Neroli 36 (2006)
by Le Labo

Anyone expecting a neroli based composition or a revisitation of the classic EDC, be prepared for a big disappointment. Neroli 36 is a slightly weird, transparent and subtle floral/aldehydes concoction that shares more similarities with Secretions Magnifique than with an Eau De Cologne (the matallic/watery feel is quite similar indeed). Not as challenging or shocking as the ELDO, but way too far from matching my taste.

17th December, 2011.

After a few weeks of having Le Labo's Neroli 36, I'm still trying to figure out the intended use of this product. Unfortunately for me, I can't use it as an inviting scent since to me it smells of things that may have been expelled out of a whale and left to biodegrade on a polluted beach somewhere on the Atlantic... I mean this thing costs $220 for 100 mL... There's got to be some use for it... Maybe deep sea fishing?

20th May, 2011.

Sometimes this is a thumbs up, sometimes a neutral.

I enjoy it best when its raining out. Seems to harmonize well with rain in that it also smells like wet sidewalk, a bit of soap, and salt water/ocean.

People who like clean marine scents or get happy associations with the smell of wet sidewalks should give it a try. People looking for Neroli might get disappointed.

4th March, 2011.

This is such a strange fragrance on my skin! Neroli 36 doesn`t remind the smell of Neroli, as others mentioned in the reviews, but it`s more of a floral metallic ambered strange creature, where the neroli aroma seem to be evoked by combining a green citric jasmine with a soapy orange aroma. The opening is the most strange thing, where you have a blast of calone without having an aquatic aroma. The aroma is strangely oceanic, slightly milky and i was shocked when i noticed that if you isolate the strange aspects of Secretion Magnifiques this is quite similar. Then, a citric floral aldehidic jasmine goes on focus, supported by a light but persistent amber fragrance. The combination seems to evoke part of the first feminine fragrance of Dolce & Gabbana, because of the aldehidic floral part, and the ambered jasmine of Alien, but with less amber and more jasmine. There`s also something of a soapy rose, that after two hours come on focus and brings part of the calone back to the perception. Neroli 36 is like one of those fragrances that seems light at first, but that you`ll notice it the entire day in a strange mixture of flowers, ambers, aldehidics, metallic and marine aspects. Tumbs up for the complexity, tumbs down for being far from what the name suggests and for not being so pleasant. The overall experience seems sort of neutral.

2nd February, 2011.

Not one of the better neroli fragrances I think. The accords aren’t clear and feel a little bit sticky. The florals are indistinct and the bouquet is not done any favors by inclusion of calone. The fragrance is quite soapy.

10th December, 2010.

I came to know that there’s a difference between neroli and orange blossom, and it’s about the way the essential oil is extracted, the neroli being per water distillation, while the orange blossom per steam distillation (I hope I got this one right…). In terms of intensity, neroli is supposed to be a bit sharper and orange blossom more subtle and sweet. You can actually find some fragrances listing both of them (I think Hermes 24 Faubourg is one). However, if anyone has more information about the neroli vs. orange blossom vexata questio, I’ll be happy to be contradicted. Now, Le Labo Neroli smells like sweet orange blossom rather than neroli. Plus, very faint sweet orange blossom: if anyone is familiar with Lebanese white coffee, well, that’s the smell you get. It is very short lasting on me, less than one hour, and it does not have much sillage. A marine note is supposed to be there as well, but it’s hard to spot, as the overall fragrance is very evanescent; the aldehidic note is quite pronounced at the opening, then it all blends in some very indistinct fresh light citrus. If you are on a quest for a stronger neroli scent, go for Tom Ford Neroli Portofino (neroli-in-your-face), the excellent Creed Neroli Sauvage or the lovely Italian niche Neroli Neroli L’Erbolario, the last one being surprisingly good. The price is ridiculously high, and although it is true that Le Labo Fragrance Bar blend the fragrance on the spot for each client, it does not justify some 50 quid for a 10ml travel size!

16th March, 2010.