Unabashedly orange, Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine Cologne Absolue ($145) smells exactly and simply like a freshly peeled orange. This zesty and energizing fruity fragrance plays sweet blood orange juice against bitter orange peel, tempered with sensual notes of geranium.Orange Sanguine Cologne Absolue, concentrated at 15%, has top notes of blood orange and bitter orange; heart notes of jasmine and South African geranium; and base notes of amber woods, tonka beans, and sandalwood. The base notes are so muted, though, I smell orange from the moment I spray to the last whiffs before the fragrance is gone.
Created by perfumer Ralf Schweiger (who also created Lipstick Rose for Frederic Malle), Orange Sanguine offers an exceptional take on the classic pure fruit genre. It's so fresh, those near you will be sure you just peeled an orange. I think it's going to have the same appeal to men that grapefruit fragrances have - they can't get enough of them. Maybe that's why this cologne is being marketed as unisex? Want your favorite guy nuzzling in for a sniff? Try this fragrance!
A romantic suggestion of summer is evoked by the Atelier Cologne marketing "blurb" on the Neiman Marcus Web site.
It was the kind of moment you would want to revisit. Everyone was here, gathered on the terrace for breakfast, and the scent of fresh oranges was diffusing in the yellow heat. A symphony of their laughter and waves hitting the cliffs played in the air.
The photo at the top was on a postcard I received during Beauty Week at Neiman Marcus. Since I sought out the fragrance and purchased it, the photo was clearly effective. I'm a pushover for orange fruit and orange flower fragrances.
When I got to the store, I found a collection of new Atelier Colognes: Orange Sanguine, Grand Nérole, Bois Blonde, Tréfle Pur, and Oolang Infini. I smelled each of them and was also drawn to Nérole and Bois Blonde - the latter being pushed for some reason by the sales associate. So I sprayed three white paper fragrance samplers and took them over to my friends at the Sisley counter. Each of them voted for Orange Sanguine, so Orange Sanguine it was! At $145, I limited myself to one, but don't be surprised if I surrender to at least one more before the summer ends.
Despite the marketing claims, Orange Sanguine will not last all day. I get three - maybe four - hours of scent. Then I need to refresh it. I'm OK with that, given how fresh and fabulous it smells!
You can purchase Orange Sanguine Cologne Absolue (and the other new Atelier Colognes) at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and LuckyScent, or from Atelier Cologne (by calling 800-715-1390).
Photos courtesy of Neiman Marcus and LuckyScent