Bigarade Concentree

As someone who lives in a warm climate and has a passion for citrus scents, I must argue that genuinely good citrus accords are hard to find across fragrances. An even harder task is to find a good citrus accord that smells natural and is capable of being versatile. An almost impossible task, however, is to find a citrus scent that does everything mentioned above, all while also being unique in its profile and having the potential to please a vast majority of those who may test it. I have tried an endless amount of citruses over the past few years, ranging from the most popular designer options one may find in most beauty retailers to the more niche-like offerings of Acqua di Parma and Hermès and finally coming to a close in the niche brands such as Creed/Xerjoff/Ex Nihilo etc. and while there have been several releases that I massively clicked with (The EDT of "Voyage D'Hèrmes" or something like "Imagination" by Louis Vuitton), there has never been a fragrance that I liked to an extent where I'd say "This is a game changer"... until now. Back in early April, I was at a family gathering to celebrate my birthday, where a scent someone at the table was wearing caught my attention. It turned out to be Frederic Malle's "Lipstick Rose", which was chosen by my mother for the occasion. While I undoubtedly knew of this fragrance house and have consistently participated in discussions surrounding their most popular releases (not my cup of tea, despite being extremely luxurious), I had realised at the time that I never properly knew the full range of perfumes that they have to offer. Given I was heavily researching into different citruses at the time, I decided to look into this brand's catalogue to see if there would be something that would interest me, which is how I came across "Bigarade Concentree". What immediately caught my eye was that this perfume was created by Jean-Claude Ellena, who I indirectly referred to earlier when mentioning Voyage D'Hermes. Throughout my fragrance journey, I have always admired his work and continue to consider his fragrances as some of the best creations in the art of perfumery. I was initially quite skeptical when looking at the notes he placed in B/C, as I'm not a fan of perfumes with neroli/rose/grass accords, and with the reviews also taken into consideration, I imagined this to be overly complicated and bitter to my taste. I was evidently wrong :) When I bought a sample-sized bottle and got to try this, the first thought that came across my mind was that this is something that may be classified as 'your favourite perfumer's favourite citrus fragrance', because this is breathtaking. With regards to scent, it simply can't get more natural-smelling than this and one must point out that a vast majority of the reviews here are right in saying that this is what a real bitter orange smells like. There's not much more to discuss here, it's the smell of a real bitter orange which was formulated in a way to make it smooth and not overly offensive. It has also come to my knowledge that Frederic Malle makes hand and body wash products with this scent DNA, which is amazing, as I'd argue this is the ideal scent profile for those as well. Bigarade Concentree is certainly wearable throughout the whole year (although colder weather would obviously permit a more winter-oriented choice and the ideal time to wear this scent would certainly be a warm summer day). With regards to gender, while it may definitely be worn by both men and women, I'm labelling it as 'more male' because of its bitterness. Yes, the price is quite steep, as one should expect with these brands. People tend to forget that this isn't marketed as a people pleaser and categorises as a niche perfume. It will never be cheap. With this in mind, I'd say the price is fairly reasonable for the smell you're getting, maybe slightly overvalued, but nothing major. This lasted around 6 hours on my skin and given citrus fragrances are not known to last an eternity, there should be no expectations for this to fly around the room like Spicebomb. Overall, I find the longevity and sillage to be good enough for me. This is a stunning release which, thankfully, is going under the radar. Definitely grabbing a full-sized bottle sometime soon!

