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uxd801Diobtetty – :
Oh why, oh why! (I dramatically shake fists to the heaven).. this is unbelievable how little-to-NO longevity this water in yellow bottle has.. in fact – I sincerely do not know any other (among most chip, synthetic, anything that I’ve tried!) fragrance that would be so short living!.. and from House of Hermes?! How can they afford it to happen? It makes me angry – more than just wasted money.. I am from principle won’t buy anything from them any longer- the name Hermes on perfume bottle now causes me frustration. Yes – it is a piece of art by composition, unique, natural, unusual and – useless.
I acknowledge though a certain fact:
I had several hours to spend in airport flying from Barbados. I sprayed a tester on wrist and had revelation- this is gonna be my “signature” fragrance! the hours were going by and I loved it more and more.. oh Angels, I hear you singing.. I bought a bottle right there (all legitimate, official distribution).. couldn’t open it though till got home.. And there was the betrayal. At first I thought – I just tired, my senses are dull, jetlag, sinuses dried on a plane.. No. It is just not the same. Still good composition, although much bitter.. but 5 (no wait! – 2) minutes later – not even that, nothing.
Disappointment.
kreep1990 – :
I like how neroli smells but I was never intrested in a neroli perfume,they smell nice and refreshing and soapy clean but too simple and fleeting.I’m not also intrested in citrus dominant fragrances but I received a free sample of Eau De Neroli so it was a good chance to give it a proper test
The opening is exactly what I had imagined:neroli plus bitter orange.fizzy and juicy when first sprayed like vitamin C tablets that we put in water and wait for it’s dissolving before drinking it.but after a few minutes it’s not much juicy anymore and goes towards neroli’s soapy features.it definitely smells nice but not my type
An hour after application I sniffed my wrist and find out that I like it more than most other neroli fragrances.there’s a very slight touch of warmth and sweetness that gives it some life and soul,I can detect very small amount of saffron but it’s enough to make it more pleasant for me.it’s as if I can smell a light hint of Hermes eau des merveiles DNA in drydown,the same warm,rounded,balmy,woody,ambery,orangey thing but it’s blended with soapy neroli here
It’s not long lasting or a sillage monster but not as weak as I had imagined.I can easily smell it on my wrist after more than 3 hours with a single spray
If I decide to buy a neroli perfume someday probably I will choose this one as it’s not too much cold,soapy,bitter or zesty as some other fragrances in this genre
درکل عطرهای بهارنارنجی تیپ من نیستن،رایحه خوشبو و تمیز و فرشی دارن اما معمولا زیادی ساده ن،یا زیادی صابونین،یا تلخن یا زیادی مرکباتی و تیزن اما اگه قرار باشه یه روزی یه عطر بهارنارنجی بگیرم احتمالا او د نرولی رو انتخاب میکنم چون درای داون جوندارتری داره
شروع عطر با رایحه نرولی+نارنج آبدار و گازدار هست و کمی منو یاد ویتامین ث جوشان میندازه اما وقتی بعد از یه ساعت پوست رو بو کردم،یه ته بوی گرم و نرم و زنده حس کردم که به عطر جون داده بود.مقدار زعفران خیلی کمه اما همون مقدار کم کافیه که عطر رو جالب و دلنشین تر بکنه.گاهی چیزی شبیه ژن هرمس ادومغوی رو حس میکنم،همون رایحه نرم و گرم و بالمی،امبری،چوبی،پرتقالی که اینجا با بهارنارنج صابونی میکس شده
عطر خیلی موندگار و قوی نیست اما اونقدرا که فک میکردم هم ضعیف نیست.فقط با یه اسپری بعد از ۳ ساعت براحتی رو پوستم حس میشه
novich – :
It is very funny when someone is saying that this will be their signature scent 🙂 I am sorry but with this performance you can be smelled only by the old neighbors or the cats playing around the building you are occupying. I am sorry but this poor performance fragrances should be restricted with a law! 😀
vano_mc – :
Totally not what I had expected. I nearly jumped on a heavily discounted 200 ml bottle at Sephora but thank god I tested it and went for a walk in town before making a decision. I am very familiar with neroli essential oil and some perfumes that feature a strong neroli note like Penhaligon’s Castille and Mugler’s Cologne.
