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.

This smells wonderful! And almost exactly like Calvin Klein IN2U. The CK fragrance lasts like 5 minutes though, this was has better lasting power. I'm surprised by all the comments saying it smells like cleaning spray or piss. I get almost all the notes listed, except for the dry down...there is oak moss but I also smell a hint of vanilla...maybe it's the tonka bean I'm smelling. It's too bad it's been discontinued. If you don't enjoy grapefruit though you won't like this, it's very strong in the opening- zingy but a bit bitter. I love grapefruit so I enjoy it!

I initially wrote this off pretty quickly as citrus scents aren’t usually what I like. However, the more I wear it the more I like it. It starts off very tart, but after the top dries off a bit it becomes a very nice fresh sparkling rose. I think if it were called Rose instead of Citrus it would get more attention. This is great for work and I think will be really nice during the summer heat. I see this usually at the bottom of everyone’s kayali list, but I would urge people to give it some time they may end up really liking it.

Many years ago I was travelling to Jordan, there was a quaint store with body and bath oils, fragrance mists and soaps. I picked up this beautiful bottle and sniffed it, that was my first experience with Middle Eastern perfumes. That bottle smells very very similar to kayali citrus 🍊 it was a blast of nostalgia because I had saved that perfume for years before it got spoiled. It is not a sour citrus, it’s more like a sweet and musky citrus perfume. Very different from most other ones atleast try a decant or the 10ml 😀

I just received a sample of this from Sephora and was pleasantly surprised at the fresh and citrusy elements. Can't get any of the tonka or musk though. It's definitely invigorating and girly but with some whiffs I smell like citrus dishwashing liquid. Will do more of a wear test before deciding if I want the full size. Edit: I DO want the full size. Have fallen utterly in love with this fragrance, it's just so energizing!

Not sure why all the hate, but this perfume is beautiful. I think the name throws people’s expectations off, but the scent is classy and sophisticated. It’s more floral with a hint of citrus. It smells high quality and well formulated. I get the same vibes that I get when I wear Gris Dior. I think the oak moss grounds it and adds that extra level of sophistication. TRY it yourself before judging it based on reviews alone!

So pleasantly surprised by this fragrance. A perfect addition for a summer day! Light and refreshing with such a lovely scent. The initial burst of citrus is replaced by sweet and oh so pleasant floral notes. This is not a huge scent but for those who love perfume as a personal affair...it most certainly does the job. Great for those summer days when the only person you want to impress is you!

Okay this is like gold dust. You cannot get it anywhere. I treasure my 50ml bottle. I spray every now and then. And I love it more than when I first got it! It is bright and fresh with a sweet dry down! The rose is NOT strong (and I am not a floral girlie). I paired with Musk 12 AND let me tell you what a combo. Maybe this will be on its way back too

I thought this perfume was going to be just a one note citrus, but I was pleasantly surprised! You get the grapefruit in the opening and the tartness of the rhubarb, but I also got the rose right off the bat. As it dries down, I still get the rose and a hint of the grapefruit, but with a musky aura. Overall, very beautiful fragrance!

I love this one, the only one from Kayali for me btw. I also own old and new YSL in love again and Hermes rhubarbe and Jour. These scents tend to be kind of freshy but not alike at all imo. Friendly and delicious and not an overpowered sugar oud bomb which many people seem to like to scare others away with these days.

This is one of the most beautiful and long-lasting citrus perfumes that I have ever tried. I received a small sample of this and cannot wait to get the full size bottle! I love citrus smells but literally every citrus perfume that I own has very poor longevity and no projection. This has both! It is a winner.

This is a beautiful well rounded fragrance, the opening is absolutely spectacular, opulent, zesty! It has been an hour and it has become a more powdery musky smell with the grapefruit still around! It is lovely! This fragrance on its own is stunning, but I bet would be beautiful layered as well.

