Albert Herter, The Bouvier Twins

Once there was a  bitter orange tree, the survivor of a terrible winter.  Her counterparts hadn’t made it and when the spring came, she bloomed with tears, both bitter for the loss and sweet for the chance to begin anew.  She sent two of her daughters forth into the world to tell the tale, and this is their story.

The Bitter Orange Tree still stands in the gardens of Virginie and Antoine Roux and is over 100 years old

The House of Au Pays de la Fleur d’Oranger, founded by Virginie and Antoine Roux in 1998, is homage to both their family’s history in the Grasse perfume industry,  and the fact that they possess the oldest surviving bitter orange blossom tree in a village La Colle sur La Loup that was once one of the region's greatest suppliers of the ingredient. Neroli and orange blossom notes are both made from the tree’s flowers, but different extraction processes cause neroli to seem green and bitter, while orange blossom smells more floral and sweet.

 Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger first three fragrances (Neroli Blanc Cologne, Neroli Blanc Eau de Parfum, and Neroli Blanc Intense)  might appear to be varied concentrations of the same scent, but are actually completely different takes on this inspiration. This review focuses on the latter two, which showcase the different natures of neroli and orange blossom and how they diverge, like twins determined to distinguish themselves

 Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger Neroli Blanc Eau De Parfum, Jean-Claude Gigodot, 2010

Neroli Blanc Eau de Parfum , the first of the two siblings, has top notes of neroli, bergamot, and petitgrain.  Its bracing opening uses the bitter pith of citrus fruits and dense greens to give the impression of a walk through the woods on a chilly but sunny morning.

Floral heart notes of jasmine and rose begin to soften the edges of the scent.  To me they present as the yellow pollen from fresh flowers, shy hints of fertility suggested by the phrase "the birds and the bees."  But this twin is brisk and businesslike, using base notes of cedar and benzoin to chop through the dense greenery like a woodcutter in a fairy tale.  Neroli Blanc Eau De Parfum has a strength that is unisex and seems especially suited to early spring; while it remembers its mother’s sad past, it is not mournful.  A touch of musk adds a clean element that feels like the relief that comes after a good cry.

Edna Crompton, Young Woman In Rose Patterned Dress/Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger Neroli Blanc Intense Eau De Parfum, Jean-Claude Gigodot, 2012

If Neroli Blanc Eau De Parfum is the serious of the two siblings, Neroli Blanc Intense is tired of the gravitas and becomes the prodigal daughter off in search of adventure, a lush floral in the first blossoming of sensuality.  Verbena and orange blossom added to the eponymous neroli feminize the fruits of the bitter orange tree.  A heart of jasmine, rose, and white florals swathes her in billowing clouds of sultry sweetness.  Base notes of candied fruit, plum and vanilla take her nearly into gourmand territory, but benzoin and cedar ground her so that she never forgets the way home and becomes cloying.

To me, Neroli Blanc Intense is the heroine of the story who resists being promised to a suitable boy from the village, so she sneaks off and follows the prince to the ball, gets tipsy on champagne, and ends up kissing him on the balcony.  It is a testimony to the outright loveliness of this fragrance that within half an hour of trying my sample, I was on the phone ordering a bottle of it.  My preferences in fragrance are neither floral nor feminine, but this is a scent that can lift my spirits on the darkest days and make me feel like the fairest in the land.

Perhaps rather than being siblings, Neroli Blanc and Neroli Blanc Intense are different facets of the same person.  There are days when we need to cut through overgrown woods in order to have room for fresh growth, and days when we need to dance.  Given that these two exquisite scents are exceptionally priced and smell markedly different from each other and other orange blossom fragrances I have tried, there are real reasons to desire both.

 

Thanks to the incredible generosity of Indigo Perfumery, Ohio's only perfumery devoted to artistic and niche fragrances,  we have a draw for one 50 ml bottle of Neroli Blanc EDP or Neroli Blanc Intense (reader's choice) for one US resident.  To enter, please indicate which of the Au Pays de la Fleurs D'Oranger Neroli Blanc fragrances you wish to win, plus confirm that you reside in the U.S. Like Indigo Perfumery on Facebook and your vote will count twice. Draw closes March 19, 2014

Review based on samples provided by Sens Unik for promotional consideration.

Editor's Note: While all three Au Pays de la Fleur D'Oranger Neroli Blanc fragrances can be worn by men and women, Neroli Blanc Cologne is a true eau fraiche and you may choose this should you so desire for the draw.

To read Tama's reviews of  Collection les Inédites, consisting of Figue Fruitée, Jasmine Révé, Tubereuse Rosée, Bergamote Boisée, and Lavande Ombrée click here.

-Nancy Knows, Sr. Contributor and editor of the fragrance blog Make Perfume, Not War

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