Longtime readers know I am not a fan of cold weather. Early fall, when it's crisp and sunny, is ok I guess, but I can do without the rest of it. So, naturally, I live in Pennsylvania. Supposedly, this year we're in for a particularly harsh winter, and if the temperature the last few days is any indication, the doomsday warnings might be turn out to be true.
Of course, you can combat cold weather in the traditional way, with woods and spices and vanilla, but sometimes, a blast of citrus, with its reminder of warmer days, seems a better way to thumb your nose at the ice crystals forming on the windows. So in the spirit of denial, here are five citrus fragrances you can wear to stay cheerful as you struggle to get the snow blower going...and of course, do add your own favorites in the comments!
Guerlain Shalimar
Let's start right off with the big guns, shall we? Shalimar, of course, is not in the citrus family: it's an oriental. But Shalimar is also a perfect showcase for the glories of bergamot, and the bergamot in Shalimar does linger long (and strong) enough that it's more of a presence than is the norm, quick bergamot top notes, after all, being more usual than not. What you want, if you can find it, is vintage Shalimar...old enough to have the lovely bergamot they used before bergamot was classified as a allergen (you can read a long explanation of new vs. old Shalimar at Monsieur Guerlain) but new enough that the top notes have not yet degraded. Equally hard to find alternatives (you're welcome!) with lingering bergamot and warmer base notes include Crown Eau de Russe (discontinued entirely!) and Institut Très Bien Cologne à la Russe (recently back in production but only sold in France).
Histoires de Parfums 1873 Colette
1873 Colette is a gourmand citrus with enough emphasis on the gourmand to stand up to cold weather, but enough effervescent citrus to lift the spirits when the weather outside is nasty. Lots of grapefruit, so not to be ordered unsniffed if you have any trouble with grapefruit notes. Alternatives in the gourmand citrus category include Fendi Theorema and La Perla Eclix, both discontinued and difficult to get your hands on (really, no need to thank me), or Lush 25:43.
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Pamplemousse
Pamplemousse is a near perfect grapefruit, bright and happy, reasonably long lasting, and excellent for layering — it will add a bit of sunny sparkle to nearly anything. When my morning perfume fizzles out by early afternoon, I often add a little dab of Pamplemousse as a pick-me-up. It's also reasonably priced, so you can experiment all you like. An alternative, if you can wear it — it's just awful on me — is Guerlain Pamplemousse Pamplelune, and another, if you want something lighter and don't mind that it really can't claim to stand up to cold, is Hermès Eau de Pamplemousse Rose.
Parfum d'Empire Azemour Les Orangers
I know, I know, I go on about Azemour Les Orangers all the time and I'm sure I could work it into nearly any list of 5 perfumes, no matter the theme. Lovers of old-school fresh chypres who haven't tried Azemour Les Orangers yet are in for a treat — it will bring back blissful memories of pre-IFRA days, and more to today's point, it will summon up a lazy day in late summer any time you need one (obviously, it helps if you close your eyes and turn the thermostat way up). Guerlain Mandarine Basilic is a good alternative for juicy orange.
Cartier Eau de Cartier Zeste de Soleil
The easy to find and obtain entry in today's list. I said when I reviewed Eau de Cartier Zeste de Soleil last winter that "I wish I had an automatic diffuser to spritz some in the air every 15 minutes or so for the rest of the winter; it would cheer me up immensely", and sure enough, I went digging for my sample again early this week, on the same day that I went searching around for my thick fleece socks. A good pair of fleece socks and a good citrus with tropical fruit and/or herbal accents should be on everyone's winter shopping list. Alternatives: Ayala Moriel Etrog Oy de Cologne, Diptyque Oyédo. If you've already got a bottle of Parfums de Nicolaï Eau Exotique (it's discontinued), that will do the trick too.
Note: top image is Lemons Photogram [cropped] by Trodel at flickr; some rights reserved.
Since I am not a fan of hot weather, 65F is waaaay hot enoug for me, citrus are not my go to scents on cold days, unless you count NeoCitran as a citrus frag.
