La Collection Couturier Parfumeur Cologne Royale

Cologne Royale is one of the most interesting citrus fragrances I've ever sniffed. Somehow for a citrus based fragrance it's not at all sharp and gives me something new that I've not come across before, just as I thought I would never be wowed by a niche citrus ever again. The reason I mention the niche factor is because (rightly or wrongly some might think) I can't always justify the expenditure as there's something inherently cheap about citrus scents to my perception. This however is magic to me...really good the mixture of mint freshness and a slight green and floral element which is perfectly realised. Something about this feels old but not dated like something gentlemen would use throughout history...and apparently that was the intention. Not a typical bergamot or lemon/lime scent it's so perfectly blended that for me a new accord is created, at least something I've never come across it's unlike other neroli/citrus or fruity musks I've tried, Cologne Royal smells really great! I can't say about longevity without giving it a proper trial but I was assured that it's 'cologne' in name only and is EDP concentration. I instantly liked this fragrance and after a few more tries I might even add it to my collection a perfect summer juice. This is providing it has good longevity to justify the price.

Just purchased 125ml. I've had a sample since last fall. I liked it, but didn't want to purchase. Each time I used it, I liked it more. My favorite cologne is Guerlain Imperiale. I also wear Royall Bay Rhum or Royall Lyme. For each the longevity factor differs. But, I still like 'em. On me, unlike the others, Cologne Royale responds to heat and humidity. That's interesting to me. Maybe it's the sandalwood essence base note which does it. Maybe it's there holding up the bergamot and mint ... dunno. In any case, I'm happy to have it to choose from.

Quality! Cystal clear. Crisp and fresh. Right amount of sweet and sour. Enough floral. Beautifully uplifting. Very linear and "boring" as there is no development. Guerlain's classic Cologne is still much much better!

Clean, Happy, and neat I like it, has similiar performance to Chanel Homme Sport Projection is a bit soft

Better than bergamote 22, and cheaper as well. It’s definitely an eau de parfum citrus!

An initial blast of light, natural citrus...... a mentholated accord...... neroli & white musk..... very light white florals...... that’s pretty much the whole story! Longevity is weak to moderate and silage is very soft too. All very nice and clean & inoffensive to pretty much everybody I’d imagine. It’s really quite pleasant but at nearly £300 for 250ml, it’s not great value at all compared with others in the line. Quite similar in it’s genre to Mugler Cologne without the soapy dry-down or a couple of the AdP Colonia line really: pretty standard fare. I’m not surprised to hear that it’s been ‘discontinued’, except in the Paris boutiques. There are dozens of similar fragrances out there for a fraction of the price, that will do the same job as this and better but as a Dior Privèe fan-boy, I own it regardless. Dior Homme Cologne is a fantastic alternative along a similar line but is much brighter and has better legs for the money in my opinion. Admittedly, the minty accord livens up what is a very standard cologne but the weak longevity and sillage means that you blast through this juice at an alarming rate and it’s not viable with the cost. There’s no doubting the quality of the ingredients & the masterful work of Demachy though: it’s very well crafted and Cologne Royale serves a purpose within the line. Surprisingly though, it works incredibly well at the beginning of winter time, when it’s not too cold, thanks to that minty accord & the musk. Very linear in nature and doesn’t have the light creamy almond note of its defunct predecessor, Cologne Blanche, which is a shame but it’s nice enough...... just not at the cost.

Dior Privee Cologne Royale is another great high-end take on the traditional "eau de cologne" scent, much like Chanel Eau de Cologne, which I tried yesterday. Ever so slightly more floral and green than Chanel's, there's certainly more of a departure in Cologne Royale than some other EDCs as well. Although listed notes are just citrus, neroli, and musk, I'd argue that there are some other florals involved. The musk dry down too is much significant than in Eau de Cologne and other EDCS. The dry down is very soft and leans toward the musk, the citrus almost entirely gone. Purportedly an EDP but expectedly not, Cologne Royale is not a high-performer, being sub par both in terms of projection and longevity. I like this one a lot but I'd certainly give the edge to Chanel's version, despite Dior's better pricing (the standard Privee $210 for 125ml) 7 out of 10

CR is a citrus-based fragrance that's breezy, crisp, bright, refreshing, and light while still holding an air of high class and elegance. I use CR to decompress my nose. Sometimes I get tired of wearing my regular fragrances all the time and feel like wearing something on the lighter side that lasts me a short time, while still feeling elegant, just to give myself a break from the heavier more regular fragrances. CR fits the bill. I find this fragrance perfect to wear after a shower, before going to bed (you don't have to shower in the morning to take it off), or during the searing sun of summer. CR is perfect to wear in the climate of Florida and the Caribbean, where I spend most of my time.

