Isla

My new signature scent! It's just like the bottle suggests, there is something very orange and very white about this one, like a luxury holiday in Capri. It's like a creamsicle for grown ups; a hybrid between the freshness/sharpness of bergamot and the sweetness of a clementine or a ripe Mediterranean orange. It's not a green, herby or cold citrus, it's more like a soft 'orange' one... yet, it's neither orange flower or neroli like, just image the colour orange, like a creamsicle. There is something very cosy, soothing and creamy, I guess it’s the combination of cardamon and rosemary, which is subtle and gives a milky touch. It is a perfectly unisex citrus -as some citrus tend to lean more masculine- this one is very soft, clean and warm. There is also something very white or naked about this scent, like sun-kissed skin sitting on a suede chair poolside near some shady trees on a hot summer afternoon around 5pm. Absolutely nothing nauseating or offensive here, smells very natural and inviting; if you were hugging someone wearing this you wouldn't want to let go. It sits very close to the skin, I can smell it ever so slightly after several hours and it smells more or less the same as when it was first sprayed, only lighter, which is a good thing, because the scent is not linear from the get go. It is actually fairly complex: it has a unique citrus layer and a somewhat nostalgic 'clean skin' layer, which comes from the musk (not a powdery musk I might add). As it’s fairly light and delicate, I love to respray throughout the day just because I want to smell it over and over, I don't often do this with scents but this one is so good. Like most Trudon, it has an airy, watery, but very natural and lingering kind of effect. 10/10 for scent, 9/10 for lasting power.

Oh, wow. So, I've been interested in Trudon for awhile, but I've only ever encountered their candles. I had a chance to order a sample recently, and this is the one I chose, based on the notes. At first, just sniffing at the nozzle, I was unimpressed. Another big, bright, lemony blast with no depth. (For context, the other two samples I got were from Naomi Goodsir, which smelled dynamic and bewitching, so Isla was a bit of the odd man out in this trio.) I decided to try Isla first, thinking I would get the disappointing sample out of the way. Um. I was so wrong. This is honestly such a complex and mesmerizing scent. I tried it on a stick first and was really surprised at how layered and almost ambery it was, for a citrus fragrance. (I hadn't remembered the notes at this point, so it felt a bit blind.) There was something very sultry-creamy-earthy about this version of bergamot. I spritzed a bit of my ultra-citrusy Vert d'Eau from Chabaud on my other wrist just to compare. And, man. Totally different genres, in a good way. Isla is a delicious, delicately spiced, botanical, enchanting take on citrus and it's just gorgeous. The dry down leans very much into the vetiver, but I don't mind it a bit. Think I have to get my hands on a full bottle.

It was love at first sniff. The perfume stood out with its different colored bottle so i noticed it was new right away and smelled it on a blotter. Than I couldn’t get enough and sprayed on my wrist. The next day I went back to Trudon with a friend because I couldn’t stop thinking about it, she loved it too. The next day, I went there for the third time, but this time I bought it. I just couldn’t resist. A true unşsex, summer perfume. Fresh but very good sillage and longevity which is a rare bird for citrus fragrances. A true gem!

As citrus scents go, really not that interesting. The citrus is mild and rather weak. Lots of vetiver. Masculine leaning.

This is a nice and pleasant citrus. Nothing ground breaking. Smells like Xerjoff Renaissance, Commodity Bergamot, and Le Labo Bergamote 22. If you own any of those you don't need this. Needless to say I don't need this in my collection. However it is a solid smell. 7.5/10.