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.

Effervescent bitter orange with underlying green elements (and an ever so slight powdery coumarinic undercurrent) Cologne Bigarade is without a single doubt in my mind excellent. Essentially the Elena signature bigarade orange accord he has been refining since the 90s starting from Cartier Declaration. In the context of high end niche that is Frederic Malle, and with the absurd price of 300+ per 100ml (the only bottle size avaible), there is no restraint in quality, heaps of citrus, bright, dry, warm, in an swirl of spicy notes, pink pepper and a touch of cardamom to my nose, some floral tangents adding depth and fullness. The result, a stunning bigarade top note, full of life and sparkle. As expected from high end natural citrus, it is gone within 10-15 minutes. What is left a slightly powder green undercurrent, slowly revealing sweet musky coumarinic notes, which are less intriguing, but promptly disappear soon after into nothingness. While I respect the artistry of the brilliant top note (the heart and soul of a good EdCs), I am disappointed that there are no ways to purchase less of it at once, as citrus notoriously degrades quickly (particularly in a transparante bottle) and consuming all 100ml within a year or so would be a ridiculous challenge (and waste of money). Having this sit over the years and lose its charm is at this price point unforgivable. The 10ml vials would have been ideal as a mid summer delight, ensuring the highest quality citrus on demand, perhaps right before your summer trip to southern France. Alternative (while more bold and one dimensional Terre eau tres Fraiche, excellent in its own ways, or bigarade concentree, much less freshness and more of a spice scent at the end of a day, but similar enough. Limon de Cordoza, while pleasant on its own, is nothing like this one.

I adore Jean Claude Ellena's work for the most part, so had to try this. I get a great bright, bitter clear orange peel first on, but it fades down soooo fast to a sheer soft skin scent with no projection. With a huge slick of it making my wrist glossy, I can get more: The bright onset still mellows fast, but it’s like the orange version of that herbal European standard cologne, is it 4711?: real orange essential oil, some lemon and some herbal notes. Really nice, very simple. Not sure I’d wear it as it’s much more simple than I usually go for, but it's a perfect unisex crisp citrus. Nice.

Pretty good green citrus scent with the right salty sour sharpness. Having seen where JCE went in later creations, much of what is in this scent provides a foundation for later creation: Terre d'Hermes, Hermes Orange Vert, and even Epice Marine (buried deep). As I like his other creations, I like this one, but I like his later creations more. So this has been supplanted by others for me. Longevity is very good...and sillage is average. Great quality scent.

Light and fresh,close to the skin scent.I love the Bigarade Concentree as well,but besides it`s more potent formulation I pick up more of the woodsy, cedar note.This makes B.C. feel more masculine.I feel a Terre D`Hermes vibe.Cologne B. is more universal,the bitter orange refreshing,rose gives it depth,while the green notes and cedar keep it from becoming too femme.This is a beautiful well blended scent.Perfect for work or weekends.Sometimes less is more.

Oh my- just like the smell you get when you peel an orange- the juicy bitter green smell...Smells exceptionally ntural and very fresh.. Offcourse- Jean Claude Ellena :-) Who else...He is the perfume's Fairy of the Woods..Trust him to create the best natural smelling fumes.. Its beautiful to smell...I never wore it but I think it might change on skin, but having been acquainted with other Jean Claude Ellena's creations, Im sure it delivers!!

Clearly once more Jean-Claude Ellena got inspired by Edmond Roudnitska's Eau d'Hermes. Declaration, Bigarade and Terre d'Hermes all have this grounded, mature somewhat sanding orange. In comparison with the others Bigarade is calmer, simpler and more natural.

I've been on the hunt for the perfect citrus scent and I think this is it. It's fresh, citrusy without being heady. It's very rich for a citrus scent but also vibrant and delicious. I can't get enough of it.

-Light musky citrus scent. -Has a hint of carrot seed/iris to it. -Overall, rather nondescript. -Smells like a room spray from the Aesop lineup. (-)

is this any different to bigarade concetree? i have the concetree version, please someone let me know