Italian Citrus D.S. & Durga 2011

Wish I could love this fragrance as much as other people seem to enjoy it, but it wasn't the case. First time I tried it on, it smelled like subdued citrus fruits. There was a weird warm rubbery accord at the edge of the fragrance that I couldn't pass over. It smelled like room-temperature lemon iced tea with a hint of rubbery warmth. There was a faint sting of green somewhere in the beginning, but nothing major.

Second time I tried it on, the room-temperature iced tea scent was still there. It fluctuated and sometimes went towards the functional aspect of lemon cleaner which repelled me and convinced me that this fragrance wouldn't be for me. I have better citrusy fragrances in my collection that don't remind me of house products, so this one won't be making it. The longevity of this perfume is also subpar. After about 2 hours, it was all gone.

I can't recommend this fragrance while there are better smelling and longer lasting citrusy fragrance out there. Unfortunate.

On the trail of Armani Acqua di Gio and Acqua Azzurra Ferre, and for those who are a little more modest they can find a similar scent in Oriflame Ascendant Aqua. Small nuances that make the difference are felt in a slight smell of oranges.

Perfume of moderate stability and projections, but the most popular summer perfume style of all times, which already says enough.

Based on knowing the content, comparisons, highlighting key wearing time, place of application and continuous monitoring, and taking care not to jump to conclusions, I'm reducing the subjective impression, not giving importance to rumors that it reminisce of chewing gum and that it smells like an ordinary summer citrus edt, and I'm giving the strongest recommendation for wearing this perfume at all summer occasions.

What a beautiful fragrance for Spring and Summer! This reminds me of a bright, sunny day in an Italian orchard with refreshing citrus-filled drinks. On initial spray you get the lively citrus notes from the lemon, blood orange, and mandarin which then dries down to a light sweetness enriched by the amber and frankincense.

I'd say this projects well in the first 2-3 hours but then becomes more of a skin scent with light bursts throughout the day. I love fragrances from D.S. & Durga because I feel like they tell a story and inspire visuals rather than being mass appealing. A wonderful pick for warmer weather but at a premium price point.

Take a seat, Mr. Jeheimrat!
Make yourself at home! What can I get for you?
As always? A suit? A shave perhaps?
Oh yes, but right away ...

Well, I haven't had the pleasure of welcoming you here for quite some time ...
Look at you, dressed up? Out in the green ...? I can understand that. When I think of my little garden ... without it, I’d be only half a person.
I always say to myself, Korianke, I always say, a person needs to be able to relax. Everyone needs a little break.
A little break, how about a coffee?
Cream ...? Sugar?

I am truly touched that Mr. Jeheimrat still remains loyal to me. It’s not exactly a short trip from wherever to my little salon ...
What would you like?
But you are absolutely right!
It’s the beautiful things that make life worth living, I completely agree with you!
I feel honored that Mr. Jeheimrat counts my services among the beautiful things in life ...

Yes, I see it the same way. Everything is getting faster and increasingly incomprehensible. No one has time anymore, or better said - no one takes the time. Yet we all have the same amount of time, twenty-four hours a day.
So, just a moment, let me turn this little nose around ... there, you see, now I’m making Mr. Jeheimrat look presentable again. It really makes a difference ...

Where was I ...?
Oh yes, taking time ...
I always say to myself, Korianke, I always say, what does it bring a person if they are always in a hurry?
What would you like, Mr. Jeheimrat?
Exactly, that’s it! If you’re always in a hurry, you have no eye for the beautiful things in life. And they aren’t always big and grand, but often small and modest.
Just take good fragrances.
Mr. Jeheimrat already notices that I’m riding my hobby horse again ... The truly good perfumes are not the loud ones that hit you like a club on the head. So all this sweet stuff that many men pour over themselves in a somewhat misshapen figure. I specifically say men and not gentlemen, because a gentleman would never bother his surroundings with such a brew. Often it’s a slush that the little birds drop from the branches in droves ...
What do you mean ...?
But yes! A little discreet and fine should be the scent. Especially in this summer heat! It should be perceived as a pleasant fragrance and not as a nuisance!

