Orange Sanguine

I received a sample when it launched, immediately purchased a mini splash in a set, and later kept travel sprays in my arsenal. A full bottle was out of my price range at the time so, never having much to play with, I only ever wore it sparingly (and occasionally layered atop other, more pronounced scents). But whether used on it's own or in conjunction with a heavier perfume, Orange Sanguine was a consistent part of my summer rotation for 3 years before I moved on. And even then, it was never once forgotten. The top notes are frankly mind blowing. Not because of any artistic complexity, but because it is THE MOST realistic blood orange scent a person can find outside of the actual fruit. On a white hot summer morning it wakes me up, like chugging a glass of ice cold OJ, and a short while later I'm left with a barely-there spicy warmth emanating softly from my skin. It was perfect for the office. While the opening notes are my favorite part during the day, those base notes are what I lived for in the evening. Something about the humidity of summer nights makes it sing, and it is...delicious. I remember many evenings sweating ever-so-slightly at a lively barbecue, catching hints of sweet tonka and dry jasmine on my wrists as I lifted a cold beer to my lips. It's been 10 years since I first laid hands on Orange Sanguine and I have only just recently decided to finally get My bottle. I don't believe it should have taken me so long, but I will say it's likely due to the 2 complaints I have always had against this "cologne absolue." The first is the longevity. Unless anchored to another fragrance, it requires frequent reapplying to enjoy those tangy fruity top notes, and a heavy hand to make the base stick around longer than a couple of hours. This would not be worthy of a complaint if the price-point were similar to that of other, equally fleeting colognes. The second concern is in the nature of the scent composition itself. Orange Sanguine is unisex...but in all truth I think a better descriptor would be "asexual." It's not something I can reach for if I want to smell romantic, or glamorous. It doesn't smell attractive...it just smells good. Which is sometimes all that's required. But on the days (and nights) when I require something more than mere pleasantries, I need to add another fragrance into the mix to complete the vibe. Though I suppose it's this mixability that allowed me to hang onto small amounts of this one for long periods of time without feeling cheated. Either way, I would prefer to never be without this one. It's perfect for what it is.

I truly love this photo-realistic orange scent! It brings me back to childhood where I used to crush and rub orange peels on my arms and wished the scent would not disappear so quickly. Orange Sanguine is so juicy, bright, fresh, and opens with a slightly sweet fruity aroma. I think this sweetness is essential, it drives home the image of perfectly pulpy ripe oranges! This is my go to scent to pair with other more complex fragrances (like Lost Cherry for example). Every time I almost lose myself in the complexity of the other scent, I sniff Orange Sanguine on my right wrist and I am back on track. A palate cleanser if you will. The only occasion I will not wear this, is on days I know I'll be sweaty- Orange Sanguine will really emphasize the tanginess of sweat. Now, I love my bottle of Orange Sanguine but something unfortunate has happened. For some reason, it does not smell like it used to anymore. It is not at all sweet, but musky, heavy, and coarse. Maybe even chemical-ly and pungent, its terrible :(. I have tested it a couple of times and it is like this on cool days AND humid days. The scent left on the atomizer is the same sweet juicy aroma, but somehow the juice has gone off... I suspect the high humidty in my area has ruined my batch... Well, I only have a little left in my bottle so it is fine (might buy a new one), but I will be using my bottle as a nasal stick and NOT spraying it out.

ORANGE & ORANGEWOOD. Only available on the grey market in North America now as it's been discontinued here. Opens with a burst of soft blood-orange that deepens into a peppery, rosy jasmine heart, all resting on a slightly soapy cedar & woods. The blood orange here is very soft, and its underpinned by faintly soapy, spicy & woody facets, and I get a faint pencil shaving note on the skin. The woody notes lean to orangewood & cedar. Overall I get a luxury translucent bar-soap or shower gel with orange & soft-spicy-woody tones. Average performance for a subtle wearing experience. Contrast to Aqua Allegoria Orange Soleia Guerlain: These are different, but this is the most similar scent to Orange Sanguine I've smelt. Roughly equivalent performance, or slightly better performance for Orange Soleia. Contrast to Eau de Mandarine Ambree Hermes: These are different, but there are similarities with orange citrus. EdMA has a more forward tropical facet. Roughly equivalent performance, or slightly better for Orange Sanguine. Contrast to Sun Lush: These are different, but there are similarities with orange-citrus. Sun Lush has a more forward powdery quality and the woody facets lean more to sandalwood. Overall: Beautiful take on an orange scent, with average performance this is the perfect scent to wear for an 'outdoorsy' vibe. It's a love for me. Enjoy!

I never get sick of this! It's optimistic, fresh and just complex enough to keep you interested. I don't think I have a great nose but here goes: To me it smells like clementines at their peak, it's a fresh, photorealistic citrus which got me hooked in the store. There's a touch of a vanill-y warmth. I don't love gourmand scents, but I don't find it particularly offensive, I suppose that's what gives it the "happy" vibe for me. Then a touch of wood somewhere in the base, a little sandalwoody-a little cedary? The "green-ness" of the floral middle notes are perhaps more evident on drydown. I can't help but feel happy sniffing it and definitely reach for it mostly in the summer. Its freshness is a nice antidote to muggy weather. It's not incredibly long-lasting nor does it have great sillage, as others have mentioned, but as someone who can sometimes get headaches or nausea from perfume, it's perfect. I suppose it's also the tradeoff you get for all that freshness and citrus. It's a scent I wear for me and sometimes if I'm very insistent and spray more of it/on clothes/hair my husband will notice it too.

I'm a fan of citrus scents so when I heard about Orange Sanguine I felt like I had to give it a try. Went to the store to pick up a new perfume and decided to sample it. On the tester paper it was extremely orangey and juicy smelling. The bitter orange came through most prominently. I was somewhat ambivalent about the scent but kept coming back to it after trying some other brands and scents out. I decided to spray some on myself and walk around a bit to do some shopping to see how I liked it on my skin. Wow. I absolutely loved how fresh and warm it smelled on me. The sandalwood came through much more prominently with a smaller burst of orange underneath. I tend to prefer more unisex scents, as sweeter scents irritate my nose. I can see myself wearing this scent year round, but it definitely smells like late summer, late afternoon, sitting under the shade of a tree. I wore this to lunch outside and it stayed on my skin for about 5-6 hours. I got compliments on it too! Highly recommend this if you like warm, citrusy scents.