Cologne Bigarade

Very nice! Cologne bigarade delivers what the name promises: delicious citrus. I don't get any rose, and only a hint of grassiness in the background. Otherwise, it's all extremely realistic, natural, quite sharp citrus. Bitter-sweet, but more bitter than sweet. Very bright, not very aromatic at all. Lovely! I'd like to try Bigarade Concentree as well, because if this is so much bitter orange concentrated already, I'm curious to see how that one compares. But in the mean time I already love this one enough to add it to my want list, even though that's already full of citruses, and I would be better off trying scents more suitable for autumn, since that's just around the corner....

Cash cow alert! Fresh and diffusive citrus to die for. BUT...one of the worst marketing positions for a perfume like this is a niche market. Such a blend can compete with Eau d’Issey in huge bottles if released in a new format. With luxury market declining 23% in 2020, worth rethinking making this into 200ml bottles or a big splash version. Then we would convert clients from this range towards exploring the rest. I can see this approach already going on in Tom Ford brand...hey 2021 new releases. Anyway, great smell waiting to be cashed. You can blind buy it as a present for 20 somethings lads.

The emotion I feel when I wear this is just like the cologne is speaking to me "Be Happy!" I know it's been compared to Terre D' Hermes Eau Tres Fraiche, and I somewhat agree. I only own a mini of Eau Tres Fraiche, and really haven't used it that much. If I were to own this, I would wear this every day because this fragrance speaks to you. The fragrance smiles, and whispers "Good Morning!" After spending hours smelling all the Fredrick Malle samples, I have two favorites, and this is one of them. Mr. Miami Cuddles on youtube. youtu.be/nLTCkP0GT2E

One of the best orange citrus openings ever. I love the Hermes citrus for the few seconds that it lasts but like this even better. They are similar but this is fresher and more realistic for me. Also more female friendly. Lasts longer, too. I have smelled so many citruses that they can tend to get boring but still this was a pleasant surprise. Nearly a perfect citrus.

"We should all think more Bitter" - Jean-Claude Elena I really appreciate the simplicity of Bigarade. Elena is undeniably a savant and this again shows how something quite direct can be twisted and polished with gentle and exacting moves to transform it from essential oil into essential must-have in your fragrance wardrobe.

Undoubtably a creation of master Helena. Fresh, zingy green opening from the citrus,tea and the bitter orange dries down to a fresh, woody, spicy scent. Similar to his other masterpieces : Cartier Declaration, Hermes eau tres fraiche.

Ellena doesn't dissapoint. This is a fresh scent with a very alluring bitter orange that brightens your senses. It is linear, but when the opening is this good you don't want it to change.

Happy oranges of my childhood. Not sticky, not sickly sweet or sour, just perfect orange squeeze and those oil drops that come out of the orange skin when pressed. Joy.

similar to Eau Tres Fraiche but rounder notes ... not that sharp but overall no need to spend that amount of money ....

very fresh with strong lime note for me, even thought they say it is orange; for spring or summer; like it a lot.

Brilliance in a bottle. Seriously.... Knocked it out of the park if you want a fresh sharp scent.

This is like a fresh shower in a hot summer day, so refreshing and invigorating!

Frederic Malle Cologne Bigarade (2001) - bitter orange cedarwood - #jeanclaudeellena uses his watercolor accords to paints beautiful haikus in scent form. In this perfume, it starts with Bitter orange & aldehydes - tart, juicy, yet waxy and watery. As the scent progresses, I get a multi-faceted blends of spices and woods. Cardamom, Hay, Cedarwood and Blackpepper all come into play. Ellena’s technique also bring out unusual elements in what is seemingly a straightforward perfume such as light florals - mostly rose. Dewy and fresh. An excellent display of juxtaposition - hard yet soft, bitter yet sweet, dry yet watery. A master at work.

This is a nice tart, bright, clean scent of herbs and citrus. I feel it's just on the masculine side, though I'd certainly feel comfortable wearing it myself as well. The main problem is longevity. I think TDH is a better value.

Just in from outside orange peel. Masculine or outdoorsy skin scent.

This is a perfect citrus. Perfect citrus, people!

For those who are still confused: as the name and the concentration indicate, it’s a “Cologne”, not in the American English sense of perfume or fragrance, but as an actual cologne like the original German 4711 or Turkish Kolonya. If you are familiar with cologne culture, it’s usually not an individual fragrance but a shared, refreshing liquid. Anyone in the household or guests would use it to feel refreshed casually, or even as a hand sanitizer due to its high alcohol content. It’s supposed to be very fresh, with volatile citrus and light florals, low oil content, and short-lived performance on purpose. The technical story of this around the orange oil and how it is better extracted is really cool, and the artistic approach to improving the cologne is also interesting, but... it’s still a cologne. For most of us, I can’t recommend paying €300+ for it. It’s cool for art’s sake. Sometimes art is just art. It's like making the best burger from the finest ingredients, but at the end of it, it's still a burger. There is also a higher-concentration version that is more complex, but the scent profile still takes away from the desire to use it as a personal fragrance if you are familiar with cologne culture.

(Newer formulation, c. 2023) This is a very pleasant orange citrus cologne, giving you plenty of rind oils, flesh, mild sweetness, and juice without any of the piquant sourness all underpinned by a very gentle white rose and a hay-like base. It is full of light, air, and space just as you would expect of JCE. Very pretty indeed, but not as good as it once was (thanks, Lauder, for toning it way down and making it a bit insipid), and Bigarade Concentree is better, which is perhaps why that is still being sold and the cologne discontinued. That's about all there is to say, really. More on the Concentree later.

Sour citrus. Bigarade is all I get, no rose.

It appears as though I'm in the minority with this one but I'm not impressed with Cologne Bigarade. There is a smokiness (brought about by the hay) that accompanies the citrus and I do not care for it at all. It sort of reminds me of something my grandfather would have worn.