All invited *** Sniff 'n' Speak Saturday, June 4, 2011 *** CITRUS

[Quarry]

For newcomers, here's the lowdown on this monthly online event:

Every member, any gender, novice or veteran sniffer, is invited to apply a fragrance related to the theme of the month (listed below) and share your thoughts on the first Saturday of the month. This isn't a mandatory assignment; it's just for fun. Because not everyone logs in on weekends, you're encouraged to continue to add comments within this themed thread on subsequent days. If you don't join us for this month's discussion, please look ahead at the tentative lineup and join in at a later date.

JANUARY ~ Oriental
(warmth, flowers, spices, woods & vanilla)
FEBRUARY ~ Animalic
(civet-, castoreum-, leather-, or musk-influenced scents)
MARCH ~ Chypre
(used to be defined by oakmoss presence, but ...?)
APRIL ~ Floral
(single solifore or full bouquet of flowers)
MAY~ Fruity
(single sweet fruits or a bowl of fruity-florals)
JUNE ~ Citrus
(hesperidic: bergamot, lemon, orange, grapefruit, tangerine, etc.)
JULY ~ Green
(fresh leaves & grasses)
AUGUST ~ Fresh or aquatic
(cool, dewy notes and seaside scents)
SEPTEMBER ~ Opposite-Gender Fragrance
OCTOBER ~ Ambery
(dark, light or blond amber as feature note)
NOVEMBER ~ Spicy
(warm notes associated with cooking)
DECEMBER ~ Gourmand
(fragrances with a foody note, but not usually fruity--save for May)

Looking for suggestions?
See previous SnS discussions:
Oriental — Jan. 2007, Jan. 2008, Jan. 2009, Jan. 2010, Jan. 2011
Animalic — Feb. 2007, Feb. 2008, Feb. 2009, Feb. 2010, Feb. 2011
Chypre — March 2007, March 2008, March 2009, March 2010, March 2011
Floral — April 2007, April 2008, April 2009, April 2010, April 2011
Fruity — May 2007, May 2008, May 2009, May 2010, May 2011
Citrus — June 2007, June 2008, June 2009, June 2010
Green — July 2008, July 2009, July 2010
Fresh — Aug. 2008, Aug. 2009, Aug. 2010
Fougere — Sept. 2007
Opposite Gender — Sept. 2008, Sept. 2009, Sept. 2010
Ambery — Oct. 2007, Oct. 2008, Oct. 2009, Oct. 2010
Spicy — Nov. 2007, Nov. 2008, Nov. 2009, Nov. 2010
Gourmand — Dec. 2007, Dec. 2008, Dec. 2009, Dec. 2010
For the months of July and August 2007, regular BN was offline and supporters had access to an abbreviated site. We discussed aquatics and greens, but those posts are no longer accessible.

[lilybelle]

Whoa, June snuck up on us pretty quickly! I like citrus. I wear something with citrus half the time anyway. I was just thinking I might wear Shalimar this evening. And I'm not sure about daytime yet. I'll be baack...

[iechris]

Wearing Bronnley's Lime and Bergamot Eau Fraiche today from a sample kindly sent to me by 30 Roses. Nice light scent that is great for what should be a very hectic day at work.

[mrcologneguy]

YES!! I've been on a big citrus binge for the last week or so. Yesterday I brought home a nice new bottle of Creed Bois de Cedrat. Its famously short longevity is actually a blessing in the hot, steamy weather we've been having. Makes you want to refresh liberally, and every spray is another shot of citrus bliss. Highly recommended.

[Redneck Perfumisto]

YES!! I've been on a big citrus binge for the last week or so. Yesterday I brought home a nice new bottle of Creed Bois de Cedrat. Its famously short longevity is actually a blessing in the hot, steamy weather we've been having. Makes you want to refresh liberally, and every spray is another shot of citrus bliss. Highly recommended.

I'm going to a concert today. Excellent choice for close quarters! I'll join you!

[Quarry]

Nice to see you, Redneck. Hey, look at us with a nearly equal number of posts.

Yes, Lilybelle, it sneaked up on me, too. Twolf even sent a reminder to me. I got the thread started, hosed myself down with Bigarade Concentree, normally a favorite, but I hadn't psyched up for it, and it wasn't an ideal fit. No matter. I've been outside trying to garden in the heat and sun, and I'm drenched in sweat. Heading for the shower now, and then I'll put on either Fresh Hesperides, which is like grapefruit pith, or Iunx L'eau Frappée, an almost acid-neutralized lemon scent whose name translates to Ice Water. How great a name is that? Of course, Frappée and Iunx L'Eau Latine (Latin Water) are discontinued. "Arrrrgh," I cry again. I haven't tried the Latin Water, but the description reads like a Quarry-bespoke dream: "tangerine peel, leaves, pulp, and zest."

