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20102010 – :
The top notes were really fresh, citrusy and enjoyable, like a good light lemonade. I was amazed how good it smelled.
The base notes are getting more masculine, smoky and spicy. It’s okay, but it’s not amazingly uplifting like the top notes.
I’m not sure about it, have to give it another try probably.
orvi2006 – :
Everytime I spray this, I get hungry for some Lemonade. it’s almost edible and I am this close to drinking it
sweety22 – :
Another love-at-the-first-spray. Usually I don’t really like lemon etc. But apparently Hermès could combine the freshness in a pleasant way. I took it with me to wear it before light business meetings to boost my freshness & creativity.
_nerd_ – :
Love. Why? Because I like Sauvage. Citron Noir has a similar vibe at the backgroud as Sauvage in its late dry down. This Hermes contains smooth ambroxan in low percentage and has 4-5 hours longevity as a skin scent. Most of its life is a skin scent but the opening has moderate projection for about 20 minutes. Then it starts to settle down on the skin. Citron Noir is different from the rest of this line, feels masculine and modern.
Up front is a very natural greenish citron opening with a feeling of a lemon peel mixed with some lime. Then comes a fresh note of black tea. I do not get much smoke, in fact I do not get smoke at all. The guaiac wood is very discreet at the background.
I don’t know how Buddha’s hand or black lime (they say that this Hermes contain these ingredients) smells like but I do not detect any unusual or unfamiliar note. Citron Noir is safe, refreshing, common smell, very pleasant if you like Sauvage and very versatile & suitable for high temperatures.
Dominant notes are citron, lemon, lime, black tea. I also get traces of oakmoss after about half an hour and something herbal, citrusy herbal. It’s a nice & simple scent.
AlexGrossmann – :
Well, not a huge fan of Hermes perfumes, they may are statements but for my taste are a bit linear. Of course you can be noticed and feel classy, but to be very honest, I never been that experienced with the house. Maybe I will in the near future.
If you like citrus-ies, this is a total must. Ok, you would say tell us something new, citron noir, what it could smell like? Caramel? If you like D&G light blue EDT for women vibe, you’ll fall in love. It also reminds a bit of Neroli Portofino from Tom Ford, less intense and more ‘marine’. Initial first snif is like pure fresh lime and bitter lemon essense. I can’t detect anything else, maybe a bit of black tea.
It is called unisex, I don’t belive in perfume genders but here it’s like 55% masculine-45% feminine. As time passes you can detect a soft smokiness too. All in all, I didn’t impressed at all, it’s just not my cup of tea but I can assure you that lasting power is good. About sillage, here’s the magic. You may want more complex & strong perfumes in such prices or you may think that a perfume can’t be romantic without floral notes or rose, but if you smell this during a summer day…you will be charmed!!! Citric mixes aren’t only uplifting or ‘happy’ but can wake up ones heart in seconds.
p.s: Remind me to gift it to my mother.
8910907 – :
Thick and bitter lemon+lime peel. That’s all you need to know.
Meh.
Meoqx657JeomiWogkig – :
This is where Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue failed for me. LB gave off a really sour smell on my skin and even from the bottle it smelt off to me. When I first smelled Eau de Citron Noir on the test strip it smelled like fresh lime and lemon and I loved it. When I sprayed it on my skin the notes didn’t changed so this was a yes for me. Very fresh and light, and it makes me think of summertime sipping ice cold drinks in the sun. The Hermès store in Melbourne did not have the big bottle as they sold out so I opted for the 4 15ml travel bottles pack that came in their own individual pouches. Not cheap though but this is worth it for me and can’t wait to wear in summer as it we are still in winter here in Australia as I write this.
borman777 – :
Delicious and unique lemon, smoke, and tea. I just wish that the lemon part would last longer. I want to smell more of it. But I like the guaiac smokey dry-down as well.
karmaKiller – :
For me it is a NO. Smells of clothes that have been in front of the campfire whole weekend. After that someone srayed those a little bit citron air-freshener. That is Hermés Eau de Citron Noir if you want to homemade it. 😀 I love Hermés but this confused me.
sergul73 – :
never been more excited about overused perfume glossary term ‘noir’ – after galop, citron noir marks such a nice beginning for christine nagel and her hopefully, successful hermès opus.
never quite a fan of jean-claude ellena, i really like this majestically orchestrated cologne, an unexpected match of initial citrus blast and resinous backdrop, which beautifully evolves into not your average smokiness with solid longevity and wonderful, old skool cologne drydown.
longevity is better when compared to narcisse bleu and eau de gentiane blanche, and sillage is quite good after initial citruses calm down.