Might be the most wonderful orange scent of all time - but fatally shortlived. Which is agonising, because the first burst is just stunning: daringly sharp, nearly bitter, hedged around with beautiful green notes, and yes, unmistakably, a strong shake of cardamom magic dust helping to round it all out even more. And yes, again, its mix of orange and greens does evoke the classic Concentre d'Orange Vert, but simply better, to my nose: more upscale and niche and interesting all over. Just sheer, sharp, sparkling and gorgeous. Bracingly clean, uncompromising, minimal yet beautiful. It captures the sheer joy of orange more faithfully than almost anything I've ever smelled; the only things fit to get near it are Hermes C d'O Verte or Boucheron Orange de Bahia, so you see this Bigarade is not for cheapskates or those who like their oranges sweet. But it's only really smellable for the first hour or so; faint heavenly whiffs might escape from your shirt-neck for up to a couple of hours more, and it does leave a wonderful but too-discreet shadow of itself behind closer to the skin for maybe up to 4h if you've sprayed on with abandon at first. At Malle prices ... eeeesh ... that's a big ask, although I find its searing zesty initial attack one of the most wonderful smells in the whole wide world. Even spraying LOADS on will not make this evanescent beauty survive any longer - and God knows I've tried. You MUST try it. But try not to be bowled over by the first blast, don't lose your head, and go for a short walk, before committing to a buy. If your skin lets it live, there is no finer orange anywhere. But if not, then you'll be caught in the same terrible dilemma here as me. So great. But so infuriating at once! ETA: Guys, GUYS!! I have found just one way to stretch the beauty of this out a little longer - spray BIG, but getting most of it on your clothes. Still dies on skin far too fast, but if you get generous and properly mist your shirt /blouse/collar with it, you can eke out the lovely for up to 4-5h. It's still a big ask at Malle prices. But stuff this good deserves to be shown off to its best. Hermes Concentre for workaday use, Malle Bigarade for the special times.

UPDATE: having purchased and worn it for over a week, I have an enlightened take on this frag: Jean Claude Ellena's use of the Seville bitter Orange extract is like NOTHING you've ever experienced: The opening of BC is fresh and life-like, right away you pick up the bitterness- which is altogether expected considering it's NOT blood oranges we're dealing with as with Atelier, Le Labo or other houses. It is not sweet, a bit dry, but still gloriously mood lifting. Trust me when I say this: For a citrus(notes include Bitter Orange, Rose, Hay and Cedar) this is a very complex fragrance, there is more going on that just taking the notes verbatim as we see them on paper. No run of the mill, linear citrus frag here- yet it us linear in certain aspects, but not as you'd expect given the note composition........... The heart is well balanced and developed which is what one would expect from a frag resulting from the nose of Jean Claude Ellena! His DNA is all over this one and IMO, he takes it a step further in another later creation (which I'll touch on later). This fragrance has a lot of presence and staying power..... One KEY point: This is one of those VERY VERY RARE fragrances that actually smells BETTER as you you to-and-fro than it actually smells on your skin.......... The sillage is magnificent! Better put on your glasses frag community, because this is a 3D masterpiece........! My only caveat is this: for those of you who NEVER put your nose to this- There's a soft cumin note that creeps in and out during the dry down... For some, this evokes memories of the jock older brother who has a morbid fear of the shower and finds it funny to stick his smelly armpits in your face after working out..... If that aspect of this fragrance scares you away - then don't even bother...., because some of you will have an aversion to this "body-odour" aspect of the frag..... The solution.... Please try by any means possible to get your hands on Bvlgari Eau Parfumee au The Vert Extreme....... It's EVERYTHING this is- less than controversial cumin note... He substituted it for coriander I believe and it's a much mire palatable note- IMO...

