Yuzu Fou

Yuzu is one of the notes gaining steam in modern perfumes, and just like tea notes I’m very dubious it can actually be done (easily) consistently well. So when Corticchiato said he was doing a yuzu, my interest peaked as well as my worry. In my mind, I had high confidence that if anyone could do a convincing yuzu it’s Corticchiato, but the pessimist in me worried it might be a marketing gimmick cash grab. Did he fall prey as all niche firms seem to inevitably do? Let me make this plain and simple: it’s a great perfume. At the top there is actually yuzu! A real and photorealistic yuzu! It’s helped along by pitch-perfect compliments of orange and touches of mint. It’s gorgeous and mouthwatering at the same time. The heart of Yuzu Fou is a surprise, but, upon reflection, a logical turn. Corticchiato told us to expect woods, and his descriptions are just as precise as his perfumes - which is to say high - but this is far from the typical splintery woody dry down we so often get these days. Notes of bamboo, lemon verbena, cedar, resins, and musks give the heart and base a spiciness (cedar), a green and watery freshness (bamboo), an herbal citrus zest (verbena), a slightly smoky and resinous earthiness that resembles incense resin, and a clean richness from the musks. This is the star of Yuzu Fou. I was bowled over by the top but the dry down is even better, and impeccable. Corticchiato said he took broad inspiration from Japan and the harmony it keeps between fast-paced-technology-driven urban life and the beauty of its natural surroundings. He must love Japan, because what he’s telling us about it is that it’s gorgeous. One thing though... it isn’t crazy (fou). In the crowded field of tropical citrus and woody perfumes, Yuzu Fou is a standout triumph. Excellent.

I have a "love - hate" relationship with citrus dominated fragrances, so I was kinda scared to try this out. I dislike every single citrus fragrance which reminds me of some cleaning products or, god forbid, is mixed up with aquatic notes and (which in this case COULD be bamboo). Luckily for me and "Yuzu Fou" this is not the case and I am not going to be writing a bad review. The citrus here is marvelous, it is strong, skanky and deeply provocative and sexual. The mix with mint is mouthwatering and addictive. This is so far the best citrus scent I have tried and even though at start this doesn't feel too pleasant to smell (as I said - it is skanky) it is with no doubt extremely addictive. I clearly wish to get a full bottle of this in summer and the we shall see how other people around me find this - skanky and addictive or just skanky?

Yuzu with galbanum and verbena support in the top, reminding of Heeley's at that stage. Then, cumin appears together with some sweetness a-la Rochas Femme / PdE Wazamba. Then, the sweetness leaves, leaving space for the indolic/musky neroli, that together with the cumin, will give a vague impression of fresh leather... yes, fresh leather... does that remind you of something? For me, clearly Eau d'Hermes (unsurprising after the 'Rochas Femme' stage). Simply the best yuzu fragrance, and indeed 'crazy' for how much it evolves on the skin. Who prefer its citruses a bit softer, cleaner and rounder (but still zingy) might opt for Heeley's, who appreciate a bit of funkiness, will definitely go for PdE's. In any cases, two great options!

I think Yuzu Fou is lovely. It's a very interesting, gorgeous, unusual, unique perfume. Quite stunning. It moves a lot, and puts you through a heap of confused feelings. It's a real adventure perfume! Lovely unusual mixture of citrusy smells: sweet, bitter and just a bit quirky, but it gets better and better as time goes on: and I love it! I love the cedar and bamboo, they give such a clean openness, and the mint is so uplifting. But it's the sweet limey aroma I love . It is yum.

Wonderful bitter Yuzu with very good performance. The other listed notes are intriguing on their own—kumquat, mint, verbena, bamboo— are mixed on a base of neroli and musk. I love this one as much as I love Heeley Yuzu, but this Yuzu is more dominant and herbal. I will be adding this and Corsica Furiosa next Spring as I see them both as wonderful warm weather scents. The new bottle design is also a big step up. Impressed.

This is the loudest, most mouthwatering citrus scent I have ever worn, and nearly a decade later, nothing even comes close. The yuzu hits immediately. It is bitter, fast, and persistent. Mint, verbena, and vetiver are technically in the formula, but yuzu is not interested in teamwork. It stays linear. Hours later, it still smells the way it did in the first five minutes: dry, citrus driven, and bitter green.

I absolutely love this! I bought a sample from LKNU Parfumerie and had to buy a full bottle. I find the yuzu and other citruses in this to be exceptionally cheerful and bright, while the verbena, bamboo, cedar and musk give a more substantial, sensual undertone. Sillage on me is probably a 7/10 and I get quite decent longevity as well.

It is on my want list. :) i can smell lemon, verbena, plus something i called mint wind. Then it all gets sweeter and i get nutty or grain vibe together with white musc. Very nice, snuggly, lovely, Comforting frag.

It's lime, but not as you know it. It's not harsh or functional. It's soft and sweet, with a little hint of sweet, chewable mint leaves. Perfect for a gentleman.

Now thats something new. Unique fragrance, fresh (green vegetables kind of fresh), bold, citrussy green fragrance. Perfect for summer. Excellent performance.

