Fleurs de Citronnier
by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

Crispy orange jessamine at first, then a fluffy powdery lemon dry down. Nice if you like blossomy citrus fragrances with out any spice. Definitely not my scene.

5th October, 2011.

The first 30 minutes on my skin are like a strong, fresh, almost bitter citrus cologne, more lemon peel than lemon blossom. l was hoping for the sweet, smooth headiness of the flowers, like Greece in the springtime, but for me it didn't really get there. lt becomes more floral as it dries down, but fades to nothing within 2 hours, & l don't get a sense of the base notes at all. l'm disappointed that this didn't live up to my expectations, & that Lutens' fragrances just don't seem to "live" on my skin as they do on others.

3rd February, 2011.

Fleurs de Citronnier. The best way for me to describe this offering from SL is this: imagine a sweeter, smoother classic cologne-like scent behaving like an EDP (which it is). The first blast to me is pure neroli/petitgrain/lemon blossom that lingers for about an hour or two before moving on to a subtle but powdery white musk and honey accord. Perhaps my nose is not yet fully trained, but I do not detect the tuberose notes. The drydown is nice, but I feel like I end up with the same result as I do with Miel de Bois- which to me is more interesting ('cos it has some skank!) than FdC.

I'll gladly finish my sample of this, but I certainly wouldn't lay down the cash for a full bottle of this. For anyone struck with Serge Lutens fever I would not advise purchasing this one blindly as it is a definite try before you buy kind of frag.

27th August, 2010.

Open Fleurs de Citronnier and crisp neroli with white flowers ride out of the bottle on dry, powdery woods. This brisk and refreshing accord is a pleasant surprise coming from a house known for lush, sweet, heavy orientals. The citrus and wood accord here actually borders on astringent - it's that snappy!

Some of the expected Sheldrake-Lutens sweetness creeps in as the scent develops, and the fleshy, indolic aspect of lemon blossom follows close behind. The two add a layer of warmth and complexity to what might otherwise have been a rather hollow composition. None of the heavier notes are overdone, so the overall effect remains extremely bright and buoyant. The foundation, built on a light, sweet vanilla and clean, powdery white musk, stays close to the skin once the drydown begins.

If many of the Serge Lutens fragrances are sweet, thick cordials, Fleurs de Citronnier is a champagne cocktail: effervescent, a bit tart, and unlikely to ruin anybody's appetite.

23rd December, 2009.

It's nice and warm.
There's lemon blossom and leaves in the top note (it's more like lime blossom to me, what I smell from my tree), close to soap at first.
There's nothing fresh or zesty at all (if you are looking for). The dry down is less soapy and softens down with scent of lemon blossom pollen mixed with tuberose (oh my, tuberose is not my thing), a hint of crushed lemon leave, a hint of lightly spiced honey, almost powdery to me.
I do like it, but not so much. It's suitable for spring or a windy night.

7th October, 2009.

Serge Lutens Fleurs de Citronnier

Citrus scents should be worn in the summer. It is almost like "Don't wear white after Labor Day" as a scent rule of thumb. Except when someone as skilled as Christopher Sheldrake decides to prove it wrong. Fleurs de Citronnier was created in 2004 and if you want a cool-weather citrus this is the scent for you. This starts out with a razor-sharp neroli bolstered by citrus. The heart holds onto the citrus while introducing honey, tuberose and iris into the mix. Depending on how you feel about white flowers this is where this scent will excel or flop for you. The tuberose becomes prominenent for a decent amount of time but with the honey and citrus cutting it, it never gets out of control on my skin. Iris shows up and really smooths this out. As we move into the base, nutmeg is the perfect transition to the musk present there. The florals and musk make this citrus with oomph and one that is best worn on a sparkling cool spring or fall day.

28th February, 2009.