Pomelo Oolong

My introduction to d'Annam with Pomelo Oolong was quite welcoming. I recently sampled this scent and have to say it has grown on me. As a lover of tea notes in fragrances, I was excited to see what perfumer Anh Ngo presented in this scent. I was first hit with a blast of florals and only a soft hint of pomelo, something I must say I was slightly disappointed in. The oolong profile is gentle on my skin, something I love and admire in Ngo's work. Pomelo Oolong is for sure more feminine; however, it walks the fine line of unisex, with the heavy dose of florals making it teeter over. On skin, it lasts for a moderate amount of time, with a pleasant sillage drying down into a nice skin scent. It's best described as a therapeutic fragrance, one that calms the mind and constantly demands the smell of the wrist. For a citrus, tea, and floral fragrance, Anh Ngo and d'Annam do a great job refining the scent down into its core elements, doing nothing more or less. A realistic tea scent is something I love, staying inoffensive and pleasing both the user and those around them. The dry down is where the expected comes to life, with many people giving Pomelo Oolong backlash for its misleading opening. The airy, light scent profile is one aspect of this fragrance that must be appreciated. The hyper-realistic oolong becomes the star of the show just after the opening and somewhat upon the opening as well. Overall, Pomelo Oolong is a great, basic scent that checks off everything a tea/floral enthusiast would look for. The simple structure and lovely dry down are what make Pomelo Oolong unique. Even though it does not last as long as people would like it to, the true and artistic meaning behind this scent is more for the individual. You can always overspray and reapply if you want to share this masterpiece with the world, but I have learned to appreciate this scent for what it is. It's creamy, smooth, and hyper-realistic, which is hard to find. I look forward to exploring d'Annam and the works of Anh Ngo, as well as eventually picking up a bottle of Pomelo Oolong.

i’ve come to realize that, while it truly does not matter, i want to use different scents to match the different seasons, therefore i must make use of my sample collection to find something cute. i got a tiny decant of this from somebody last year, and at first i wasn’t super crazy about it, but i found myself finishing the decant and now i’m getting a bigger decant just to be sure. that being said, i think i love it. i’m not usually one to reach for tea or floral or fruit (unless it’s fig), but i think really like this. the first initial sprays is the sharpness of a pomelo juice and rind, mixed with oolong, and it’s tea-y for a bit until the dry down. at least, for me. it’s important i preface this by saying that this is purely for my skin chem because on me it dries into a creamy (i guess that’s where this porcelain accord comes from) sunscreeny floral, and some tea. like, it smells like a really expensive milky sunscreen. kind of reminds me of ‘skank’ by barre in the dry down ON ME. maybe even like an oolong milk tea. it was raining the day i wore this, but it stayed on my clothes for a decent amount of time, and projected pretty well for the amount of sprays that i did (6, both wrists, both inner arms, 2 on the neck and 2 on my chest). my friend said she could smell me in the passenger seat right as i got in the car, and it lasted into the next day. v sweet v awesome v pretty man who shares luv for fragrance w me also tested this, as a designated tea lover (it was also his first time having pomelo after), and it’s way more herby tea on him and i am jealous.

Immediate reaction to my first spray is that I think this is a pretty safe blind buy for the shampoo scentheads - you get a sweet fruity citrus opening, with no sharpness. As it settles on my skin, the tea note blooms, but again without any tannic bitterness that I sometimes get from overly tea-forward perfumes. It feels very clean and is just barely sweet - the word I keep coming back to is sparkly? This is feminine without feeling excessively girlish or immature. Will be a lovely warm weather scent and is probably office/public transit safe. By hour three it’s mostly gone but hour two was an interesting powdery, musky tea - possibly the porcelain coming through - that retained just a hint of the early sweetness. Edit: the porcelain is like no other powdery note I’ve smelled, it’s so clean and neutral. I find myself reapplying every few hours just to experience the dry down over and over again. I probably would have gone through half a bottle per week if they had dropped this earlier during peak summer. The bottle design is eh for me but I have to acknowledge that that atomizer is 15/10 quality at this price point.

This is disgustingly good, and I can't look at tea fragrances the same after smelling this. The first spray fills the air with the smell of a freshly poured cup of oolong, paired with a heavy dose of osmanthus and indolic jasmine with the pomelo poking out behind it. The indole and the sweetness make this surprisingly rich and narcotic. As the fragrance progresses, the florals take over. The smell is strong at close distance but tapers off quickly, not a room filler, which I'm fine with. The price is quite high, and that's my only qualm. However, when you consider the price is on par with Tom Ford, this is far superior to what I've worn from TF and far more interesting. It's still more than I care to pay for, though. A note on longevity: people need to get off this obsession with longevity. This frag lasts ~3 hours, but you really shouldn't expect more out of a tea and citrus fragrance. Those are top and mid notes, it's just the nature of those materials. If you want to smell like citrus and tea, you have to accept that you need to reapply.

