Citron d'Erable

If (when, probably, if I'm being honest) I decide I need a lemon dominant scent, this is the front runner. "Bright" citrus has a tendency to skew either sharp or sour to me; but this is a deliciously deep, dark lemon. Remember the Lemonade Cleanse fad diet? You fast for two weeks and all your nutrition comes from this specific lemonade drink (fresh squeezed lemons, grade B maple syrup, and cayenne pepper). It's a little like the most wonderful version of that lemonade you can possibly imagine, distilled (no, not boozy), concentrated. Opens with a burst of fresh lemon and some sweetness, candied. Then it develops a nice, soft spiciness. And then it dries down, and there's a fuzzy-ness to it. Not cozy or blanketing but still soft and blurred. It looses the spicy prickle in this and the heady, rich sweetness of the maple takes over. The lemon is absolutely dominant but tempered beautifully with the woods. Both fresh and dark at the same time. Still being completely honest; this actually teeters on the edge of like/love for me. Sometimes the lemon does feel a little too much, too thick, too sweet. But then I sniff it again and want to switch it to love. Projects softly for about 6 hours.

CITRON & MATCHBOOK-MAPLE. Opens with a spicy citrus burst that develops into a woody, flinty matchbook enveloped by soft maple woods. Average performance for a light spring through fall wearing experience. Has reminders of Autumn Vibes Maison Martin Margiela. Overall I get a fleeting veil of spicy citrus that opens for what is primarily a dry woody scent with flinty matchbook & maple nuances. I'm a fan of maple, so it's a love for me. This would be the perfect scent to wear camping, or for a fall vibe. Enjoy! P.S. Another great maple scent is Pleasures Intense Estee Lauder. This one is all about lily/lilac with maple in the background.

Readers, do not be fooled by the maple sap note listed. It does not smell anything like a stack of pancakes. The sap is more resinous and the sweetness is more like a honey note. The top note is a big, bold, bright lemon that lasts a good 30 minutes before changing into something more tart and fruity reminding me of a raspberry scent. Maybe it is suppose to be the black currant, but black currant has been more sharp and bitter than this, in my experience. Anyway, the drydown is very nice as well. If anyone remembers Miracle pour homme by Lancome, this has that same type of woodsy drydown. Nice.

Either is Citron d'Erable a fragrance that perfectly conveys its creators' ideas, or the vivid description on the postcard that comes with the sample affected my nose. It's an autumn lemon in a cup of tea sweetened with honey (or rather maple syrup). After an hour we are left with a very pleasant woody base, which becomes drier and drier. A very positive composition which rises your spirits and brings to mind the most pleasant aspects of autumn.

It opens up with this lovely lemon fresh type of scent, just amazing, but doesn't last long. It then turns into a smokey sweet/fruity scent, I'm assuming cedar/black currant. The maple doesn't seem to ever show up. In the dry down, it smells like a sweet version of cool water, which is honestly pretty nice when sprayed on clothing, but not on my skin.