Are Freshies Meant To Fade?

[sacredcoffin]

Put this in the beginner forum because I suspect this may be a silly question, but are there any citrus heavy freshies that actually last and have decent sillage?

I adore 4711, and while one of its charms is its ephemeral nature, I find myself wishing I had something that was similar but lingered a little longer for the summer months. I've been looking at reviews of the fragrances it's most often compared to, but many of them are likewise listed as having incredibly short longevities and wearing very close to the skin. The only one I've seen that's listed as having a bit more moderate staying power is Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino, though I see just as many people slamming it for being overpriced as I do praising it.

Is that just the way of things for citrus forward, fresh scents? Would they become too cloying or overpowering if they had more projection and longevity? And less importantly... is Neroli Portofino worth if for a lover of 4711, or should I stick to reapplying for a fraction of the cost?

 

[Brooks Otterlake]

Citrus scents do tend to be short-lived, because citrus molecules aren't very stable and dissipate fast. To extend citrus notes into the drydown, perfumers have to do a bit of sleight of hand.

That said, fragrances with similarities to 4711 that last longer do exist!

The one I turn to in the warm months is Floris Neroli Voyage, which I find to be much nicer than the Tom Ford.

 

[sacredcoffin]

Citrus scents do tend to be short-lived, because citrus molecules aren't very stable and dissipate fast. To extend citrus notes into the drydown, perfumers have to do a bit of sleight of hand.

That said, fragrances with similarities to 4711 that last longer do exist!

The one I turn to in the warm months is Floris Neroli Voyage, which I find to be much nicer than the Tom Ford.

Ah ha, I did suspect it was something to do with the citrus notes themselves, so that's good to know.

I can't believe I didn't check if Floris had something, I absolutely adore Jermyn Street and keep meaning to try more of their fragrances. I'll definitely want to hunt down a sample of Neroli Voyage. I appreciate the recommendation!

 

[DeathArrow]

While many citrus fresh fragrances have a low staying power, some are long lasting.

Terre d'Hermes by Hermes lasts at least 8 hours for me. I can sense Portfolio Neroli Canvas by Al Haramain and Puro Neroli by Paris Corner the second day if I don't shower. On clothes both last more than a day with ease.

 

[Franco65]

No, don't think so....

 

[AndyL]

Citrus scents do tend to be short-lived, because citrus molecules aren't very stable and dissipate fast. To extend citrus notes into the drydown, perfumers have to do a bit of sleight of hand.

Very true. Typically I've found these fragrances build the citrus notes on a base of white musk or ambergris. Some fragrances will put ginger in to give a longer lasting brightness to the mid, but still built on a light musky base.

 

[hednic]

While many citrus fresh fragrances have a low staying power, some are long lasting.

Terre d'Hermes by Hermes lasts at least 8 hours for me.

This is true on my skin also.

 

[Brooks Otterlake]

Very true. Typically I've found these fragrances build the citrus notes on a base of white musk or ambergris. Some fragrances will put ginger in to give a longer lasting brightness to the mid, but still built on a light musky base.

There are also particular fixatives that are widely used to extend citrus notes.

In fact, sometimes perfumers extend them so forcefully it warps the citrus into something that feels artificial. Extending citrus is a difficult balancing act.

 

[N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer]

Most citrus scents tend to have shorter durations and stay closer to the skin. There are some that are outliers to that trend.

Xerjoff 1861 Renaissance and Neo are examples.

 

[Ken_Russell]

From a personal viewpoint alone, while citrus fragrances can be short lived, it is definitely not an inescapable, universal and constantly valid rule.
In addition to the great recommendations already mentioned, also recommending Boucheron PH especially in its EDP concentration, ADP Colonia Assoluta, Mugler Cologne, Verdon and Cedrat by l'Occitane, Hugh Parsons Yellow among the fresh citrus fragrances that do ensure a very good performance/longevity without boringly, disturbingly and/or flatly fading after a too short lived wear.

 

[sjg3839]

All depends on the fragrance.

 

[lfc1892]

Wu long Cha by Nishane. Lovely fresh scent that lasts all day and then some.

 

[PrinceRF]

It's not that they are designed to fade, it's just that the molecules in fresher scents tend to not last as long, especially the top notes.

 

[AndyL]

Put this in the beginner forum because I suspect this may be a silly question, but are there any citrus heavy freshies that actually last and have decent sillage?

Many good suggestions and a couple more would be; Cedrat Boise - Mancera and Hacivat - Nishane. These are citrus heavy yes, last forever yes, but I might not consider them a frehsie.

