Cologne du Maghreb

A lively, fresh citrus, with the cedar lending a clove-like spiciness to it. As a cologne, it doesn't last that long, but it is very well-composed and perfect for summer. This may be a full bottle purchase for me, as I am really digging the spicy herbal citrus.

Cologne du Maghreb opens with a punch of etrog (or citron), that ultra-pithy, bitter relative of the lemon. Not fresh but resinous, dry, like essential oils. There's a touch of dusty light wood underneath too. It makes me think of blazing sun and dancing dust motes. It settles into a light, dry wood scent with a hint of resin and spice, and a little prickle of sharp lemon. Casual and maybe bohemian; reminds me slightly of Olympic Orchids Hamsa. This is definitely an original take on cologne. Light enough to wear in summer, but deeper and woodier than a typical citrus cologne, and clearly (as Andy Tauer's perfumes often do) evokes the desert. Contemplative and a little wild.

Cologne du Maghreb is great but it's gone in ten minutes. Unfortunately that's the case with most natural fragrances... It's a north African Acqua di Parma essenza, however AdP lasts all day and then some. 7/10

First impressions from a tester strip: very nice citrusy neroli fragrance, but not enough for me to be wanting a bottle. A bit feminine imo.

This is a truly beautiful fragrance. It will surprise you as it is fresher and more subtle than anything I have seen Andy Tauer produce before and I have tried all his lovely fragrances and own many of them. This is a light, true cologne. It opens with a very natural smelling neroli and lemon. You will be looking around for the garden when you smell it. It's a soft awakening. Then the rosemary steps up to the plate, followed shortly by the lavender with the cedar and vetiver on deck. I think this is a home run for a cologne. The development is lovely, but it happens rather quickly, in about 30 minutes. After an hour the fragrance softens as the amber comes in with the labdanum and the rose is the final note to emerge, giving the whole a slight sweetness and softness. This cologne has a wonderful spicy smell as well. I attributed part of it to the rosemary and lavender with the ambergris, but I still think Andy slipped a few spices in there, a little zing, a crack of the bat to wake you up in the seventh inning. I have tried this cologne numerous times over a few days after my bottle arrived. If you keep in mind that this is a cologne and you will need to spray generously under clothing, it actually lasts pretty well as a skin scent but it has virtually no sillage- it's not supposed to. I think Cologne du Maghreb could sweep the World Series of natural colognes. I'ts a beauty. Give it a try!

The first thing I noticed upon applying this all-natural creation by Andy Tauer was how much it reminded me of Miller Harris perfumes such as En Sens de Bois. It’s the cedar connection. I love the scent of natural cedar in perfumes, and Miller Harris uses a lot of it. The citrus, too, reminded me of Citron Citron. As a big fan of Miller Harris and natural perfumes more generally, this is of course all good news. In fact, I would not have guessed that this was a Tauer Perfumes perfume, because it differs a lot from both the more complex and densely structured classics such as Une Rose Chyprée and L’air du désert Marocain, and also the simpler and more abstract Pentachord creations. Cologne du Maghreb, perhaps logically enough, given the name, offers a fresher, cleaner, and lighter scent but still smells as natural as the classics from this house. All of that said, I’m afraid that given my tendency to douse myself with large volumes of cologne (Know Thyself!), I probably will not be acquiring a bottle of this swell-smelling scent, as I’d drain it in a matter of days... I think that it’s fair to say that I am a bona fide cologne hog—not a hoarder, but a hog. For my cologne needs, I’m probably better off with the all-natural, essential oil based Berdoues Cologne 1902 series. I also use Le Couvent des Minimes Eau des Minimes, which comes in a huge splash-ready bottle as well.

I had to do a double take after applying this, because it is IDENTICAL to a discontinued Aveda fragrance that I used to wear, as well as buy the candle. The candle was Valencia, and the fragrance was "Key Element no. 7". Much like the ill-fated Aveda one, Maghreb has very little longevity, but what it does offer is a burst of pure citrus joy! (however fleeting) The use of all natural ingredients enables this to contain a true essence of the citrus, and keep it out of the territory of being accused of smelling like a cleanser of some sort. If you do happen to smell cleanser, then clearly you're spending too much time cleaning, and not enough time around true citrus. Definitely not a standout from Mr Tauer's incredible creative nose, but a gorgeous execution of an ode to citrus nonetheless.

A beautifully assembled cologne that dwells strongly on the fetid woodiness of cedar, lending it a duskier quality than your average EDC. There are complex top notes of orange, lemon, lime, bergamot, and neroli, with a significant labdanum heart, and plenty of wood in the base, which actually goes on for a while despite its cologne strength. Expect at least three hours out of this one, with a decent throw. Andy offers us the rarity of a complex cologne, and the experience of wearing it is unremittingly pleasurable. I admit that I'm not a fan of cedar in general, but the quality of materials and compositional skill on display here is breathtaking. This is one of the best colognes I've ever worn.

The opening reminds me of classic citrus scents of 60s and 70s. It particularly reminded me of Loewe Pour Homme. But unfortunately this is just the opening...in less than 30 minutes I can hardly detect anything on my skin. It's a well known fact that this class of colognes are usually short lived. But I don't know why...for some reasons I was thinking that Andy Tauer came up with something very special in this one: Cologne Du Maghreb.

It's cologne after all, so don't expect big sillage and longevity. But it's a cologne of a shimmering,resinous balmy composition- in the Tauer style. When this was released as a limited edition, I acquired an unloved bottle with the original box on eBay.I was then lucky enough to meet Mr Tauer and he signed it for me, as well. Ooh la la! Now I'm a perfume groupie. I was very glad to see C du M was re-issued so more people can try it.

I don't like the 'taur DNA' in this one, doesn't seem to belong in a fresh fragrance.