However, a few citrus come to mind.
Eau sauvage Parfum, Boucheron pour Homme, Declaration de Cartier and D&G Velvel Bergamot are good enough to carry one through a frigid day.
65 is just barely acceptable for me, LOL…but I’d take it right now! Nice recs, and I wear even the “regular” Eau Sauvage year round.
I think Kerosene’s “Unknown Pleasures” is a terrific year-round lemon fragrance. To my nose it smells exactly like lemon-cream cookie sandwiches, like the ones sold by Girl Scouts. One of the few lemons that doesn’t smell like either furniture cleaner, dishwashing detergent, or insect repellant to my nose (although I quite like Voyage d’Hermes FOR its insect repellant note. It even WORKED as insect repellant, when I was working at a garage sale with my father. Everyone was complaining about mosquitos the whole day, but I never noticed a single one. I was wearing Voyage d’Hermes perfume. My dad was wearing Deet. Eventually he switched to my VdH as well).
Anyway, Unknown Pleasures is truly a wonderful lemon gourmand, and I can see it being a comfort scent in the winter (while still being light and citrusy enough to wear in the summer).
Thank you, I have not tried that one and sounds like I need to! Adding to list.
I’m going to add one to the list that I rarely hear talked about. Monsieur de Givenchy. Even with ‘monsieur’ in its moniker, it’s perfectly wearable by both sexes and is a lovely, LONG LASTING, rosy citrus. For me, the longer it’s on, the better it smells…the base is gorgeous.
Ah, Marlen reviewed that here years ago. I’m not sure I’ve ever tried it. Is it still good or has it been terribly reformulated?
Robin, if it was reformulated when it was repackaged (the bottle changed), they’ve done a darn good job, especially considering the restrictions on oakmoss.
Good to know, thanks so much! I will look for a tester.
Anne Pliska smells like a creamsicle with a few flowers thrown in. Is that citrus enough to qualify?
Sure…we have no rules! And AP is somewhere in between Theorema and Shalimar, so don’t see why not.
Oh, Love Anne Pliska too!
I’d also add Etro Shaal Nur and Histoires 1826 (I think.. It’s Eugenie de Montijo, whichever year that is). I get a lot of citrus from those.
Shaal Nur, absolutely! Cannot remember 1826 just now…possibly I never tried it.
Add Habit Rouge to the list! I think I might prefer it in the cold weather.
Done 🙂
Oh yes. Love that one. Don’t own it, but always sample it when doing a breeze by at a fume counter!
Adding – Annick Goutal Les Nuit d’Hadrien is another great citrus for cold weather
A classic 🙂
Love your gravatar!
I don’t think I’ve tried Histoires de Parfums 1873 Colette, but your description of it reminded me of their 1804 George Sand, which is a sort of floral-gourmand with pineapple (which now that I think of it probably isn’t even citrus, but still…) It can be a little heavy in the summer but I think it works well in colder weather.
Gosh, I can’t remember if I tried that one either. I obviously need to reacquaint myself with the older HdPs.
Great topic. I wear citrus perfumes in winter because they are bright and sunny, because they give me a burst of energy. Although I must confess that when I go outside on a cold day, I tend to wear orientals (but not always!).
I do not get citruses from Shalimar – it is all vanilla, leather and probably a touch of incense on me.
Colette is good. It gives me that dreaded “cat pee” note at the start, but then it transforms into a mouth-watering blend of caramel and citruses. Should be nice for cold weather, although I have not tried it in winter yet.
I wore 25:43 last winter but found that it works better for me in late spring. When the weather is cold, this scent has too much lemongrass for my taste, and on a warm and sunny day ylang and vanilla become more noticeable.
When I read the title “citruses for cold weather” I immediately thought of Versace Versense. It has that effervescent opening, and then it changes into something that makes me think of first leaves in spring. Finally, it has a sweet musky drydown that stays for a long time. Sometimes I find this lingering sweetness a bit annoying, but in winter it feels more appropriate.
Also I would like to suggest Creed’s Virgin Island Water. I think it is all about “spirit of denial”, as you, Robin, put it. Summer holiday in a bottle.
