Etoile d'Oranger

Orange blossom. Cursed to be forever linked to soap every time it goes solo. As if we forgot why was soap scented with orange blossom in the first place. Because it smells good. Because it brings optimism and renewal. In a similar fashion, from one historical moment in history on, mint was forever connected to toothpaste. It doesn't bring any special benefits for your teeth, it just gives the sensation of freshness and the sensation that we did something good to ourselves. Etoile d'Oranger is an excellent orange blossom fragrance. It has a great bitter-peel twist coming from bergamot I suppose. It has minimal sweetness, but enough body to stay solid. Also, a measured rubbery nuance which is usually experienced with jasmine or tuberose. At times, I can even think of it as jasmine with all the sweetness removed from itIn the long run, several hours later, you can still feel the orange star of the composition backed by a crispy woody base instead of the usual blurry ambiguity of generic musks. All in all, a persistent simplicity which is sometimes just the thing you need. Quality. Like a plain white cotton t-shirt which somehow fits and feels better than other plain white t-shirts (and usually costs three times more). That's the best example I have.

Found this at a super cool niche fragrance store in Florence and I was taken aback by the afforable price. I will never be without this, bottle after bottle has been bought. I am not a perfume snob but for some reason I only ever wear niche. And this, for me, is niche. How can a straightforward neroli go into that category? Easy. It smells natural (not one synthetic hint here), multi-layered, perfectly balanced and has strength and longevity. It is beautiful, intentionally structured and it does neroli justice (not an easy feat!). Dare I say, one of the few blind-buy safe frags out there.

Just like Baie de Cassis, I stumbled upon this one at Bodrum airport and honestly, it felt like destiny. I found it right beside the rose one, but Étoile d’Oranger instantly became my favourite of the two ... It’s everything I love in a floral neroli, bergamot, orange blossom, with a delicate touch of honey and musk. So soft, so elegant, so enchanting. It has that graceful glow of golden hour light. Gentle, warm, and effortlessly refined. This one truly feels like a hidden treasure. - Bhavna Darira Chesan

The composition is built around dominant citrus notes—bitter, natural, and devoid of sweetness. The sillage is pronounced at first, then settles close to the skin, where it remains detectable for many long hours.

Very soapy and vintage-smelling. Unsuccessful blind-buy! :-(