I have never been let down by Hermès but this is not the neroli I like. Neroli makes me think of summer, it’s a very calming smell and very often it goes well with soapy clean and fresh compositions. What I smell here is a bitter orange that covers the neroli instead of making it shine. A sort of dirty vibe comes after a while, is it because of the saffron?
If I had judged that perfume just by it’s name it could have been an all time favourite but they really should have called it something else.
losys – :
Although I love JCE’s work with Hermes, I know it’s easy to experience these fragrances through the lens of the marketing around them. So, I’m glad I waited over a year between purchasing Eau de Néroli d’Oré and writing this review.
And… my assessment hasn’t changed… I still love love love it. The bitter fruitiness of the neroli “vibrates” with the dusty, dusky animality of the saffron, in a pleasing, unexpected way. A shimmer that lasts all the way to the dry-down. This is essentially a citrus cologne, but the saffron gives it a sophistication, nostalgia, and poignancy that elevates it. It’s a work of craft, and of love, and beguiling simplicity. It’s fresh and pleasing, with the slightest hint of mischief and the bedroom. You could wear it to work, and should.
If I had to explain this perfume to someone who didn’t like/know fragrance, the awful phrase that comes to mind is “high-end Adidas.” An eau de cologne, that mixes the sweat with the citrus… a gateway to more indulgent and risky fragrances…
A great gift, and overall a safe one, for a guy in your life. I suspect many women would like it, too.
citynet – :
After spraying: 100% neroli (like neroli essential oil).
After 15 minutes: neroli + leather + slightly indolic note
After half an hour: delicate neroli soap. Poor longevity.
knyz-tma – :
Beautiful and rich neroli opening but it’s over in 15 minutes. I respect Ellena’s work, but I need something this beautiful to last at least an hour, even for a EDC.
-=J.o.K.e.R.=- – :
Slightly sharper than Tom Ford’s Neroli Aqua, but still amazing beautiful rich unisex. Definitely one of my favourite, if not a new signature! Love love!!
Serg1978 – :
Eau de Neroli Doré is a worthy farewell for Jean-Claude Ellena, I think! It has that rather minimalist air that he became famous and admired for – light and natural, and altogether wonderful in its (deceptive) simplicity. It’s a typical cologne in that it packs all of its power in the opening, and then quickly settles down close to the skin, but what an opening it is. The neroli is earthy and not sweetened at all, very natural, brightened by the sparkling bitter orange note, and with some softness from the saffron. Very, very nice, a happy fragrance – sunny golden yellow really is the color for it. And I may be a sucker for marketing, but I totally buy it as a reminiscence of youthful summer days spent around a perfume factory in the south. The fact that the fragrance itself is just as fleeting as any memory makes it difficult for daily wear from a practical point of view, but I’m adding it to my wish list anyway – it’s the perfect kind of perfume to serve as pick-me up after work or in the morning before showering, for example.
140473 – :
I passionately love neroli, adore saffron, and think Hermes Concentre d’Orange Vert is one of the loveliest smells in all creation. So this ought to have been a slam dunk, but sadly it misses the mark on a few counts. First its barely-there-ness: even an EDC can take subtlety too far, and if you can barely smell it at all, then that’s too far! It does project a little more in warm conditions, but not massively. Second, the mix of saffron with citrus doesn’t seem to bring out the very best in either: there’s a weirdly earthy-dusty feel to this one which may not please everyone. Longevity also sadly poor. I still enjoy it plenty, but it is well back in the line of Hermes greats IMHO and I definitely wouldn’t pine after an FB. Unlike other reviewers below though I’d say gender has nothing to do with it- both male and female skins could wear this with ease. Overall, an intriguing misfire.
dcy129JeomiWogkig – :
Quite a lot saffron at first. It’s bitter, light white floral with hint of fresh. Unisex. For men as light perfume for walk in Italian type small city near sea and with oranges and neroli growing randomly and freely around small streets. For woman small bit manly or it should be perceived as natural smelling scent. It doesn’t really say much to me. Peaceful, easy, light, gentle, straightforward, bitter. It is perfume when you not really want to wear perfume, but just want to smell like something and nicely.
