Eau de Citron Noir

At last, I found a citrus perfume with an edge. No sugary grin—just a dry, cutting stare. Eau de Citron Noir doesn't try to charm me; it challenges me instead. And somehow, that's exactly what I love about it. This isn't your typical burst of sunny citrus. It's citrus that's wandered through the underworld, made peace with its bitterness, and come back all the more compelling for it. From the initial spray, I'm greeted by a vivid blast of tangy black lime, as though someone has grated fresh zest over smouldering embers. That opening touches something deep in me. It's sharp, astringent, and irresistibly mouthwatering. It's the kind of sourness that makes my jaw tingle and immediately makes me want another sniff. The lemon and citron have a beautiful sting to them—bracing rather than sweet—and I can't get enough. It evokes of the idea of biting into a preserved lemon dusted with fine black tea and just a hint of mystery. As it settles, the black tea and guaiac wood begin to emerge, adding a smoky depth that anchors all that vibrant acidity. The result is dry, thoughtful, and wonderfully restrained. To me, it has the olfactory equivalent of a dry wit, no sugar, no fluff, just elegance with a razor-sharp edge. I can't help comparing it to other citrus fragrances. If they're the cheerful brunch guests in pastel sweaters sipping mimosas, Eau de Citron Noir is the mysterious guest who quietly orders a black espresso with a slice of scorched lemon. It shouldn't work... and yet it works beautifully. If you love citrus but occasionally wish it had a little more bite, I think Eau de Citron Noir is absolutely worth experiencing.

This is my second review of this after finishing a bottle. It's rare when I finish a bottle of something because I have so many fragrances so that already says something.....kinda. I still love the fragrance. The dried lime with tea and smoke. I love it . It smells unique mature and mysterious and super fresh. The name is very fitting. Obviously you must like sharp citrus fragrances . The dry down does mellow out it you can still easily tell it's a smokey lime fragrance . So..... performance. It's an Eau de Cologne so you can't expect it to be a projection monster or anything remotely close to that . BUT the first hour with moderate sprays (5) it projects quite a bit for like 45 minutes then fades. At 2 hours it's already sitting pretty close . It's going to be a close skin scent until it's just about gone at 4 hours . So with that said what do you do? You over spray the heck out of it . For this quality and unique scent at $50ish dollars that's a good price that I don't mind spraying it a lot. When I have needed this to last 5 to 6 hours I'm spraying my shirt 5 times and my skin 6 or 7. After the first hour you have a nice little scent bubble that isn't attacking anyone's nose but can be smelled occasionally. While a stronger version of this would be nice I don't think the same scent can be achieved with a stronger version. On pure smell it's right where it needs to be with its concentration . Super versatile, can be worn whenever . I really like this and I'm hoping the 6.7oz eventually hits discounters. 8.5/10

A photorealistic blend of lime, lemon, citron and black tea with a woody, slightly smoky aspect in the background! If you love citruses and tea in your perfumes, Eau de Citron Noir is a safe blind buy in my opinion, whether you are a man or a woman. Based on the way Eau de Citron Noir acts on me, I wouldn’t consider this scent a masculine one, I would say it’s 100% a unisex fragrance. Keep in mind that this is a cologne concentration, so the performance is on the light side, but smells so natural, realistic, soothing, relaxing and refreshing in the same time. It’s a very simple and classic scent, but it’s the type that works perfectly in high heat&high humidity environments. In preparation for my August trip to the South of Spain, I decided to test a lot of designer freshies, because the weather forecast shows very high temperatures and in such conditions, citruses and tea it’s all I can wear without feeling suffocated. The scent advertises a smoke note in composition, but at least on me, it’s very minimal, I don’t detect smoke in the air, just tea and citruses. I have some classics of this genre from Guerlain like Herba Fresca and Mandarin Basilic, but I want a new fragrance to have for this holiday, to make new scents memories with. For what I want, this was the best overall, thinking scent quality, performance and price. Obviously, I didn’t pay FRP in store, but decided to buy my bottle online for a bargain price. Hermes Eau de Citron Noir will be the one for me for this summer holiday!