максим123123 – :
Hermes made their version of Bleu De Chanel/ Sauvage. At least they not going to make a million flankers like Dior and Chanel do. You don’t like it you don’t have to buy it
Staffa – :
Opens with a bright, lightly sweet citrus accord that immediately turns smoky. It has something that reminds me of toasted coconut or sesame seeds. I feel it needs to be a bit more balanced (with a citrusy floral maybe?) to keep the citrus notes alive at least for another 30 minutes and keep the concept of charred, masculine-y lemons alive.
Citron Noir, even if it is an EDC, is disappointingly wispy and weak, with little to no projection. It might be OK to wear in warm weather although it has a warming rather than cooling effect because of the smoky, gourmandy note.
Roolezz – :
After a few wears on the skin of the Citron cologne, the lemon zesty peel blast quickly fades and smells too much like a cleaning product.
Most lemon scents to me have this association unless florals or spicy woods are mixed well.
Not worth the money imo, much better long lasting citrus smells in the market.
Romeo-Drap4ik – :
Smells strongly of dark wood, black tea, and cured citron. The scent is masculine, clean and fresh without having that department store cologne quality. It is not for everyone but this is a very classy blend.
Shvec1405 – :
Smells of a kitchen fire someone tried to clean up with some
cheap orange cleaner. Couldn’t wait for it to die, which thankfully happens fairly quickly. WTF Hermes.
1977kristina – :
Absolutely terrible fragrance. Other people reviewing this must be much less sensitive to Woody-amber type aromachemicals, because that’s the only thing I can smell after the first 10 minutes. It’s a shame too, because the background elements are quite alluring, but they get lost in a sea of rubbing alcohol-like harshness.
ViasLevitra – :
super lemony , it is fresh but i somehow feel like i have smelled this a thousand times before, it remains sharp doesn`t turn sour which is a bug plus , perfect for summer !
andrey99 – :
It’s fantastic. Longevity is rather low but I like to think that some fragrances are meant to sit close to the skin. It’s great that there are options out there for those who want to smell great while at the same time don’t feel it necessary to project.
Vasilysk. – :
This dark, spicy, manly lemon smells SO GOOD. I am going to buy a bottle immediately.
It almost smells like something you could eat. Like peanut brittle.
This is addicting and it lasts a really long time on me. 12+ hours.
iuf440Bessinepome – :
I only have done testing but have a few conclusions:
– in my eyes it is a response to growing need “bland” colognes on the market like Bleu de Chanel and Dior Sauvage. Although it is not bland or bad per se, comparing to other more complex colognes on the market I can tell that – yes! Hermes has done it right!
– it even may have some similarities with them, but all in all, in my eyes is done better than those two mentioned above and less popular (but this does not seem to last a long time, as it sells like hot cakes!)
– i was testing it only once, but it`ll make me to get a flacon because it lasted on me good 8-10 hours with moderate sillage (which is not an issue with me)
– While testing I also had other aftershaves (some of them in EDP concentration with heavier igridients) but this alongside with Habit Rouge EDP seemed to last the longest on my skin
I advise further testing to whoever who does not want to get Chanel or Dior but want to smell contemporarily.
This is a winner in my book!
BaJlep4uk – :
Huge fan this line especially Neroli Dore, Gentiane, and Narcisse Bleu and Citron gets a strong like from me. Hermes has a knack for producing fragrances that smell so natural, like your experiencing the essence of a live plant and Citron delivers with a brisk and sour citrus opening. It reminds me of a freshly squeezed grapefruit peel, not the pink one but the sour yellow kind. This is classic hermes: expensive smelling, sophisticated and very nice. The dry down turns very masculine and reminds me of Dior Savage. Good or bad, of all the Hermes Eaux de Cologne collection, this smells the most like a “mans cologne”. Like Sauvage this is a good workplace, daytime, business suit kind of fragrance. Brisk, sharp and clean its a good high quality scent and very long lasting. My only critique is its not overly original or a necessary addition to this line, but Ill enjoy my bottle until its gone .