There is some cumin in this yuzu, a more wearable Eau d'Hermes. Lovely 8/10

This Yuzu seems indeed a little Fou, it's certainly not like any other citrus I've ever smelled. I love citrus in all its incarnations - bright, bittersweet, aromatic, even sugary. 'Dirty', however, was a new interpretation for me, and not one I was sure I even wanted to try, because I tend to have a hard time with darker, murkier elements in fragrances. What can I say, I'm not sure if I'm pure at heart, but my taste in perfume sure seems to be. I'm glad I did try it, though, because as it turns out I rather like the so-called 'skank' in Yuzu Fou. I can agree with reviewers who've mentioned sweaty armpits, and it's no fresh sweat either, but it's not too much even for a reluctant beginner skank lover like myself. For one thing, I don't get any pee, and for another the dirty vibe is balanced out beautifully by the clean bittersweet citrus notes and fresh green ones; I even detect something powdery or even soapy in there. The combination is certainly interesting, and as someone else has mentioned, even strangely addictive. I can't stop sniffing my wrist, which is always a good sign. The combination with heavier smells also makes this a lot less fleeting than most citrus fragrances, and a lot more suitable for year-round use because it's so robust. It also feels more sophisticated and more grown-up, just generally more like a perfume and less like aromatherapy. In conclusion, I like Yuzu Fou a lot, more than I thought I would. I'm not sure it'll be a gateway into dirty perfumes for me, but I'm glad I got a small decant; it's good to have an alternative citrus interpretation for days when the bright and sparkling scents I usually like just won't do.

Out of the three citrus-centred fragrances from Parfum d ́Empire (“Azemour les Orangers”, “Iskander” and “Yuzu Fou”), I find “Yuzu Fou” the most puzzling one. Especially its head initially proved a bit of a challenge for me, but to be honest, the more I tested it, the more accustomed I grew to its quirky prelude. “Yuzu Fou” opens with a sparkling mix of citruses (bitter orange and yuzu) and mint. For some strange reason, when I sampled the perfume for the first time, the presence of the mint note reminded me of the smell of my dentist ́s surgery. Perhaps it was just a subconscious association as mint often features in various dental care products. Instead of the image of the products, however, it was the image of the surgery which popped up whenever I tested “Yuzu Fou”. Anyway, the citrusy-minty opening soon gives way to another note in the composition, namely lemon verbena. It not only manages to sustain the freshness of the composition, but it also smooths it out. There can be no doubt about who begot “Yuzu Fou”. All the fragrances in the Parfum d ́Empire line have a distinctive olfactory quality that has become Marc-Antoine Corticchiato ́s signature: the masterful blending of the notes, chypre-like abstraction and an air of edginess. The fabulous “Azemour les Orangers” remains my favourite citrus scent from this house, but “Yuzu Fou” can serve as a darn good alternative.

Yuzu fragrances are slightly disappointing on the whole, I can't remember many to be honest (either deflating or reinforcing my point there) oh actually Caron Yuzu that's nice but also forgettable.(see?) This is nothing like that really, I think of Yuzu as zingy, bitter lemony, grapefruit but very much its own signature citrus smell. You expect a punch, at least a jab of citrus, instead you get quite a big, fleshy, fruit, much more exotic, almost mango like to me. An off kilter middle-ground between Two L'Artisans for me, Timbuktu (seriously) and Batucada. It's like a tropical fruit with the oddness of that bamboo accord, mildly green but with a slightly sweaty edge of spice. I love the way it ends up on skin because it's rounded, clean, musky, a bit warm at heart, and not just some lifeless citrus cologne that burned brightly at first but fizzled out just as quick. I get an earthy, spice to this hence the vetiver inference, and illusion of very mild caraway or cumin. This is a fascinating little creation from a very creative and quality house. Personally, I'm not that taken with it but I find it worthy of praise, certainly for fans of fruity fragrances, this is a stranger alternative to try.

Wow, this is different. I've tried this, as I like citrus fragrances. I was excited to smell Parfum d`Empire's version of citrus, because I assumed there would be some good twist to it, but I completely got lost at what I was smelling. What are those repulsive notes? I thought, it's just my chemistry. After reading the reviews, I am relieved I'm not alone in this. There are definitely "skank" and "cannabis" here. After a while the "bad" notes wear out quite a bit. Nevertheless, as weird as it is, I like it a lot. It's like guilty pleasure. I want to have it too, just not too sure how people around me will take it.

Le plus beau et réaliste parfum 'yuzu' que j'ai eu à sentir. Il est tres beau , piquant , acidulé , tellement réel. Le problème c'est que pendant l'évolution il devient comme un gel douche générique et se transforme en une odeur un peu cheap. Un peu comme l'odeur du parfum d'été de tout le monde avec des agrumes... J'ai lu dans certain commentaires l'odeur de transpiration et d'urine de chat ! Alors je ne sais pas si c'est psychologique mais moi aussi j'ai ressentis cela 😅

Very authentic-smelling, sharp Yuzu with green mint and Lemon Verbena. The combination of citrus and mint has a cooling effect. It has a little bit of a medicinal scent, which I always attribute to mint, something similar to mouth wash. I really liked it and my brother loved it. I do not think I will get a full bottle for myself, but I may get it for my brother.

It’s not an easy task to create a good lemony fragrance. Too often, the result ends up smelling like detergent in the opening and clean laundry in the dry-down. Fortunately, none of that happens here. It feels natural and fresh, with a solid dry-down and lasts just as long as expected — you can always reapply if you feel like it.

On my skin felt mostly lemon verbena. Sour and citrus notes plus bamboo is easy to feel all the time, it is sour-woody-aquatic-green note that lasts few hours, radiates, but suddenly disappears ... like it though.

This is not complicated or long lasting, it's just zingy, refreshing yuzu zest and mint, diffused with clean musk. Nice for hot weather.