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Collection Extraordinaire

Néroli Amara Van Cleef & Arpels 2018

8.2 / 10 453 Ratings

A popular perfume by Van Cleef & Arpels for women and men, released in 2018. The scent is citrusy-fresh. It is being marketed by Interparfums.
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Main accords

Citrus

Fresh

Floral

Green

Spicy

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Bergamot

Italian lemon

Mandarin orange

Heart Notes

Cypress

Pink pepper

Base Notes

Orange blossom absolute

Perfumer

Quentin Bisch

Ratings

Scent

8.2453 Ratings

Longevity

7.3387 Ratings

Sillage

6.8390 Ratings

Bottle

8.1371 Ratings

Value for money

7.5263 Ratings

Submitted by OPomone, last update on 10/03/2025.

Interesting Facts

The fragrance is part of the Collection Extraordinaire collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Fleur Narcotique Eau de Parfum

Levant Eau de Parfum

Néroli Amara Le Parfum

Ricina

Parade Eau de Parfum

Azora

Reviews

18 in-depth fragrance descriptions

03/09/2021

10Scent

Scentwitch
292 Reviews

Scentwitch

2

Lovely in every way

This is a green citrus masterpiece in my opinion. It’s soft, not sour or bitter like most citrus based perfumes I’ve tried. It’s a happy, juicy perfume that could be worn anytime, but preferably in warmer areas or in the summer.

When I wear this perfume I can’t stop smelling my wrists. I hope I don’t over spray, as I love it that much, and I only bought 8 ml.

Top notes melt into middle with gorgeous lemon and orange, slight cypress. The end is just as lovely with more sweet orange and/or neroli, dying down as the day goes.

I’d imagine Heaven smells like this.

Sillage and longevity is average, about 4-5 hours. I wish it was longer lasting, but I’m happy to respray!

It’s now on my full bottle wish list!

07/12/2024

8Scent 9Longevity 6Sillage

Astralmonad
60 Reviews

Astralmonad

2

Interesting scent journey / evolution

On first spray, I get a sharp lemon-neroli musk that disappoints me. But after about 20 minutes, the pink pepper emerges and it becomes a lemon candy. The cypress emerges throughout the rest of the 6-7 hours and the scent almost becomes tropical. Perfect and fun summer scent. By this point, it is extremely gorgeous and surprised me! I'm glad I got a 10 ml decant and I'll be debating on whether I'll get a full bottle at some point in the future. I already own a few citrus-neroli scents like Penhaligon's Castile and Diptyque's L'eau de Neroli but this is the most interesting one of them all.

07/22/2025

10Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

Perfeptions
146 Reviews

Perfeptions

1

My go to summer scent

This is a twist on fleur narcotique by the same perfumer, Quentin Bisch, who delivered an even better version of the original - unisex with a silvery, diamond like opening that makes it my most favorite summer fragrance since 2 years to date. After the opening it goes into a clean floral heart that is slightly vibrant (think feathers in the wind over a slightly milky musk). For more on the perfume and my obsession for it please watch my review on YouTube as linked below.

06/24/2018

8.5Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

MaxKruse
1 Review

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MaxKruse

Top Review 44

Modern Cologne - The Ideal Summer Companion

Dear Parfumo community

I have been involved in the perfume business for about 1.5 years now. Initially just as a passive reader and now also as an active commentator. And while there are certainly other - perhaps more exciting - fragrances out there, I would like to "correct" the image of the unknown but immensely beautiful Neroli Amara in my first comment. This goal particularly refers to the unjustifiably low rating of 6.7 at the time of the test.

The scent itself is wonderfully uncomplicated. I understand it best as a very modern interpretation of the classic lemon cologne. The scent progression is deep yellow and ranges from a very zesty lemon opening to a creamy-fresh orange blossom finish. The self-imposed neroli theme is consistently but effortlessly executed. No dusty 4711 image in sight. I can distinctly smell the lemon in the opening and the orange blossom in the base. I do not smell pepper and cypress, but I do not doubt that they are present. However, only in a light - citrus-enhancing - variant.

