Reviews of Eau d'Hadrien (1981)
by Annick Goutal

A crisp blend of lemon, citron and grapefruit on a light cypress base. Not bad in itself, if you like bitter notes and if you do not associate it with detergents, even if that resinous bitterness tends to become dusty. But, in comparison, it is very far to be as pleasant and delighting as 'Bois de Cedrat' by Creed, or even a lighter Eau de cologne, as Guerlain's 'Eau Imperiale'.

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.

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.

The lemon & cypress are artfull, not at all like a cleaner.
Very classy, but does not last at all on me. Thats why I give it a neutral in the Eau d’Hadrien form. In a more extended form, like the Hadrien Absolu, it would be thumbs up.
If you want something very light try this as the ylang ylang drydown is like the soft breath of a lover.

This is a very rich, sophisticated combination of citrus & woods which would work for anyone, anywhere. Yet, in spite of it's reputation for lasting a long time, this is "Gone in Sixty Seconds" with me. I wish that was not the case with this line, because I like most of the fragrances (they are complex) and would purchase them frequently if they had more staying power.

Definite citrus on top with a heavy woody base. I was hoping for more of the citrus to last longer. The citrus is cut with green notes that smell marvelous but a lot like Eternity for Men's green (not overall). After an hour the only thing that lasts is the slightly musky woody base. Eh, I'll pass.

Nice bright citrus scent underpinned by a green woody note. The EdP has good longevity for a citrus scent (4 hrs). Good for wearing on a hot summer day.

Color me confused. Goutal gets a lot of high praise for Eau d'Hadrien,.

I don't get it with this one. Over several wearings of increasingly heavier applications, Eau d'Hadrien barely lasts an hour on my skin.

The initial blast of citrus is great: lemon without being furniture polish and a hint of green.

Then it's just kind of a confused, muddy citrus (not in a Terre d'Hermes way). Unfortunately it doesn't last long enough on my skin to create a solid enough impression one way or the other or to even ascertain the artistry of the scent. It's just a neutral.

Eau d’Hadrien opens with a very appealing (if not terribly original) blend of crisp citrus and green notes that’s pure Mediterranean. As others have noted, it’s also more than a little reminiscent of lemon scented furniture polish. To stretch the analogy, the furniture polish is soon applied, as a strong woody base emerges from beneath the citrus as the fragrance ages.

Over the course of the next half hour Eau d’Hadrien reveals a powdery note that rounds out the citrus and somewhat diminishes its resemblance to a household cleaner. Some light floral elements (is that a bit of rose I smell?) join in as well, and lend the fragrance welcome depth and some extra complexity. The citrus fades down pretty quickly, so that by the two hour mark I’m left with some woods and powdery musk, with just a hint of fruit and flowers shifting in and out of focus. All and all it’s pleasant enough, but nothing I’d get too excited about. For woods and citrus I go for the richer and far more complex Iskander from Parfum d’Empire or the more exotic and long-lasting Bahiana by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier.

A very refreshing and bracing grapefruit citrus fragrance. Opens tart and stays clean and fresh throughout its life - about 2 hours. It's great as a summer tonic but don't expect it to be there very long. The opening fresh notes do not change or progress much. After using an entire bottle I realized that other than the fresh blast at the opening, I was just kind of bored with it. A number of citrus frags are like this - sort of one note wonders - Floris Limes comes to mind as well, only in lime rather than grapefruit. For a much more interesting fragrance that opens freshly with grapefruit but progresses through very interesting and clean stages, try Live Jazz.

boring nothing special,a classic summer fragrance for Nice.

If you thinking of buying this. Buy the absolute version. It is much better. The only thing I like about this one is the name. Very classy.
benb

This is a good fragrance that can be worn during the day at the office. I just don't think it stays as long as I would expect it on my skin. A mild citrus smell makes it intriguing and mysterious. It is too expensive in my opinion and… Why would I pay so much for a cologne when there are better similar scents for half the price? I won't!

It's an uplifting citrus scent, but nothing that stands out. Very light and inoffensive. I don't see how you could overdo it with this one. Probably perfect as an office scent and during the spring/summer months. However, this is probably the most fleeting scent alongside with 4711. Ten sprays of this baby and it's gone within 30 minutes. It does have its uses though. I use it as a pick-me-up when I have a hangover. With that being said, I wouldn't buy it again as it is quite expensive.

Oh how I wish the initial sharp & icy lemon notes lasted. I absolutely love the opening act- the most realistic lemon citrus in a perfume that I have ever smelled. After 5 minutes it turned flat and a bit stale. I would purchase this if the top notes would stay alive throughout- oh it would be some beautiful sillage. Alas, it won't so no purchase. That said this has a very elegant & feminine bottle.

A zesty fresh citrus classic that would could/should be mentioned together with the heavyweights like Eau Sauvage, Signoricci, Orange Verte and Monsieur Balmain. But just Like the aforementioned Hermès, EdH unfortunately struggles with severe longeviy issues. Strenghtwise it's definitely more a cologne than EdT. Too bad on such a natural-smelling lovely fragrance. Check out the Absolu version which is stronger, or the Les Nuits edition which is alltogether a different scent, both great alternatives.