avgl – :
Eau D’Isappointment I’m afraid. On paper every single ingredient in this is a favourite of mine, I love the house in general and this series of bright citric colognes in particular, and will even forgive them their poor longevity. Loved the idea of a smoky/dark lemon – as I am crazy for Persian style dried limes and Moroccan-style salted preserved lemons in food – and the first, strikingly crisp yet moody burst of this is a real thrill – the first citric I’ve ever tried with a sense of actual menace and dark to it. Something’s going right when you first smell a ‘fume in the sterile, conditioned, dry cold air of an airport terminal and still want it madly.
But I jumped too soon, because sadly, on me, the longer perspective on this one goes darker still and more bitter – reminding me of generic men’s colognes, and not in a good way (and I’m told it’s uncannily similar to Dior Sauvage.) Never outright unwearable (even on my female skin) but somehow not quite delicious – too sour, too dark overall imho. Interesting, but a little wrong.
Тефтеля – :
I’m 10 mins into my first experience wearing this. (I got a sample yesterday at the store.) The opening didn’t grab me, and now that it’s evolved slightly, I’m still not interested.
Hermes has so many citrus fragrances, it’s impossible not to compare. For me, it doesn’t hold a candle to Néroli d’Oré or Terre d’Hermes, so I won’t be giving this another go. But for someone very interested in lemon + tea notes, it could be worth seeking out.
Update: Okay, 45 minutes in, this is staying harsh and unpleasant. A scrubber for me.
povorobog – :
After spraying: joyful lemon note – resinous, realistic (it isn’t the pastel lemon in Eau D’Orange Verte).
But it turns very quickly masculine, after 15 minutes I can scent typical aftershave (with fougere note of fern and incense).
demon1983 – :
Very ordinary citrus with a smoky layer on top. That’s all you need to know, really. After around an hour, the smokiness largely fades and you’re left with a faint and unexciting hint of lemon. The longevity is slightly below average for a citrus fragrance, likewise the sillage. If this was a cheapie, I’d give it a cautious recommendation for citrus lovers only, but it isn’t so I won’t.
Kuglyant – :
At last, a citrus frag with a twist which makes it a bit more interesting, takes you through a journey of fresh and dark. I can smell the tea note straight away, don’t get me wrong, it did take me back a bit but if you give it a chance to work with your skin chemistry, it a really nice drydown, not my fav or the Hermes line but a very welcoming release. 7/10
regenti – :
Like other Hermes colognes, this is too fleeting for me to consider buying. Citrus opening was beautiful, but gone in less than an hour. Turns into a faint, smoky guauic wood base but only noticed when my nose was pressed up against my skin.
I loved the opening and even liked the base. If this comes out in a stronger formula I’ll be first in line.
Voigo – :
It is as if Hermès took Eau d’Orange Verte and extracted out of it the unique bitter-sweetness that makes it stand out. This is pretty straight forward citrus with a bit of what smells like a rotten note which is surprisingly appealing. It doesn’t have the off putting after taste many lemony fragrances have and there is defenitely no cat uriness like in Eau d’Orange Verte. The main problem is that this is really safe, verging on generic, even though it is well made and has an aroma of luxury like most Hermès perfumes. Another con is a short longevity. If I had the extra cash laying around I would get it for summer, but I don’t.
saniagomel – :
First 20 minutes you feel a very promising freshly-cut lemon, like when you are cooking. (Very realistic and not at all all hesperidic as lemon is usually represented). After the opening, you get Dior Sauvage. Comfy and so well-known.
In my opinion, this is a good-to-go variation for women to have a permission to wear a “homme Sauvage”. At the same time, more feminine as other Colognes from this range (except Rhubarbe which is definitely feminine). I quite like it!
Longevity, consistent with other Colognes from Hermes, max 4h.
slayer855 – :
Disappointing
stas2981 – :
Tried this one today in the mall. Was very excited to see it. Tried it, unfortunately a hard pass. Just a bland lemon scent with a kind of dirty smoke smell. Was anticipating a lot more.