I originally tried and purchased this from the FM store in New York around 2012, and it was love at first sniff. I knew nothing about perfume at the time, and the sales associate sprayed this for me after I mentioned that I liked citrus. It was fantastic - the orange was super fresh without being sweet, and was backed up by a great earthiness and warmth from the hay and cedar. The citrus is bitter yes, but definitely not tart; so fortunately it did not smell like any kind of cleaning product. A cozy earthy orange, where the warm base supports but does not overpower the bright top. Very unisex and approachable, and ultra sophisticated without being formal at all. I still have that old bottle, and as it is running low, picked up a newer one recently; yep it's changed. Whether due to time or reformulation or both, there are subtle but distinct differences. 2012: opening is bright and bitter, but not sour, orange; almost greener at the opening in comparison to the newer bottle. The warmth from the hay and cedar is present and comforting, while the bitter orange hangs out on top for a pretty decent amount of time. Longevity isn't insane (especially not now in the winter), but is still pretty good IMO. 2021 bottle: opening is definitely sharper. The earthy warmth is less present initially, but after a little time, the overall profile gets mellow and hazy in a way that the older bottle doesn't. There's almost a powdery feeling to it (perhaps the rose?), and I don't really get the hay. There's still some wood at the base, but it's less distinct to me. The citrus is there as it dries down, but it's cocooned, and gets a bit softer and a tiny bit sweeter as time goes on. Doesn't stay as distinctly citrus nearly as long as the older bottle. Overall I do like both, but I absolutely do prefer the older one. The powder I pick up in the newer bottle is a bit disappointing, and the pure bitter orange note sticks around better in the older bottle. I may have to hunt down an older bottle again before mine runs out.

The review below is one way of looking at it, some could gush about the subtlety of these perfume, neither position is right or wrong, meaning I shall remain firmly perched on the fence about Bigarade Concentree. It has the romantic simplicity of Ellena's compositions and his typical style is written all over this. Opens really lovely, with a wonderful orange note, juicy, zesty and green. It proceeds to get slightly more of a bitter orange feel it, then a very faint hint of cumin. Cedar is about the only other note I get, maybe some of that hay is what is creating the grassy/dry/spice of cumin? and coupled with the bitterness of the orange it's a really good combination. I love the smell of this perfume, however is it worth the pricetag and with poor lasting power? Not for me, but if you want the exclusivity of a JCE creation on FM's imprint rather than Hermes or similar then I get why you might want it. UPDATE: How bloody interesting hey? Look what I said above only in 2018? I own this now and I would say that Malle creations are something which stay with you, and make an impression even if it seems as though they didn't at first. I'm not sure why? Is it the careful curation and contrary to my closing comment (above) the fact that Malle gets the best out of his perfumers? I mean JCE has made plenty of citruses but this really is Iconic. I think my description above is pretty bloody spot on, If I do say so myself. I'd maybe say that the listed 'hay' note really comes into play in this and works so well. I love it.

It's 2009. I am a little boy at a sleepover at my grandparents' house. I wake up to the songs of Laughing Doves who've made a nest in the corner of our balcony. It's a brisk morning in May and a pleasant breeze flows through my open window, tickling my feet. I can hear the distant chatter of my grandparents having breakfast in the terrace. The thought of fried eggs with persian sangak bread has my stomach rumbling so I jump out of bed to indulge. As soon as my breakfast finishes I ask my grandfather to take me to the park and play football with me. He smiles and tells me to get dressed. As we're about to leave, my grandmother runs to the yard with a basket of citruses she picked from the trees in her garden. I smell the basket. This is that scent. It's 2021, I traveled back to Iran to visit friends and family. I sat by the gravestone of both my grandparents. I called my uncle, who's been taking care of the house, and asked him to bring the keys to it. He unlocked the door and I walked into the front yard where I got soaked many times while commandeering the water hose that we'd use to water the plants. I walked through the rooms where I used to play hide and seek, past the empty shelves that were once filled with my grandfather's books, and finally reach the garden. I saw the orange trees, still standing tall. I reached for a fruit and cut it open with a knife. I first smelled the orange, and then my hands. The scent was just as I remembered it. This is that scent.