Cristalle EDT by Chanel also works for me but in a different way. It is so bitter clear (crystal, indeed), it is cold, but it actually makes the cold weather enjoyable. I am not fond of cold weather either but sometimes I embrace and enjoy it (beautiful white snow, no wind, comfortable warm clothes), and in that case Cristalle matches my mood.
Escentric 03 by Escentric Molecules also works, although I kind of preferred it in spring and summer. But I think it is a great combination of citrus notes, coniferous notes and ginger – can be both refreshing and warming.
And finally Eau d’Hadrien (Annick Goutal’s) is such a cheerful and energetic scent. Summer or winter – I just love it.
Sorry for the long post and thanks for reading.:)
Lovely list, thanks for the long post! You included lots of my favorites.
I’d like to nominate Hermes’ Rose Ikebana (a great pink grapefruit-rose) and Eau de Mandarine Ambree (for that sweet orange-passionfruit combo).
Although not technically a citrus, Baghari smells like candied oranges to me, which is delightful.
Yes, and related to Rose Ikebana, Yves Saint Laurent In Love Again…more of a blackberry grapefruit.
My vote goes to Parfum d’Empire Yuzu Fou…my favorite winter citrus (but your post made me go put on some vintage Shalimar extrait…heavenly).
It really is true that the bergamot is way better in the older versions of Shalimar.
I can’t remember why I didn’t love Yuzu Fou! I didn’t hate it, just didn’t love it as much as I expected to. Need to try it again.
I had a decant and the yuzu went a bit funky on me, similar to how grapefruits sometimes do, so perhaps that is it?
Could be, although I’d think I’d remember that! I think I just wasn’t wild about it.
Well color me shocked that you opened with Shalimar! That’s my territory! I’ve fallen in love with a decant of YLS Yvresse lately, and it opens with a juicy burst of tangerine and bergamot. I haven’t worn it, but your post makes me want to get out my SSS Citrus/Vetiver and give it a try in these arctic temps. OT, but I’ve had the same thoughts about Mahora, as you say, denial!
For once I’ve surprised somebody 😉
And I need to try that SSS again too. Reading my comments looks like I need to try EVERYTHING again. Eventually you have to give up, right?
I agree; I’ve pretty much given up on the new things, but once in a while someone sends me a sample or a decant that surprises me, case in point, the Yvresse (although that’s not new).
And when I was helping Laurie as a tester on the Citrus/Vetiver, I thought of you immediately. It seemed like your kind of scent, much more so than her others. So do try it again.
Will do! (if I can find it)
Warmed up or herbal citruses are great for cooler weather, I think. If I had to pick one and cost wasn’t a setback, it would be Sous le Vent. A strong note of lime with some green herbs warmed some by carnation. I’d love to get in on a miracle split of that one but not even sure I could afford that! Perhaps if there were enough ppl and there was a bottle available, idk. The Shalimars are great, warmed by leather and/or vanilla. Limed by Mad Hat has a warm, sandalwood base.
Orange or orange blossom is great for colder months. Perhaps Seville a l’aube..a warm orange like that and yes, Mandarine Basilic is just fine too:). Has anyone tried Orange Spice by Creed? Is that one any good? Haven’t had too much luck with that line so far.
*Mandarine being good for an herbal orange, of course.
* ooops and I guess it’s bergomot in Sous but who cares! It’s just so good. Bergamot can smell limey to me, not so much lemony or grapefruity.
Nice picks, love the name Limed by Mad Hat!
Have not tried the Orange Spice.
Omega, are you in the U. S.? If so, email me at rappleyea11 at yahoo. I might be able to help you out on a Sous le Vent decant.
I agree, winter denial with springy fresh citrus scents is really helpful. One of my favorites is Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit, kinda a cheap thrill I think and certainly not perfumista bait but I like it. Makes me think of grapefruitade and is nice and sparkly fresh, no harshness or cat pee. Actually, it’s what I keep in my gym bag so I technically wear it year round.