First spray is an immediate bright sweet citrus with a slightly bitter note behind it, which is balanced by a powdery, polleny but fruity floral, a very beautiful blend. The bitter/floral combo pushes through after half an hour and pomelo takes a backseat, keeping it refreshing but not very sweet. After two or three hours, it’s more powdery and mostly floral with barely any fruit. Interestingly, after four hours the drydown is fruit-forward again and much sweeter and lactonic, very close to the skin. It essentially disappears by hour five and is barely detectable. Very pleasant and more addictive than I expected, but I'm disappointed it fades so quickly. The longevity is possibly the worst out of all the perfumes I own. I don’t mind more intimate projection, in fact I prefer it, but the drydown doesn't even last to the end of the workday. I will probably just get myself a larger decant and leave it at that, because I'm not sure the price is worth it for me for just 50ml.

Pomelo Oolong opens with fruity flowery goodness. The tea note makes it way in pretty quickly, along with a little bit of a clean musk that occasionally leans towards a very fancy shampoo. However, most of my experience has been akin to walking in to a tea shop, and putting your face in a handful of a fresh fruity tea leaves with floral hints. The osmanthus in this scent is really flexing its muscles. It occasionally leans in to a fruity boba tea drink, but barely touches that. The only sweetness I’m getting feels like it’s from the florals, so it doesn’t feel over done at all. Definitely leans feminine, which makes it the perfect house scent for me. I imagine this has a head turning scent trail, it’s just that damn good.

Oh wow. I love this. It’s gorgeous. The choice of pomelo and added osmanthus was genius. Most citrus based fragrances are lemon or bergamot based making it more tart and zesty fresh. While those are nice, the pomelo note adds a softer and sweetness to the tea, making the overall composition gorgeous. It’s not screechy or bitter like Wulong Cha by Nishane. Btw, this is nothing like Tea Escape, @GayFrag MMM’s undoubtedly nice, but Pomelo Oolong is in a league of its own. I don’t think this is similar to One Day Jasmine Tea, which I also love. However, I totally understand where the comparison comes from. The floral aspect of the tea without tartness and without strong astringency from the tea. Both are excellent.

This is the perfume that made me buy my first D’annam discovery kit. This has quickly become my favourite perfume, surpassing my beloved L’interdit. I, for now, only have a tester, but it is first on my list to buy. Only bad thing about it is that, on my skin, the opening is a bit like cleaning supplies, which did not happen on paper, but after it dries, that cleaning supplies scent leaves, and I like it so much that I don’t care. I also don’t mind reapplying since this is my perfect perfume, specially the oolong note, which also happens to be my favourite tea. I will hold every other tea scents to this standard.

Might be my new favorite perfume of my collection. It's a photorealistic tea and not "perfumey" at all. If you like the smell of oolong, you will like this. It lasts pretty long on my skin and clothes as well. I can be headache prone to certain perfumes, specifically ones with artificial fruity notes or aldehydes. This is very headache safe. It literally smells like sticking your nose in a cup of tea with citrus in it. Such a nice tea fragrance. If you've never had oolong, but you know what jasmine tea smells like you'll probably like this as well!

I don’t understand the negative reviews saying this doesn’t smell like tea - it smells exactly like oolong tea to my nose. I’ve been looking for a tea scent that’s not too sweet - many smell like sweet iced tea to me and I am looking for something more deep, like tea leaves. The pomelo is quite strong and long lasting for a citrus scent. It's refreshing, but has that bitterness that keeps it from being too sweet. It's very elegant, simple but not boring. I don't get the complaints about longevity, this easily last 6 hours on my skin.

I had a weird relationship with this scent. For the longest time I was completely adverse to anything with a prominent citrus note, and this was one of my victims lol. But I went through several samples convincing myself I didn’t know how I felt. I did know I just needed time to accept I’m a citrus girl lol! Now the citrus isn’t very present in this at all, it’s mostly warm steam from oolong with bergamot squeezed on top. Then it turns into the most beautiful powdery skin scent. I adore this

I mostly get the pomelo at first; very fresh, juicy, and bright. It really stands out and gives the fragrance an uplifting, refreshing feel. After just a while, the tea comes through with a slightly earthy touch, which balances the pomelo nicely and also gives the fragrance more depth. I really enjoy how fresh and juicy this fragrance is overall. To me, it feels elegant and clean, probably thanks to the porcelain and musk notes, but at the same time it has a youthful, energetic vibe.