Bigarade C. Ellena is a fragrance, has a clear link with Terre, especially flanker eau Fraiche three or Declaration. To Ellena, the privilege would always carry citrus and other fruit notes in partnership, the rest is not so important as it was happening to his master Roudniska, especially compared to male citrus type Eau Sauvage. In this case, bitter orange in ripe fruit version is attached to the note of a sharp and fresh grass privilege takes this combo produces that similar to lemon feel that you have been disenrolled excess acidity and is cleared very cleverly the cleaner, disinfectant and soap ground, falling thing most of this family of fragrances. He is accompanied by a mild note of very natural rose, which clarifies, illuminates and brings glamor, like those brush strokes watercolor gouache likes so much. Cedar drying hay is in third plane without relevance since it is only used to prolong the effect of fruit start and cause the solar effect on the fruit shriveled when dry. We are not facing "Bois Farine," but the work of a great perfumer is not questioned. Bigarade C. is a deceptively simple, very elegant, unpretentious fragrance, which gives lessons to many other creations like doing an excellent citrus fragrance with stamp author. Rating: 7.5

For probably the first perfume ever, I agree that it has all the top notes listed. Not a single one missing, just transitioning from the grapefruit sparkle to bitter orange to cardamom and then to the pepper. The pepper and cardamom dance around each other for a long time, with the rose and neroli making brave efforts to come through, but they remain elusive. It does eventually, gradually, give up on the pepper, going into a fresher aromatic scent. Due to it's long phase of pepper-cardammom and its interaction with clothes rubbing on skin, I see it as more masculine, but it would also feel good on a woman. It tells the story of someone elegant, serious, no-nonsense, signing contracts in a business center while trying to look approachable, but everyone knows different. There's not much going on in their life beyond work and an occasional fling, or rare moments dedicated to family. I appreciate the composition, the execution, the story. Not for who I want to be when I grow up though ;)

One of the most perfectly orchestrated classic citrus colognes in my opinion. It's extremely simple but something about it stands out above many others that are similar. The citrus notes are bright and realistic but remain soft and warm while at the same time remaining fresh and sparkling. That Jean-Claude Ellena Hermes style is apparent but it's softer, more ethereal, more introspective and quiet. This is a soul fragrance, perhaps it's the hay, but something about it gives me that relaxing feeling that you can only get out in the country, away from everything, and at one with nature. I still haven't purchased a full bottle and I'm not sure why. I think I found it too "simple" for the price. And it doesn't last very long, even the concentree. But basing it on nothing but scent alone, no other factors involved, for a citrus cologne I would rate it 10/10.

Great Smelling cologne that does not deserve to be bought at more than 80-100 euros.... Highly similar to HERMES eau tres fraiche...but with a bit more bitter notes in it....even more similar to Eau D`Orange Verte.... it smells great but I would pick hermes eau tres fraiche over this very easily...specially if considering the price difference...you can feel a bit more of refinement on this one though... Scent: 8 Bottle: 9 or 10 Longevity: 6.5 (6-7 hours in a hot day....better on the cloths) Sillage: 7 Overall like 8 out of 10 EDIT:....Yes...I guess you can pay a bit more than 100 euros...maybe 120 max...I still sustain it is highly similar but a little bitter brother to eau tres fraiche...the last one costs a third of the price...

The quintessence of the orange rind. The epitome and overexpression of all facets of the orange citrus. Delicate fresh spices like caraway, pink pepper and hints of cardamom simply extend the fizziness of the most gorgeous orange peel. A measured hint of greenness simply celebrates its freshness and acidity. A almost imperceptible touch of rose extends its romance and extroversion while the woody and grassy base of hay and cedar just elongates the whole composition. The most: Elegant Clean Juicy Sparkling Durable And classy, Orange ever made. Rather than all-seasons, this is both summery and wintery at once, Masterful. The Magnus Opus of Jean Claude Ellena. I feel I can almost enter inside his beautiful persona when I wear it.

This is beautiful stuff. Just goes to show you don't need to bombard a composition with 100 notes and aggravated complexity, just high quality ingredients crafted together masterfully. The opening in particular is my favorite part where the blast of citrus feels just so fresh and invigorating, wish that lasted throughout the whole wear of the fragrance. The middle notes into the dry-down settle for a more spicy orange scented whereas the bitter orange remains the main stay and it still is a gorgeous perfume, but abit inferior to the joy of the first spray. My main complaint is longevity and projection and that's just a given considering the nature of the eau de cologne style fragrance.

