Cedro di Calabria / Calabrian Citron
L'Erbolario (2022)

New to my collection, and a blind buy based on a recommendation.

I wanted something lemony, and this seemed like a good option. And it's pleasant enough. It's a little sweeter than I anticipated, more like sweetened lemonade than actual lemons. It's a lot softer, as well. I was hoping for a sharper, tart lemon scent. This is very much tempered by bergamot and vanilla.

Very low projection, basically no sillage at all. After the initial application/top notes settle down, this is very much a skin-close fragrance. Longevity isn't great, either. Might be better with a base of lemon-scented lotion (they make one). The package doesn't give a concentration, but I'd say this is very much a cologne in the sense of "18th century style cologne".

I do like this, when all is said and done. I think people who like citrus will generally enjoy this. I'm not unhappy to have it in my collection, but my search for a tart, sharp lemon fragrance will have to continue. This is a nice, soft, pleasant lemonade, and I don't dislike that. It's just not what I wanted. The longevity is also somewhat problematic. You'd really need to carry this with you and reapply frequently if you wanted to keep it going (I work from home, so that's not an issue for me, but I would only wear this out knowing that it's going to fade away pretty quickly and just leave skin-close lingering traces after a couple of hours). Such is the risk we take when we do blind buys, though, so I can't complain too much.

L' Erbolario Cedro di Calabria is a creamy sunny spicy cedary accord from this italian well known cosmetic "inspired by nature" brand. This is a "southern" mediterranean fragrance inspired by the atmosphere and the aromatic aura exhaling from the southern countryside's citrus groves. Yes, a concert of citrus notes which opens sparkling (pink pepper) and zesty with sour/tart herbal-citric accents and finishes down with a vanillic/slightly creamy/"tasty" base (like tasting a typical southern italian lemon cheese-cake). A "yellow" optimistic delicious little perfume, lemony and balmy. It starts powerful on tart/aromatic citrus (bergamot, cedar, lemon, orange, green peels, aromatics and a touch of orange) in order to develop gradually a mellow creamy vanillic (lemony/balmy) substance really yummy and irresistible like a lemon cake or icecream. Cedar is a bigger rich of pulp citrus with a lighter lemony aroma. It provides a gentle lemony vibe. A touch of neroli? Yes there is a tad of detergent undertone and an apothecarian twist which is usually typical from bergamot but all of it is quite tolerable. Yes, Cedro di Calabria (my land, a peninsula with a mountaneous backbone and lot of woods, partially surrounded by mediterranean sea) is a summery citrus scent appealing in particular to gourmand/semi-gourmand citric lovers. There is a classic hesperidic/aromatic simil 4711 or Aqua Allegoria aura (especially along the initial and the central stage) but all is wrapped by this balmy more "modern" mantle quite soothing and soapy. A pleasant easy going "on a budget" solution for lovers of smooth citrus fragrance for leisure late spring/summer time near citrus groves in the mediterranean southern lands.