This review of Histoire d’Orangers, a fragrance created by perfumer Marie Salamagne for L’Artisan Parfumeur, continues both the Women in Perfumery and The Scents of Tea series.
Annick Goutal’s Néroli was one of my favorite orange blossom perfumes. I loved its graceful, lighter than sea-foam character paired with its robust lasting power, and it made me content. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a limited edition and the Cologne version that replaced it was pretty but flimsy. Until I discovered L’Artisan’s Histoire d’Orangers this summer, I’ve been rationing my last few drops of Néroli.
On the face of it, I shouldn’t have had trouble finding a replacement for a simple orange blossom cologne. They’re a dime a dozen. You can have a bottle for a couple of euros (Roger & Gallet Bois d’Orange) or for a couple of hundred (Tom Ford Néroli Portofino). But as my perfumery teacher Sophia Grojsman says, nothing is more difficult than a simple thing. Many orange blossom colognes smelled either too pale (Jo Malone Orange Blossom), too dry (Hermès Eau d’Orange Verte), too flashy (the aforementioned Tom Ford), or just not right (Houbigant Oranger en Fleurs). The beauty of Annick Goutal’s Néroli was that it captured all the facets of the real thing, like the honeyed softness, indolic tang, and green sharpness, but made them refined and velvety. Every time I picked up the bottle and pressed the nozzle, I imagined a shower of white petals brushing my skin.
Histoire d’Orangers comes so close to conveying this feeling that I can bid goodbye to Néroli. Perfumer Marie Salamagne who worked on L’Artisan’s perfume is a perfect nose for the task. Her style is elegant, but without an overly dainty, fussy impression. She confesses to associating colors with scents, and as you try Histoire d’Orangers, notice how easy it is to become a synesthete. At first, the blossoms of Histoire d’Orangers appear green and so translucent that you can almost see the fine veins. As the perfume warms up, the blossoms become yellow and sweeter. Wait a bit longer, enjoying the petal rainfall, and the pallor of the flowers will be tinged here and there by a deep orange. Even in the drydown where the orange flower is usually exhausted, Histoire continues to hum its luminous floral tune.
Histoire d’Orangers doesn’t turn too heavy or too indolic. The tea accord gives the orange blossom a fresh sensation, but it still feels velvety and soft. It’s a cologne with the lingering plushness of a parfum.
Sometimes in my perfume courses I’m asked why if the natural essences are so delightful, why can’t we just dilute, say, orange blossom absolute or neroli essence and wear them? Of course, we can, and I sometimes do. But the beauty of a true perfume is its very unnaturalness. It crosses into the realm of fantasy, allowing me to experience not only the beautiful scent but also its creator’s idea of it. I’m after a painting and not a digital snapshot. Histoire fulfills that craving. It’s an orange blossom painted by Matisse.
To be worn by men and women–beauty doesn’t discriminate.
L’Artisan Parfumeur Histoire d’Orangers includes notes of neroli, white tea, orange blossom, musk, tonka bean, and amber (ambroxan).
Although I’m happy with Histoire d’Orangers, it doesn’t mean that I don’t want to continue exploring other orange blossoms. So, please share your favorites.
Image via L’Artisan website
105 Comments
Austenfan: I love Fragonard’s Fleur d’Oranger, but it behaves more like a cologne, lovely but fleeting. This sounds like a must try. August 7, 2017 at 8:10am
Victoria: This one lasts really well. August 7, 2017 at 1:31pm
Austenfan: Another orange blossom, in a totally different vein, that I’m very fond of, is Sweet Redemption. It’s become my favourite of the By Kilians, but of course it’s not at all like Goutal’s Néroli. August 8, 2017 at 5:54am
Victoria: It’s a favorite of mine too. August 10, 2017 at 4:10am
Austenfan: It was your review that made me try it. Does it remind you at all of Séville à l’Aube? August 11, 2017 at 8:00am
Nick: The simplest things are hardest to realise. I could not agree more. For me, it really is hard to pick a perfect so-called soliflores, especially of neroli or vetiver. And although time-tested classics never let me down, I am always on the prow for novel interpretations of these. It is interesting to see how they are shaped and embellished.
I prefer the freshness of neroli to orange blossom note, and Eau de Cologne Impériale is how I like the flower to be set. But if I had to pick a purely orange blossom one, I would go for Serge Lutens’s Fleur d’Oranger. Its larger-than-life orange blossom is impressive. August 7, 2017 at 8:17am
Victoria: Eau de Cologne Impériale is probably one of the best for green, crisp neroli. Annick Goutal was heavier on neroli, but it had the sweetness of orange blossom too. August 7, 2017 at 1:33pm
Cornelia Blimber: When I am in the mood for that kind of perfume, I reach for Après l’Ondée or L’Heure Bleue.