Love love love this one. A bit of a talcum powdery open but it fades to the back as the green body unfolds. Smells like the color green and stevia. I don’t get the citrus note as strongly as others seem to but I do get the kind of authentic tea scent that almost lends a bit of bitterness. The suggestion of bitterness without the actual bitterness. Beware though, a little goes a long way. Going to try to layer this with Mooncake for funsies.

This is soooo beautiful & divine T^T Chinese gardens, myths of wise dragon emperors, resplendent philosophies of awakened sages; just transports you to a surreal picturesque fantasy of the nostalgic orient🐉 It’s so sublime; I am personally reminded of my childhood watching Dragon Ball & The Journey To The West dramas 🙏✨ I also do get the subtle effect of the porcelain accord, it’s executed very subtly, yet impressively naturally !

Blind bought this and was not disappointed - as someone who dislikes strong citrus scents, the pomelo actually plays quite a supporting role throughout the entire fragrance. The tea note is extremely prevalent, along with the floral osmanthus note. Extremely reminiscent of what tea would actually smell like! My one issue is that sillage and projection are on the weaker side (tbf, to be expected from this kind of note combination).

First spray is soapier than you'd expect, probably due to the porcelain accord. Luckily for me, I love soap 😍 Once it mellows out 30 mins later, it is the perfect balance of pomelo and oolong tea with a powdery finish. I dislike when heavy citruses corrupt a tea scent, which Western brands have a tendency to do, but this one is simple and beautiful. Quickly becoming one of my favorite spring-summer scents. Chief Keef signing off

Wanted to make note that there is definitely white florals in here for those that are also sensitive to it. I do, though, love this one! It's a very gentle scent. Rather dry compared to what I was expecting. Must be the porcelain note, I can almost hear the broken porcelain shards when I smell this. There is a sharp and cold opening and it dries down to a wonderful milky tea. Gentle florals throughout. A beautiful tea scent!

Fresh and delicious. Oolong is stronger at first then dries lighter, turns very pomelo-osmanthus. It doesn't last that long in my opinion, started struggling to smell anything around hour 5. I'm not picking up the smoke scent that some others describe, and while I dislike most white floral scents, this one is gentle and not overpowering, very balanced with the citrus. I like this a lot more than I though I would.

Tea fragrances are usually very tea forward which is not favorable to my nose since it creates a very dry and stuffy experience. This one is different though since the tea is very toned down and the osmanthus is dialed way up making this scent super soft, delicate and slightly powdery. It kind of reminds me of Neroli Outrenoir by Guerlain which I also love. Overall, very safe buy and great summer scent.

I like it a lot!! It’s a very complex scent: tart tea leaves, green and zesty and a big bouquet of milky white flowers (that is probably an osmanthus note that I’m picking as a jasmine). It’s very interesting and I want to smell it again and again. However, the floral part if really prominent which makes it slightly overwhelming for me personally. But still it’s done very nicely!! My ig: scent.guide

Very beautiful tea with slight pomelo and osmanthus notes. Unfortunately it lasted only about three hours on skin and about ten plus on clothing. The only redeeming feature is the equally beautiful bottle. Projection was strong on the first spray and dropped to moderate almost immediately. Edit. Still getting beautiful tea scent from the laundry basket way beyond twenty four hours of spraying

One of my favorite tea fragrances. I think I'll wear this when I lose my virginity. I wasn't expecting the citrus and oolong to be so strong but it's strong in a good way, like actually getting a good whiff of the teabag. The scent is delightful overall, even when it begins to fade it gives off a nice floral feel. I hope to own the full bottle one day rather than just the 1mL tester.

Perfect tea scent! This fragrance immediately brings me calm and sophisticated energy. It’s like sipping on an oolong tea in an old porcelain cup while surrounded by fruit trees and a creek running nearby. It works very well in the heat, rain, and even for a date night. I also wore this on a hoodie the day I got it and could still smell it the morning after.

I’ve only sampled this scent, but holy, honestly my favorite tea fragrance of all time. Super realistic tea smell with a hint of citrus, which makes it perfect. Also, it tends to lean feminine; I think anyone can still use this with no problem. But I wish it would’ve lasted longer, and a 100ml option would be nice.