Jean-Claude Ellena’s Bigarade Concentree for Frederic Malle is a sum of two halves; an elegant, almost transparent, opening of bitter orange/citrus notes, somewhat tempered by a soft, pillowy cardamom accent and a darker more feral quality, wherein caraway (a less emphatic alternative to cumin), hay and musk reference the body at the end of a particularly hot and humid day; the sensuous smell of fresh sweat on skin and clothing before it shifts towards a more disagreeable conclusion. Of rose, honeysuckle and orris I can discern no trace at all. I hope I haven’t put you off because it really is a lovely thing and I wear it often. Sadly, however, longevity is really quite poor.

This is one of the best citrus frags on the market, lift-me-up-throughout-the-year one! Amazingly crisp at the start, developing quickly into a much warmer sweeter version of itself. It kind of blends with the chemistry of the skin and wears easily for up to 5-6 hours. I agree with one of the previous reviews, mentioning a hint of rotten satsumas:-) but please let this not put you off, it has quite a classy air to this, leaves you on the orange plantation under the tree where ripe and fallen citrus fruit is scattered on the ground ( sounds quite a clumsy description, hardly associated with class, but just try)...and a rare citrus frag that stands out, unforgettably...

Bigarade Concentrée opens with an almost addictive realism—a fragrant burst of bitter orange peel, zesty citrus, and herby green leaves, all wrapped in a touch of spiced earth. Raw and alive are two words that immediately come to mind. I picture standing under a sunlit tree, peeling an orange straight from the branch. As it settles, the scent starts to softens into a more honeyed and slightly floral profile, yet stays true to its green and grassy roots. There’s nothing luxury-style garden-like here, and I rejoice at this change—it’s forestry, wild, and unapologetically untamed. A vivid and captivating citrus that is both grounding and exhilarating.

i tested decants of 2 musk bombs and was ready to quit my frederic malle line but then i came across this! i love citrus perfumes, especially bitter orange perfumes and this had that. along with a rich thick tree feeling. then it soon melts into a creamy lemon. matched the whole green outfit i wore. i would say its something nice to cleanse the palette like a surprise cool yuzu shake or a slice of blood orange. not as sharp as hermes offering. definitely more faithfully fruity than yuzu by aqua di pharma. would consider paying for a full bottle if i still feel the same after 3 days. i do also wish it lasted longer.

Received a sample of this and all I have to say is WOW. By far the best summer scent I have come across. Quite citrusy but also sweet and green at the same time. It's really well blended. I've yet to be wowed by a summer scent but I think this one actually does it. Not to say that other expensive niche summer scents such as Roja's Elysium, PdM Percival, etc. aren't great, but in my opinion all of these have too many similarities in their DNA to much cheaper fragrances. Bigarade concentree is really unique. 10/10 stuff.

Such a beautiful smell. Imagine you're walking in an orange garden when all the fruits are ripe, you pick one from the tree and you rip it apart using your fingernails, and have a good smell. That's Bigarade Concentree for you. Absolutely beautiful. But like everything that's beautiful and delicate, it's so ephemeral. Much later edit: after smelling the much cheaper Orange x Santal from Essential Parfums I can say that this one is not worth the cost. They're almost identical, but Bigarde Concentre costs 4 times more.

Love it!🥰 It’s fresh, juicy and smells really natural. One of the best citrus perfumes IMO Only strange thing is that in the drydown on my skin I can definitely smell freshly ground cardamon. It’s not a bad thing but I didn’t expect that since there is no cardamon in the pyramid. update: I just saw that actually there is cardamon note on official website. It's really annoying when Fragrantica doesn't list all the right notes here

This is one of the first niches that i ever had and a summer staple that i just can't be without.The bitter orange that sings cologne with heavy french accent, the rose that never leads to feminine paths but give a simmering beauty and the fantastic grounded( for a cologne) cedar ending conclude in perfection. I find it very strange that nobody else reviewed that, one of J.C. Ellena's undiscovered masterpieces. I take a bow!