And I also like Floris No. 89. August 7, 2017 at 8:35am
Victoria: Nice choices! August 7, 2017 at 1:33pm
Cornelia Blimber: Inspired by this post, I am wearing 24 Faubourg today. August 8, 2017 at 5:23am
Austenfan: Wonderful! August 8, 2017 at 5:54am
Victoria: Wonderful! August 10, 2017 at 4:09am
Kandice: I love the notes of orange blossom and neroli. I will definitely have to add this to my list to try, as well as the Serge which I haven’t tried either. I love many of AG’s fragrances but never tried the one you loved so much. I feel I’ve missed out now. I do have to say that I actually really like the Houbigant and have bought two small travel sizes. The cost keeps me from buying a full bottle. I’d be curious to know what you don’t like about it. I would agree it’s not a pure orange blossom scent, and that it has many other things added. Thanks for the great review and for continuing the Women in Perfume series! August 7, 2017 at 10:07am
Lily: I am curious about that, too, Victoria, since the Houbigant review was Susanna’s. I am slowly growing my database of where our tastes/noses align and diverge to make better sampling guesses. Lol. Anyway this post inspired me to wear the Orangeurs en Fleurs today. Mmm…perfect for me 😉 August 7, 2017 at 12:58pm
Victoria: It’s a very well-made perfume, no doubt. Just too sweet for the kind of orange blossom I was after. August 7, 2017 at 2:08pm
Victoria: It was too sweet on me and flat. It’s a very good perfume, but when I wore it, the cloying note stuck out and it was difficult to enjoy the rest. August 7, 2017 at 1:34pm
Lily: Aren’t noses funny? I found the SL cloying and this one to be bright and uplifting – definitely sweeter than a traditional cologne style, though! For sure rounded with sweet florals. It also seems to be one that responds to skin chemistry. My best perfume pal loves it on me and says it smells like air freshener on her. Yikes! August 7, 2017 at 2:46pm
Victoria: It depends on what you’re looking for and what you’re comparing. SL’s orange blossom is much sweeter than Houbigant’s, of course. SL is not even an orange blossom to me, it’s a tuberose. August 10, 2017 at 4:04am
Kandice: It’s nice to know there are so many choices out there for so many tastes. Thanks for answering my question 🙂 August 8, 2017 at 12:18am
Bela: As you know, V, I adored and wore SL Fleurs d’Oranger for several years (from 2002) — until the formulation was modified and it became sweet and sickly.
I normally dislike anything that contains neroli (as opposed to orange blossom; the difference is in the extraction process, isn’t it?) — the bitterness makes me queasy, but I’m very fond of the Annick Goutal. August 7, 2017 at 10:15am
Victoria: I also don’t care for its reformulation. It’s a good perfume, of course, but I still have a big bottle of the original, so the new one loses in comparison. August 7, 2017 at 1:35pm
Bela: How have you managed to keep it for so long? Two of the three bottles I used went off after a few months (they were kept properly in a cool, dark place). Luckily the Salons agreed to replace the first one. August 8, 2017 at 6:20pm
Victoria: I kept it in the fridge. August 10, 2017 at 4:18am
Bela: Aha!
Still, I think it shouldn’t have gone off. I have fragrances that I’ve kept in the same conditions (cool and dark) and that date from the ’70s, and they’re perfectly OK. August 13, 2017 at 10:15am
Cornelia Blimber: Same here, some bottles are 25, 30 years old and still in good shape. (dark, unheated room, in their boxes).
