Les Nuits d'Hadrien fragrance notes
- bergamot, sicilian lemon, green mandarin, tangerine, cypress, basil, cumin, juniper, ylang ylang, vanilla, sandalwood, patchouli, amber, white musk
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Latest Reviews of Les Nuits d'Hadrien

I always enjoy a nice old-fashioned Eau like this, so I'm voting thumbs up, but I can't help but feel that this is a little bit unremarkable.
EDIT: A few wears later, I feel bad for calling this "unremarkable". I guess it is, in that there are a lot of colognes that follow a similar recipe, but I have to add that, as I've worn this, I've repeatedly caught little whiffs of it and thought "what's that fantastic smell??" before realizing it was Les Nuits d'Hadrien wafting up in the warm summer. So I'm changing my rating from a regular "thumbs-up" to a much more enthusiastic "thumbs up"!

***
Cardless vial, part used
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Soon a sandal tone develops, but at times it is not a very specific sandalwood. A sweeter development sets in, with touches of juniper and whiffs of redcurrant present at times. This combines with a light ylang-ylang that is in the brighter sind's and lacks any creamy characteristics.
The next important step is a turn into a spicier direction, which is almost singlehandedly achieved by a powerful cumin note. Reaching the base, a soft and ambery patchouli stays more in the background, as does an gentle tonka that is equally unobtrusive. What does not remain in the background is a strong lashing of white musks, which rises to become the dominant component towards the end.
I get moderate sillage, adequate projection and eight hours of longevity on my skin.
A scent for cooler summer days or evenings and somewhat different for Eau d'Hadrian, it is not exactly a fount of originality, and it is crafted skillfully. The base is a bit too generic, but there is a lot of development longitudinally. Overall still quite a good composition. 3.25/5.

I get good longevity but below average projection.

The original Eau has been one of my five favorite citrus scents for many years now. The Nuits joins it as a darker, quieter version. Very well done.
Turin calls it "orange fennel" (reminded of a salad he constructs) and gives it only three stars. I would say it deserves at least four.






Seems perfect for someone who "doesn't wear perfume," so I have passed the sample to my fiance. After years of Burt's Bees Natural cologne (which he wears very well), I think this might be a nice bit of variety -- and I look forward to hugging him at the end of the day and smelling that sillage.

Le Nuits d'Hadrien is not all citrus, in fact the citrus notes are shadowed by the herbaceous qualities. I own Eau d'Hadrien which I find too lemony, however this version is much more rounded.
The lemon, although present, doesn't play a huge part in this composition. The mandarin orange stands out the most, especially with the aromatic herbs surrounding it.
Because of the green herbs, which are at times a tad too spicy, Le Nuits d'Hadrien has a dark aura of citrusy warmth and exotic cooking spices. I made a pork roast once which I seasoned with bay leaves, orange pulp and rosemary. This fragrance reminds me of that beautiful Winter dish.
Over the course of this fragrance's drydown, Le Nuits d'Hadrien does take on a rather soapy quality, however the earthy patchouli, citrus and herbs can still be recognised.
Unfortunately the lasting power of this fragrance is not great, nor is the sillage which is pretty weak. I hate when some Annick Goutal fragrances fade quickly because it gives people the impression that all her scents do this, which is not true. I have only tested the EDT version, however with my experience with this fragrance house, the EDP's usually last a lot longer.
Either way, this fragrance is still worth checking out, especially if citrus aromatics are your thing.