Fleur d'Oranger 27

Oh boy, do I love this! Well, I gotta admit, this brings back a lot of memories for me so it's a rather biased review. I'll have to start with a story here. My first encounter with Fleur d'Oranger, or any Le Labo, was about a year ago when I was in Melbourne. It was my first time in the Southern Hemisphere, so seasons were switched up and it was Summer when for me it should actually be winter. I walked into a store, sampled a few Le Labos and immediately liked this one. It wasn't a love but a strong like because it just literally smelled like natural Oranges. Not artificial in any way. I then proceeded to work on a few citrus farms, which was the hardest work I've ever done. It was pretty tough but I always loved the strong citrus smell in the morning! A year has passed and I still seriously loved that smell although I didn't even work there anymore. I came back to my home country and ordered myself this Le Labo. It was instant love. Every time I spray this it brings me back to those exhausting but yet exciting and fun times. As I already said, the scent is very natural with the dirt but also the citrus elements. It literally smells like those citrus farms I went to (although I never worked with Orange trees..). There is nothing really like it, although some Tom Ford PBs also have strong citrus notes. The fact that this one is an orange scent, makes it more unique in my opinion. It's not too strong and also not extremely long lasting but it's decent! Would I, as a regular person without any emotional connection, pay 155 Euros (probably around 180 USD and around 350 AUD) for it? Absolutely not. I think it's extremely overpriced but for some reason there's just something that connects me with le labo.. there is no other house that does this the way le labo does. So yeah, for me it was 100% worth it - for the memory. I think it's unisex, although quite a bit more on the feminine side. I'm a guy and I wear this one with pride though, so I guess anyone could wear it. Winter works well, summer does too. For me it's both. I encountered it first in summer but citrus season in my home country is in winter, so both seasons seem to work. The only thing I can certainly say is that it's a day scent. I love it and I'll always keep it in my collection! I got about 25mls left but they'll probably last for years because I use it rarely, just to bring back the memories once in a while. Good, but overpriced! Edit: This also strongly reminds me of bubble tea, not sure why. Just thought I'd mention that!

Le Labo..........., this was my fourth purchase from this ubiquitous niche house! I didn't know until a couple years back that the number after the name of the fragrance represents THE NUMBER OF INGREDIENTS in that concoction- the Name on the bottle represents the MAIN INGREDIENT in that particular fragrance..... (duh...., LoL). Hence, Fleur D'Organger 27 is ALL ABOUT that gorgeous, soft, comforting and sensual Orange blossom note.... It may not be for everyone, but for me- I reach for it instinctively on a regular basis, especially on those muggy, dreary days when I need some refreshment and a picker-upper..... Opens with that signature Le Labo burst of freshness- a familiar green floral freshness opg orange blossoms..... The composition is a masterful weaving of that tart citrus (bergamot), the floral sweetness of orange blossom and that green leafy quality of petitgrain...... The result?!?! A highly enjoyable citrous/floral scent with that signature musky backbone.... , as this composition develops though, that feeling of laying in the grass under a basket of orange trees in full bloom dissipates.... What I am left with us a dark Amber musky base, that strangely comes off a bit like liquorice on my skin........... Final thought: if you like this one and you are adventurous enough to amp it up a few levels, then PLEASE TRY L'Artisan's Fleur D'Oranger... L'Artisan captures the exuberance of spring flowers in full bloom, but it goes FURTHER in that it highlights their various stages & aspects as the frag dries down.... It is this that makes me feel that for NOW: L'Artisan Fleur D'Oranger is the "Gold Standard"!

Of all the design houses out there, Le Labo is the only one that I have consistently enjoyed. Fleur d’Oranger 27 is a delightful unisex floral that is refreshing and perhaps a little kinky in a playful summery way. It opens with an oddly sweet-but-masculine combination of fresh citrus and green notes (bergamot, petit grain and lemon) before settling with ease into an almost gourmand musky orange blossom note. The musk is the key to this fragrance, giving it a fresh-n-clean backbone and a sort of muggy weight at the same time, like sitting in the mist of a waterfall on a hot summer day. It’s a fresh sort of mugginess that carries you around, offering a rejuvenation of the spirit. Even though it’s a bit linear - there is very little transition from head to base – it is as entrancing as a jazz musician playing the same note over and over again: The orange blossom note remains throughout but the key keeps changing, giving it a dynamic sensation without giving in. Sillage is moderate (stays fairly close) and longevity is excellent (lasts an entire day). When I wear FdO, I often imagine myself on a deserted island, using the indigenous flowers and fruit to make my own fragrance – only to discover I’m not alone. FdO makes the fantastic sublime, and the sublime fantastic!

My absolute favorite summer scent - this orange flower smells like actual orange flowers, without the tempering sweetness, softness or cloying notes that so many perfumers believe they must include to get across the flower of it all. Actual orange flowers have green citrus leaf notes, oily citrus peel notes, slightly bitter pithy bits and are clean and refreshing while still being meant to attract insects, not people (they don't smell like a bath!). Le Labo hits it out of the park in this way with all of the pith, peel and leaf in the bottle - and it's these notes that make the scent lean a bit more unisex than, say, an ultra clean Orange Flower from Jo Malone (which I also like, but is nowhere near as intriguing). How this scent packs it all in without being overly "perfumey" is a wonder. (Note: I have an older bottle. If it has indeed been reformulates, this review may not apply)

Got a sample of this in a discovery set for Christmas and OH MY GOD it's absolutely gorgeous. The issue: Le Labo fragrances are insanely expensive, especially on an early-career budget, and this smells... dupeable in a way that's hard to describe. I don't actually think you could get anything EXACTLY like this without paying this price, mind, this is fab and smells expensive. (Plus it doesn't vanish on me straight away like all Jo Malone perfumes do.) But it's easily the most straightforward and inoffensive of the LL lot I've tried so far. This is someone's perfect signature, but at this price point I'd want something a little more head-turning. BUT I STILL LOVE HER and will be finishing this sample pretty quick.