My Fleurs d’Oranger (± 7 years old) are still OK,
maybe the Dutch climate is cooler than where you live? August 13, 2017 at 10:36am
Bela: I live in London, so much of a muchness, really. August 13, 2017 at 11:13am
Alicia: Until I finish the bottle my orange blossom is Serge Lutens’s: I love it. After this review
It will be This enticing Histoire. My Mediterranean blood never tires of orange flowers, orange trees, orange twigs and all oranges, from sanguine to Seville. Another perfume I’ll owe to you. Thank you, Victoria. August 7, 2017 at 10:36am
Victoria: I also love all of the things orange blossom, from perfume to food. By the way, I love hot chocolate with a dash of orange blossom water. August 7, 2017 at 2:04pm
Alicia: Oh, I have to try that chocolate. Many years ago, when I was a student at Stanford, there was an ice-cream parlor nearby offering Mandarin Chocolate Sherbet. Chocolate and orange. It was so marvelous that I wrote it a poem. August 7, 2017 at 2:41pm
Carla: Just last night I craved and therefore had for dessert, ricotta with a bit of chocolate sauce and orange extract. Did you really write a poem to the sherbet? 😉 August 8, 2017 at 12:26pm
Alicia: Yes, I did, Carla, and even published it. August 8, 2017 at 2:53pm
Victoria: I’d love to read it. 🙂 August 10, 2017 at 4:03am
Alicia: Thank yiou, Victoria. Do you read Spanish? August 10, 2017 at 10:47am
Victoria: Yes! August 10, 2017 at 11:32am
Alicia: Then I try to find my book of poems. It might be in NY, but I will send it to you as soon as I find it. August 10, 2017 at 11:38am
Victoria: Thank you very much. This is very generous of you. August 11, 2017 at 3:31am
Alicia: As soon as I return to NY I send it to you. It is a poem dedicated to my child, with whom I was eating The Mandarin Chocolate Sherbet. August 11, 2017 at 5:30pm
katherine x: The subject and dedication conjure in my mind a a poem of whimsy, sensuality, maybe even tenderness? Sounds wonderful. August 13, 2017 at 6:42pm
Phyllis Iervello: This sounds lovely and I look forward to trying it. I adore orange blossom. L’Artisan was my first venture into niche perfumery way back when it started. August 7, 2017 at 10:53am
Victoria: It was mine too, along with Annick Goutal and Serge Lutens. August 7, 2017 at 2:05pm
Geri Ethen: I love your comment about the beauty of and fascination with perfumes: I’m after a painting and not a digital snapshot. How true! And your writing has opened up this world to me! August 7, 2017 at 11:00am
Victoria: Thank you very much, Geri! August 7, 2017 at 2:05pm
AndreaR: This fragrance sounds lovely. The new bottle design makes me sad.It seems so harsh. August 7, 2017 at 11:11am
Victoria: It actually looks quite nice in person. August 7, 2017 at 2:06pm
Tara C: I agree, don’t care for the design, and I have seen it in person. Much prefer their vintage bottles. August 19, 2017 at 3:05pm
Alex: Victoria, have you tried Eau des Sens from Diptyque? It captures a whole orange tree with a dash of gardenia. In vein with Neroli and not so different. August 7, 2017 at 11:53am
Victoria: I have, but it doesn’t last on me. Very pretty, though. August 7, 2017 at 2:06pm
Floragal: Wore this today. It’s probably my favorite OB especially in the warmer months. Lasts all day, gratefully. August 10, 2017 at 8:36pm
Richard Potter: I’m dying to try this one. Lovely review. Thank you.❤️ August 7, 2017 at 12:05pm
Victoria: I look forward to reading your review. August 7, 2017 at 2:06pm
spe: Bois d’ Orange is my favorite. It’s long lasting and there is a lovely shower gel for those so inclined. August 7, 2017 at 12:13pm
Victoria: And the matching soap is great too. August 7, 2017 at 2:07pm
Jackie Heslop: Hello Victoria! I haven’t read your blog in awhile, but reading this reminds me what a wonderful writer you are, and made me wonder why I’ve been depriving myself the pleasure of your voice! It absolutely sings here! This piece is a great example of how you somehow manage to be prosaic and poetic at the same time! Your analogy comparing perfume to painting and essences to photography is truly inspired! I know I’ll be borrowing that one! 😉 August 7, 2017 at 12:13pm
Victoria: Thank you very much, Jackie. Nice to see you again. August 7, 2017 at 2:07pm
Jackie Heslop: 😁 August 8, 2017 at 10:50am
Karen A: Hi Jackie! Hope all is good and fragrant with you! Xxoo Karen August 8, 2017 at 6:48am
Jackie Heslop: Hello Karen!! Nice to see you. I hope all is well with you too! We’ve got a constant smell of campfire with the smoke drifting over from the forest fires, but it can’t compete with the massive jasmine at the front door and the gardenia at the back! 😊 How’s your summer been? August 8, 2017 at 10:59am
Karen A: That’s right, you all are dealing with massive forest fires – probably will never want to smell any smoky fragrances, that’s for sure! Nice you have a blooming jasmine. All good here – planning a major overhaul of the gardens in the fall, everything is completely out of control and chaotic. August 8, 2017 at 2:56pm
Inma: Hello! I also Love “I’m after a painting and not a digital snapshot”. It is something I am starting to experience with perfumes and that has a resonance in so many other ways of expressing ourselves.