GREAT SCENT THAT SHOULD NOT BE IN THE LA COLLECTION LINE I am a lover of these simple cologne style fragrances. I like how Chanel and Dior are taking these simple cologne fragrances and making them into EDT and now for this guy an EDP. This one starts of with some bright light citruses and mint. I don't have too many mint scents but this one makes me intrigue on how to use mint in perfumery. The neroli kicks in and the citruses are long gone. The dry down reminds me of clean laundry. Unfortunately for this beautiful scent you will have to reapply every 2 hours to enjoy that beautiful opening. Longevity 2-4 hrs Projection very soft to skin scent right from the start

This is a pretty easy-wearing cologne made from quality ingredients - evident enough throughout this whole line - that makes for a great all occasion choice from Dior. It's mostly Bergamot and Neroli that take the centre stage, and a beautiful white musk that provides an underlying sweetness that ultimately gives this perfume a sort of honey-like smooth finish. I have tried many-a-Cologne, and this is definitely a solid choice when you're having trouble choosing. It's light, refreshing and very polite in a room full of people. But with all that said I struggle to see myself purchasing a full bottle of this unfortunately, i haven't fallen in love with it just yet.

A simple and harmless little cologne. I get a very prominent menthol note right from the beginning which makes this fresher than its competitors (B22 and Mugler for instance). The menthol is, imo, more noticeable than the citruses from the beginning and contrasts very nicely with them. This freshness then stays long after the citruses are gone and the musky warmth of the base has had the time to appear. I would wear this when going to a semi-formal lunch in a warm climate. Appalling performance paired with a high price makes me rate it "like" and not "love".

His whole line can do nothing wrong. Everything has pristine quality and I feel as though I like every single one . this is no exception. A beautiful cologne . and it is what it is. A cologne is a specific set of notes put together to create composition known as "cologne". This is just a cologne done to the highest quality standards . an exception above anything Creed or Chanel has done so far . I like it very much especially in the hot summer weather . A Tom Ford summer vibe, but done better.

Cologne Royale was delicate and beautiful on paper, with a bright bergamot top note and the freshness of mint. I'm not sure about it's lasting power though, and if you're looking for something to be your 'signature' it may lack uniqueness.

Recieved a sample when buying Feve delicious, it very uplifting nice floral zesty fragrance, smells of high quality ingredients but lasts barely 20 minutes. For such a high price tag would recommend to try before you buy.

A cologne but very well balanced and in my skin a bit salty. It opens with a clear citric aroma that i don’t enjoy but it dries down to a very elegant flower and musk. A very nice interpretarion of a cologne

Opens with a bright fresh citrus and neroli kinda imagination-ish 5 minutes later it becomes a powdery musky minimal scent, very simplistic and fleeting, nothing special either massively overpriced

The entire perfume for me was just citrus (bergamot mainly) and nothing else. Nice opening but that was all there is to the perfume I guess since it was gone in less than an hour (on clothing even). Atrocious performance compared to other of its line. Not surprised that it’s discontinued. Edit. Revisited this bottle and the performance was better. On skin it lasted about two hrs while on clothing the citrus/neroli (yes did I mention I got neroli this time?) lasted about four hrs, after which only very faint base musk lingered on for another seven eight hrs.

Cologne Royale can't be smelled for the first five minutes on the skin, but then citrus gradually takes over. It is smooth, uplifting, and linear. However, there are much better citrus based products at a better price. Eau D'Italie Acqua Decima, Xerjoff 1861 Renaissance or a handful of Acqua Di Parma products have similar vibes to Cologne Royal, but much nicer. There is nothing special about Cologne Royale. The asking price is also not justified. Next one please.