50 – :
On my skin, Eau de Citron Noir is dominated by lemon and smoky notes almost in equal measure.
The opening lemon note is wonderful! Its aromatic, almost herbal peel is the first to greet my nose, and the ripe, juicy pulp soon follows. Its tartness is no longer piquant like that of a fresh lemon, but slightly fermented like the luscious tart-sweetness of confit lemons.
However, the smoky note that appears roughly 20 minutes later, turns out to be a big disappointment to me. It’s not the leathery, rounded smokiness of black tea that I had hoped, but the ubiquitous, arid woody amber aromachemicals that are omnipresent in many designer and niche fragrances aiming at a male clientele. I have to admit that this type of ingredients are not among my favourite, but when it’s carefully blended within like Mona di Orio Bohea Bohème or Rania J Ambre Loup, at least I can tolerate. However, in Eau de Citron Noir, this smoky note is left in bare spotlight with almost nothing to round its edges, which presents much difficulty for me to appreciate the fragrance in general.
Fortunately, the smoky note finally merges with the lovely lemon note about 1 hour in, and Eau de Citron Noir now maintains this delicious sweet-tart lemon with the acrid woody smoky undertone until it disappears after about 9 hours. The sillage is mostly moderate.
Personally, I enjoy the lemon note very much. Its luscious sweetness balanced by the fermented tartness makes it a rare comforting citrus fragrance for colder months. Sadly, the choice of smoky note is way out of my comfort zone, and its presence actually compromises the beauty of the delectable lemon note instead of creating an unexpected olfactory effect. Therefore, I would recommend it as a warm citrus fragrance, but only to those who are not sensitive to woody amber aromachemicals in general.
zvonok27 – :
I’ve tried better… It’s spiced dry cedar wood spritz with a cloudy smoked citrus ambroxen which turns into a late vintage of 1980’s Paco Rabanne scent. I think there’s Tide Mountain wash detergent that smells like this…
coca-cola67-67 – :
Just tried it recently. I was excited there was a new cologne from Hermes and even more excited it was about lemon (finally !).
Short version : poorly crafted, bland and disappointing.
Long version : opens with a cloud of lemon but after maybe 10 minutes, it fades into a fleeting generic unoriginal woodsy blandness a la Bleu de Chanel that was shocking from Hermes. Their trademark good taste and crafty elegance is completely absent from this cologne. I don’t mind the poor duration : I mean after all, Orange verte is a short lived affair. But I do mind the poor quality from such a high end designer. Simply put, Citron Noir is just unworthy of Hermes.
makc_ar – :
I have tested this today. Very unique for a citrus scent and I find it to be exquisite in warm climate. However, I sprayed generously the juice four times on my wrist and 30 minutes later I can hardly detect it, let alone feel a projection. Very disappointing. I would have got this by all means had it performed…
Buslik_A_10 – :
Very intriguing.
smuddence – :
Love this juice! Nagel has been making a excelent job on Hermès. This one has Lemon and Lime with a smoky base and a touch of tea. The longevity is poor to mediocre. But this is a EDC so is supposed to not last long. The projection is soft but this is excelent to spray after a shower at the spring/summer time.
evgeny55 – :
Opens with a rather nice citrus note. For two minutes. Then drowned in a screechy woody amber note you can find in so many masculine scents these days like Sauvage.
Denis9171 – :
It seems Nagel can do no wrong, successfully creating a cologne that could possibly rival Eau d’Orage. Smoky, dried lime and bergamot. Detectable spices and just feels so edible. A new form of Hermés cologne and soon to be a staple for me
Also, I’d just like to add that it lasts a LONG time. Annoyingly so, really. Its lasted me at least 9 hours. Not sure I want that from an eau de cologne. Have showered, can’t get read of the woodsy dry down. How unusual.
ValeraSW – :
The citrus note was promising, but after a few minutes it dried down do this watered down Dylan Blue/Sauvage kind of thing. A little dissapointing and a big no for me.
Velliar – :
At first one is surrounded by wonderful clouds of lemon. And I love it.
After a while all one gets is a very chic walk in the land of nothingness. And I don’t love it anymore.
I like it, which is not enough for buying a bottle. Not to me. I need to fall in love.
Just around the corner I can hear L’Oréal giggling whenever the company thinks of how Atelier Cologne has done this before-and in a better way.