These days I’m next to the sea in the south of Portugal. I’m paying a closer attention to what I smell in this part of the world.
Thank you!!! August 9, 2017 at 7:10am
Victoria: Enjoy, Inma! 🙂 August 10, 2017 at 4:19am
Monika Dankova: I cannot wait to try this! I love orange blossom perfumes! My favourite orange perfume is what I consider to be a Christmas perfume, not for this time of year. It is orange, heady with spices — Fendi’s Theorema. So, I need a summer orange blossom scent (and more Theorema for Christmas). August 7, 2017 at 3:38pm
Victoria: That one is so beautiful. August 10, 2017 at 4:05am
January: I don’t have an orange blossom fragrance. Would like to give this one a go! However I am mad about vintage, sepia neroli, powdery like L Heure Bleue and Grossmith Shem-el-Nessim. Someone recently suggested Penhaligon’s Cornubia. I wonder if it is discontinued? August 7, 2017 at 4:23pm
Victoria: Cornubia is definitely around. August 10, 2017 at 4:06am
Karina: What about “Seville a l’Aube”? It tends to turn slightly too soapy on my skin, but on a friend of mine it’s a perfume made in orange blossom heaven. August 7, 2017 at 4:30pm
Victoria: I like it very much too, but it’s sweet on me, while Neroli was green and woody. August 10, 2017 at 4:07am
Libby: I do like Sevillle a l’Aube, but it is more honeyed sweet on me than orange blossom, but I do like it October 6, 2017 at 1:25pm
maja: I was looking for SL Fleurs D’Oranger after using up several samples over time but now your comment about its sweetness is making me rethink my decision to buy.
Instead, I will need to try this one asap since I loved Neroli, too. I love bitter oranges in every form – such resilient happy trees (it’s the only one still carrying fruits in my small garden after four months of severe drought)
Always happy to read new (wonderfully written) reviews 🙂 August 7, 2017 at 5:00pm
Victoria: In south India they make a delicious yogurt drink with crushed orange or lemon leaves. Can you imagine how refreshing it tastes on a hot day? August 10, 2017 at 4:07am
Aurora: Such a lovely review, now I am curious to try Histoire d’Oranger and so pleased for you that it can stand for AG Neroli.
Favorites of the moment are AA Nerolia Bianca especially for its petit grain, the soft AA Flora Nerolia, Yves Rocher Pur Desir de Fleur d’Oranger which seems to contain a lot of orange flower water, and my most loved Au Pays de la Fleur d’Oranger Neroli Blanc (not the intense which I find too cloying). SL Fleurs d’Oranger has cumin doesn’t it or is it absent from the reformulation? August 7, 2017 at 9:30pm
Victoria: It still does, but it seems milder. I’m not as sensitive to cumin as some, though.
Yves Rocher’s orange blossom is also very good! August 10, 2017 at 4:08am
Eudora: Dear Victoria, I am on the other side…I think I am very sensitive to cumin. Correct me if I am wrong: I have a love-hate relationship with two fragances, and both bother me because of cumin, Declaration and SL Amber Sultan. I love love both but the cumin… Is that possible?
Thanks. A beautiful review. August 10, 2017 at 5:08pm
Victoria: I don’t notice cumin in Ambre Sultan, but in Declaration it’s prominent. Yes, it can be a hard note to like for many. August 11, 2017 at 3:33am
sariah: I love this style of fragrance…will put this on the try list. I’d be interested to read your impression of FM’s Cologne Indelibe. I’ve been enjoying very much this summer. Kevin did a very funny negative review if it on NST….guess I have a much greater appreciation for whatever musks were used. August 7, 2017 at 10:51pm
Carla: I haven’t been on NST much lately but last time I went I read Angela’s “meh” review of Odalisque, one of my top five favorite perfumes, and it reminded me how personal perfume preferences are. August 8, 2017 at 12:29pm
Victoria: It was kind of bland on me and yet irritating. I have no idea how they managed it! August 10, 2017 at 4:09am
Klaas: I was looking for a nice Neroli this summer, and settled for Néroli Doré by Hermes. it sparkles and it fizzes, I love it! I also like Neroli Outrenoir from Guerlain. It’s a glorious, glorious Neroli, très Francais, not too sweet or oriental, but oh the price…..