It's my favorite citrusy fragrance ever.. Usually I don't like citrusy fragrance but this one I felt in love with first sniff.. Isn't a traditional citrusy smell instead of that it's a very nice combo of peppery floral citrusy smell which has its uniqueness.. Love it definitely ❤

This surprised me. It’s not a sour citrus. It’s bright but musky at the same time. When i first bought it, i sprayed too much and felt like i was covered in dish detergent. A couple sprays is enough for a clean, very pretty scent that projects more on the intimate side.

This is a warm and spicy citrus. I was expecting something more fresh and juicy but I really like it! Edit: it’s the next morning and I still smell it. It’s softened to a sweet, peppery scent. Love it. But I wouldn’t put it in the citrus category.

One of my favorites from Kayali. Such a beautiful fragrance which I treasure because it is discontinued and who knows if Mona will ever bring it back?🙄🙄🙄

Oh how i miss you, my beloved Please Mona bring her back we need her more than ever

Musk and pink pepper are both 'I either love it or hate it, no inbetween' scent notes for me, but here they are perfectly balanced with the rose, so fall on the love it side for me. The citrus and rhubarb notes are the stars of the fragrance and liven it up, whilst adding a drop of fresh sweetness, whilst the woody notes gives everything some depth. A good all-seasons-all-occasions fragrance. The only downside scent-wise is that this is quite a linear fragrance - it is part of a layering collection though, so I knew it would be. Great to wear alone, and layering to add lightness to heavy floral fragrances. The fragrance lasts between 8 and 9 hours on me, and it goes close to the skin quickly. Not the greatest, but I still think it is very good for what is intended as a layering fragrance, and for the purity of the scent notes.

I'm still trying to figure this one out.. it was very sharp in the beginning and i put the tester away, when i tried to smell it later i suddenly really liked it, it changes a lot after some time. I kept feeling like it reminds me of something really familiar. after a whole day i realized that it reminds me in some way of my favorite Montabaco by Ormonde Jayne, while it has no tobacco at all, and is way less complex. I know it's odd, but that's the epiphany i had earlier :D must be the pink pepper, bergamot, rose, tonka and moss combination..I dont know yet if i will be buying full size, but I did like it. i imagine it pairs well with their Vanilla, or even Musk.

I don’t know why Citrus 08 gives me strong Jour d’Hermes vibes but less orange blossomy and I am kinda bummed I left both my JdH bottles in Miami so now I can’t compare. In any case, it is a nice citrus and it would work very nicely in warm climate. Like all Kayali scents I tried Citrus 08 has that delicate sprinkled sugar crystals accent. It is the least sweet of them (on myself) which is probably why it is my least favorite out of the 7 I tried. Still lovely.

Bought this by accident as I thought I was getting their Vanilla 28 (smh). This scent is nice and classy but unnecessary in my collection. I already have citrus classy, boss-mode fragrances that blows Kayali Citrus out of the water. IMO, if you have Miss Dior, Coco Mademoiselle or Valentina Donna you do not need this. I’m starting to believe that Kayali fragrances have longevity issues. I had to reapply this scent twice during a work day. 3.5/5 rating from me.

I agree with the smell alike votes that this is very similar to YSL In Love Again. The only real difference is that this lacks the tomato leaf note which for me is a good thing. It also brings to mind Jour d'Hermes which brings to mind Gabrielle. The grapefruit is very prominent at the opening but mellows out quickly and leaves you with a very clean fruity rose.

This is a beautiful light airy sweet scent. I can smell the citrus on the initial spray, then the sweetness comes in. It’s very first warm spring day in a sundress at brunch fragrance. It’s cute and flirty, it’s the only citrus scent I own; I’m usually a jammy rose fan, but it’s something different.

Citrus | 08 is one of Kayali’s most underrated fragrances. Bright grapefruit, tart rhubarb, soft rose, and clean musk. Fresh, elegant, and easy to wear without smelling like every other citrus scent. Still can’t believe they discontinued this one.

