Eau de Citron Noir

Now Smell This lists black lemon, lemon, Buddha’s hand, a variety of citron, Ceylon black tea and a wood from Paraguay. The Candy Perfume Boy divides the composition into three tiers: Calabrian lemon and lime at the top, black tea, citron, Buddha’s hand and lemon blossom at the heart, cabreuva wood in the base.

Citrus in relief

The opening, for The Candy Perfume Boy, is lively and sharp, dominated by lemon, citron and lime. He finds them juicy and fleshy, almost three-dimensional, and notes a leafy greenness that gives the whole a jungle-like lushness.

Black tea and its smoke

Ceylon black tea brings a dry smoke that clashes with the juicy citrus, a contrast the blogger finds intriguing.

Cabreuva wood

Cabreuva, a South American tree whose wood is distilled, gives a warm, woody and smoky base. The Candy Perfume Boy finds in it a slightly synthetic spikiness that lifts an otherwise natural-feeling composition.

What the label declares

The label opens with alcohol, water and fragrance, ahead of limonene. Three UV filters, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane and ethylhexyl salicylate, protect the juice along with BHT, an antioxidant.

The list names citral, linalool, citronellol, geraniol and benzyl benzoate, an oakmoss extract and coumarin, as well as disodium EDTA, a stabilizing agent.