And ‘outrenoir’ being the perfume overstatement of the year, since there is absolutely nothing black or dark or mysterious about it 😉 It’s just very beautiful, which is an achievement in itself….. August 8, 2017 at 7:06am
Victoria: Ha! This is what Outrenoir made me think of:
http://www.diptyqueparis-memento.com/en/outrenoir-2/ August 10, 2017 at 4:12am
Klaas: Yes! Exactly! Something blacker than black, darker then dark, pulling you in, mysterious, infinite…….I was so curious to smell it when it came out, wondering how Guerlain would set up neroli’s sunny character against a black, somber backdrop……imagine, from the company that produced Vol de Nuit! Well……they just didn’t…… August 10, 2017 at 6:16am
Victoria: I don’t have a sample on hand, so I just went ahead and put on a drop of Vol de Nuit on my wrist. Your marvelous description of the same image I had in my mind inspired me. Vol de Nuit feels exactly like it too. August 10, 2017 at 8:43am
Klaas: Haha, now we’re channeling…….isn’t this wonderful?
Ah, Vol de Nuit. It was the best of the best of the best. There has never been anything like it for me. August 10, 2017 at 10:22am
Victoria: In comparison to some other Guerlain classics, I was a latecomer to Vol de Nuit, but it’s definitely among my favorites. It’s the most enigmatic of them all, even more so than Mitsouko. August 10, 2017 at 11:36am
Klaas: It was the same for me. I ‘discovered’ Guerlain in my local, small town perfumery in the 80’s, at the tender age of 14. The plush, theatrical scents immediately appealed to me…..they were expressing all the mysterious things that were haunting my troubled teenage soul 😉 I loved Habit Rouge (because I didn’t dare to wear Shalimar as a boy), Mitsouko and Chant d’Aromes. The ‘mellower’ ones.
I didn’t know what to make of Vol de Nuit at the time. It was just too dark, too profound, too weird for me. But I fell in love with it years later…oh my, all of a sudden the whole thing made so much sense. Such a work of art! As you wrote before, reformulations have diluted it too much, so for me it is now a thing of the past. But when I close my eyes I can still smell it’s stirring bitter sweetness, its oppulent copper tones….goosebumps 😉 August 11, 2017 at 7:13am
Cornelia Blimber: Vol de Nuit was one of my signature scents in the 60s and 70s. I loved that dark, spicy perfume, and its dry violets; I remember it very well.
It is now diluted, true, but I still have it and I still love it better than so many modern ”dark” perfumes.It is the ghost of the vintage perfume, but a beautiful ghost though. August 11, 2017 at 7:23am
Klaas: Hey Cornelia, wat leuk! Wow, to have worn it in the sixties…..I canmust immaging 😉 it must have been extremely rare and exotic for Holland at the time! August 11, 2017 at 7:43am
Klaas: Oups, typo explosion! I’m writing while eating 😉 August 11, 2017 at 7:44am
Cornelia Blimber: Hallo Klaas! Wearing perfume was rare at the time, here in Holland. Ladies had one perfume, worn on special occasions. Mostly Miss Dior. My mother and I were laughed at, but we wore our perfume, our motto was “de halve wereld lacht om de rest, om alles lachen is het allerbest”.
That was in the 60s. Later it was more accepted.
You are right, Vol de Nuit was spectacular. I had everything: lotion, eau de toilette, extrait de parfum.
Enjoy your meal! August 11, 2017 at 8:08am
hélène byll: I am a neroli junky ! I will give Histoire d’Orangers a try – quite worrying about the amber note though.
The neroli perfume that moves me the most : Castile Penhagalions – but it lasts about 15min
The cheapest concoction I wear almost everyday : Néroli Yves Rocher + 4711.
Any body products recommendations ????
Thanks for your beautiful blog – actually I am beginning one myself on tumblr, in french. August 8, 2017 at 10:26am
Victoria: Roger & Gallet and Yves Rocher have excellent orange blossom scented products. Actually, one of my favorites is a bar of soap I get from 2 euros at the beauty shops here in Belgium. I don’t remember the brand, since it comes unwrapped, but it really does smell wonderful.
