Orange De Bahia

Have you ever been peeling oranges with your fingers and accidentally got a peppering of the oils and chemicals in the zest squirted on your face, maybe even a bit too close to the eyes? This is like that experience - wonderful, zingy, so tart and natural that it's almost a little scary at first. Admirably, authentically almost-bitter citrus at the start, with the undertone of the fig giving a gorgeously green, botanical, smells-like-a-plant-not-a-product feel to the whole thing. Rose and coconut notes not at all obtrusive or overbearing, just helping that gorgeous orange aromatic aura to hold on and keep smelling like itself for a little longer. Not at all sticky-sweet, and not shading into anonymous fresh-laundry-musk either, as many citrus scents can do. Really one of the closest things I've ever smelled to the magic of real oranges on a hot day - and with enough sharpness to it to remind you of some real Caribbean bitter oranges in a sack, rather than 'smell of the Tropicana juice in the TetraPak carton'. Right up there with my great orange loves like Jo Malone Orange Bitters or Hermes Concentre d'Orange Verte or Ramon Monegal Entre Naranjos - and in fact this is classier, nicer and, well, orange-ier than even those old pals, because the Boucheron is NOT relying on detectable levels of oakmoss or patchouli to do the heavy lifting and keep the scent alive. So it's beautiful! So wonderful! And yet so not-cheap at RRP! Orange de Bahia's smell casts such a spell that it seems churlish to raise any objections. But it's so unfortunate this falls at the same old citrus hurdle: the longevity test. On me, it's all true beauty for a couple of hours, lingering whiffs of loveliness for up to 4h after, and always a whisper of gorgeous zing on the skin any later than that. It's one of the loveliest orange scents I've ever smelled - but it still won't last out a full day's wear on me. Frustrating - yet oh-so-nearly worth it all the same. If you share my obsession with orange scents then give this one a squeeze. ETA: Grew obsessed with my memory of this. Bought it at discount and now love it with my whole heart. Longevity is much better if sprayed more generously (isn't it always the way?) and will stretch to 6h if you apply with a lavish hand. It's now my favourite orange scent of them all.

ORANGE JOY. Orange & green mandarin, supported by greens & shades-of-wood. The orange here is juicy, soft & floral as opposed to sparkly. Coconut-milk here is faint but brings a faint orange-blossom note. Alongside there is an aquatic mineral-water freshness that isn't from calone, but it does remind me somewhat of the Aqua Allegoria range, more Passiflora than Mandarine Basilic. The fig leaf note adds a touch of green piquancy in a similar way as the basil does in Mandarine Basilic. As with Passiflora, this requires a few weeks/months in dark storage after the first sprays to develop the true scent and performance (before that most will find the performance slightly below average). Once it oxidizes a little from the first sprays leaving the bottle and oxygen entering, it's pure joy, refreshing orange - more droplets from an extra-juicy orange with a little essence from the exterior rind, but very little pith as other reviewers have mentioned. The rind essential oils of orange being evoked by the white-cedar extract predominantly. Contrast to Aqua Allegoria Passiflora Guerlain: These are different, but there is a similar fruity-mineral-water vibe. Passiflora has a more forward tropical quality, white Orange de Bahia has a more forward orange/orange-rind-oil quality. Roughly equivalent performance. Overall: joyful, nuanced orange scent with slightly above average performance with dark storage after first sprays. It's a love for me. Enjoy! Update 05/23/24: This has gotten juicier and the performance has improved with time. I still love it on its own, or combining with Intense Cafe Montale for a more evening vibe. Love, love, love. 10/10 for a citrus-orange scent.

Wonderful summer scent! I find it a bit similar to Guerlain Aqua Allegoria but much "deeper". Bitter oranges blended with some kind of peru balm coolness. I find it absolutely relaxing yet elegant. Can't detect any coconut or fig leaves.

I purchased this fragrance a few months ago because I love Boucheron fragrances and I wanted something for summer. When I first sprayed it, I wasn't sure that I would like it. I love the orange, but, on me, it is not at all sweet, smelling more like orange zest. And, at first, I wasn't impressed that it did not seem to wear long. So, I put it away, waiting for warmer weather. I have been wearing this consistently for the last few days, and am loving it. Yes, it is a very fresh, almost green, orange - more mandarin orange. The fig leaf may be the reason for the "greeness" in the fragrance, but it is blended beautifully with the orange and woody notes. Coconut and rose are present, but very gently. As I mentioned, I love Boucheron fragrances, and have most of them. Of the "Collection" fragrances, the longevity of Orange de Bahia has improved since I first purchased it. I will get at least 6 hours on skin, and 12 hours on clothes. Personally, I think this is very unisex. While I enjoy wearing it, I would love to smell this on a guy. Overall, I would rate this as a 4.5 out of 5.

Right after spraying, I get the olfactory impression of standing in a Mediterranean pine forest while eating a freshly peeled orange. This is my favorite stage of Orange de Bahia’s development because after that it slowly morphs into a light woody muskiness with low sillage. In fact, when wearing this fragrance outdoors on a hot summer day, it will become a skin scent within 15 minutes. This is a shame because it would actually be an elegant and versatile citrus fragrance. Honestly, I am puzzled by the fact that this is marketed as an EDP...