[matildaben]

Citrus is a category I haven't explored much. I think it's the theme of the perfume "class" at Knows Perfume later this month, so I'll get to learn more and get a useful sample pack.

[teardrop]

l'm wearing Hesperides by Essenze di Mezzanotte, from a spray sample. lt's a warm, humid day here in the south of England, & the notes of lemon & coconut are deliciously refreshing! lt strikes me as very similar to Virgin lsland Water, with none of the longevity problems, or the high price. ln fact l wish l'd discovered this first, l highly recommend it.

l don't have many citrus scents in my wardrobe, actually, apart from VIW, Aloha Tiare, Shalimar & Eau de Shalimar. l'm heading for the shower shortly, & l may well choose one of these as my SOTE. Or l may not, as l'm off out later with my BF, who'll no doubt expect me to wear Allure, from the bottle he recently gave me! Oh well, he has been good lately...

[Klute]

Nice to see you, Redneck. Hey, look at us with a nearly equal number of posts.

Yes, Lilybelle, it sneaked up on me, too. Twolf even sent a reminder to me. I got the thread started, hosed myself down with Bigarade Concentree, normally a favorite, but I hadn't psyched up for it, and it wasn't an ideal fit. No matter. I've been outside trying to garden in the heat and sun, and I'm drenched in sweat. Heading for the shower now, and then I'll put on either Fresh Hesperides, which is like grapefruit pith, or Iunx L'eau Frappée, an almost acid-neutralized lemon scent whose name translates to Ice Water. How great a name is that? Of course, Frappée and Iunx L'Eau Latine (Latin Water) are discontinued. "Arrrrgh," I cry again. I haven't tried the Latin Water, but the description reads like a Quarry-bespoke dream: "tangerine peel, leaves, pulp, and zest."

I love IUNX Eau Frappé!! Unfortunately I am not at home and don't have it with me, so I'll go with "Les Nuits d'Izu", by Keiko Mecheri which is one of my favourite citrusses at the moment. It is a very tart, sparkling citrus with a sweet, soft dry-down. With all of the Asian ingredients (yuzu, hinoki, japanese rose) it is a very unique fragrance, different from any other citrus I have encountered so far. Too bad it's not really that hot over here today - I think it would do even better in really scorching hot weather.

[RHM]

I've come to appreciate this scent category much more in the past year. Annick Goutal's classic Eau d'Hadrien has become a staple in my "wear" wardrobe. The two bottles I own, one edp & one edt, are several years old, so I don't know if the current EDH smells the same as mine do.

For today's SnS, I wanted to wear something I don't normally. I narrowed it down to samples of these three: JOVOY's Hesperide (notes are lemon, bergamot, mandarine, jasmine, violet, cedarwood, vetiver & white musk), Joe Malone's Grapefruit Cologne or her Lime, Basil and Mandarin Cologne.

The JOVOY is the more complex of the three.

[lilybelle]

I wasn't in the mood for a very zesty citrus scent this morning, so I'm wearing No. 5 Eau Première, which is a soft citrusy floral. There is not a season or type of weather in which EP doesn't suit me well. Some people get lemon in it, but I get orange. And vanilla. But somehow the aldehyde and florals keep it from becoming a creamcicle. I love citrus, especially orange, which has a spicy quality as well. My favorite citrus scent is the odor that is released when you pierce an orange or tangerine skin with your thumbnail - the little spritz of the oil. That is one of the most heavenly scents! And we all know what happens when you put the lime in the coconut. I have no idea about SotE. Going to a baseball game, sitting outdoors. Maybe something zesty will be exactly what I need by then.

[PerfumedLady]

I joined in without even knowing!Snuck up on me,too and I had meant to follow along with this one.Woke up to muggy Indiana heat this morning so I decided to retest a couple of scents from Jo Malone that I ended up with after one of our sampling groups:Grapefruit and Lime,Basil&Mandarin.I do like the layering fun to be had with this house;it's easy to come up with something that's more than the sum of its parts.These two are especially good together,very refreshing with a definite masculine edge.I liked them in early spring and I really like them now,wouldn't mind a bottle of L,B&M.The sharp,only slightly sweet green/citrus notes are wonderfully long lasting for me in this heat.

Just caught up reading some more of these posts-RHM,how eerie!I agree these Malones are very simple-I have no doubt the Jovoy is more interesting.However,not sure I could handle anything complex today;I'm working in my gardens in 90 degree heat and I'm not kidding,the air feels wet!Some spring.

[Emlynevermore]

I am being forced this evening to attend an engagement party (not my own, thankfully!) so I will probably end up nursing Lyric Man and a single malt for most of the night.

I wore a spritz of Mitsouko before heading off to the gym mid-morning, which doesn't count either.

