Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse (1975)
by Creed

My intial impressions of Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse were reminding me of...Fougere Bengale by Parfums d'Empire! And this is a lavender fougere with cumin!

In Zeste Mandarine, I think I am getting the same thing as Mimi Gardenia. I certainly get the hesperidic notes, but somewhere a note is off. Is this the fresh scent some are getting?

Everyone's nose is different. Perhaps a few more tries and this will grown on me. I will give it the benefit of the doubt and make a neutral rating.

16th April, 2011.

Amiable, if unremarkable orange top notes quickly give way to a pallid grapefruit reconstruction. An admixture of cilantro renders the scent marginally interesting - at least until the soapy, sour floral drydown sets in. Unfortunately this occurs at the fifteen-to-twenty minute mark, from which point on Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse is merely dull and mildly unpleasant. In this context, the fragrance’s lack of potency and longevity could be viewed as advantages. If the sort of grapefruit-and-floral eau de Cologne idea that Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse gropes toward appeals to you, you'll find it executed far better (and at a much lower price,) in Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune.

10th December, 2010.

ZMP is on of my favorite summer fragrances. I've tried it in the dead of (arid) winter and it appeared quite different. It seems to really shine in the humidity like another of my fave summer frags, L'Eau de L'Artisan (although nothing like it). It's very difficult to find quality, citrus/floral frags that aren't overtly feminine. This is one of the best. It is more basic than MI, GIT or Erolfa but not necessarily any less interesting in the long run. If you find Creed's signature ambergris basenote appealing then this is one worth sampling. Don't expect to be bowled over but consistently floating on a sunny, happy, natural citrus/floral/ambergris plane.

16th October, 2010.

Holy balls!
This is an interestingly abstract rendering of a "pamplemousse" fragrance.
delicate white flowers are tempered with robust and musty grapefruit.
Also, there is a really in-your-face coriander-ish accord (much like the one present in EROLFA).
Most suited for summer wear.
Very classy and dignified scent; it does not smell dated, considering it was introduced in 1975.

20th September, 2010.

Dullah's review has it spot on...the pith of a grapefruit. Weird smelling citrus and very weak.

17th July, 2010.

My first sample left me wondering, but today was hot and humid and after a shower to remove bug spray and sweat I put ZMP and a clean shirt on for cocktails and it was perfect. I felt great. Nobody commented, which was even better: who wants cloying sillage in a heat wave? Fresh, elegant, and cooling.

29th June, 2010.