It’s a pleasant scent but I’m not crazy about it. Reminds me of a car freshener. I enjoy it but it doesn’t carry that powerful and flirty mood I usually want for my perfumes. I’d describe it as clean, soft, and fresh. Overall OK.

It's rather generic citrus scent. Nothing too special, nothing outstanding, just nice bitter lemon.

A lovely citrussy smell. Not too sweet. But I would love it to last longer.

Good for summer. Wish it lasted longer though.

Initial spray: Oh my gosh! This is too sharp! It feels like it burned the hair in my nose! This is the perfume that is guaranteed to wake you up in the morning. So after surviving the harsh top notes, I can smell a little of the black currant and rose. It did grow on me, it did get sweeter and milder as it goes on, but the over all impression is still bathroom cleaning product. Will update once I experiment more with this. Update: layered this with Vanilla 28. The result is lemon vanilla custard slice!!! You gotta wait for approx 30 minutes to get this result as the citrus overpowered the vanilla. I haven’t tried spraying Vanilla on top of Citrus though. I’ll try that next time. Tested from carded sample

This doesn’t smell anything like I expected. It’s not particularly citrusy and it smells quite perfumey in a classical sense (probably the oakmoss!). Having worn the modern version of Yves Saint Laurent’s In Love Again as a signature scent for a couple of years, I can hand on heart say that this smells just like that perfume. Imagine a floral muscat wine.... A sweet desert wine. There is some acidity but it’s lightly syrupy and sweet with some delicate florals and on my skin it’s fairy linear after the drydown. The price of In Love Again and Citrus are comparable so I wouldn’t know what to recommend - that’s how similar they smell!

I like this fragrance but it’s not a love. It is a grown up citrus that is attention grabbing but for me it’s a little bit too earthy. It has a great longevity for a citrus fragrance, around 5 hours. I definitely pick up the grapefruit and rhubarb and everything else takes a back seat. Overall I’ll enjoy my time with the fragrance but probably won’t repurchase.

This smells like black rooibos tea with honey and lemon slices. But then the rose shows up and it turns granny. Quite lovely, but not the scent for me. Also the opening is like rubbing alcohol, but if you let it dissipate you get an immediate cup of rooibos.

The initial spray is more complex than the drydown. It starts as very fresh citrusy (almost like a dish soap), little bit musky. Dries to more floral. Not my favorite but works as a casual perfume in the summer.

This is a very pretty scent, i get the citrus plus a pretty kind of clean powdery scent which i am guessing is coming from the rose. Very nice. Makes a nice summer clean approachable scent in the heat.

On me this is zero citrus but a very intense rose fragrance. It dries down powdery and there's moss and Tonka. But no citric notes whatsoever.

I liked this fragrance at first whiff, particularly the citrus notes, but then the more I wore it, the more I disliked it. I had return it. It turned into a rose-focused scent on the dry down which was not what I was looking for. The citrus completely disappeared. Someone mentioned that it smelled like "old lady", and while I hate using that phrase, I tend to agree with that assessment unfortunately. Anyone can wear any perfume that they want, no matter the age, but the dry down smells musty, and dated on my skin. Perhaps someone else's chemistry can pull this one off. Longevity of this was poor - maybe 3-4 hours on me, which is unlike Kayali's vanille 28 which lasts a long time. Surprisingly, the dry down smells a lot like Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria Rosa Rossa, but Rosa Rossa is one that I enjoy, and it doesn't bring up any musty or dated connotations to me.

This was one of the fragrances that really taught me how important it is to actually wait for the drydown before I decide to buy a full bottle. I love the opening on Citrus 08. On my skin it's a fresh, uplifting, summery grapefruit scent with a little bit of musk and a spicy kick from the pink pepper. So far so good. Ten minutes later the summery citrus is gone and replaced with an old school rose scented bar soap... Two hours later it's completely gone. I can't stand soapy fragrances (if I want to smell like soap I can just wash my hands), especially not the rose scented ones. If I ever find a linear fragrance that smells like the top notes in Citrus 08 I will buy it immediately. However, Citrus 08 is not it. It should've been named Rose Soap 08. I was going to give it a 3, but since the longevity is unacceptably short I will knock off another point. 2/10.