It seems somewhat for age 40+. It is elegant man who starts to get gray hair. Something like George Clooney, but more peaceful, not as manly and sexy. Althou will fit 20+ with right style and attitude. It have some vintage-y feel to it. Something from 1920s, but it will fit in modern days. There is something that is bit too strong for my nose, like spices (saffron), almost makes me sneeze.
Not really my style and was expecting it to be sweeter, but I can appreciate it, it’s good quality perfume.
mobirip – :
Gorgeous, totally natural smelling neroli, mixed with honey. Or maybe Saffron, but I don’t know ! It’s kind of green and kind of sweet , so lovley and natural . The silage and lasting power aren’t great but it is an edc after all. High quality like all Hermès scents, I love it!
Perfect introduction to white flowers for those that aren’t sure . Serene and elegant.
margo_19945 – :
For the first 5 minutes of the scent, it is a glowing orange light – neroli and saffron blended perfectly to create a gorgeous warmly spicy/fruity/floral mix.
Unfortunately after that the scent changes to a simple neroli / orange scent up close, and a slightly warmer orange blossom from far away. If the glowing saffron top notes had stayed, this would be a love, but this is hardly even a like because it’s just neroli. It’s winter now though so I’ll give it another test in summer.
ristamash – :
This is such an elegant neroli themed cologne. I think this is a soft statement that there is beauty and value in visiting the past – remembering it – and sharing it.
It’s so subtle, refined, fluid and reminiscent of the mid 20th century style cologne and even earlier. I was so happy to catch a gentle, lightly indolic and barely perceptible civet note which is lightly veiled by saffron and bitter orange right from the get go. It was so surprising and delightful because it instantly made the true neroli note watery, clear and soft in this composition.
That spare – very light handed note – juxtaposed to the bitter citrus makes the neroli somehow soft and fleeting instead of slightly sweet and opaque. It’s light and pulpy and somehow very natural and wet … even sensual. Add to that some shear and light throw-back fresh green notes like carrot, oregano & bay and it turns into a bag of super-subtle bitter/sweet/fresh contradictions that actually flow together and work well with each other.
I don’t base this on any fact but I think this a fragrance only someone who has nothing to lose can create. It could only be created by someone who wants to point out a specific beauty from their past that has somehow lost it’s meaning and is no longer a part of the present vocabulary, but should at least be remembered. It is in my opinion a smile, a gift from Ellena’s heart and I thank him for it.
Dimazzz – :
It smells like cat food to me. Not a crowd pleaser.
YunkerS88 – :
I could easily wear all year through. I am getting citrus and white flowers. It smells fresh and natural. Excellent composition.
doa927intitytek – :
I like this, but it lasts all of 5 minutes on me. The bitter orange note smells very sweet when combined with the neroli, which is overtly floral and less green than I expected. Saffron is usually very sharp on my chemistry, and while I can’t smell the saffron here, it could be why Eau de Neroli Dore fizzles out on me in 5 minutes. The saffron could be canceling out the orange and neroli entirely…
GLEMYAR – :
I admit Im a sucker for the Les Colognes line, and I blind bought this as I got a deal on eBay. I love Narcisse Bleu and Im obsessed with Gentiane Blanche so I felt this was worth the risk. This is pure Neroli through and through and has that clean familiar barbershop soapiness one can expect. Its mature and masculine but cleverly avoids being old and stuffy. It has a Guerlainesque feel to it, but it comes across fresher and more lively as the touch of saffron gives this a tiny speck of a spicy bite. Im adventurous in warning men’s and women’s fragrances, but this runs all male in my book. Its not as groundbreaking as Narcisse or Gentiane but Im not sorry in the least I bought this as I will certainly enjoy wearing it. Clean, fresh, classic and simple and perfect for everyday use. Thumbs way up.
