Cologne
by Roger & Gallet

For just shy on 3 hours this is one of my favourite summer fragrances. It's instantly pleasant on application, a light and not too tart citrus with a touch of fresh mint and sweet pea. But by the time it's been on for 3 hours a stale/musty note comes into play. That note lingers on until the very end. I would really have preferred Extra Vielle to remain fresh throughout but alas no. Thankfully the note isn't so strong as to ruin the fragrance for me.

I can't tell you for sure whether it's worth the upgrade but Selection Verte by Creed is everything that I would have hoped for in EV. Extra Vielle is on the better side of a neutral review but the fact that it's so easy to get it cheap just nudges it to a Thumbs Up

29th September, 2009.

A bright, atomic, synthetic-smelling orange topnote. It dries down in a somewhat linear manner, though green herbal notes come up, along with a bit of musk. Surprisingly complex in the end, given the comes-on-strong top notes; maybe a touch of ambergris? Approximately four hours from beginning to end of middle notes; basenotes hang around for up to six hours. Very attractive packaging. Beautiful bottle. Apply sparingly; one of the only colognes my wife told me I was wearing too much of, and I generally limit application to two squirts at most. Most likely formulated as a spring and early summer fragrance, I find it works OK on chilly winter days, too. Avoid on sultry summer nights. It's unisex, but I'm guessing it's a little on the sweet side for a lot of men. It's a good mood-lifting fragrance for occasional use only.

2nd January, 2009.

Note -- this is NOT Jean-Marie Farina/ Extra Vielle.
Fragrance notes: mandarin orange, basil, bitter orange, jasmine, verbena, cedar, orange wood.
This is in a green box with a picture of an orange tree, and it is billed as a “tribute to the orange tree”. It is quite nice. It has a brisk citrus opening, with a hint of leafy-herbal green. Jasmine lends a lovely floral note, softening but not too sweet. The final phase is a lightly pleasant wood. R&G Cologne is a delightful daytime/summer scent. Not complex; but fresh, natural and enjoyable. I like it.

12nd November, 2008.