Citron Citron (2000)
by Miller Harris

The Miller Harris website describes Citron Citron as "a blend of all the citrus notes plus mint leaf, basil and marjoram. It is made up of contrasting notes of citrus with spices such as cardamom, cumin and some cedar." So, comparing this to the pyramid presented here we see the addition of marjoram and cumin and no indication of oakmoss.

I relooked at my original review and think I better start over again. This is a nice blend of citrus and herb notes. I now think of it as a modern take on classic eau de cologne, using different herb notes, than in traditional EDC’s. It is bright and fresh and on me, but surprisingly wears better in the cooler seasons.

I usually find citrus scents nauseating and migraine-inducing, however I smelt this on a male friend of mine and thought it was gorgeous! Unfortunately though it turns out my chemistry must be very different as it smelt like a completely different scent on me and had no staying power at all. For me D&G's Sicily works a LOT better, and has a much less weighty price tag too! I've given it 4 stars though as it doesn smell divine on my male friend.

I'm sorry, but Citron Citron is not worth it's price tag. Yes, the opening mint combined with citrus is somewhat intriguing, though a little over the top, but IMO there are equal-to-better offerings in the citrus genre for 1/5th the amount of $$$ (Hilfiger Athletics, L'eau par Kenzo, Happy, Friends, Echo, and the 2004 CK One Summer). Miller Harris---this certainly isnt Creed or AdP quality, so why the outrageous price? If you're going to expect someone to fork over such a pretty penny, then at least make it worth doing so. Run of the mill Citrus.

This opens with excellent, lovely citrus notes. These are very fresh and true, and have a tart green tone. The scent then moves into its herbal phase. This is well blended, being a green chord rather than distinct elements. The drydown is gentle and subtle, with very mild spices and hints of wood. This is a classy EDC – nothing particularly new or innovative here; but everything is well done.

As much as it pains me to be a dissenting voice in amongst so many esteemed reviewers, I absolutely loathed Citron Citron. The opening few minutes gave me Bratwurst and black pepper, which made me wonder whether this fragrance should not be called "Imbiss". As I write this some hours later, I cannot get beyond the pepper sensation, with only a soupcon of citrus to sweeten the pill. With the numerous citric ingredients, I am surprised how lacking in freshness this is. This is an ill conceived blend with no redeeming features.

If complex is what you're looking for, don't go looking for it here. If, however, you have always wanted to meet a non-foody, crisp, clean, uplifting, positively anti-nauseating good citrus fragrance, Citron Citron does the job. Completely unisex and perfect when travelling I only wish it came in smaller bottles to put in your pocket when on the move.

I was not impressed by this when I first tried it among a flurry of many other scents (because it seemed thin and a little too basic to warrant such a high price).

However, it was only after I took the sample with me on a long journey that I suddenly "got" this fragrance. It is actually quite difficult to make a citrus scent without the off-notes: one that isn't too synthetic-smelling, too sour or too much like over-ripe, fermenting fruit. This one makes it look easy.