Never have I bought a backup bottle so fast. This stuff is incredible. A burst of fresh, full-bodied lemon and lime that almost immediately turns moody and weird, like a storm cloud interrupting an obnoxiously sunny day. If there's such a thing as "goth citrus", it's this. Fresh-cut grass and smoky black tea shroud the fruit, segueing into a mouth-wateringly tangy and dry sourness; I'm assuming this is the black lime/ noomi basra accord, having yet to taste this exotic-to-me ingredient (although I've already ordered some from the House of Bezos, just to try). The spookily tenacious drydown is a dark green cedar/incense thing that feels like enough of an evolution from the smoky citrus that an obvious use of modern woody musks doesn't feel out of place, although there seems to be disagreement on that point. Apparently some of you sniff a whiff of ambroxide and are ready to smash plates, but I think it's deployed judiciously here, and I'd much rather smell someone who's bathed in Eau de Citron Noir over the latest Aventus knockoff. Your mileage may vary, but I think this is one of Christine Nagel's most satisfying splashes for Hermès. Take a familiar concept - lemon cologne! What could be less original? - and turn it on its head with a creative twist, while keeping the whole thing wearable, versatile, and weirdly addictive. I genuinely hope this sells, and is never discontinued. (And PM me if you want someone to take that bottle you blind-bought off your hands.)

Opening is divine. The lemon does smell a little like cleaning product but it is so wonderfully offset by a very masculine woody/grassy note that smells like patchouli or vetiver that it doesn't really matter. I believe that's the guaiac wood. In any case, the citruses are gone within the first 5 mins. The citric opening is also deep and slightly dark compared to other citrus-based frags. It's not gothic dark. More like 5 o'clock shadow dark. Shame this is merely an eau de cologne. Like Rhubarbe Ecarlate, Hermès needs to release this as a proper eau de parfum. An hour in, it's still there but has contracted into a skin scent. I personally find this superior to the oft touted Concentre D' Orange Verte. 20 mins later, everything has settled to a woody, grassy patchouli scent. It's also mellowed significantly. 2 hrs in and it's still going. It's retracted significantly but it's still easily detectable. 3 hrs in. It's now barely hanging on. At this rate I'd say total longevity is between 3-3.5 hrs which is a phenomenal showing for an Eau de Cologne. That's equivalent longevity to some Eau de Toilettes. PS. I thought this was going to be done by the 3.5 hr mark but 5 hrs in I can still smell this on my skin - especially if exposed to warm ambient air. Is this really an Eau de Cologne or did Hermès deliberately mislabel the concentration of this?

I love citrus scents and what I really like about this one is that it keeps its strong citrus notes while being very good for the evening . The smoke ,black tea and dry black lime notes make it very evening friendly. At first it's super zesty but not sweet. What would be sweet is replaced by this dark dry lime green smoke with orange and citron peel. After about 20 minutes it settles into the black tea, noir, green smoke scent and the early sharpness almost goes away . About another 20 to 30 minutes later it fades a bit and keeps that dark lime zest but settles more into the wood note. It's not an overly complicated fragrance but it smells great in my opinion.I can totally see how many won't like the initial notes because it almost smells like a bowl or different citrus peels . Definitely an evening fragrance that can be worn during the day. Summer and spring scent for sure. My biggest issue with this is the longevity. It settles in nicely after about an hour. Then an hour after that it fades . Then you can only really smell it when you get your nose right onto it. For a $150 cologne I expect it to last much longer than that . Which is why i waited until I found it cheaper. Right now the 3.3oz is like $60 on joma . So it's a bit better Scent - 8.0 Complexity - 8.0 Quality - 8.5 Performance - 6.5 Bottle - 8.5

Whoever said this stuff lasts 6 hours was definitely wearing it in another dimension! 😂 On me, it barely makes it through 2 hours, tops. And after that? no trace at all. Sometimes it taps out after just an hour . That being said, I love this juice, but let's be real—it's a citrus freshie, so the vanishing act isn’t totally unexpected. Still, I’d give anything for it to last 6 hours so I wouldn’t have to lug around a decant like a high-maintenance perfume addict. But hey, desperate times, right? So I just spray, and then spray again... and then maybe one more time for good measure. The scent ? Oh, it’s chef’s kiss. It’s like slicing into the juiciest lemon and lime, with a tiny bit of background smokiness... until it poofs into oblivion. Weirdly enough, I love wearing it to the gym. It plays well with sweat. Is it a compliment magnet? Not exactly. But that’s just fine with me. Am I going to sprint out and buy another bottle when this one’s gone? Ehh, we’ll see. For now, it’s fun to wear it every once in a while,and I’m happy to have this juice in my wardrobe . Maybe if a deal presents itself I’ll grab another bottle .

