Lemon Eau de Toilette (2006)
by Art of Shaving

Transcendent cologne of exceptional quality, made with 100% pure, natural essential oils derived from botanical sources. Dries down handsomely to a non cloying, light, powdery, floral/citrus aroma with discrete mossy undertones. A very elegant scent, and one best reserved for formal occasions.

This is a not overly sweet, creamy lemon as opposed to other scents that are a hugely dry lemon (Homme de Gres) and fresh citrus (like Lacoste original). Nice and pleasant. Not sharp. I like all kinds of lemon but prefer the zestier lemons. However this doesn't fail to please.

Lemon is a lemon masterpiece. It supplants my lemon throne from Monsieur Balmain albeit more expensively. Instead of a blast of lemon and middle note herbs, it's a very healthy dose of lemon plus florals on a subtle, deep green base. The base notes are present enough to ground the blend effectively but are by no means a major component of the pyramid. The vetiver note is greener/grassier than the traditional, root (heavier) version. The oakmoss is very restrained as well. The tenacity is quite formidable for a lemon dominant fragrance. Lemon exudes all the class of Acqua di Parma but is cleaner and ultimately more joy-bringing. A caveat, as with all lemon (citrus) dominant frags, overall duration is somewhat limited. If you are a lemon fan it should be the first one you try.

Happy to report trying this several times at the AOS shop in Manhattan, and being quite captivated. At first, it seems somewhat rather one dimentionally lemony, but it is not, it wears very well, and morphs nicely to something that is a little like Acqua di Parma, but more straight forwardly citrus, and a little more smooth. Not too sweet; not too weak. If it is still around (in production), I plan to try it again and if the response is the same, to pick some up when the seasons change back to the warmer side of the scale as this could be an excellent warm weather addition to my collection. Check out the AOS website for all the ingredients. Worth looking for if you are a mellow citrus/lemon fan looking for more longevity than you get with most others.


Joe