So I decided to buy Cedrat Envirant instead.
weremei – :
Citron noir – Hermes
Opens with a zesty juicy lemon note which is promising. Very refreshing and uplifting but disappears quickly. It soon changes to a ripe lemon with a more of the fruity sweetness. That zingy lemon peel nots is still detachable here and there.
But unfortunately the dry down, like many others mentioned, falls down to the Dior Sauvage, blue de Chanel trend. It reminds me more of Bvlgari Aqua Atlantic or Versace Dylan Blue actually with that salty aquatic/mineral ambroxan base.
I don’t get any smokiness out of this cologne at all.
Basically it starts with zesty lemon, turns to a sweeter/fruitier one then drys down to salty ambroxan and all happens pretty quick. Really like the opening but the dry down is just a bit tiresome.
Hanych – :
Doesn’t smell like an Hermes. Smells like a more sour take on something like Dior Homme Cologne. I prefer the Dior because it has more depth. This “unisex” Hermes may be enchanting to women who rarely smell men’s fragrances, but to a man, there isn’t much to write home about.
DinoKlement – :
Chistine you finally ticked all the boxes….This is a magnificent Perfume 9/10
,,,,,Please Please have an attempt at a full on Mens Fragrance,!!!!
gostraler – :
Just tested and immediately bought it at Barcelona Airport.
love it, starts very lemony, natural and juicy unlike Dior’s fizzy “fanta-ish” citrus top notes.
Very soon after, that black lemon charry and incensey note appears to stay with you. Beautiful and different, one of a kind. Thanks Ms Nagel!
stxxt22 – :
Sounds Intriguing & One thing that plagues many sharp citrus woody smokey & generally favored colognes amongst the masses is their poor longevity. Maybe this offering from Hermes will provide better performance while in the same vein as a Bleu de Chanel EDP, I know Black Tea is my favorite note in Chrome Azzaro Summer 2013 an excellent men’s designer Summer Frag this note also happens to be Present in Hermès Eau de Citron Noir, I am Interested in trying this.
hofMoorgeRode – :
Some people you can never please, because they always know better than the rest. There’s the expectation of people to produce unicorns. New perfumer, new direction, new era. People need to chill. As much as love getting insight as to how people feel about fragrances, many have just become bitter on this site. Let’s see how long this post lasts. Get off your high Hermès horses.
ILNUR2010 – :
At first, you can smell a dry and bitter lemon note, in the vein of “Rhubarbe” cologne, slightly smoky. After a few minutes the scent transforms to… Bleu de Chanel and Sauvage. A sporty, woody, cloying Axe deodorant mixture. Even the blue bottle is a clear reference to these two hits.
Very disappointing for Hermès fans.
haikoo777 – :
Not a fan of this fragrance. It smells closer to Bleu de Chanel Eau de Parfum than to classical colognes.
A promising start – lemon zest, bergamot, musk – transforms into noisy and dirty modern molecules of spicy freshness.
If you are a Dior Sauvage/Bleu de Chanel guy, you’ll like it. If you prefer traditions of Hermes, this Citron Noir is probably not for you.
kop4onui – :
I hate most citrus frags, but this one is something different! The spicy (even though there are no such notes listed) drydown with some lingering citrus (among the least detergent smelling I’ve experienced, or, make that “not detergent-y at all”!) is enough to actually make me seriously consider buying a bottle. And it’s not “spicy” like most contemporary men’s designer offerings, but a clean, deep, natural smell.
(I tested this only on paper about two months ago, paper still smells delicious)
taiscillisy – :
Agree with Eva Wu
Now watch….even this post will get deleted
darklordddddd – :
I know this review will get deleted (and rightly so cause I’m not really reviewing the perfume) but WTF guys??? Seriously?
Y’all are gonna start hating on a perfume the day it comes out JUST because it’s made by a different perfumer in a different style from what you’re used to?
This is not cool.
nik86 – :
Seems great! Guys, I know you are pissed about changes in fragrance industry, but dont hate on ms. Nigel for no reason. I have always wanted a dark citrus fragrance and cant really see the reason for blind hate towards anything new introduced to the market. Ellena retired. She has huge shoes to fill, why not support her instead of being a dick?