Annick Goutal - Les Colognes Eau d'Hadrien

Picture: Kornfeld mit Zypressen, 1888/1889
Painting by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) 

Annick Goutal Les Colognes is a light interpretation of some Annick Goutal fragrances form where it seems as some is disappered from the line as for example the intriguing Vétiver. Les Colognes Eau d'Hadrien could be an attempt to save this classic by interpreting it in another form and texture as the citric notes has gone true many restrictions during the lastest years which has step by step transformed the original formula to something too different. The older formula in my bottle from ca Y2K, but of course not oldest formula as Eau d'Hadrien is from the early eighties, is more lemony and dense in its structure than the paler and more woody current cologneversion.

Le Cologne Eau d'Hadrien starts with citrusnotes but to my nose there are more of the notes from the orangetree than lemonnotes in this version. Also the light fresh cypress note is much more evident than in the older version. If the old version has a color it's bright, yellow as a fresh lemon where the cologneversion is pale orange-pale-green it it had a color. To me Le Cologne Eau d'Hadrien is close to a thinner versin of Dior Escale à Portofino minus the almondnote in the latter and plus the fresh herbnotes of the former. Somewhere in the middle of Le Cologne Eau d'Hadrien a pleasant, slight bitter note of lemon cores also appears. The woody musky base are wellbalanced and the musk is pleasant, watery in texture and is probably the ingredient that provides this cologne a decent longevity. I feel traces of it in the evening after applying liberally in the morning. Perfect scent both for work (very officefriendly) and casual. Summery in style but, as with the old Eau d'Hadrien,  I would recommend wearing it on sunny winter to obtain a better longevity and to get time to catch this fine fragrance.

Rating: 3+

Notes: Lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, bergamot, petitgrain, cypress, basil, rosemary, musk