This may have to be my next post-shower perfume. Lush, flowing, clean, sure of itself. Sopping wet. Gravity increases around you when you wear this. Putting this on makes me feel how I hope my lizard feels when I mist its enclosure.

i grew up drinking oolong tea and jasmine tea, and i think this one is an amazing photorealistic tea scent. i dont think i’ve ever yearned for a tea scent like this one. one day i will acquire the full bottle for sure

Stunning!! I want this one ASAP. Absolutely refreshing, juicy and yet floral at the same time. Probably my favorite from Chapter 3 of d'Annam!! Definitely worth a sample if you're thinking about it.

yummy citrus opening...in the dry down the citrus dies down and left is the scent of dried tea leaves and white floral. wish the citrus lasted longer tho...but this scent is yummy...THUMBS UP!!!!!

Smells like how Wintermelon Milk tea feels. Very interesting aromatic tea scent, potentially a year-round scent (i'm already imagining layering it with a smokier woody scent in the winter)

To me this smells like a lovely jasmine tea. I usually don't like jasmine in perfumes but this is lovely and feminine. Uncle Iroh would love this (so do I to be fair).

Definitely get grapefruit in the beginning, and the dry down is just white floral and tea, just like jasmine tea... just like molly tea..

i adore this. it's beautifully floral and tea-like, but has something quite cold and clean about it too

You can hear very fresh good quality oolong tea. Maybe simple but very easy to wear and elegant.

I only smell the oolong, but that's why I love it. It's simple and wonderful.🍵

OMG i love this one so so much! 100% my fav tea scent of all time

the best tea scent of all time

This is a like but not an absolute love for me. It is quite a floral take on oolong, remarkably reminiscent of gardenia despite it not listed as a note. I will continue to wear test it to see if it's for me. I do get quite a bit of the oolong, pomelo, and osmanthus coming through at first spray. The dry down brings out a bit more of a powder note, which I assume is the porcelain. After a few hours is very much a powdery white musk with faint oolong. The scent is quite transportive and I can imagine myself in an early summer Chinese garden with pagodas, a warm breeze, and blooming flowers. It reminds me a bit of the Chinese garden at the Huntington Library. At the time of my sampling and review, it is quite hot but the tea scent isn't quite light and fresh enough for me to feel like the fragrance is great for the hottest time in the summer. I think it may be best worn in the late spring, early summer. All in all, a nice fragrance and as I write this, I feel my appreciation growing. If I were going for a floral tea fragrance, I would likely still choose To Summer's Osmanthus over it.

Sampling d’Annam Pomelo Oolong, from the house’s most recently released collection, Chapter 3: Memories of China, and fittingly, it’s a fresh tea-centric scent, with notes of oolong tea, pomelo, osmanthus, porcelain, and white musk. So it fittingly has floral and musky qualities to it, as well, even though the oolong tea note is most prominent. It’s pleasant, inoffensive, versatile, and not so tea-heavy that tea skeptics would have a difficult time enjoying it, in my opinion. It certainly feels among the safest fragrances in the house to date, and it’s nice to have such options, and it might be only the second tea-focused fragrance after Monsoon Tea. I quite like it, though it does not make a huge impression. As with most of the rest of the house, it’s EDP concentration and priced at $160 for 50ml, sold in the US via the house website as well as great boutiques like Perfumology. It performs pretty well, also, albeit not among the stronger of the house’s releases as far as performance. 7 out of 10

review update since i got this fragrance: it opens up with a burst of pomelo which sadly disappears in the span of 2 minutes. after that, it evolves into steeped cold oolong tea with a shot of citrus acidity. some people reviewed that they couldnt detect the porcelain note, which is not the case for me: it is really apparent to my nose, not as a smell but as a feeling. with the added musk the perfume feels cold and almost fragile, which is very interesting to me since porcelain really cant be described with a smell but can be connotated with fragility and elegance! talking about fragility: this perfume lasts max. 2 hours on my skin (longer on clothes) which is usual for tea/citrus fragrances but still disappointed me in terms of how much you are paying for 50ml... smell: 7/10, got many compliments longevity: 4/10 originality: 8/10 as usual for this house what you get for the price: 3.5/10

Smells like jasmine or osmanthus tea, heavy on the flower. One might smell this on you and think that first and foremost you were wearing a white floral fragrance as opposed to a tea fragrance, although the tea is definitely there underneath it. There's also a very dusty or chalk-like element to this scent, as if you blew a thick layer of dust off the tea canister before opening it, and it's hanging in the air while you brew your tea. D'Annam lists "porcelain" as a fragrance note - seeing as porcelain doesn't really have a smell, I'll say it's crushed up porcelain dust. I hardly get any pomelo at all - if it's there, it's dried pomelo peel, more perfumey rather than juicy or citrusy.

