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

I like it! Very clean, simple, floral /citrus. With the le labo darkness, it makes it a citrus I actually like, which is hard for me. For this type of scent profile, Cedrat 37 is my favorite, but this may be second? At least its up there.

It does smell like Hong Kong... Somewhere air conditioned and pristine... Like a luxury shopping mall or a hotel on the island. This is probably one of the LONGEST lasting citrus focused scent ever made.. Lasts easily for days on fabric

It's beautiful! Bright without being screetching, light without being weak, fresh without being cheap-smelling. I *always* get compliments when wearing this.

Finally got my sample of it and I truly love it, to me this reminds me a bit of Sun Song of LV, beautiful clean scent 😍

Bigarade 18 smells like the powdery impact of when you first thrust your scoop into your powdery laundry detergent and that dry-crunchy white caustic crystalline floral scent is released. It’s neroli dominant with lily, bergamot, cedar and musk. I don’t detect any ambergris unfortunately. Bigarade 18 does remind me of Crystal Pistil as it shares a similar translucent hairspray-like chemical high-note mixed with watery musk, orange blossom, pink pepper and laundry detergent. It’s not as juicy citrus sunshine-filled as Petit Matin but it lasts much longer at least. Overall Bigarade 18 is a clean-girl Koran minimalist scent but done with more power and longevity. I still prefer Bergamote 22 as I’ve decided that I don’t like the white powdery caustic chemical Borax note. Remember that the city line of Le Labo fragrances are only available every September.

I came across Bigarade 18 at a Duty Free layover from Tokyo. I wasn't able to buy Gaiac 10 since the Le Labo Tokyo store I went to was out of stock of it. The sales associate in the Le Labo counter in Duty Free HK showed me Bigarade 18 and spritzed it on my arm. At first, I smelled neroli, which I thought I already had something similar so I thanked her and left to head to my gate. On my way there, I kept on getting whiffs of lovely citrusy florals. So smooth, delicately sweet, and not sharp at all!! It smells so pretty!! I was almost at my gate when I turned around to go back to the counter. I had to have it! I came home without Gaiac 10, but very happy with my bottle of Bigarade 18!

This is a pleasant ozonic, floral, slightly sweet neroli. The opening is NEROLI. I feel like Le Labo specifically tries to throw people off by naming their fragrances after the 2nd or 3rd strongest notes in the frag and not the first. It's like the bigarade is the secret weapon that shapes the neroli, but this is very much a neroli frag to me. The ambergris adds this oceanic, watery vibe, the bergamot softens the neroli and the lily adds this lovely, petal-y floral, slightly sweet smell. The dry down is my favorite part; it's so unique (though I will say it reminds me of laundry detergent--albeit a good-smelling one).

Honestly I bought it just because it’s Hong Kong exclusive scent. I have emotional attachment to this place since it’s my hometown but moved to the U.S. for 25 years so I had to collect it. It’s not my favorite scent as I don’t like white floral dominant fragrances and this is super white floral and soapy. It is very clean smell and superb performance. It is a very nice perfume for someone who who loves white floral, just not my taste. I would layer it with other fragrances so it’s not as floral. The whole city exclusive line of Le Labo is way overpriced tho.

I've been revisiting some samples I got from Le Labo yearly city exclusive event. This is a really good one. Sweet and sour, and as the reviewer below me says very sharp. It's like a stronger, sharper, more punchy version of TF Neroli Portofino. Good stuff but I wouldn't pay the city exclusive price for this, Lymette or the one for Seol Korea. I think I was most impressed by Mousse De Chene followed by Poivre out of the exclusives line. I would rank this probably 4th from the city line. Scent 7.5/10 Performance 7.5

This stuff is kind of awesome! The neroli note here is the exact same as in Lavande 31, but this one has this addictive woody-ambregris-y drydown, and a fur-like musk. This one reminds me of a Japanese 80s thriller-action movie, it has this "humid grey cloudy day" feeling. Its mysterious for a fresh scent, it has depth and range. Gorgeous stuff.

Opened very beautifully before turning into a luxurious soap scent. Lasted only about one to two hrs on skin but over twenty four hrs on clothing. Projected well about an hour then stick close to the spot for the remaining hrs. Turned woody soapy in the dry down. Vert likable.

Bigarade stands out most for me, a bit spicy. But on paper the base note becomes a very soft and gentle scent of musk.

From the cap, Bigarade 18 offers a promising burst of citrus—a bright, zesty bigarade rounded with soft floral undertones that feel refined yet approachable. But on my skin, this charming introduction vanishes within seconds, replaced by an overly clean white floral soapiness. The neroli and bigarade lose their bittersweet freshness, becoming sterile and linear, more laundry day than vibrant Mediterranean grove. Funnily enough, those initial citrus notes stage a quiet comeback after about two hours, but by then, the scent has faded so much it’s nearly undetectable unless you press your nose to your skin. It’s an elegant idea in theory, and I can see the vision—clean, polished, minimalist—but the execution falls flat on me. The result feels tiring rather than uplifting, and this will perhaps be a better match for those who appreciate more subdued, hyper-clean citrus-florals.

this doesn't stand out from the collection. sharp detergent and slightly unpleasant garden & flower stems.

this one was whatever to me. i think its the neroli............

