09 Orange Star

What's that I smell? It hits me as soon as I spray Orange Star to skin. Oh yeah, it's Andy Tauer's top-to-bottom amber material. Surprise. I think most of his perfumes are actually flankers without an original…? Anyway, that aside, which I'm going to try to ignore (but that would come at the cost of being objective, wouldn't it?), the orange accord to this perfume is gorgeous. It's quite different than how oranges are usually presented to us, in that it is completely removed of all of its sourness and leans heavily into the oily and bitter zest/rind note. Even the orange blossom note has an indolic quality to it that strikes the wearer as atypical. It's a smart pairing with Tauer's cold, dusty, amber as it provides a new texture to the amber we've experienced so many times (groan) by taking the whole of the perfume into what is almost gourmand territory. If any of you have had wassail, a hot mulled holiday wine chock full of sliced oranges and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, clove, etc.), this will smell extremely similar to you. To keep proceedings from descending into a hot, oily, gourmand mess a very pleasant string of lemongrass, bright and herbal, weaves itself over the top and through the cracks of the heart. On this balmy day, where you noticeably feel the hemisphere beginning its transition from spring to summer, it feels a bit too heavy and thick. But on a fall day this would be perfect, where the brisk weather would be neutralized by the warmth of the amber while providing welcome swells of evocative and refreshing orange fruits and blossoms and lemongrass. Winter is citrus season here in Northern California; once the weather cedes from fall to winter the orange groves are full of fruit bursting with juices and oils. I'm immediately transported to that time of year, when I throw on a sweater and a scarf around my neck, and I'm all smiles and cloud-nine while I walk through the orange groves, warming spicy beverage in hand to help stave off the chill, and I take in the beautiful smells of the groves and burnished reds and yellows of the tree foliage. Orange Star smells like that. It's a beautiful perfume. And, finally, a Tauer perfume that I want to buy.

I remember getting a sample of this a loooong time ago and being a bit flummoxed as to what it was meant to be; not being as familiar with the Tauer DNA at the time - I'd expected more of straightforward orange blossom / juicy clementine scent. HA! How naive I was! Recently I was inspired to re-visit this one and ordered another sample. Whereas young me found it strange, abrasive and too heavy hitting, the more olfactory-educated me fell immediately in love with this - for now I get it: Orange Star is predominantly an AMBER fragrance, with orangey highlights! This smells vintage, resinous and gorgeous!! I can't get over how differently I perceive it now! I have yet to add a Tauer to my collection, and this one might be the first (of many!). Orange Star: must! love! Amber!

Orange Star is like smelling citrus through fogged glass-- clean, powdery, and perfectly smooth. Very clean and fresh, summery, but dusty enough to demand a bold wearer. Actually quite surprised this doesn't go sweet or creamsicle with the base notes, instead reading as a very natural and extremely high-resolution orange blossom. The "fantasy flower" feeling is like that I get from Le Maroc Pour Elle; a well-blended smoothness that honestly blows my mind after experiencing mainly busy, discordant designer scents. Too much powder for me, but I'm impressed with the quality and execution of this soap scent.

Huh. I found a little sample of this during my (neverending) cleanout, and put a touch on my wrist. This is a thick orange paste (like tomato paste but made with oranges), thick salty ambergris, balanced with bright orange flower and clean lemongrass. It's definitely an unexpected take on a citrus scent, heavy enough to be very noticeable, but still maintains enough freshness to not be too dated. I would wear this in the autumn and winter days, it could be too heavy for the summer.

I haven't smelled many challenging orange fragrances, but this might be one. It's very nice, don't get me wrong - but there is a distinctly pungent, sharp note (I think from the ambergris?) that permeates the whole thing and takes it from wearable to almost...intimidating. I'd wear this to a negotiation, if that makes sense. It's not refreshing in the sense that most citrus is, but instead is extremely dry, salty, almost seeming to suck the moisture out of the air.