I smell no pomelo, this is all osmanthus and dry oolong. Very realistic notes of those two. This is for you if you are looking to smell like a pouch of loose leaf osmanthus oolong tea. Fall scent, slightly smoky from the oolong, deep autumn honey from the osmanthus. I expected from the name of Pomelo Oolong and the colour scheme of the packaging and anccompanying art that it would be a brighter refreshing spring scent like an iced tea. Instead the colours evoked are toasty light orange of osmanthus and a green-brown of oolong. Good performance, longevity is 8+ hours easily with moderate projection. Beautiful personal bubble of scent. This will be a fall staple for me going forward.

On my skin, Pomelo Oolong starts off with a burst of Pomelo and oolong note. Absolutely lovely and I wish it stayed that way longer. After about 15 minutes, the osmanthus projects quite strongly. On me, it smells sweet, floral, and feminine. Similar to jasmine, but softer and floral. I agree with other reviewers that it settles powdery, which I don’t mind. I already have Wulóng Chá for an oolong tea fragrance, but I might get a full bottle as it’s definitely a different and softer feminine fragrance on my skin.

Powerful without being overpowering. Floral without being overtly feminine. The pomelo keeps it fruity without going juicy, which works well with the dry tea leaf at the end. While this might seem spring or summer at first, that astringent note works well with the dry, cold weather we currently have in New England. It is empowering in a subtle way that is hard to explain. I sprayed this on my skin and sweater yesterday. Today, the scent on my sweater is still very strong as if it was just applied.

This is a lovely hushed oolong with floral citrus facets. Not a citrus black tea that hits you over the head. The softened edges make for a wonderful experience- I would smile if I caught this on a train on a stranger. It’s lovely. Maybe not a signature scent but it’s going to make a lot of people happy. I’m not sure if anyone is going to get this combination, but if you took JL Still (a wonderful tea scent) and added Ineke Chemical Bonding (powdery citrus floral), this sits right in between them.

At first sniff it's very oolong forward, then it turns to the peel of a Grapefruit, a nice citrus burst to sit lightly with the oolong. It's quite aromatic and dry. And honestly it isn't terrible. As a gourmond fan it's just a little too green and flat for me but I'm definitely going to mix it with one of my vanillas to give it that creamy twist it needs to stay on my rotation. Overall a wonderful perfume. Can't speak to longevity or projection just yet. It will be a full bottle buy.

The first time I smelled this perfume on paper it was off putting, but I tried it again a while later on my clothes and ohhhhh I fell in love and bought a full bottle. It’s the sweeter kind of fresh without being cloying, and it actually lasts longer than many of the other d’Annam scents. It’s not extremely complex but I love how wearable it is. I’m conscious about what people think of my perfume and I’m comfortable with wearing this one in a crowd. Recommended!

The pomelo notes are present in the initial spray but evaporate very quickly, leaving osmanthus and tea, with the tea taking a backseat to the prominent osmanthus note. One of the most calming and fragrant executions of boba tea shop gourmand I have smelled. Longevity leaves much to be desired. It quickly dries to a skin scent then lasts about 6 hours on my skin. I don't like the bottle, the cap is awkward to use for me.

This fragrance is a masterclass in realism, perfectly capturing the tranquil experience of a quiet morning ritual. It is bright, clean, and incredibly refreshing, making it the ultimate palette cleanser for your wardrobe. Most prominent notes on my skin: oolong tea and pomelo. Smells like: Steam rising from a delicate porcelain cup filled with citrus-infused tea; a moment of total stillness.

Photo-realistic oolong at the opening with a distinct citrus undertone. Honestly, one of the juiciest oolong perfumes I have ever tried, it smells super refreshing, and I know I will love this in the summer. However, at the 3ish-hour mark, when the oolong note fades, the leftover musk I find a bit dry and starchy. Nonetheless, the beginning oolong note is so so good, it's worth reapplying

This is a nice scent but the tea/oolong note isn’t very detectable. This smells like a rich jasmine tea, it smells like the inside of the Hey Tea store. I’ve tried lots of tea perfumes from Taiwan and China so I know how realistic tea notes smell like. Pomelo oolong smells like a generic citrus floral scent? Osmanthus isn’t detectable either. It’s generally nice though and not offensive