First impression: Interesting. This perfume should be rated above 4.00. I have skipped this perfume as it is rated below 4.20 which is the rating I use for blind buying and I heard that this line of perfumes lacks longevity. I came across this dark bottle of Hermes perfume in a perfume store next to Terre D'Hermes Eau de Givree. I gave it a whiff to see how horrible it was, but to my surprise, the top notes were complex and beautiful. It was not any average citrus scent, but more of beautifully crafted, unique, elegant citrus notes that exude confidence, luxury, and refinement. It was far from boring, and from my experience coming across a not boring citrus perfume can be quite challenging. I am a fan of the Hermes Terre D'Hermes and the Lalique Encre Noir series, and Eau de Citron Noir is up to my alley. Unisex, mysterious, thought-provoking, uncommon, and elegant would be some adjectives I would use to describe the fragrance. Lessons learned not to judge a fragrance by its rating on Fragrantica. This perfume no way deserves 3.90. Give it a try if you like interesting citrus scents.

Smoky, musky and metallic. Opens with a lemon candy note, smells like sweet tea. It's strong, expansive and airy. The tea smells very realistic and the notes are spiky, green, with some rose just behind. The fragrance then becomes very musky. The musk is brisk and metallic and will put you in mind of modern Creed fragrances. It's turns aromatic but the musk increases and becomes a little dry. On the skin it becomes a little powdery but the citrus undercurrent is still present. After a few hours it turns smoky and resembles wood-smoke or possibly smouldering charcoals. This is a modern, masculine scent best for warmer nights but ok most of the year. Would suit a guy 25-55(ish.) It's not safe for the office. Performance is nuclear! Very powerful projection that lasts for hours (and TBH does become a little nauseating.) Lasts as a musky skin scent until the next day and lingers even after a shower. I really like the musky skin scent, it's quite addictive. Just I can't see myself wearing this, it's almost too strong...

It smells like Limoncello Season by El Ganso which is a nice fragrance despite only lasting 5 minutes, in this one the opening and middle are identical with the addition of a bright, sparkly lime. For me, it doesn’t last long enough to reach a dry-down unfortunately, so i don’t get any smokiness or woods. Overall a nice fragrance but i do regret buying it. i paid £70 for 100ml when i’ve already got a 2 bottles of limoncello season for £30... Edit: I take it all back, this is a beautiful fragrance! Nothing like limoncello season after smelling them side by side. This fragrance is high quality to the max. it smells like a freshly zested lime with a bit of lemon peel in the opening before becoming a sexy, sophisticated summer banger which could easily be a daily fragrance. It’s unique, it’s mass appealing, and along with Kenzo Homme EDT Intense it’s in my summer rotation. I highly recommend a bottle of this for anyone because it is unisex although it smells better on a man.

Where to start...........let’s say love at first spray. First, this is not a masculine fragrance, i would almost identify this as truly being unisex. What I love about fragrance is the depth and truly wonderful notes. The opening is this giant hint of lemon, lime, and citrus, that gives this beautiful sillage for about and hour, then yes this goes into a nice skin sent. However, this is designed to be worn in the heat of summer and i found myself in the summer sun i could smell this amazing sillage of black tea, mixed with lime, and almost a sage like smoke. This is one of the summer sents that makes people go what are you wearing (in a good way). Overall, this lives up to the Hermes name and quality. I would like to see this maybe into the eau de tolliete or Parfum range. I do believe that this could stand up against some of the big summer time designers. This is a definite yes from me.

I could go on about this perfume for ages. However, just like the formula itself, less is more when it comes to talking about this aftershave. Firstly, I don't at all think this is unisex, if I smelled this on a woman, I'd assume she had a pair of balls. Secondly, this perfume smells very good. It'll make you feel successful, powerful. However, this is short lived. Unfortunately, this scent lasts a max of 4 hours, and although the top notes are incredibly punchy and smell fantastic, this fades before you've left your house. I still love the scent, as it's easily one of my favorite blue scents. This collection overall I think was done very well with in terms of the top notes, however the longevity really lets it down, especially for the price, when you can buy extremely strong blue scents which also will make you feel the same way for cheaper.

