Summer is winding down. As the air cools, Eaux de Cologne seem to lose what little power they have; they fade away as quickly as you can apply them to skin. Still, I crave citrus fragrances as the temperature drops, and there are quite a few citrus perfumes that can stand up to fall and winter weather — Parfum d’Empire Yuzu Fou is one of them.
Yuzu Fou (‘crazy yuzu’) Eau de Parfum includes notes of kumquat, bigarade orange (Citrus aurantium), yuzu, mint, green bamboo, verbena, neroli, blond cedar and white musk. Yuzu Fou begins with a mélange of citrus rind and juice aromas that will make you “fou” if you try too hard to differentiate between the cascading scents of sweet (and fleeting) kumquat, sour, lemony yuzu and powerful bigarade orange (also known as Seville orange).
The dominant note, bigarade orange, or “bitter orange,” in Yuzu Fou is not sweet; though this type of orange is used to make candy and marmalade, Yuzu Fou will not make you think of desserts. Bigarade orange in Yuzu Fou is bitter, and its aromatic rind’s perfume is “spicy” (smelling of oily, unripe citrus peel mingling with fresh green coriander and cumin seeds).
During Yuzu Fou’s development, you’ll notice several “green” notes: menthol-mint, crisp verbena, a cilantro-like aroma, and an interesting “green-wood” scent I’ll assume is “bamboo.” As Yuzu Fou dries down, cedar joins bigarade orange and together these two notes produce a slightly “sweaty” accord. Yuzu Fou reminds me of Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle Cologne Bigarade, but with much better lasting power and sillage.
Yuzu Fou is a hardy, cold-weather-resistant citrus perfume, and like many other Parfum d’Empire fragrances (Wazamba and Aziyadé to name just two) it packs a wallop. Since Crown Perfumery’s sensational Crown Imperial fragrance was discontinued, Yuzu Fou has become my favorite winter citrus perfume. Please comment if you know of other “frost-proof” citruses for winter.
Parfum d’Empire Yuzu Fou is $110 for 100 ml and $75 for 50 ml; for buying information, see the listing for Parfum d’Empire under Perfume Houses.
Note: top left and right images via Wikimedia Commons.
The same day that I tried Yuzu Fou I also tried Parfumerie Generale Yuzu Ab Irato, which I loved more. Somehow Yuzu Ab Irato was more fizzy and refreshing, but maybe Yuzu Fou is better for autumn season.
I also like Roger Gallet Cedrat any time of the year.
Anyway, great review. I will try it again
Isa: I’ll have to re-try the PG yuzu…it’s been a LONG time since I smelled it.
A very timely review for me. I spent the last half of summer searching for a citrus cologne to call my own, but failed to find anything that I was willing to plunk down the $ for (my favorite was Chanel Eau de Cologne, but if I’m going to shell out for a Les Exclusifs, that’s not going to be it). Come Labor Day, I finally gave up. It never occured to me to keep looking for an all-weather citrus. I’m definitely going to give this a try!
My favorite citrus is grapefruit and my favority grapefruit is Hermes’ Pamplemousse Rose, but it has zero lasting power on me. For someone who doesn’t have that issue (if anyone), I would think it would work beyond summer.
In that vein, have you tried the similar Rose Ikebana? I like that one more than PR, but the Chanel is a favorite is well.
I’ve heard that the Rose Ikebana is like the reverse of Pamplemousse Rose — rose + grapefruit, instead of grapefruit + rose — but haven’t tried it yet. Those Hermessence prices scare me. But as long as I’m ordering a Yuzu Fou sample . . . .
Sunski: the PR really fades on me too…but I do love it.
This review made me drool. I love citrus, especially bitter citrus, but several citrussy scents have given me heart palpitations (not the good kind), and I think yuzu is the culprit. So alas, I will not be trying this one.
Of course, that makes your scent picture all the more valuable, since I can’t experience it for myself.
Boojum: I think I read somewhere that bitter/Seville orange can also cause heart palpitations…especially when concentrated as in herbal treatments. Thankfully, no increased heartbeat when I apply Yuzu Fou to skin or make marmalade!
Oh, thanks! I’ll look into that. I’m susceptible anyway, having mitral valve prolapse (closest I’ll get to MVP!), and I was allergic to orange juice when I was little, which is why I’ve suspected the yuzu.
Kevin, I fell in love with AC Grand Neroli after I received a sample over the summer (and then got some more samples). The vanilla warms it up a bit, making me think it might be a good fall citrus. In fact, sometimes it was too much warmth on those 98 degree days. It also wears like a skin scent.
The Atelier Colognes are all good but Grand Neroli is the one I find FBW.
I feel the same way about Grand Neroli Suzy Q. – I fell hard for it when I sampled it recently, and agree it has enough ‘oomph’ for cooler weather.
Rustic Dove, hi. I’m waiting for those smaller bottles I heard are coming this fall or winter.
Oh, I hadn’t heard that – it’s great news! I always prefer smaller bottles.
SuzyQ: I tried the AC neroli but it faded so quickly I moved on. I think Trefle Pur was my fav. of the bunch.