Renovatio.80 – :
If you’re used to love neroli clean smell like TF, you’re not gonna like this. This is a root neroli. Saffron gives it the dirty feeling. This neroli is not for beginners! (And it’s important to mention that it was the last Ellena’s creation for maison Hermes.)
ura2010 – :
Nice neroli opening, followed by old fashioned soap scent, similar to Savon de Marseilles, the saffron is maybe giving it a medicinal touch
It reminds me of the scent of a linen-suited older gentleman you’d encounter somewhere cultural in mainland Europe. I wouldn’t wear it myself, but it’s pleasant, low key and elegant, if old school in style
nizami1984 – :
scent : 6/10
sillage : 6/10
longevity :6/10
80% day/ 20% night fragrance
citrus scent
reminds me of Eau D`Hermes
isid – :
Longevity : 15 minutes …too bad ! Too pricey as well ..
alldayengine – :
I get lots of saffron. The neroli is noticeable at first, then is gone.
I’m really trying to like this fragrance but I just can’t find any attractiveness in it.
It’s just an odd scent. One thing is a gourmand fragrance, another is a perfume that smells like food. Again, this is a weird scent. Unattractive to say the least.
Seriously, for a similar scent I would choose 4711 Acqua Colonia, the majority of scents are beautiful ( even though they don’t last long) and they cost a fraction of any Hermes perfumes.
Do yourself a favor and get a sample first.
TruromonFraum – :
Smells like a neroli blast with a cheap barbershop aftershave dry down. Think 4711 with a pinaud splash
ozv720speagoessenda – :
This is a truly terrible perfume. It is off putting and smells like old people’s houses that were not dusted in years. It is full of citrus but still feels like something unhygenic and almost foul. I could not even finish the sample. Feels like JCE was angry or vengeful when he made this. Like he was trying to say something about an old fashion house.
algowsRaw – :
The Kiss – Gustav Klimt – 1907
ттт – :
Sampled this at the over-priced Sephora .
AMAZING 100% pure neroli scent! Has a lot of “depth” via the saffron.
I will be buying this one when my Jo Malone Orange Blossom runs out!
Denvero4ek18 – :
Such a fresh beauty here…summer is almost over but this keeps coming up as one of our favorites this summer…keep on spraying in the heat of summer….
percocet – :
This was OK. It’s not my favorite (or 2nd or 3rd) neroli scent, and the saffron was more like a vauge spicy leather than pure saffron.
aleks_410 – :
Strong citrus and neroli right off, later blended with a woody-type note I couldn’t place. Saw here saffron is in the blend, and that explains what I’m smelling. Definitely different, but the saffron note killed it for me.
Perliblos – :
I am not a big fan of neroli, but this fragrance is good. The beginning is bright and citrusy,but not sharp, it is really golden. Later on i can smell the neroli and at the end a soft and intimate saffron. Simple but well made. An elegant choice for citrus lovers and overall a quality product.
Mauroalvarez – :
This cologne has a sharp bright start, but rapidly morphs into a sophisticated warm soap.
The neroli is very evident at the beginning, in a sweetly herbal – yet quite masculine – interpretation of neroli rather than a straightforward representation. However it does not stay that way for very long, and the scent of expensive hotel soap lingers as a skin scent thereafter.
This scent persistently reminds me of travel; the pleasure/pain of good hotels that even so fail to deliver the comforts of home, and entitled older women monopolising, well, everything really.
Interesting to try, but wild horses couldn’t induce me to buy a bottle of this.
Mishel – :
Eau de Néroli Doré is a cologne of great dosage. With great textural crunch, the neroli is luminous and sunny with an herbal breeze. Such a high dosage of neroli reveals a mesmerising greenery, and a bitter counterpoint of piquant herbs and greenery compliments neroli’s naturally soapy bitterness, delivering a unique take on an otherwise classical cologne ingredient. On one level, this reminds me of yellow Chartreuse with its intense green aroma and flavour, and yellow colour due an application of saffron. This is appropriate on two levels: the addition of saffron is found in Eau de Néroli Doré with its bittersweet leatheriness, and the bottle of both fragrance and liqueur maintain a beautiful off-yellow hue.