This stuff is fantastic! Ironically, I first heard of Eau de Citron Noir from a negative review. It piqued my interest so I looked up the note breakdown and thought it sounded like something that I would enjoy. I blind bought it and I couldn't be happier. It starts with a realistic zesty citrus smell. Underlying the citrus is a herbaceous smokey accord which carries it though to the end. It isn't extremely powerful in terms of sillage which I find to be a good thing for a citrus scent. The biggest downside to it is the longevity. It’s doesn’t last more than a few hours—it is an eau de cologne after all. This has a masculine smell to it even though it is advertised as being a unisex fragrance. I’m glad that it's finally starting to warm up so I can start putting this to use!

This fragrance has a mysterious recipe which reveals a new kind of freshness. A unique recipe, aromatic and smokey that is an olfactory paradox for the mysterious dandies. Christine Nagel, perfumer creator of the house Hermes chose the black lemon to distill its quintessence. She selected this rare raw material grown in Iran and the Middle East. In the Middle East, black lemon is prepared from lime scent with acidulous, zesty and rustling accents. Exposed in full sun, limes become black and give off a golden and smoky fragrance. The dried preparation is then crushed to become a spice with acid flavors sublimating Iranian dishes such as soups, rice or stuffing. Another beautiful sunny creation from my favorite designer house for summer scents. Thumbs up for the creativity!

This is where Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue failed for me. LB gave off a really sour smell on my skin and even from the bottle it smelt off to me. When I first smelled Eau de Citron Noir on the test strip it smelled like fresh lime and lemon and I loved it. When I sprayed it on my skin the notes didn’t changed so this was a yes for me. Very fresh and light, and it makes me think of summertime sipping ice cold drinks in the sun. The Hermès store in Melbourne did not have the big bottle as they sold out so I opted for the 4 15ml travel bottles pack that came in their own individual pouches. Not cheap though but this is worth it for me and can’t wait to wear in summer as it we are still in winter here in Australia as I write this.

First and foremost, this is clearly an eau de cologne and as such anyone expecting it to last longer than an hour should just steer clear of this section of the hermes section. And open a book or two. Dilutions are ok but only in moderation or taste - not in fundamentals. Second, it actually last quite long for an eau de cologne but it is also a clear reference in the genre. I love its absolutely bitter smell - something that is not easy to do in perfumery - but here it is done masterfully. And from the GC analyses I’ve seen, it has surprisingly small amount of woody ambers for the effect they create - but then again, that’s the beauty of perfumery - sometimes the smallest amount makes the biggest difference.

My go to summer frangrance now. What does it for me is the sparkling fresh 3D citrus. Its fresh and has the realistic fresh zest to it. Masterful blended with the heavier notes that do not make the frangrance dark on my skin. But gives it a frame, character, uniquiness to play in. Its been 12 hours and still a vivid skin scent. The sparkling citrus is dimmed but it lasted about 5 hours. Which for a summer freshie is great. Im complimented whenever I wear it. Sillage and project are good. Not beast. But this is best worn on light breezy summer days. The best in the Hermes line on me and one of the best fresh cirtus scent I have tried. I'm surprised it ranks so low. Hidden gem in plain site alert. 8 out 10

never been more excited about overused perfume glossary term ‘noir’ - after galop, citron noir marks such a nice beginning for christine nagel and her hopefully, successful hermès opus. never quite a fan of jean-claude ellena, i really like this majestically orchestrated cologne, an unexpected match of initial citrus blast and resinous backdrop, which beautifully evolves into not your average smokiness with solid longevity and wonderful, old skool cologne drydown. longevity is better when compared to narcisse bleu and eau de gentiane blanche, and sillage is quite good after initial citruses calm down.

As others have mentioned, black lime is whole, dried smoked lime, a culinary delicacy in the Middle East: it goes by loomi, noomi, and limoo amani depending on the country. The concept of lime here is that unmistakable black lime, captured most clearly in the deep drydown: you get a faint memory of the tartness floating over a bed of dry black tea leaves and deep smoked woody notes, kinda sweet-adjacent. Easy love! <3 And to those who complain about longevity: this is an Eau de Cologne, meant by function for a quick refreshment and then you can move on to an EdP or Extrait, to last and project.