Thank you, Hélène! And welcome to the blogging world. August 10, 2017 at 4:15am
rainboweyes: Neroli is one of the scent notes I absolutely cannot stand (ylang ylang being the other one). Smelling it can make me queasy within seconds. I keep exploring the genre, though, hoping to find “my” neroli perfume one day 😉
My latest try was Azemour Les Orangers. It definitely isn’t calling my name but I think it hasn’t been mentioned here yet… August 8, 2017 at 3:56pm
Victoria: That’s a good one. I liked it too, but it’s more of an orange blossom chypre. August 10, 2017 at 4:17am
Andy: This has my name written all over it. Rather like a honeybee, I’ve flitted from orange blossom to orange blossom (perfume), and haven’t settled on any single one yet, just enjoying each stop along the way. Diptyque Eau des Sens came close, with all those beautiful accent notes, but the Diptyque orange blossom scented lotion came just as close to satisfying me in the orange blossom realm. I’ve been re-infatuated with SL Fleurs d’Oranger recently, because it smells quite dry on me now, whereas it used to skew overly sweet and syrupy on my skin, and too far from orange blossom itself. However, this sounds perfectly suited to my ever-continuing search. Marie Salamagne’s creative approach and aesthetic sense appeals to me, so I’m curious to try this one out. August 8, 2017 at 4:14pm
Victoria: I’d love to hear what you think of it. August 10, 2017 at 4:18am
Natalie T: Neroli is one of my favorites! Lately I’ve been enjoying it in California Reverie when I want something effortlessly pretty and easy. For my unisex choice I like Diptyque’s Neroli which seems to last on my skin forever. August 15, 2017 at 10:22pm
SilverMoon: Victoria, so beautifully said: wanting a painting rather than a digital snapshot from a perfume.
I love all sorts of orange blossom from dainty Jo Malone Orange Blossom (one of my most complemented ones – even from strangers) to smoky Seville a l’Aube. Will try this one when I get the chance. August 17, 2017 at 3:58pm
bregje: my favourite orange blossom so far is the sparkling opening of Knot.
It lasts really long on my skin and in my clothes and i always get compliments when i wear it.
It just makes me feel sunny and bright.
SL smelled a bit bitter on my skin when i tried it years ago.But the comments may have persuaded me to try it again.
The l’artisan sounds beautiful!But then, i do have a soft spot for Matisse paintings 😉 August 21, 2017 at 7:35pm
Anna: Dear Victoria, I would like to know, what do you think about Eau des Sens from Diptique? September 1, 2017 at 3:42am
Victoria: It’s a very good orange blossom. I’ve been wearing it a bit over the past week to compare to other orange blossom perfumes, and what I like is how crisp and bright it feels, from top to bottom. September 1, 2017 at 5:29am
Anna: Thank you! 🙂 I recently discovered this fragrance and was impressed by it, for me it is better than the other oranges blossoms that I have tried so far (such as Prada and Boucheron) – as you say bright, but still tender… Now I really want to try that one from L’Artisan Parfumeur. Thank you for sharing your impressions – I appreciate them so much and I LOVE your blog! September 1, 2017 at 6:05am
Amer: gs03 by biehl parfumkunstwerke is a favorite of mine and APOM by MFK comes close second. I like my Orange Blossoms tainted 😉
I will definitely give this a try though September 13, 2017 at 5:59am
sissi: Roger & Gallet has come up with Neroli Facetie this summer and it marvellous. Heady neroli and ylang with oily immortelle that anchors everything down to its woodsy base of cedar and vetiver. A surprising mix between elusive and robust. I really really liked it and have regretted buying La Vie Est Belle´s Sparkle instead. September 24, 2017 at 3:49pm
sissi: eclat, of course. not sparkle. September 24, 2017 at 3:49pm
Libby: I tried about 5 orange blossom samples from surrender to chance this summer, and the houbigant reminded me too much of orange candy early in application. the scent I enjoyed the most was Mlle Piguet. the Frangonard fleur d’oranger I am enjoying the most this summer, I think because it is so light, and reminds me of the south of France. I definitely want to try the Histoires d’Orangers, now that you have reviewed it! I like neroli, but for the summer have been in search of the perfect orange blossom…. October 6, 2017 at 1:22pm
Beth: My personal favorite orange fragrance is L’Artisan Fleur de Oranger which was a special harvest limited edition release a number of years ago. It is the most magical orange fragrance and had I realized that it would not continue to be available I would have bought several bottles. Is this new release close to the magnificence of the special harvest release? December 27, 2017 at 7:55pm
OnWingsofSaffron: Have you tested “Dilettente” by Hiram Green? According to his website it’s “based on a triptych of orange flower, petitgrain and essential oil of orange”.
I must say, I rather like it as it is very sunny and has a big smile. July 22, 2018 at 4:15pm