Citrus 08

This is the last fragrance to try out of my mini discovery set, and it's another really good one. I am super impressed with these Kayali fragrances, and to be honest, I didn't really expect to be. Rumors they were good, combined with an opportunity to purchase a slightly used discovery set, is the only reason I am able to write these reviews. I would never have blind purchased these fragrances, but I think three, out of the four in my set, are full bottle worthy. The opening of citrus 08 is a super beautiful bergamot, then I get the grapefruit and black currant. I did not get the pink pepper at first, it was drowned out by the cirtus, but I can smell a hint of it right before it settled. I did not get the rhubarb, but that doesn't mean it's not in there. This had a super fresh and sour opening, so it was probably amalgamated with the citrus. It settles into a light fresh rose, very light, with a nice pretty grapefruit. Very citrus, but not sharp like a cleaner. One of the best citrus fragrances I have tried. I don't get a lot of projection, but I get a little. It is a pretty strong skin scent, with pretty great longevity for a citrus fragrance. This gets a little sweet in the drydown, probably from the tonka bean, a hint of musk, and if I get oakmoss, it really just smells like the rind of a fresh green citrus. This is a pretty citrus fragrance, and I like it better than all of the citruses I already own. When I am in a citrus mood, I will reach for this one first.

I think by now it's widely known, at least among us Fragrantians, that citrus notes are among the most fleeting, just as a matter of course. Not all notes have the same ability to stick around, no matter what. Because this is the case, most fragrances have longer-lasting notes like oakmoss, patchouli, musk or vetiver (or combo of any of those) in their base to at least keep the blended dry-down intact in some incarnation. But for a fragrance like this that is literally called "Citrus", I'm not entirely sure that it was a huge desire of the brand to have the base notes overpower the intended fresh citrus scent. So yes, the fragrance is quite beautiful, and yes, it does soften down to its muskier, sweeter notes quite quickly, and yes, it is not a powerhouse scent by design. All of that said, especially since I got my Kayali scents in the mini form, it feels pretty clear to me that they were designed to be layered. I have found that Citrus and Vanilla are a really beautiful pairing...but I'm also experimenting with layering my Solinotes Tonka fragrance with Citrus (tonka, not vanilla, is a note listed in the perfume pyramid on Fragrantica), and my current "trick" to make my fragrances last longer is to take a note from a perfume's pyramid and amp it up with some kind of solinote. More often than not it works! I'm also keen to re-purchase a bottle of Fresh's Hesperides Grapefruitl and layer it with Kayali Citrus to see what it does to it.

I must be an outlier because I haven't enjoyed many of the Kayali scents I've tried (the most popular ones, Vanilla and Eden are both a bit repellent to me) - but this is a favorite, not just from the line but overall. And I'm not a huge citrus (or rose) fan! I agree that the name could be misleading for those searching for a more traditional citrus; this is more of a rose that is brightened and amplified by the citrus/rhubarb/fruit. Since rose can turn musty on me, I find that the citrus helps tremendously. And it's not an overly sharp citrus, which can give me a headache and overwhelm my nose. Overall this is a perfect balance, an easy reach in warmer weather, and nice to layer with sweeter or darker scents to add some sparkliness (today I'm wearing with Burberry Her, for example). I picked up a 10ml, which may not seem like much investment, but considering 99% of the time I'm wearing and trying new samples, is a significant indicator! TLDR, this is a lovely grapefruit-rose - for anyone who wants something that isn't too floral, too citrusy, or too heavy.

I saw this citrus perfume on Sephora’s website during VIB Sale and blind bought it. This is a pretty floral citrus scent definitely feminine. Scent trail is good on me so I can smell it when I cross my own path. It radiates out to 6 feet on me. Arizona desert heat even in November burns up perfume fast on my skin so it lasted about 4 hours before it became a skin scent. After the initial blast of citrus (lemon and lime) within 10 minutes it changed to floral, rose mixed with hint of berries, and it stayed that way on me. I never smelled musk, oak moss, or Tonka. Maybe a hint of amber but maybe that is my imagination. Overall I like this perfume despite not being a fan of florals. I don’t know why they call it a citrus perfume because that is only in the opening. I will wear this as a date night perfume or when I’m feeling girly. Men, this is not unisex perfume so sample do not blind buy.

Seeing all the mixed reviews, I would say this a case of different body chemistry reacting different ways, as well as olfactory senses. That being said, on me, the citrus stays there throughout the entire wear time, but I tend to bring out the citrus notes in any perfume. The bergamot and grapefruit are still there from this morning and have beautifully blended with the rhubarb and rose, creating a soft, clean, sparkly fragrance, reminiscent of a Lolia scent In used to have. It's wearing well, but I do use body cream, which helps scent adhere better. I really like this a lot. I don't see it as unisex, it leans quite feminine.