So, I kindly ask Mr. Jeheimrat to lean back a bit more with that noble character ... here on the side a little shorter or is that enough ...?
Where was I ...?
Oh yes, scent and pleasant ... you see, it’s like this, a perfume always says something about the person who adorns themselves with it.
I really don’t want to know what it means when someone douses themselves with such a sickly sweet concoction ...

Thank goodness there’s also this little gem. Of course, a man of the world also needs a fine, classic scent. Although classic doesn’t have to mean old. A gentleman is not the same as grandpa ...
For summer, it should definitely be citrusy and fresh. As it should be. And recently, everything has been mixed in. Just take the idea of adding a bit of incense. Sounds a bit silly at first, but it’s quite original! I couldn’t have imagined it either, but I had to be taught better.

You see, if you want Italian and don’t always want the same old sniff, you absolutely have to try this little water here!
They named it Italian Citrus. Sounds as if they already know it, but think again!
It starts off quite unusually, with lemon and orange, and then something comes in called Tschienottoh. It’s a kind of bitter orange. I didn’t know it, but it’s magnificent!
A little bitter, juicy, a bit green, wonderful! Along with it comes in no time a cool, white note from the incense. No, it doesn’t smell like in a church, you don’t have to worry about that. It’s a bit bitter, but not too much. It’s caught by a green mandarin, which makes it elegant and fresh.
Unusually fragrant, but excellent!

What would you like, Mr. Jeheimrat ...?
Well, I figured you’d know what this Tschienottoh is. Look at that, there are four different varieties of this fruit? Oh, they are not orange trees, but they grow on bushes? What all there is ...

A bit about bushes. Blackcurrants also grow on bushes, especially in my little garden. And Trudchen unfortunately baked another blackcurrant cake. May I offer you a piece?
Please, yes, please right away ...

Where was I ...?
Oh yes, bushes and this Tschienottoh ...
Funny name. What did they think of this ...
What would you like?
Aha, hence the name. This shrub came from old China in the seventeenth century. That’s why they named it Tschienottoh.
I always say to myself, Korianke, I always say, a gentleman must also have learned some education!
I can only compliment Mr. Jeheimrat.

Where was I ...?
Oh yes, juicy, green, cool.
So with this stuff, this Tschienottoh, they’ve made a blend with the incense. Great idea, it’s a fresh experience.
Then, as we have been told from unusually well-informed circles, they should also have added mandarin.
Probably because of the fit.

A bit floral should it be in the further development, because they grated violets in. I can’t confirm that. I have my difficulties with violets; I can’t stand them, neither in sight nor in perfume. But luckily here it’s not so that these things disturb ...

What do you mean?
Yes, it stays that way. This little water doesn’t change anymore, and I must say, it suits me wonderfully. I want to keep this beautiful bouquet because it’s so fresh and so delightfully cooling.
In the base note, as we like to call it, there’s then quite discreetly and perhaps a proper scoop of oak moss in it.
Makes the brew durable, and then the person who applied it is happy.
The coolness of the incense is supported by a slightly peppery note. Comes from something called ambrettasamen. Sounds quite powerful and a bit pompous, but it’s nothing more than the oil from the seeds of a shrub. So again a shrub that smells. You take the seeds and make oil from them, and because it doesn’t sound so good when you call it by its proper name, namely musk mallow, they advertise it as "Ambretta".

So, now I’ll go under your chin with the razor a bit ... If Mr. Jeheimrat could raise that aristocratic nose like Kaiser Heinrich upon arrival in Silicon ...?
You see, now everything is getting neat again and perhaps as it should be for a man of the world ...

Where was I?
Oh yes, ambrettas and pompous ...