Eau de Néroli Doré is a nouvelle style – a neoclassicism construction of cologne departing from the standard paradigm. Instead of loading the scent with modern functional musks to create a contemporary take on cologne-turned-substantial, Ellena instead stays true to neoclassicism in vibe and styling. This is a modern take on the citrus and herb scent: bitter, crunchy, tart, and salubrious – but beyond that it has a complexity of its shading, treated lightly here. The yellow orange cologne is intense and energetic: swirled on the olfactory canvas beautifully, then supported with a faux woody base. This dialogue between contrasts doesn’t contain an internal energy – but excitingly Eau de Néroli Doré is the scent of energy released. A blend of refinement and eroticism. Electrical, exciting, and certainly not brash.
The scent is immersive, with its oily citrus slick well balanced with a spiced musk by the way of leather, cumin, and saffron – a quasi amber warmth against the cool bracing citrus. With its vintage vibe and certain arid dustiness (strikingly similar to the dusty quality of Mona di Orio’s fascinating Eau Absolue), this is Ellena’s denouement through cologne: by referencing the beginning, we start to see the end of this chapter in laconic, minimalistic, and transparent styling.
It is apparent that the Ellena style has not changed. Ellena time and time again delivers vivacity that never blinds, a classicism that never ages, and an intellectual spirit and vigour that will continue to inspire.
5/5
UrbaltAlill – :
For an established luxury goods producer, the trick to remaining relevant is to promise both the past and the future. The authenticity of heritage and a bright future of previously unimaginable luxury. This two-step is nothing new for Hermès. Their products are exceptional specimens of craft, but their true artistry lies in manipulating perception.
The brand’s Eau de Cologne series shares the standard Hermès bottle with the Hermessence perfumes but come in in bright, lollipop colors, a carefree alternative to the austere pastels of the Hermessence line. They are ‘note-driven’, just like the Hermessence line. (Grapefruit, narcissus, rhubarb for the colognes versus osmanthus, massoïa and paprika for the high-end.) They are effectively a ‘mini-Hermessence’ line.
Hermès tend very carefully to the symbolism of their products. The language surrounding the products might seem nonchalant but the meaning is specific and the intention is unmistakable. When Hermès launch a product, nothing is left to chance. From images of the product to the text describing it to press events, every detail is deliberate. Hermès know how to manipulate the echo chamber effect of the fashion world with an almost scientific precision. Whisper the stories in just the right places and through unquestioning repetition, they become legend.
The concept of Eau de Néroli Doré is not a new one. This strategy, Finery At All Costs, is an unsubtle one in the first place but Hermès have pulled out all the stops. Their claim of using one half of Tunisia and Morocco’s annual neroli production is an undisguised demonstration of both power and crassness. Hermès are apparently capable of putting the northern portion of a continent on hold in order to suit their product design. (And in doing so, hand you a flawless example of post colonial arrogance wrapped up with a bow.)
No theater works without an audience and here Hermès rely on the privilege that they foster in their consumers. Part one of the strategy is the scale of the act: A multinational claim on a material. Part two is the intent, which is to invite its customers to relish the frivolousness. International economies are bent to your whim. So what that an equally good eau de cologne could have been made with less sensationally-sourced, inexpensive materials? You deserve finery at all costs.
Hermès’s sentimental account of a young Jean-Claude Ellena’s learning to distill orange blossom is an attempt to give Eau de Néroli Doré a sincerity, a human scale. In classic cake-and-eat-it-too fashion, Hermès want to alter the economy of nations, but they also want to project a wide-eyed artisanal purity. For all the spin surrounding Eau de Néroli Doré, it can’t beat the perfume truism that any cologne is pretty much as good as any other cologne. It has an olfactory ‘aftertaste’ that undermines the touted neroli. It smells briefly aromatherapeutic and then like a bottle of cologne smashed on sidewalk cement.
123321pn – :
At first it is very bitter. You have to love citrus scents unconditionally to be able to survive it. However, after some time it mellows down and becomes very pleasant. Moreover, base saffron notes are truly great.
czd858Diobtetty – :
Realistic bitter citrus opening,with both the neroli and bitter orange combining majestically.However sillage and longevity are nothing whatsoever to write home about.
The fragrance goes missing in action within the first half hour and becomes a skin at the 2 hour mark.
