Sephora. I recently rediscovered this at a perfume swap meet with enthusiasts and OMG I forgot how much I absolutely loved this. Since I re-acquired a bottle I have been constantly wearing it and my coworkers even say when I share some and they spray it at work that now they smell like me lol. This is so damn good and somehow finds a way to hang out longer than I'd expect for a citrus. If you want a photorealistic juicy clementine citrus scent, get your nose on this one if you can. It is my favorite citrus, and I have many in my lineup. Nothing has eclipsed this scent which has made me rediscover my love of perfume.

When I got a sample of this, I was expecting a citrus-forward aromatic fragrance. Was pretty surprised when it turned out to be the older, more sophisticated sister of Victoria's Secret Bombshell. Just that incredibly big blast of juicy fresh fruity notes, but doesn't meander into migraine territory. Works so well in hot humid weather too. I do own several AC frags and have gotten used to the fact that they fade into a skin scent after 3 hours of wear. But not CC. This one sticks around for hours on end, especially if sprayed on clothes. I have the 30ml bottle now but I'm pretty sure I'll be getting the full size as well. Also great that the 30ml size comes with a faux leather bottle sleeve, which it makes it safer for me to bring the bottle on my travels.

Fresh fragrances are tough. I have long outgrown the ultra linear zero projection body sprays and celebrity fragrances (with some exceptions, of course). But too much projection and too much complexity is not what I want for the hot days of summer. What a beautiful balance this strikes. The clementine is juicy and sweet, but the spices really make this shine. You would think the juniper and vetiver would make this lean sharp, but it just adds a well rounded unisex elegance. I might be detecting a little sweetness from the basil and anise but those are very much in the background. Truly a summertime fragrance but could hold it's own in cool (not freezing cold) weather.

fresh (herbal?) orange. the citrus here isn't sweet/candied, but picked right off the tree; to my nose every part of the orange is present. it's refreshing, like somebody is spraying orange water in my face lol. definitely perfect for warm weather or when you want to remind yourself of it. doesn't last THAT long on me, but that seems to be a general characteristic of citrus-dominant scents. i can smell it on me throughout the day, but I think it's the kind of fragrance that makes people assume you naturally smell good instead of recognizing that you're wearing something. really easy dumb reach during the summer, just wish I could get my hands on a full bottle.

A bright, sunny fragrance. The oranges are really the star note. It is not too overwhelming/acerbic to your nose. I would say that it is pretty ethereal, at least the orange notes. It does dry down and go away pretty quickly (within an hour). Right now, what I have is a bare skin scent, mostly floral/green in nature. I am guessing that is mostly cypress and maybe a little vetiver. It's good overall, however. I would not buy it again, though, because of its fleeting expression. Please keep in mind I was spraying from a sample though, and maybe by applying more it will last a bit longer. I did moisturize first.