So I am truly impressed by this little water! On a hot day like today, it’s exactly what you need, I give you my word on that!
But I have this perfume here!
Would you like to ...?

Naaa ...? Did I talk too much to Mr. Jeheimrat?
Yes, it’s noble! You’ll have it all day long!
Well, I’m glad if you like it ...
All for the valued clientele! Korianke always at your service ...

Most heartfelt thanks, Mr. Jeheimrat!
Honor me again soon!
And greetings to the Mrs. Jemahlte!

Bitter lemon opens, but not bluntly scratchy, rather fruity and watery, until a dark, fully aromatic citrus note rises within seconds, accompanied by a characteristically strong, yet still very subtle smoke. A hint of fizzy powder provides a pleasant tingle. The fizzy powder impression gradually diminishes as the dark smoke note slowly gains weight.

However, it becomes impossible to ignore after just a few minutes that the dark citrus fruit has a nuance that requires investigation. So: Chinotto is a subgroup of bitter oranges. There is a drink of the same name that I unfortunately do not know (which will definitely change). The fruit is also a component of Campari. This fully explains the bittersweet twist in the scent. I find it absolutely delicious. Dark sweet bitter orange and smoke. Indeed, it is reminiscent of Campari. Just without alcohol. More like those bright red Italian sodas in small bottles that can be served as an aperitif: "Aperitivo Rosso" or "Bitterino," for example. The fizzy powder note simply represents the carbonation. Everything fits.

Regarding the fundamental choice of ingredients, I spontaneously think of a comparison with Sancti by Les Liquides Imaginaires. But while Sancti combines bright fruit and bright smoke, enhanced with shimmering aldehydes, Durga opts for the dark. It's amusing that both fragrances are from 2011. Who might have inspired whom, if at all? A parallel test shows that Italian Citrus does approach Sancti a bit towards the end of the citrus main section, yet the latter is always brighter and more effervescent, while Durga is more of a witty life artist in the best sense. The two are by no means twins, but rather very different siblings in temperament.

The delicious Campari, or rather: Bitterino note lasts for several hours. Only very gradually does a woody, tarry element creep in, and its sour part begins to substitute the citrus acidity. Remarkably and thankfully, it never completely succeeds in doing so. Until the woody end, there always remains a trace of citrus. Additionally, the tingle, which at some point, around the third or fourth hour, even has a cola-like quality. Citrus fruit peel (white like zest) could now be contributing. Soon, there’s also a slight musk note, barely perceptible, more of a hint than certainty (Ambrette?); this does not change the character of the fragrance at all.

Only in the course of the fifth hour does a simple wood note gradually emerge, signaling the end. Fortunately, it is not too bright or artificial, aided in a initially unpretentious and background manner by a competent lady named Iris. The aforementioned cautious proximity to Sancti is still present into the sixth hour.

In the sixth and seventh hour, a delicate bitter hint occasionally wafts unexpectedly around the nose, which actually reminds me (also verified by parallel test!) of 1681 by Carthusia, again not in the sense of a twin, but rather in the style of the wood-iris combination. Indeed, I cannot explain it any other way than with Iris, especially since I am not familiar with Copaiba balsam. In any case, "wood" alone is not sufficient for description. This greatly benefits the conclusion. Therefore, let it be noted to other providers: "A bright wood note can be refined with Iris." Just unfortunate that it then is no longer cheap.

Conclusion: "Sancti" and "1681" - these are truly not bad references. Thus, it is no surprise that I can appreciate Italian Citrus very much. It's a pity that it cannot hold the phase with the slurping reflex-inducing, smoky orange bitter a bit longer. Complaining at a high level. For me, Durga stands on par with Sancti; I see 1681 as a long drink... no, a short one in front. A candidate for purchase. Certainly great to wear on a mild evening, with an Italian summer suit.

Just missing the right weather.

I thank MisterE for the sample.