Eau de Neroli makes Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Forte perform like an Amouage in comparison.
For mine,the other Hermes newie Eau de Rhubarb Escalate has more personality and uniqueness about it.
The eau de cologne genre has been done to death already and this one is very average in all aspects offering nothing new in a tiring concept.
iev234Negeltzex – :
I love the bitter orange opening, I love the sour neroli middle and the subtle leather vibe from the saffron. In fact this is reminiscent of Eau D’Hermes by the great Roudinitska. Another beautiful and somewhat nostalgic addition to the Hermes Cologne Collection.
girosergey – :
For me this opened off-puttingly bitter that I almost washed it off. I was testing this along with Rhubarbe Ecalarte and while I was distracted by that fragrance’s lovely opening, I suddenly noticed a beautiful scent coming from the wrist where I sprayed Neroli Dore. What do you know, the bitter, almost scrubber calmed down to one of the loveliest neroli I’ve had the pleasure of smelling. The saffron and neroli work so well together, lifting and brightening each other without making the fragrance harsh. Eau de Neroli Dore is soft golden light in a bottle.
hudoznic87 – :
I like saffron, in food.
In a perfume, the phenolic smell comes out way too strong, and it ends up smelling like a pharmacy. And not in a good way..
Dry, sneeze inducing dry.
stray – :
I agree with Hara1980, it’s so bitter. I know people don’t like “sprayed on test strip – it’s a NO” reviews, but there you have it. I dropped that paper in the bin immediately and I’m not gonna test it again. Bitter, bitter, bitter.
eat – :
به نظرم يه شاهكار بايد باشه
خدا كنه زود بياد ايران
odonfouri – :
‘Eau de Néroli Doré’ begins with a euphoric burst of natural smelling citrus. An acidic yet sweet orange envelops you upon initially spraying the scent, which is lively and invigorating. There are nuances of the floral and spicy effects yet to come, as the juicy citrus scintillates away. Gently but assuredly, the eponymous neroli flower’s honeyed scent finally emerges. It is a delicate, fresh scent, one which is imbued with a slightly bitter opening, a herbal midrange, and a floral drydown. Neroli’s odor melds exceptionally well with the sweeter facets of the opening orange, as indeed botanically one gives rise to the other. Lastly, a well positioned warm spice is included to compliment as well as contrast the exceptionally beautiful neroli essence. Saffron with its dusty, earthy, and somewhat leathery smell offers an interesting counterpoint to the very clean and fresh neroli. In a way it dirties up the composition just a bit, rendering depth and personality to the fragrance which may have otherwise been a bore.
‘Eau de Néroli Doré’ is a unique and perfect inclusion within the “Les Colognes” stable. It maintains the unisex designation from the collection, while still managing to remain distinctively different when worn by men and women. On men, the fragrance will resound with freshness, cleanliness, and subtle spiciness. Divergently on women, the sensual and lush characteristics of the neroli are put to the forefront, rendering the wearer sexiness and confidence. As suspected, ‘Eau de Néroli Doré’ is best suited for spring and summer usage. The warm, tranquil air during these months showcases the composition’s uncanny ability to conjure up visions of sun-drenched citrus groves erupting with fragrant orange blossoms. Unfortunately, my only criticism of the composition is related to its performance. The “eau de cologne” concentration leaves it with poor sillage, projection and longevity overall. ‘Eau de Néroli Doré’ is in essence a skin scent, and a weak one at that. I was truly disappointed by this inherent flaw, as it left me hungrily wanting more of its stunning aesthetic. Perhaps this was Ellena’s intention, thereby reminding us all of the finite timeframe we have to embrace all that is beautiful in this world. Like a golden sun descending amongst a sea of amber radiance on its daily journey back toward the horizon, we are albeit for a brief moment enthralled by its splendor.
Read my complete review and others at my blog
Fragranceemergency.blogspot.com
LEn1N – :
Very bitter!
КнЯзЬ – :
At three different points over the past week and a half I’ve given this a spritz, and tried to evaluate how I feel about Néroli Doré. I can’t say that I’m any closer to giving it a yay or nay, but at this point I’m starting to get impatient waiting for the “EUREKA!” moment.