Just found and tried this one out today. I initially find the lemon very true and fresh cut, but the woods and smoke took over too soon and I had hoped for more if a citrus with added depth by the noir, now I got a smooth dark powdery wooden scent with a hint of background lemon. It is not what I was looking for but I really really like it.I could easily wear this both day and nighttime. It has vibes from two other favs I really enjoy .But that's a different story. I say way to go for the brand as given this one some edge. I meen as a contrary to a lot of the other reviews.

Starts off with the smell of a lemon sherbert, like a super strong popsicle. Then it turns into a more soapy lemony smell. After about an hour it turns into a pretty nice smoky black lime which is unusual and has a nutty facet. This phase stays for hours on the skin and is the best part of the perfume. I have no idea why, but I imagine this being especially appealing on a tall blonde guy. UPDATE: You truly appreciate this fragrance once you try it in very warm and humid weather. Wow! This becomes so elegant and fresh and very beautiful. A true life saver. I LOVE it now.

It opens like lemon pledge—much sharper citrus than I expected from Hermès, but it’s startlingly brief, and followed by a boozy, smoky accord that my husband brilliantly describes as “disco”. The longer I wear this the more it smells like emerging from a discotheque in Mallorca as the sun rises. It’s brisk and hard and raspy—like someone’s new beard against your chin at 6 am. My daughter says “it smells like the dentist”, whIch is also charmingly apt. It’s magnificent and evocative of youthful excess. I highly recommend it.

I absolutely love this scent. I've been looking for a long time for a pleasant, sensual male perfume, and this one does it for me. It opens with a light, fresh citrus smell and later evolves to a woody, warm scent. I can't get enough of it. Doesn't smell overly masculine or synthetic to me. The perfume has a uniqueness to it and i will definitely buy it again. I disagree with the comments that say it fades fast, for me it has a good longevity. I smell it even after a long day of work. Would definitely recommend!

That's what I like in Hermes they make perfumes that are unique and realistic. This is a Summer day or night out perfume with Bright citrus that is balanced by a dark smokey tea... Amazing Elegant Masculine perfumery. Its for those that have a lot of perfumes and use different one for different time of day and this lasts 3-4 hours just enough so u can wear something else . Projection also is for people that don't demand attention, they just sit down drinking coffe and only the close people to them can smell it.

It smells just like slightly sugared citrons/lemons. Unsurprisingly, the opening is extremely fresh and clean. There is some subtle depth underneath, presumably the smoke, woods, and tea. You could wear this anywhere at any time. I don't like it as much as my other Hermes fragrances, but I could definitely see owning this for a day that you wanted lemon rather than another citrus. Longevity isn't terrible, but it isn't great either. After 8 hours, you really can't tell that I applied anything to my wrists.

Gorgeous smoky bitter citrus, smells magical! The citrus is very bitter and natural but the smokiness and spiciness can come off irritating in that defining strong, sharp "for men" kind of way that some perfumes do, which can seem strong and sneeze-inducing to some people. That being said, I know an extremely feminine-presenting woman that wears this as a signature scent and it's breath-taking! It comes off almost religious in a clean-bitter-lemony-incense sort of way.

This is a really good Fragrance the opening is the most beautiful citrus I have ever smelled, then the drydown become more creamy, a really pleasent scent, For an EDC it's a really good longevity over 6 hours but become a skin scents in 3-4hours Someone said that it is a Sauvage version of Hermès and I totally agree with that, Hermès should really release a Concentrée version of the Citron noir like they did for Orange Verte and Pamplemousse rose

Lemon and smoke, so elegant, uplifting and demure. I really don't get the Dior Sauvage comparison, they are so different. Longevity is a bit weak but it is an eau de cologne, there are eau de parfum around that last less than this. It is quite expensive for what it is (you can smell its quality though), hopefully you can get it cheaper online. I love having a decant with me during summer and spray it again and again on me. It is a love from me.

