Bigarade 18 Hong Kong

Once a year, the City Excusives become available worldwide and I’ve just tried a sample of Bigarade 18. If you want to know what this smells like then think TF Neroli Portofino crossed with FM Outrageous and FM Cologne Indelible. It has the citrus, floral aspects of the NP, combined with the aldehydes and musks of Outrageous. Indeed, on first spray it was Outrageous that first came to mind being quite synthetic. The top notes also have a slight sharpness to them, similar to FM Cologne Indelible. Although not unpleasant, I prefer the scent once it settles down and the astringent top notes dissipate and it becomes less sharp and more natural. It has a very clean, linen fresh feel to it with a certain sweetness, underpinned by a very slight woodiness in the base. Although, personally I don’t get as much cedar as Le Labo’s description says. Indeed, perhaps a more pronounced cedar base would have made this smell less familiar but I’m nitpicking here. Although I was initially intrigued by Outrageous, ultimately it left me a bit cold as I felt it was missing a soul whereas this scent fills in those gaps with more intense and rounded sweet citrus florals. And although I like Cologne Indelible, that too can sometimes feel a little heavy on the sharp musk. I like this a lot, however, the City Exclusives are very expensive and there are other fragrances out there that do a similar job. Having said that, I’m thinking of getting a bottle as I really do like this type of fragrance and the performance is excellent (by far the best performance of any fragrance I’ve smelt in this genre). Although I’ve smelt many similar fragrances before there’s something a little bit different about this one that really draws me in and the synthetics add a contemporary vibe that breaks from a well trodden path. My only question is will I get bored of it? Time will tell! EDIT: So I pulled the trigger and got a bottle. The cost will make this prohibitive for some and as I mentioned, there are many cheaper frags that do a similar job BUT I don’t regret my purchase in the slightest. I’ve got many frags in the same genre but there’s something extra about this that I just adore. It’s that musk that brings everything together, it’s really addictive for me. It’s fast becoming one of my favourites as it just makes me feel happy and clean. Good performance too, this is definitely a keeper.

one of my best purchases this year! I love how oppressive the opening is: dense, outrageous, and sharp neroli, it’s so sharp that you could literally feel it piercing through your nostrils which I love! The bigarade for some reasons only becomes apparent when sprayed on my skin, which turns out to be neither sweet nor bitter, but rather very sour. If you have the stamina and are in the right headspace to endure and appreciate such a dramatic opening, you will be rewarded with one of the most unique and pleasant musky dry down... it’s clean, feels natural yet synthetic, lingers for days on my sheet, and smells both retro and modern at the same time! oh and I don’t get the soapy or powdery notes in this at all even though they seem to get picked up by a lot of other reviewers... p/s: wear this on a windy day if you just randomly feel like blessing everyone on the street... the occasional whiff from bigarade 18 is just heavenly especially when it’s unexpected

I love all parts of the bitter orange tree in perfumery notes—I’m always wearing Guerlain’s AA Nerolia Bianca which is a bitter orange MONSTER made of all parts, for reference— and this lovely Le Labo scent is no different! I bought it last year as part of the city exclusives event and it gets even better once fully settled ! I take Le Labo with a grain of salt with their prices and “mixing on site” gimmick, but I will never deny them their accolades when they create a true masterpiece! This is one of them. I was nervous that I would possibly hate it later but the scent got even better by the time I tried it in January and I’m excited how it will smell come spring and summer.

Le Labo Bigarade 18 Hong Kong is truly the most beautiful fragrance I’ve ever known. The opening with neroli, bigarade, and bergamot feels fresh and radiant, yet still refined. The heart reveals a gentle touch of lily, adding elegance, before slowly giving way to the warm base of musk, ambergris, and cedar – deep, lingering, and unforgettable. It’s the kind of scent that feels like a true signature, one that stays in memory after just a single encounter. The only pity is that it hasn’t gone viral and remains little-known – but perhaps that’s what makes it even more special, like a captivating secret of its own.

A spicy/citrus white floral scent that is heavier with the woods in the base notes — the sister of Diptyque Eau Des Sens, where EDS is for the day at the beach, and Bigarade is for the night at the club. Truly in love with this perfume, it truly smells like a fancy hotel in Hong Kong