citrus aromatic

Perfume Chat Room, August 8
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Perfume Chat Room, August 8

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, August 8, and we finally got some respite from the heat this week. In fact, we hit one low temperature tat broke a record set over 100 years ago! So weird. Temps have crept back up but they’re in the high 70s and low 80s, which is very pleasant. August is t done with us yet, though, so I’ll keep pulling out lighter fragrances.

Today I wore Costarela by Carter Barcelona. It’s very pleasant — classified by Fragrantica as a “citrus aromatic.” Per Fragrantica, top notes are Bergamot and Saffron; middle notes are Sea Notes and Sand; base notes are Ambroxan, Virginia Cedar and Amber. It lasts well on my skin for 5-6 hours then still lingering faintly after 7 hours. It is entirely unisex, in my opinion.

I don’t often wear fragrances like this, as my tastes run very much to florals and even powdery aldehydes. I also love chypres and greens, which I think lean more unisex in a traditional analysis, though I do believe anyone can wear whatever fragrance they like! Costarela is a pleasing option for this time of year and hot weather, a nice mix of freshness tempered by gentle warmth and woodiness.

Can you think of or recommend other fragrances you would group with “citrus aromatics”?

Scented Advent, December 19
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Scented Advent, December 19

My Guerlain Advent scent today is Néroli Outrenoir, another “citrus aromatic”, created by Thierry Wasser and Delphine Jelk and launched in 2016. It’s very, very appealing. Per Fragrantica, top notes are Petitgrain, Bergamot, Tangerine, Lemon and Grapefruit; middle notes are Tea, Neroli, Orange Blossom, Smoke and Earthy Notes; base notes are Myrrh, Vanilla, Benzoin, Ambrette (Musk Mallow) and Oakmoss.

That citrusy opening is very uplifting, a mix of greenness and, well, citrus. It reminds me a bit of Miller Harris’ Tangerine Vert. To my nose, the most prominent notes are the petitgrain, tangerine, and lemon, but I definitely smell the bergamot, and a whiff of the grapefruit. Very soon, tea is served, and it is a black tea with lemon in it. It does have a floralcy that comes from the néroli and orange blossom, but to me the strongest impression is of black tea and lemon, with a tinge of smokiness. Almost like a lapsang souchong tea, but not as smoky or tarry.

This scent is like chiaroscuro, the painting technique that famously contrasts light and dark, the leading examples being the paintings of the great Caravaggio. It starts out very bright and sunny, with all the citrus notes in the opening. Then the brightness dims a bit, and softens and blurs, with the arrival of accords of tea and flowers. As it dries down, it gets gradually darker but also warmer, with the base notes especially of benzoin, ambrette and oakmoss. Myrrh and vanilla accords are present, but to a lesser degree.

Neroli Outrenoir has decent longevity on my skin, though nothing like Épices Volèes. It’s also a different kind of citrus/tea fragrance, one with more depth. I think it’s totally unisex and it would smell wonderful in warm weather, especially warm summer evenings. It’s fresh enough for hot weather but sophisticated enough for evening wear.

Very nice! Do you have any fragrances that contrast light and dark this way?

Oil painting of the Nativity, by Caravaggio
Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence, by Caravaggio; image from Photo Scala