My perfect winter citrus: Crown Eau de Russe. Now I can’t remember if I ever tried Crown Imperial or not.
I just wore Eau de Russe yesterday afternoon! It’s citrusy but also quite creamy to me. I snapped up a large decant a few months ago since it’s one of several Crowns that are sadly discontinued.
Joe: If you love EdR you can still find full bottles out there.
R: Love the Russe too…will send you a sample of the Imperial.
Kevin,
Everything you say in your review makes this fragrance sound wonderful, but I had a really awful experience when I tried it. That “slightly sweaty” accord you mention was not slight in the least on me! I found it to be really really funky; it did not jive with my chemistry at all!
That said, I tried it in the heat of summer, and your review makes me think I should have waited a few months and tried it on a cooler day. All the same, lovely review from you.
I’m so glad I’m not alone– also got a very “not slight” sweaty accord. I tried it several different times, thinking maybe it was mixing with something else, but nope. That’s just how it smells on me.
JennyM: thanks…I know several people who equate the scent of bigarade orange with “sweat” too…
I figured I would love this one since I love Diptyque Oyedo, another great yuzu scent, but it was too sweaty on me as JennyM notes above. It was on sale a while ago at Luckyscent, might try there and see if it’s still on sale.
Cazaubon: I think it’s still in the “specials” at Luckyscent
I need to try it again to be sure, but it seemed like the Malle Bigarade Concentree was pretty full-bodied – I remember liking it. I haven’t tried the regular Bigarade.
This one sounds pretty yummy. A little worried about the sweaty part, but always worth a try.
Tama: I think the Malle bigarades are a tad ‘sweaty’ too…I wore the concentree and someone said I smelled like I had been cooking Indian food!
I could think of worse things to smell like – for instance, cooking tripe or kidneys.
Oh, Kevin, you’ve made me want to try this one after several reviews of damning scents with faint praise! And since I’m a fan of their Wazamba, it makes me want to try some of their other scents as well.
I’d say my favorite not-just-for-summer citrus would be Guerlain’s Philtre d’Amour. It also has a verbena note, which I love!
Oh, god, I love Philtre d’Amour! It somehow manages to circumvent the whole citrus-smelling-like-lemon-Pledge problem rather gracefully. Dang, I wish you hadn’t mentioned it, because now I’m remembering that I really need to get a FB of it…
Drat.
(BTW, Rapple, love the new picture! I almost didn’t realize it was you!)
Thanks Miss K.! Oakmoss in the wild – let the IFRA regulate THAT!
Oh, and meant to add that BG is having their gift card event, so that would be $25 off of the bottle…. just sayin’……
Philitre is fantastic. I was just wearing a bit on Sunday and the drydown is so nice… I just wish the drydown projected from my skin a bit better. It smelled so nice up close though.
Our resident Empress Enabler sent me a bit of Philtre, and I thought it was great for ten minutes.
After which it went all “dude cologne” on me. I was annoyed. It was supposed to be a so-called feminine, right? Well, not on me. Hmmpht (crosses arms and pout).
That really surprises me Mals about Philtre. Sous Le Vent does that on me – makes me sad.
Rappleyea: verbena is always wonderful
This is still on my sample list. I have tried another citrus of theirs, Iskander. How does it compare with Yuzu Fou?
Rictor: if memory serves Iskander is much richer, less focused on citrus…but it’s been years since I tried it.
I agree with Philtre d’Amour. I also had a bad experience with Yuzu Fou, which is unfortunate because I love many of the Parfums d’Empire and I don’t have many issues with cumin, I wear Declaration Essence with no problems. Iskander is also a good citrus for all seasons
Hey Kevin. Nice review. I now can’t remember if I have a sample of Yuzu Fou because I just realized I’m getting it confused with Yuzu Rouge by 06130 (of which I *do* have the remnants of a tiny sample). If not, I’ll have to try it — as well as the PG Yuzu ab Irato that I’ve been wanting to try for awhile.
I think Diptyque Oyedo would be a good, cold-hardy citrus, and I look forward to wearing it as the weather cools. Tauer Orange Star is also *fantastic* and is one that I really love. And Hermès Concentré d’Orange Verte is one that I can really *only* tolerate when it’s chilly… otherwise it makes me a bit queasy!
Joe: I keep putting it off but I do think I need a bottle of Oyedo!
I totally agree that yuzu is a bitter fruit and in no way sweet. It’s nice to see a perfume capture that quality of yuzu. Even in Japan, yuzu is sweetened to syrupy heights because of its bitterness.
Always been a fan of non-sweet citrus fragrances.
I’m weeks behind on my NST feed and just getting to this post now. I have a small bottle of Yuzu Fou (from the luckyscent special, natch) and love it, so I ‘m pleased to make note of the other recommendations here. Yuza ab Irato is already on my list, but not the others, so thanks everyone!
Also, I thought my mother would like this one, but she finds the “sweat” aspect too strong. I usually can guess whether she’ll like something or not, but we’ve run into this issue a few times recently (most strongly in relation to a Diptique candle in The, which I absolutely love).