Thankfully, I have managed to squeeze some Concentre d'Orange Verte in between. Refreshingly bitter, I love that this falls under the eau-de-cologne/chypre nexus, lending interest and longevity to that which might otherwise be merely pleasant and fleeting.

[FrouFrou]

Oh! Completely overlooked sniff and speak!
It was about time for a re-apply anyway, and I had my choice ready! It's Pecksniff's Chypre Green.
A very light very citrussy fragrance, but where citrus usually fades fairly quickly with the topnotes, a nice dollop of Galbanum, this one keeps lingering all the way!
Three citrusses in this one: Citrus, Orange, and Bergamot.
Its all green and clean and fresh!

I don't think there's oakmoss in this one, so it is not really a Chypre.
It would be very nice for men too.

[knit at nite]

I'm sampling something I didn't "get" the first time round- Dior Eau Fraiche. Launched 1953, nose Roudnitska. Still sniffing now- speaking comes later

[lilybelle]

My SotE is Lilly Pulitzer Squeeze layered over Pink Sugar, a happy, juicy, sweet & fruity, syrupy concoction that works for me.

[Kiliwia]

I think I'm all citrused out. I started this morning with Keiko Mecheri Sanguine, which is a really refreshing blood orange scent. This afternoon I put on Guerlain AA Pamplelune, a nice citrus scent, one I hope to purchase sometime soon. Later this afternoon I tried Penhaligon Quercus, it's a nice citrus too, but I'd rather smell it on my husband. So I think I'm going back to yesterdays SotE and wearing Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien, very lemony. I love what this one smells like after about an hour, it starts to settle down and it's just perfect for a summer day. The notes are bergamot, citrus accord, grapefruit, lemon, cedrat, cypress, galbanum, basil, juniper berry, ylang ylang and wood accord.

[shadesofbleu]

I'm wearing Bond Coney Island today for Citrus SnS. Notes: Margarita mix, melon guava, cinnamon, chocolate, caramel, musk, vanilla, cedarwood, sandalwood



If you are wondering where the citrus is, you haven't smelled the Bond version of margaritas!

This has such a tart, juicy, lime-heavy margarita mix that is slightly inebriated with some top shelf tequila! There's even a heavy rim of salt on the frosty glass! The top notes stay just this side of sour until the vanilla and caramel notes appear to take the edge off. It doesn't ever get too sweet, it's not like Coney Island is a gourmet fragrance. The woody basenotes remind me of what the boardwalk would be, salt-permeated worn wood. The whole thing sounds weird, but it just works for me. It is such a fun, carefree scent that I sometimes reach for on difficult days ... it never fails to put a smile on my face.

[shadesofbleu]

My SotE is Lilly Pulitzer Squeeze layered over Pink Sugar, a happy, juicy, sweet & fruity, syrupy concoction that works for me.

Now, THAT sounds interesting!

[lilybelle]

Now, THAT sounds interesting!

It was pretty good! Would probably work well with Eau d'Hadrien, too.

Coney Island sounds good, too. I think I need to go on a Bond sniffing spree soon, to see what I've been missing.

[Redneck Perfumisto]

I wasn't in the mood for a very zesty citrus scent this morning, so I'm wearing No. 5 Eau Première, which is a soft citrusy floral. There is not a season or type of weather in which EP doesn't suit me well. Some people get lemon in it, but I get orange. And vanilla. But somehow the aldehyde and florals keep it from becoming a creamcicle. I love citrus, especially orange, which has a spicy quality as well. My favorite citrus scent is the odor that is released when you pierce an orange or tangerine skin with your thumbnail - the little spritz of the oil. That is one of the most heavenly scents! And we all know what happens when you put the lime in the coconut. I have no idea about SotE. Going to a baseball game, sitting outdoors. Maybe something zesty will be exactly what I need by then.

EP is definitely awesome - one of the best versions of citrus ever done. The development of this fragrance from citrus start to woody finish is so smooth, you would swear the topnotes were still there at the end.

[lilybelle]

EP is definitely awesome - one of the best versions of citrus ever done. The development of this fragrance from citrus start to woody finish is so smooth, you would swear the topnotes were still there at the end.

That's true, Red. It is quite perfectly seamless. A great work.

[Robin-in-FL]

Smell Bent Prairie Nymph. This is honeyed beeswaxed clementines, and, allegedly musk but I don't smell that in it, it must just anchor it. The 7 year old daughter doesn't like it, the man doesn't like it, but the other 4 females in the household love it. I think the man and the 7yo are sensitive to the 'skank' in the honey but to the rest of us it just makes it so wonderful, it is all the way from very high-pitched (the sour orange part of it) to way deep (the honey) and sweet and, yes, kinda waxy. It hangs together very well, the orange lasts to the end although it gets less prominent.