Entre Naranjos by Ramon Monegal

Entre Naranjos; Naranjos. What an appropriate introduction to a Spanish line! This beautiful fragrance opens with Neroli, Orange, Petigrain. The overall effect is of the most uplifting neroli, clean and clear as crystal. The orange is there, and that wonderful slightly woody/herbal quality of petigrain. Lovers of traditional Eau De Cologne will really appreciate the opeing of this fragrance. Then it unexpectedly develops into a very soft skin scent. I liked that actually. The Eau de Cologne opening then a twist. Ambergris they say? Well I don't know, but to me an ambery phase which retains some orange and then the slightest hint of patchouli. Delightful! After the arresting opening, it is feather light and it wears very, very close to the skin. At first I thought that this meant that it lacked something, but I have tried it a few times now and I have completely changed my mind. You know you can't judge everything with the same yardstick. It is not a powerhouse fragrance and it is not meant to be. It is a whisper of a thing, as light as a breeze. Sometimes it is better to whisper than to shout, and I think that this is actually the very essence of this fragrance. In my view it is obvious that it has been crafted by a deft hand, with very skillful and confident restraint. It is everything that it should be. It is elegant and very discreet. It would make a beautiful addition to ones wardrobe for those times when a beautiful cologne is just the thing for that moment. It is completely androgynous.

Entre Naranjos opens with the main star of the scent, orange blossom, coupling with a green-like invigorating herbal bitter orange and petitgrain combo. The herbal bitter orange recedes in the early heart notes, but the orange blossom remains throughout slowly melding with mild amber from the base. Finally all but just a trace of the orange blossom disappears letting the amber take a bit more of a role in the fleeting base before the scent disappears entirely. Projection is average and longevity is well-below average. Entre Naranjos is a beautiful composition that deftly melds the floral aspects of orange blossom with bitter orange to create a great fresh and natural smelling pick-me-up. The petitgrain also adds a bit of a "green" vibe to the composition, adding to its allure. The scent is very natural smelling and the bitter orange in particular is extremely well-done. The only problem with the scent in my mind is its relatively brief longevity (something that plagues many citrus scents to be fair). That said, longevity aside Entre Naranjos is easily the best of the four scents I have tried from the house to date and is a very strong entry in the citrus category by Monegal, well-deserving of an excellent 4 out of 5 stars.