Agua de Naranjos

I remember trying Agua de Naranjos a long time ago and I didn't particularly like it, and now I know it's because I tried it in winter. This cologne needs a serious rise in temperature to show the best of itself: I tried it on again during an unseasonably warm spring day, and I fell head over heels this time; in fact, this is one of the very few colognes that I repurchased after finishing the first bottle. There is something in Agua de Naranjos that I find addictive, something gently lush and clean that is just what I prefer on days of intense Mediterranean heat. My first impulse with this scent is that I’d like to bathe with this from head to toe, because to me it smells just like that: like bathing with good quality soap during a heat wave, in a bath placed in the middle of an verdant orange grove. Come to think of it, I really could douse myself with this, because it doesn’t project much or last for long. Which seems a shame, though in reality, I don't expect that from a green/citrus cologne at this price point, and if it did project and hang around, it wouldn't be as bearable and pleasant. Personally, I’m fine with going through a small bottle of this in the summer (which lasts quite long where I live), because once the heat starts to subside, this cologne begins to feel a bit more powdery, and that green and clean element that I enjoy so much takes a step back.

Several years ago I spent two successive Christmas holidays (about three weeks each year) in the south of Spain. While in Sevilla, I picked up a bottle of Agua de Sevilla AGUA DE NARANJOS and also one of AGUA DE LAVANDA. The naranjos of Sevilla are truly something wonderful to behold, and I really purchased these bottles more as souvenirs than anything else, as I was not heavily into cologne-type fragrances at that time. Upon my return home, I stowed these souvenirs in the back of a drawer and proceeded to forget all about them. I've been developing something of an orange blossom obsession of late, and happily I happened upon this bottle of AGUA DE NARANJOS, which turns out to smell beautiful, even several years down the line. The composition is bright and shiny and green, with a decidedly citric demeanor. It is also quite a bit more complex than one might expect from a local-made cologne-type fragrance. In fact, I am reminded by this eau de toilette of Hermès EAU D'ORANGE VERTE. True, there is more orange blossom than orange in this composition, but the delightful greenish-orange quality is definitely here, along with the blossoms and the woods. I do not know anything about the house Agua de Sevilla, but it seems similar to some of the many local French houses which I like so much. Except, of course, that this one is located in Spain. The quality of AGUA DE NARANJOS seems to me to be that of a fine cologne made of natural essences, and I definitely recommend it for testing to anyone who likes the Hermès ORANGES VERTES.

It is a fragrance of orange blossom, of delicious sunny green immature oranges and citrus in a very realistic way. Revitalizing, joyful and optimistic. If you like Mediterranean smells, full of sun and happiness, you won't go wrong with this one. Totally unisex, anyone will enjoy its natural fantasy. It has a great price, a perfume without any claim to spectacularity, it only offer what it says: orange water...sometimes this is more than enough. If you see her, run for her, she's a hidden gem