At times, the scent reminds me of Petit Matin by MFK. However, it lacks the slightly synthetic note that the Ambroxan provides in the Parisian counterpart. Just like Petit Matin, Neroli Amara also manages to create a beautiful tension between lemony freshness and orangey creaminess, reminiscent of the working styles of Francis Kurkdjian and Thierry Wasser (in this regard, also compare Guerlain's - Bergamote Calabria), without Quentin Bisch lacking independence here.

I was long in search of a summer companion. In the past, I often ended up with Chanel's Eau de Cologne. A 100ml bottle of Neroli Portofino also accompanied me for a summer. Both are very beautiful, very different representatives of the classic cologne series. However, the former lacks a bit of the final refinement in comparison, while the latter cannot quite shake off the 4711 thoughts. Both have in common that their longevity makes them more heroes of top notes than balanced overall fragrances.

Back to Neroli Amara and back to the initial task of correcting its image a bit.

Firstly: As a modern cologne of the classic variety, it is unisex. I can neither smell a masculine nor a feminine touch. This sorting error is shared with the aforementioned Eau de Cologne from Chanel.

Secondly: 6.7/10 points (at the time of the review) do not reflect the scent in my opinion at all. It is fresh without relying too much on synthetics. It is citrusy without even a hint of toilet cleaner charm. It is surprisingly lasting and enduring for a scent that relies (almost) exclusively on fresh notes. It is a cologne without appearing or wanting to appear outdated. The Eau de Parfum concentration also visibly benefits it, as it can avoid resorting to synthetic olfactory potency boosters.

Thirdly: And I have to hold myself accountable here as well. Van Cleef & Arpels...huh, I wouldn't buy a scent from them. Especially in times when brand identification in the perfume industry begins to influence purchasing decisions, it is easy to overlook this fragrance from this (jewelry?) brand in the jumble of a well-stocked niche perfumery. I would have overlooked it myself if I hadn’t been pointed out by a knowledgeable nose. And it has been shown that sometimes you have to work for fragrance pearls, and they are not automatically sorted in the front row. It took me two attempts to "dare" to try it. And that was also the starting point for this comment. The scent deserves attention.

It convinced me so much that I bought a bottle. And that is also an important point I want to clarify in general. I am very grateful that many people evaluate fragrances even when they have only smelled them as samples/refills. I am equally grateful when they indicate this in their comments. Because for me, it is indeed an important gauge whether an enthusiastic comment is followed by an actual investment or not.

To everyone who made it this far. Thank you for reading and see you soon!

04/05/2021

8.5Scent 8Longevity 6Sillage

Duftsucht
137 Reviews

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Duftsucht

Top Review 20

Brings out the spring sun!

The little lapse of weather, playing a bit of winter again after Easter, cannot stop me from bringing my summer fragrances to the forefront and taking the opportunity to test them again.
Néroli Amara arrived as a sample just before a summer vacation by the lake and immediately went into my travel bag untested. On a sultry hot summer day, just before a heavy thunderstorm brought some relief, I thought the time for the fragrance had come. Expecting a citrusy-fresh, ethereal-light scent, I didn’t spray cautiously on my wrist but generously misted myself.
The beginning was just as I had hoped on that stuffy day: Fresh citrus notes with a distinct bergamot and a lovely hint of pepper, which I greatly appreciate in fragrances. And yet, the components are built significantly more compact than I would have wished for midsummer. From the very start, a certain density characterizes the scent, which increases over time and makes it creamy. While I sought refuge on the shady balcony from the sweltering heat, Néroli Amara became increasingly uncomfortable for me. The orange blossom wrapped itself around me with an unforeseen intensity like a too-dense veil, the freshness of the opening was just a shadow of a memory. Only when the precursor winds of the storm sent the first gusts and swept the veil away could I enjoy the fragrance again.
Since then, Néroli Amara is no longer a summer scent for me but is happily worn in spring - and occasionally in winter on gray, damp, cold days to evoke the feeling of spring sunshine and the accompanying high spirits in my imagination.
Just like today, while the cold rain patters against the window and I, sitting at my kitchen table, delight in the bright yellow of the forsythias and daffodils in my little garden. Then it is perfect and stirs in me the anticipation of hot summer days. The wonderful orange blossom, which is not held back by wood, green notes, or even moss, gently and transparently floats over my skin and accompanies me for hours.

A simple, graceful fragrance that perfectly stages the sweetness of the orange blossom.

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