Dawn Orange AntiBacterial Liquid Dish Soap. This is exactly what my hands smell like after hand washing a load full of dirty dishes, pots, and pans. Either dishwashing liquid, or what the musty fellowship halls of those churches that have Bazaars in October selling arts and crafts ran by a group of powdery perfumed seniors. Gosh, Huda, I expected waaay better! I mean the bottles are okay cute, but ALL of the Kayali Scents smell, to ME (IMO), like sweet old church ladies. ALL of them, ugh. My husband leand in to kiss me, then he smelled me, and exclaimed "ugh, what is that"?! as he backed off holding his breath, and didn't even kiss me. Excuse me as I go shower and wash this off.

Another extremely feminine ladies fragrance labeled as unisex. In fact I’d go as far to say every Kayali perfume is for women but labelled unisex. They are very good quality as is reflected in their prices but I’m getting very very tired of purchasing ladies perfumes for which I have no use under the guise of them being unisex, at those prices. This one somewhat resembles ck one but is much more feminine and floral, mostly rose and cassis which gives cat urine. I wouldn’t recommend to anyone looking for a unisex perfume as I was but it is definitely nice for a woman or someone who likes extremely feminine floral fragrances, especially female ck one lovers.

Okay if you truly enjoy citrus fragrances, I would recommend so many others more before this one. D&G Light Blue intense is a way better option for example. Anyhow, the opening of this fragrance is sharp and heavy on the bergamot, which isn't a bad thing for a citrus fragrance. However, the dry down in my opinion is musky and powdery, and the citrus notes become virtually undetectable. The scent that remains was honestly unpleasant and I washed it off after a couple of hours bc I couldn't stand it. I would recommend literally any of the other Kayali scents before this one.

I gave this a few good wears to make sure, because I find I need a few tries to really "get" Kayali fragrances sometimes, but this is definitely my least favorite Kayali. The citrus in the opening is nice enough, but then it dries down into a musky, powdery rose scent that's mildly nauseating to me. Luckily, the lasting power isn't that great so it fades away in not too long. Glad I only bought 10ml, but wish I hadn't. This one's not for me. Edit: Did I forget to mention the faint note of burnt hair? I kept trying to like it but I think I quit.

This is my least favorite of the Kayali line. But I’m not a huge fan of citrus dominated fragrances. Just smells like grapefruit to me.

Really less citrus, the name misleads. Mainly Bulgarian rose and unpleasantly sour rhubarb.

Oh God, this was awful. I do love citrus scents, as long as their balanced out with floral notes and deeper notes that are well blended and complimentary. This perfume was revolting. It's literally like someone cut a grapefruit in half and squeezed it over their head...or my head. I was gagging and seizing, like i had a brain freeze on citrus. And the bitter citrus doesn't disappear for at least an hour. It just keeps going and going. It's screechy, pungent and headache inducing. It EVENTUALLY dries down to something more tolerable and smooth but by then the headache is rolling in and your wanting a full shower to get that crap off your skin. Never again.

The opening is alcohol-heavy. I get a really strong hairspray vibe for the first 5 minutes. It made my nose sting and my eyes water. Yuck. After about 10 minutes the alcohol calms down and some of the citrus starts coming out. The grapefruit is very sour and tart. Then the black currant makes it a spicy sour. I hate this too. The dry down smells chemical. This reminds me of hair dyes when they try to mask the chemical smell with synthetic fruits, but they're not fooling anyone. I've bought $10 body sprays at Victoria's Secret that smell better than this. Better quality too. This is a mess.

Received this today in a travel size. I have never been so happy with purchasing a travel size and not blind buying it a bigger bottle. I just can’t stand it, it’s not the type of citrus I am into. It’s like a cleaning product /dirty citrus fragrance, it doesn’t last long thankfully because it’s just not for me.