In my orange fragrance journey I have happened across some big hitters and Atelier Cologne’s Grand Neroli definitely fits into the category. I have reviewed several colognes in the Orange Obsession series but this one is different – in a very good way.
Atelier Cologne is a relatively new fragrance house, started in 2009 in France and quickly developing a foothold in New York with their first bricks and mortar property there. Atelier Cologne are famed for ‘creating’ a new olfactive family. The ‘Cologne Absolue’ – which is a cologne that is claimed to have longevity thanks to essential oils. Colognes, whilst refreshing don’t generally have great longevity due to the volatility of the citrus molecules which is why it is great to layer them with other fragrances.
On the skin – it opens with bright lemons and bergamot – so far so usual but the dry down is noticeably slower than with other colognes. This allows you to revel in the green from the delicious petitgrain which is not usually so dominant or refined in a cologne. The petitgrain stays with you when the lemon is long gone and as the neroli starts to make it’s presence known. For me this is the perfect transition from light and refreshing to floral and slightly sweet. The vanilla in the blend is not overly sweet and the musk not discernibly powdery so what I am left with is a quite unusual yet beautiful green neroli which stays on the skin for more than eight hours. The Cologne Absolue really is long lasting and despite the cedarwood, on my skin this is almost like a soliflore with the petitgrain and neroli staying true through the longevity of the fragrance. Having a cologne stay on my skin is unheard – the Cologne Absolue formula really works.
This is a cologne that I don’t layer. Why? Because it really is perfection by itself. I love the feminine side of neroli – the floral, honeyed goodness cannot be matched. This green version stands alone in my collection for that pettigrain element. It just makes it special.
Atelier Cologne is stocked at Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and Harrods, Grand Neroli retails for £90
PR Sample