Also, a couple of the Nicolais really work well to perk me up. Eau d’Ete (which I wore today) and, I think L’eau Mixte.
O de Lancome is another I wear year round and I use the Musti baby perfume (orange blossom water) to mist my pillow before bed.
Everything doesn’t have to be perfumista bait, right?
Both those PdNs have enough backbone to stand up to colder weather! Love both of those.
Hey, great list of things for me to sniff out, although my reasons are just the opposite. I like a nice cooling bubble of citrus walk around in from mid-April to the end of October when it’s a hundred million degrees F at midnight. I love cold (ok, cool) weather as it’s such a treat for us in the south. Plus I get to wear a SWEATER!
NO SNOW, though! That can stay north of the Mason-Dixon as far as I’m concerned 😉
I will take the hundred million degrees and you can have the snow 😉
Oh, wow, Institut Très Bien Cologne à la Russe is available again (well, will be in April next year). Good news indeed. I love that stuff and might seriously try to get hold of a bottle. Thanks for the tip off, Robin!
Right now the most citrus-y thing that I own is Mandragore Pourpre which doesn’t get a huge amount of wear in the colder months.
And hope they find some distribution & come to the US again! And wish somebody would buy the Crown name from Clive Christian and bring back their Russe.
I feel the temperature is dropping faster this year. Wonder if it’s just me…
I know how we tend to stash away our summer favs but the brilliant sunny mornings and afternoons actually still have me reach for my, wait for it…Terracotta Le Parfum.
Yes, it’s a summer frag but we can all have our little fantasy getaways right? 😉
Not just you! And Terracotta is so pretty…
This is my favorite time of year and while I do have some treasures I really look forward to adding to my cold weather rotation, most are not citrus. Though I do have a few, Seville a ‘Laube, Houbigant’s Orangers en Fleurs with its warm nutmeg note, Luten’s heavy but beautiful Fleurs d’Oranger, and I can’t forget the wonderful Classic Orange by Von Eusersdorff .
Nice list 🙂
I love to smell citrus in the air at any time of year, but I tend to wear warm, deep or spicy scents when it gets cold. So, the citrus perfume that gets spritzed in winter is usually serving as house or linen spray. Hopefully, I’m not the only one who doesn’t distinguish much between what surface my perfume can be sprayed on, and this is particularly true for perfumes that I like a lot but don’t necessarily adore, or don’t work as well on my skin as they do on paper or other materials. I stash bottles all over the house – SL Fleur de Oranger in the living room, Fresh Citron de Vigne in the kitchen, Un Jardin Sur le Nil in the closet. Every once in a while, I switch them out with other bottles from the perfume cabinet, so everybody gets some love.
Great idea! I should have some Sur le Nil in the closet.
There were two excellent Parfums de Nicolaï that had orange notes, I think New York and Maharanih. The latter has been replaced by Maharanih Intense, which I have not tried.
I love your comment about putting Azemour on every list. I should get another decant, at least.
She has done so many excellent citrus scents! I could have included Balle de Match too.
In the winter, I like citruses with more body, like Dior Escale a Portofino (citrus orange blossom almond) and Hermes Mandarine Ambree (the passionfruit and amber give it depth and warmth). For all out cheeriness it’s hard to beat Atelier’s Orange Sanguine though. Like taking a shower where the shower head is a giant orange half squeezing onto you.
Come to think of it, I’d love an Orange Sanguine shower gel! They probably make one and it’s probably more than I want to spend.
Eau du Sud!! I’m surprised you didn’t mention it!
I have not smelled a fresh bottle in so long — no idea what it’s like now. Everyone says Hadrien has changed so I assume Sud has too.
Dare I ask: did you perhaps mean Guerlain Pamplelune?
Not sure who you’re asking…
Wait, duh — you’re pointing out that I called it Pamplemousse instead of Pamplelune — thank you, fixed!
Oh THAT’S why Cartier made a 6.7 oz bottle… 😉
(But seriously–only $49 with the coupon at FragranceNet! You’d hafta spritz it yourself though 🙂 )
Ha, exactly!
Philtre D’Amour anyone?