Heya All,
I have had this little stash of Le Labo since May 2013. A small crew of us went up to the Venice, LA store and were treated like royalty there. I purchased a couple of the small bottles which I’ll tell you about another time but the sweet manager of the store gave me some samples to take with me and I, churlish frag glutton that I am, never got to the samples. Well, now I have…
Fleur d’Oranger 27 by Francoise Caron for Le Labo 2006
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Orange blossom, petitgrain, bergamot and lemon
Opening with a zing of citrus, obviously, I find Fleur d’Oranger 27 to be a wonderful, fresh and fun cologne style scent. It is all pettigrain and bergamot for a moment and then it gets a soft orange blossom breathiness that at the same time is pithy and dry. This is smiley, happy juice and I feel invigorated and refreshed. There it stays for a while, pretty and sweet, slightly worn.
Photo Stolen Wikipedia
As it wears on Fleur d’Oranger 27 becomes a bit bead head-ish and it NEVER smells at all cleaning fluid-esque. Great maintenance of the citrus throughout and there is something vegetal/herbal that isn’t explained in the notes and I have no idea what it could be, and I also get a prickling of spice, again no idea. I wish I had more to tell you but other than the spice and green-ness which comes and goes I basically get citrus from beginning to end. It smells good and I have enjoyed Fleur d’Oranger 27 but if you need massive development, a story, then you will be sad. Especially for the price. If though you want to smell like a happy burst of citrus for around 4-5 hours then Fleur d’Oranger 27 could be the one for you.
Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Best Things In Beauty
LuckyScent has $160/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4.25/ml
What is your Le Labo fave? Do you like Orange blossom as a note in general or does it send you screaming, reminded of toilets and dish washing liquids?
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx
Australian Perfume Junkies 
Churlish glutton? Don’t be so hard on yourself. I have yet to try a Le Labo. Am in no hurry. Bussis from the lot of us.
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Bussis right back.
Portia xx
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I like orange blossom but I like mine butched up a but like what MFK did in Fleur du Male. Now that’s an out there orange blossom overdosed scent if there ever was one. I might have to spray mine today. Thanks Portia for piquing my interest for orange blossom today! I need to get a sample of this orange blossom scent from LeLabo.
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Fleur de Male is one of my ALL TIME FAVOURITES!! Thank YOU Ferris for the reminder, tomorrow!
Portia xx
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Rose 31, no contest!
I also like Iris 39 and Labdanum 18 quite a lot.
I’ve not tried Fluer d’Oranger 27 yet and a couple more,
but I’ll get to them,
eventually…
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So much to sniff Elia,
I too love the Labdanum. Nice choice.
Portia xx
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Hey Portia,
I have yet to try Le Labo, but with our unbearably hot summer I’ve seen sampling lots of colognes. Hermès Eau d’Orange Verte is my favorite by far, and if only it had a little more longevity (it’s too fleeting even for a citrus, ain’t it?) I’d buy a FB. This one sounds like a nice alternative, I’ll order a sample. Have a nice weekend!
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Hey Solanace,
I think that Hermes does an extreme version of d’Orange Vert that has a good deal better longevity, or you could try Ultra Balm by LUSH, it creates a realkly good and stable landing for fragrances.
Portia xx
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I love the smell of orange blossoms, and it doesn’t remind me of cleaning products. (Lemon is another story.) The most realistic orange blossom I’ve smelled is actually the opening of Narciso Rodriguez for her edt (Kurkdjian again). It smells like I’m standing under my neighbor’s orange trees when the blossoms are dropping and carpeting the sidewalk. Unfortunately I can’t smell the musk in that one, so it’s gone in less than half an hour. Houbigant Orangers en Fleurs is beautiful, if a bit spendy, but adds other white flowers to the OB. I’m still looking for my ultimate orange blossom, but have many left to try.
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LaurelS,
There are SO MANY fabulous Orange blossoms, you’ll be testing forever.
Portia x
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My favorite Le Labo are Iris 39 and Rose 31.
I do not mind orange blossom in some perfumes but this one didn’t impress me much – especially for the price.
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Sadly their rose didn’t sing on my skin Undina, it was very nice but left me wanting a bit and yes, I think that Le Labo is way pricier than their product usually.
Portia xx
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Hi Portia what do you you mean by ‘bead headish?’ Is it bed head? My current fave Le Labo is Lys 41. Totally lusciously white flowers – not just lily in fact not that much lily but more tuberose – it’s one of those bare arms summer delights, sexy and beautiful, reminescenpt in effect but not at all similar in smell to annick Goutal’s ylang perfume the name is which has just vanished from my mind. Le Labo Rose and Poivre are wonderful layered. I NEVER layer but fir some reason did with these two which I have in a weird gel version and always get comments when I wear it. My fave orange blossom is the Serge Fleurs d’oranger which is like a Rorsach test – can I smell orange blossom or is it tuberose. I love the way the two come in and out of focus.
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I love the way you write Catherine, so expressive. Bead Head is that sweet but funky smell at the back of your partners head while cuddling them in the morning, half way between disgusting and divine.
Portia xx
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so bead head and bed head are related – and least they are both in bed but one is visual and one olfactory. What’s the word for the mostly disgusting partner’s breath in the morning? (of course it applies to mine as well!)
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Ha Ha ha Ha! Sorry Catherine TYPO. Very unkind of you to publicly shame me instead of a PM. BED Head.
Morning breath is just morning breath.
Portia xx
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I love orange blossom so was really looking forward to trying this. However, this one left me somewhat disappointed. It doesn’t have much depth to it. I still love Kilian’s Sweet Redemption and have really been enjoying Houbigant’s Orangers en Fleurs lately. Thanks for the post – I thought maybe I was the only one that found this fragrance a little lacking.
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Naah, I think we are equal, lovers and likers. Haven’t heard much hate for it though Kandice, just some people going, meh.
Portia xx
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