Ultimately, it is nice. It’s reminiscent of many of the orange flower fragrances one finds throughout Morocco. It’s pretty linear, all in all, and frankly lacks a bit of soul.
I don’t know what I was expecting, or why I’m being so on the fence about this one. Ellena isn’t really known as being perfumery’s “bad boy” per se, but I just wish this had a greater OOMPH.
I could see myself being tempted by the hair and body wash Hermès makes of this, as it is a really clean scent, and again brings to mind the soaps and washes one would find in their hotel bathroom in a Marrakech riad.
I suppose being a simple scent is the whole point here, but I just wanted something more from it. A waft of amber? A woodsy greenness (ie: petitgrain)?
That all being said, it would be a great addition for those who are into layering their scents, as it does represent a clear neroli. On top of a dirty vetiver (say, Encre Noir) this would slice through and transform it. Of course, the amount of Néroli Doré you would require to maintain any sort of long-lasting impact might be less than economical.
Back onto the fence I go…
CruroZotrearf – :
My grandmother’s orange blossom cologne.
Please.
Be honest. Can be Hellena, but that doesn’t mean is a good work at any cost.
A traditional old fashion neroli/orange blossom cologne.
Quite sad.
Smell like old people’s home.
sanai43 – :
I will caveat this review by saying I’m a HUGE fan of JCE’s work, and have the majority of his mainstream releases. That is 99% of why I bought this, plus I want to have the entire Hermes Cologne collection. 🙂
That being said, I don’t ‘get it’. This scent begins with a very strong citrus note, a bitter neroli, obviously, and it feels like it may last for a while. But then, less than half an hour later, it is barely a skin scent, with only traces of the middle and base notes remaining. I just don’t get the depth that his creations usually contain: this one feels too linear and rushed to market much like Le Jardin de Monsieur Li.
This is far from Ellena’s best and I dare say it is one of his worst, although that’s like saying that it’s one of Van Gogh’s worst paintings: still better than the majority of the citrus based scents on the market.
Zepter – :
I love J.C. Ellena creations. This perfume in particular was surprising, the opening is soft, vey pleasant, it is all about Neroli and Zafron, it has in the background a very distinctive Orris touch.
Its very uncommon in Neroli compositions to achieve the dry effect he accomplished in this formula. An other master piece.
rustam18 – :
I love Hermes. I love Jean Claude Elena. I love the cologne style of perfume; my favorite actually. So it is with a heavy heart that I have to tell you this is seriously the poorest/cheapest rendering of neroli I have experienced. Orange blossoms naturally are redolent with sweet jasmine, green tones, white bar-soap, pepper, and powdery facets. There is also a “snap” and sparkle to citrus flowers that brighten moods and cause exaltation. None of that is on offer here. What IS here is a vague, bland, and entirely chemical suggestion of neroli. Saffron is here but dilute to the extreme. In fact, the entire composition dashes from to top to base in seconds and then vanishes. That’s funny because I smell ISO E here which is supposed to have an anchoring effect, even for a cologne.
JCE and Christine Nagel really know how to make perfumes, so I’m assuming this is IFRA limiting the designers incredibly and marketing departments forcing “something” out the door. I hope this is not a preview of coming attractions from the haloed house of Hermes.
Monsieur Li is related and slightly better but that’s not saying much.
Try Néroli Doré, but please buy something else.
SessWhife – :
Eau de Neroli dore is not really unique, but it is a piece of art nevertheless. Rich, oily and opulent neroli done in the traditional manner (a vibe of early versions Dior Eau Sauvage is here). And the signature of Ellena in the dry down – somewhat an air from Terre d’Hermes with oily oranges. The saffron is not really prominent. The Neroli stays close to skin and has above average longevity. That’s the most mature and sophisticated fragrance in the Colognes line that better suits the Hermessence line. If you like Eau Sauvage or ESP the Neroli could be richer and more intense alternative.
DeadM – :
Eau de Neroli dore is an eau de cologne created by Jean Claude Ellena giving an abundance of natural neroli and a few threads of saffron.Yellow bottle symbolizes the golden Mediterranean sun.