 

[Diddy]

There are cheapies with synthetic accords that last. While synthetics always seem to have a negative thought to them, it’s important to remember that most fragrances have synthetics in one way or another. Look towards Banana Republic for some less expensive fragrances that are fresh and lasting. Rasasi’s Egra is like Green Irish Tweed, which is fresh, and lasts all day on me. D.R Harris Windsor lasts 6-8 hours for me and has nice citruses. And the list goes on.

Regarding mainly citrus, Xerjoff has the best longevity I’ve experienced. And @N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer named the ones to look at from them. Regarding 4711, I’ve not experienced anything that smells just like it with lasting power. Neroli Portofino does last longer than 4711 for me but I can’t get more than 6 hours of performance on a good day. However, ticking the neroli box, Acqua di Parma’s Essenza and Penhaligons Castile last essentially all work day for me and feature very nice neroli. For cheaper, Neroli Woods by Banana Republic is very nice and lasting 6+ hrs. As @sjg3839 stated, it all depends on the fragrance. “Fresh” can mean a lot of things and fresh fragrances can last very long and perform well in the heat as well. Citrus can be fleeting in a lot of fragrances but there absolutely are long lasting citrus fragrances. If you want a truly long lasting 4711, I don’t really have a good recommendation. If you want long lasting citrus, narrow the field by defining if you want a specific type of citrus (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, etc) or just a citrus type accord. Then hunt. I hope this helps some.

 

[DeathArrow]

Probably most freshies by Montale or Mancera are long lasting. And those should be a long list.

 

[Brooks Otterlake]

Regarding mainly citrus, Xerjoff has the best longevity I’ve experienced.

Citrus is the one thing that Xerjoff does exceptionally well.

My favorite of their citrus-dominant options is Kobe (which is not 4711-ish and is a bit heavy for summer, but is breathtakingly gorgeous; it's by far one of the best takes on orange blossom out there).

However, ticking the neroli box, Acqua di Parma’s Essenza and Penhaligons Castile last essentially all work day for me and feature very nice neroli.

Essenza is a particularly good option because it can be found for very good prices.

But if someone's willing to pay a bit more, Floris Neroli Voyage matches it in performance and beats it out in terms of refinement.

For cheaper, Neroli Woods by Banana Republic is very nice and lasting 6+ hrs.

Yes, BR Neroli Woods is by some distance the best "value" neroli (I actually think it works a bit better than the aforementioned Essenza; it's less complex, but more elegantly blended).

It offers high-quality neroli with a streamlined, pleasing base of musk and dark woods.

 

[hednic]

Probably most freshies by Montale or Mancera are long lasting. And those should be a long list.

Herbal Aquatica and Soleil De Capri would fit the bill.

 

[Diddy]

Citrus is the one thing that Xerjoff does exceptionally well.

My favorite of their citrus-dominant options is Kobe (which is not 4711-ish and is a bit heavy for summer, but is breathtakingly gorgeous; it's by far one of the best takes on orange blossom out there).


Essenza is a particularly good option because it can be found for very good prices.

But if someone's willing to pay a bit more, Floris Neroli Voyage matches it in performance and beats it out in terms of refinement.


Yes, BR Neroli Woods is by some distance the best "value" neroli (I actually think it works a bit better than the aforementioned Essenza; it's less complex, but more elegantly blended).

It offers high-quality neroli with a streamlined, pleasing base of musk and dark woods.

Kobe is beautiful. And I’ve not tried the Floria but you’ve got me interested!

 

[Varanis Ridari]

Really depends on the specific freshie.

Wings for Men by Giorgio is an aquatic with the half-life of caesium. Gotta scrub it off.

 

[StylinLA]

From my days on wet shaver forums, lots of men love citrus scents and want a long lasting citrus scent.

As detailed by some above, real true citrus scents are a short lived molecule or some such and just don't last long.

There are some suggestions here for scents that employ a variety of perfumery tricks to extend the citrus scent feel.

 

[Toxicon]

I think the original goal behind the Atelier Cologne house was more or less this - to take traditional citrus-forward EDC styles and extend the longevity (somewhat). They definitely nail the photorealistic citrus top notes; where they often falter is the drydown, which often feels like more of a generic woody base. That said, I like Cedrat Enivrant a lot and I get solid performance; Bergamot Soleil and Grand Neroli are also pretty nice. Orange Sanguine is probably the most popular of their citrus scents, but I haven't tried it.

A few other citrus-forward scents with decent longevity: Guerlain Homme EDP, Mugler Cologne (still pretty light, but 3 sprays lasts me most of the day), Chanel Allure Homme Sport Cologne (Dior Homme Cologne style minimalistic EDC with better performance), or Zara Vibrant Leather Summer (even closer to Dior Homme Cologne, again with better longevity).