I’m female and I absolutely adore this... Hermes fragrance always smells classy, even the ‘fresher’ ones such as this. Out of all of the ‘eau de’ line, for me, this has the best longevity and sillage. My skin drinks ALL fragrance and most last an hour tops. This one lingers most of the day. This triggers intense nostalgia. I took this with me on a trip to Jamaica and now every time I smell it, I’m transported back to the Caribbean.

Smells like your grandfather who thought half a bottle of cologne was subtle and managed to fumigate the entire room—eye-watering levels. Or like that IT guy with “refined taste,” an army of freshly ironed shirts, and a face that screams smug superiority. It kicks off with a slap of bitter lemon and then—sadly—settles into something vaguely woody and floral. 10/10 would buy it again.

Triumphant triumph of the highest level of citrus, a very refined masterpiece by Christine Nagel, the nose of the Hermès maison. Freshness, joyfulness, magic, sunshine make this fragrance magnetic: the harsh citrus notes victorious over the whole olfactory experience masterfully blend with reassuring bois and magical smoky notes. Great blend that is loved and remembered. Wonder.

I found the notes impressive the first time I sprayed it... a punch of fresh citrus and leather, very sexy! It’s leans more masculine, but I could also see a confident modern woman wear it very well too! It’s fresh and leathery, unique and smells expensive. Price is very fair. ____ Sillage & Longevity : 9.5/10 Originality : 10/10 Quality & Value : 10/10 9.5/10

If you’ve ever used citronelle as a kid, you’ll instantly be taken back to those times. It smells amazingly of lemon and tea. Price is pretty ok. Sillage is moderate but the scent lasts for no more than 3 hours, which is pretty disappointing. Despite its low longevity, I still think it's a 7/10.

A very elegant and sophisticated scent, with citrus notes well balanced. Unlike many similar ones on the market, I think you feel the touch of Hermès in this perfume with its slightly dark structure. I can say that it is very satisfactory in terms of performance.

It’s fantastic. Longevity is rather low but I like to think that some fragrances are meant to sit close to the skin. It’s great that there are options out there for those who want to smell great while at the same time don’t feel it necessary to project.

Lovely all around. This mainly citrus scent is a must for refreshing citrus fruit lovers like me. The bitter, fresh and smokiness captivated me from the first spritz. Can never go wrong with an Hermes fragrance, they make em so well. Love it!

Can't stop enjoying this perfume, specially in this time of the year.. the amount of energising effect, freshness is easily noticed..starting with the opening till the dry down... perfect choice for a fresh start in the morning Over all 8/10

I really like this one. It's a lovely fresh, lime, citrus and smoky wood fragrance. I honestly think this can be worn in every situation. I get about 8 hours on clothes with a moderate projection. Definitely gonna buy a bigger bottle.

This dark, spicy, manly lemon smells SO GOOD. I am going to buy a bottle immediately. It almost smells like something you could eat. Like peanut brittle. This is addicting and it lasts a really long time on me. 12+ hours.

it is light yet solid with a beautiful tea note shining some time after the top citrus notes fade away. lemon tea scent is cozy but not too heavy, so it makes both a good daytime and evening fragrance.

I love this scent. It's a pity that it's not long lasting, but otherwise this is the true epitome of what citrus fragrances should smell like. The rating is too low for this underrated fragrance!

Well this should be the most delicate... cologne ever made ! Try... at a very hot summer day !! and you will fall in love like a child again .. perfomance is not the point here but who cares !!!

I really love the woody citrusy opening, in the middle you start to get smoke. I think it’s longevity is nice, I’ve put it on six hours ago and I can still smell it on my skin

Delicious and unique lemon, smoke, and tea. I just wish that the lemon part would last longer. I want to smell more of it. But I like the guaiac smokey dry-down as well.

I have it for a two years and just this summer realized that it smells like salty water and lemon or a mineral water pool freshness, really good!

As all Hermes are products, this perfume is elegant, classy and it's delicious. The only problem is that it doesn't last long (2/3 hours?)

I like this perfume for working busy days during the summer. It feels fresh and clean and it makes me feel like I can conquer the world

I love the sharp citrus opening that does not dry down quick like other citrus perfume. My favorite citrus perfume.

Everytime I spray this, I get hungry for some Lemonade. it's almost edible and I am this close to drinking it

Clean, sexy, and fresh. Perfect for close encounters and personal enjoyment. Wish it lasted longer. 8.5/10