“It looks just like our Petit Trianon back home.” I said as I took photos of my friend William in the tiny and cramped gate house framing him against the little window through which could be seen the private diminutive palace of Marie Antoinette. “But it is the real thing.” He said. “Ours in San Francisco is a pale copy.” It was our last day in France and we had saved Versailles for our finale immersion in all things French. The palace was magnificent, the gardens sublime. No more so than off the main paths that lead away from the Grand Canal to the Grand and the Petit Trianon and the Hameau de la Reine. The further away from the grand Château we walked the less we saw of others touring the grounds. By the time we reached the little palace we were quite alone. The planned wildness of the gardens had captured my imagination and I could almost believe that around the next box hedge I would find a small group of courtiers from the court of The Sun King. What magic it all seemed to possess, a sad haunted magic in the end. A soft mist was falling from the grege colored April sky as we walked into the entrance of the intimate little hideaway of the Queen. As we passed from room to room we could feel the presence of something extraordinary. The furnishings were all put back in place as they had been before the Revolution. The only light in the rooms came from the French windows giving each room the softness of a watercolor in blues and silvers. I stood at the window of the dining room looking out over a small formal garden feeling so peaceful and a little at home. “OH Harry just look at this room! It’s just like Sylvia and Oscar’s dinning room in Oyster Bay!” Her voice could crack open the lost tomb of Alexander the Great. I turned to see her sweep into the room overdressed, painted, pulled and plumped. She ran her hand along the edge of the dinning table and then picked up a plate. “I have to find this exact pattern when we get back home.” She flipped the plate over to inspect the bottom. Her private guide was paled by her snatching up of the priceless porcelain. “Please Madame you must not touch. These are priceless museum pieces.” She ignored him as she tossed her teased dyed Titian tresses and grabbed her ancient husband by the arm and squeezed it till he winced. “We just have to recreate this room in the new house. I want it to be better than Sylvia’s. I want it to be better than even this!’ She whipped out a camera from her YSL bag and backed up into an 18th century cabinet taller than she was and set it rocking. “Madame Please! We must move on now.” The poor guide whimpered. Harry gave him a nasty look. When she was quite finished she swept past William and I as if we were just dusty window treatments that she was most definitely not impressed with. I looked at my friend horrified and embarrassed by this woman from my country who felt so entitled that she had no respect or appreciation of where she was or what she was really seeing. “That woman was a pig!” I said. “I bet she yells at Parisians in English thinking they will understand her.” William said. Then I saw it. The cabinet she had bumped into had pressed up against the wall and and had left a crack in it. “She broke the wall!” We went over to investigate. “No she didn’t” William said. “It’s a hidden compartment in the wall. When she bumped into the cabinet it must have hit the trigger on the wall. See it’s right here and...Look!” We both leaned in at the same time and hit our heads together. Neither of us felt the bump. “What do you see?” The rain was coming down really hard outside and made it so dark in the room that I couldn't see anything in the cubby hole. “Wonderful things...” He whispered as if it was King Tutankhamen’s tomb and he was Howard Carter. It all came into focus. There was a black silk fan covered in dust and cobwebs, some coins, an old parchment letter with the wax seal broken and a small bottle of perfume. I reached for the bottle. “Don’t touch it!” My friend cautioned but it was already in hand. I read the faded writing on the perfume label, “Cologne Royale” I whispered. “It is a bottle of Cologne Royale. What does the letter say?” He gingerly opened the ancient manuscript and part of the edges fell away. “It’s in French I can’t read it. But it is addressed to ‘Votre Majesté Royale and signed Hans Axel Von Fersen.’ Open the bottle ... what does it smell like?” It pulled at the sealed stopper but to no avail. There were voices coming now from the next room. “I can’t get it open!” “Someone is coming! Put it back!” He shoved the letter back into its tomb. “No I want to smell it.” He tried to take the perfume away from me and in the struggle it fell to the floor and shattered. That is how we ended our vacation in France, Two loud ugly Americans explaining to the French police how we found the lost treasures of Le Petit Trianon and destroyed forever the only bottle of perfume owned by Marie Antoinette. ************************************************* Cologne Royale la Collection Privée by Christian Dior is a modern elegant take on the classic 18th century Eau de Cologne. In fact inspired by just such colognes, it is delicate and beautiful in the way the best colognes are. One is reminded of No. 4711 eau de Cologne which as been in production since 1790 or of Santa Maria Novella Acqua de Colonia which was created for Catherine Di Medici, Queen of France. There is a long and colorful history of smelling good in Paris and what better way to celebrate the history of that tradition than with a classic royal cologne from the house of Dior. Perfumer Francois Demachy has chosen the most wonderful blend of citrus, neroli and musk to bring a vision of the glory days of powdered wigs and scented fans to life. But it is not stuffy or old fashioned in the least. For in choosing a strictly narrow style of the eau de cologne Demachy has somehow managed to breathe new life into an old form. It is the perfect after bath refreshment and a wonderful base on which to layer a more substantial fragrance for later in the day or evening. It is more refreshing than merely “Fresh”. Like all eau de colognes the projection and longevity are short lived thus making Cologne Royale the ultimate in a luxury fragrance. One must be extravagant and rather caviler to wear Royale at about, at the very most three hours and such a price. But if you are of the let them eat cake mindset then why not indulge in a bottle of Cologne Royale. What a lovely couture fragrance for the Comte or Comtesse in every perfume lover. Madame le peuple puent. Laissez-les se baigner dans parfum! COLOGNE ROYALE FOUR GOLD STARS ****

The Fragrance Notes on this one are completely wrong- the note list from the Dior website are Bergamot, Mint, and Sandalwood, though undoubtably there is an unmentioned Neroli heartnote. I bought a few samples of Cologne Royale and quickly went through them before plopping down over $200 on a 4.2oz bottle. Cologne Royale opens with a beautiful Bergamot/ Lemon note mixed with a strong Mint that dominates the fragrance. The citrus notes fade and some Neroli comes in, which together with the Mint creates an almost perfect Grass scent, like a sunny meadow. The Sandalwood is completely nonexistant. An instant mood enhancer, Cologne Royale is a top-of-the-line cologne that is best used during the hot summer months, because longevity is an issue. I wore this on a summer day where my car broke down and I had to walk from the mechanics home, and despite the bad day I was having all I could smell on my walk home was tranquil Bergamot/MINT/Neroli, so I was feeling great!