Neroli 36 Le Labo 2006 Eau de Parfum

Unfortunately on my skin Neroli 36 has a characteristic aquatic, marine aspect that can be easily found in other niche perfumes as well...
Like Etoile de REM or Aria Di Mare by Il Profvmo..
The top and middle notes are quite misleading...
So don't pay much attention
The dry down turns into a more commonly pleasant vanillish, musky composition.

Sorry Le Labo, but this is not a very good creation :-$

Neroli 36 struck me straight away as being more mandarin orange based than neroli. There was also an obvious sweetness, which was very pleasant but far from the bitterness that this fragrance is supposed to convey.

As far removed from being a soliflore as possible, I did much prefer this fragrance over Annick Goutal's Neroli, which I found too herbaceous and citrusy.

The more the scent developed, the more it began to resemble a juicy, pulpy orange mixed with talcum powder. Not the nicest description I know, but far nicer when smelt.

On the Now Smell This blog, both reviewers mention an aquatic quality which I don't seem to get. The scent is certainly Summery and refreshing, but there aren't any oceanic notes in this composition, as far as I can smell anyway.

I really enjoyed wearing this fragrance while it lasted, which was relatively impressive. Perhaps the only aspect I didn't like was the drydown, which up close smelt like a pet-shop but from a distance smelt like orange-scented cleaning products with a touch of musk.

Every now and then, Neroli 36 gives off a soapy vibe, however I wouldn't go so far to say that it's particularly clean-smelling, the sweetness certainly prevents it from going that way.

Neroli 36 is nothing ground-breaking, but it's certainly, in my opinion, something that lives up to its expensive price tag. Lovely, just lovely.

calling this fragrance neroli 36 is something of a red herring. while yes orange blossom and neroli in fragrance have the same origin, they are processed differently, and i was anticipating a fresh, clean, bordering into green and garden-like scent. there is a clean vibe to neroli 36, but it steers rapidly into powdery, lightly sweet, and yes, sunscreen adjacent. to avoid the cliche this is a dry powder laundry detergent scent, with a sense of dried white florals and distinctly un-juicy mandarin. the overall composition is almost dehydrated in its dryness, warm, and while not unpleasant, just kind of underwhelming.

I find it interesting that this perfume has such a poor rating, especially since clean musk, fresh laundry, and mineralic fragrances are becoming increasingly popular. Perhaps there is something off-putting about it that I can't detect, or it was created when overly sweet perfumes were becoming all the rage. Regardless, it's worth revisiting now that preferences are changing once again. I have had a good experience with Le Labo's longevity. I also tend to go anomic to many musky fragrances, but not with this one. It is clean, refreshing, and uplifting, so on mornings when I dont have time to shower, it is a nice substitute. It works in cooler spring weather as well as in the heat. Inoffensive and office-worthy.

I’ve seen some reviews mention a metallic opening, but it’s not what I’m getting. I see how someone could smell metal, but in the opening I’m getting a sharp, almost vegetal neroli. It’s like the stem and leaf of the orange blossom as well as the flower, combined with soapy aldehydes and sharp orange. It’s refreshing and pleasantly sunscreeny. It’s like an elevated take on a luxury sunscreen scent.

After the opening, projection is really intimate, so it’s more something I would wear on a hot day to refresh myself than to make a statement to others. It lasts quite a while on my skin but it stays very close to the skin after about 20 minutes. Dry down softens a bit, and the musk comes out while still remaining soapy and clean.

Someone described this as smelling like the White Lotus season 3 intro and I agree. Definitely a vacation vibe, but not tropical or super fruity. It’s an easy-wearing, soapy neroli that reminds me of a luxury sunscreen.