I waited to write my review for Bigarade 18 because I wasn’t really feeling too impressed by it in the fall/winter months when I first got my sample, but I didn’t want to write it off until spring/summer when I knew it could shine... and boy oh boy was that haunch correct. I pulled my sample out today, on a hot 95 degree day and wow, this fragrance absolutely SHINES in the heat. Seriously stunning. This fragrance is exceptionally blended. The citrus, neroli, and powdery musk notes sing in complete harmony - a delightfully clean and unisex white floral aroma. It’s fairly linear and simple but becomes more musky in the base as time passes. It’s light airy and cooling while also being dense, stinging, and heavy at the same time. The Bigarade is there but this is a Neroli fragrance through and through. It’s pungent at that. What I especially admire about this city exclusive is the silage and longevity of it. It’s beast mode on my skin in this heat, and I mean enormous... I applied it at 8am this morning and can still smell it loud and clear on both my skin and clothes... AND I went to the pool... that’s crazy... especially for Le Labo. Also I need to mention that this fragrance pairs gorgeously with sunscreen... the lotion and coconut with it was really nice... I think it would layer quite nicely with Soliel Blanc or Sunny Side Up. Overall this fragrance is pure summer vibes and is like shoving your face into a pile of warm laundry in an orange orchard. Perfection. At first I wasn’t sure... Neroli isn’t typically a note that I wear all that often... and at the price point of city exclusives, it’s hard to impress me enough to justify buying a full bottle... but man, when September rolls around again, this may just be at the top of my list. Damn you Le Labo!!!

My friend, who is from Hong Kong, gave me a sample of this and remarked how much it actually smells like the city. Having never been, I was excited to take the fragrance journey. Bigarade 18 is mostly neroli and bergamot to my nose. It's citrus and floral with a soft base. Like others have mentioned, it is cool and clean smelling. I think this would work best as a Spring fragrance. It has an icy quality that fits well with flowers just starting to peek out among residual snow. It does remind me of something I smelled when I worked at Lush, one of their own perfumes perhaps. I could see this being someone's very favorite interpretation of these notes. But for me, it is not worth the price or limited availability.

Opens with a bright, nectar-sweet scent like oranges and white florals in the summertime. As it dries down, it develops a spriggy aromatic/woody undertone that kind of reminds me of juniper; a little grassy, a tiny bit peppery, and ever so slightly bitter. It's a well-blended, natural-feeling, summery scent; easygoing but subtly elevated by dimensional nuances. It's drinking a gin fizz in the partial shade of a blooming neroli tree. It's an old wooden laundry basin full of linens and cold, soapy water. It's an almost mineral spiciness in the air, like the stamens of wilting roses, and soapy water pooling on warm, parched earth.

There are plenty of neroli scents so no need to really get this one considering exclusivity and price. But I still have a sample (I get a new one every year) and I enjoy wearing it. It's a very high quality clean neroli, loud and long lasting, and you get whiffs of that white lily note and a marine/seaside inspired essence, then you have your usual Le Labo musk dna but it has some more ambergris. I think it's still a fun one to wear and sample when the city exclusives are back in stock. Compared to the mainline Neroli, I think this is much better. It was Teh's review below that convinced me to get a sample in the first place !

To me, Bigarade 18 smells SO much like Tom Ford Soleil Blanc and other “floral sunscreen” fragrances. When sampling the top notes side by side, the only difference is that TFSB has a sweetish Play-Doh note, and LLB18 has an almost metallic note - triggering an olfactory memory of the old lawnmower from my youth. Is it fuel or grease? and cut grass. It’s ok, but not a fragrance I will reach for.

This is not like other neroli/petitgrain/orange blossom fragrances. This has a distinct dry powder element to it that makes me think of the residue that comes off of marshmallows. So think, neroli fragrance + beast mode marshmallow powder and that’s what you get with this. I had to get myself a 100 ml bottle. It will be my go-to office fragrance because it smells like a laundry room

This is a stand-out from the City Exclusives line - which I generally shy away from given the price and quality of ingredients. Starts out with a musky, white-floral aroma backed by a citrus accord and dries down to a sheer cedar-musk. A similar criticism to the rest of the line, I'm not sure what this scent has to do with the city of Hong Kong.

It smells like a really sweet citrus drink with a touch of spice to it while your surrounded by a shit ton of bright white florals. It’s good though & unique, IMO Edit: I recently went through some of my fragrances trying to figure out which ones I wanted to downsize & I found that this smells almost very similar to Light clouds by Moschino.

Main thing I get here is Neroli. The white floral vibes are the most prominent with some musks. Reminds me a bit of Fleur D’oranger or Neroli Portofino. This however is more oily and complex. It’s got a long hang on your skin. It’s a bit more projecting than a fleur D’oranger. This is nice, fem leaning by a TOUCH.

Absolutely blow away by this! Very clean and fresh floral! Originally wasn’t on my radar but I was surprised on how lovely it smells! If you love and can tolerate floral scents, this is worth it. Almost smells like you’re in a flower garden. Perfect for everyday wear. Longevity: 8/10

this is a very, very pure neroli that ventures in the direction of being sour and a little bitter. smells like a luxurious, expensive soap. i would just never pay the le labo city exclusive price when there are so many other scents out there that smell nearly identical.

Very pretty neroli/orange blossom "clean laundry" scent. Literally smells like a dryer sheet to me. Nothing mind-blowing, but very pleasant and fresh for summer. The lily adds a nice subtle sweetness, and the ambergris gives a very soft skinlike mineralic drydown.

Scent - citrus neroli detergent. Season/Time of Day - I prefer to use this one in the colder months, during the day. Projection - I didn't get noticed, I didn't get a compliment. Longevity - I get 8hrs consistently.

The smell makes me think of a marshmallow mixed with detergent. Believe it or not, this is actually a beast mode fragrance on my skin. Now I have to buy more. This one actually may be worth the insane price

straight up neroli and green stems