Eau d'Hadrien (1981)
by Annick Goutal

ALL THIS PRAISE HAS GOT TO STOP NOW!!!

Look, I've tried both versions of this and here is my summary:

Beechams Hot Lemon and Honey!

Now, do you really want to smell like that during spring and summer? I thought not…

[Original submission date: 25 May 2008]

Tart and crispy grapefruit blast at the top brings literally water to my mouth. I also think of poison-green tart and crunchy winter apples and raw rhubarb stem that makes your face look funny when you take a real good bite of it.
It’s absolutely wonderful. The opening, I mean.

The drydown is everything I suspect and feared: It really does go downhill quite fast, and it’s fading to this boring subtle citrus scent that has a notable soapy structure to it.

More oomph! and more range to those top notes I would probably love this much more. Perhaps in this case EdP concentration would do the trick.

Most of these Goutal scents are just way too quiet for me. I suppose I just like to reek as much as possible.

The citrus fragrances that are more into my liking are, just give you a couple of examples; Soda by GdG, Oyedo by Diptyque, M7 Fresh by YSL…..and then of course I love those rich citrus classics such as Eau Sauvage, YSL PH, Ungaro II etc.

Uh, it smells like something I'd clean a bathroom with. Then again, my tolerance for citrus (especially lemon) is limited, so I'm not the audience this is speaking to. Citrus-lovers are rightfully agog -- this delivers one whallop of a lemon bouquet, for sure.

Some say this is the perfect summer scent - I say it works year round. In the Winter it will remind you of warmer carefree and sunny days. In the Summer it will never overwhelm you - it is sweet without being candy and lemon without making you feel like you are wearing a cleaning solvent. As refreshing as lemonade and it melts into your skin creating a personal fragrance that I really cannot find the words to describe. My husband told me this scent smelled like me - in that he could not give me a specific reason or note that struck him as suiting my personality. It just turned into something that made him think of me. My daughter on a separate occasion said the very same thing (and she did not hear him say it....she lives out of state). This is said to be a unisex scent however, my husband said he thought it was too feminine for that. Chemistry being chemistry though, I am sure it would work on a man by taking on the personality of the wearer as most scents do.

I'm bemused. You say it's long long long lasting. The reality is more in line with the other reviewers. Within an hour or two the scent is almost gone, and there is certainly no sillage. The very forward bright citrus with a hint of woodiness underneath is suprisingly alluring, but you will have to get very close to the wearer to experience it.

I have to say this is one of the most pleasant scents I have came across. I like it, but would never use it to impress. There are other more bolder scents for that. No, this soft, fresh scent is as warm as a sunny day in a lemon orchard. Lemon is one of my favorite top notes. Here it last to middle. Quiet a surprise. It is unisex, which in my book renders it a solitairy scent. This is a day off treat, to use when indulging in your favorite hobbies like painting or reading. Uplifting? Yes. Universal? maybe not...