Fleurs de Citronnier

Fleur d'Oranger first, then Fleur de Citronnier in 2004, offer sweet and original reinterpretations of summer water. Be careful, though, not to expect a citrus Cologne — the master Lutens hates them!

Fleur de Citronnier is not Fleur d'Oranger, let that be clear!

Fleur d'Oranger was created by the famous Lutens-Sheldrake duo in 1995 and allowed a devoted clientele to discover this lovely flower in its most fleshy and opulent aspect. For Fleur de Citronnier, released in 2004, the succession was difficult. Suffering from the success of Fleur d'Oranger, Fleur de Citronnier was often confused with it, even though the orange blossom facets are handled very differently between the two fragrances.

The confusion was so significant that Fleur de Citronnier was withdrawn from sale in 2013, leaving only its venerable ancestor on perfumery shelves. Nevertheless, after being demanded by its devotees, the softly musky Fleur de Citronnier returned a few months later with a more neutral (perhaps too austere?) visual, in which the lemon blossoms had disappeared in favor of the elongated lines typical of the Lutens house.

In any case, the lovely Fleur de Citronnier is now well and truly here for better — or rather, for the best of summer! To be certain of its notable differences from Fleur d'Oranger, all that remains is to try it!

When Fleur de Citronnier creates a great deal... except citrus!

Given all the summer fragrances released at the same time as this lovely Fleur de Citronnier, one might expect a powerful, light and fresh citrus burst... Looking at the bottle gleaming with its beautiful yellow juice, nothing is less certain! But have we forgotten that Serge Lutens hates citrus juices? The olfactory journey he offers with Fleur de Citronnier is far more of a departure!

The top notes of lemon blossom are very floral, embalmed with a spicy sweetness of nutmeg while being wrapped in the sharp, invigorating freshness of petitgrain. Then the iris-tinged heart develops around a reassuring gourmand accord of neroli-honey powdered with tuberose. With iris added to the sillage, the powdery heart facet turns to musk, developing sensual, graceful and luminous depths.

If they light up by day, evening sets them ablaze. Of the entire citrus family — from orange to mandarin, not forgetting the large grapefruit — the lemon tree, and its blossom in particular, restores an enchanted freshness. Serge Lutens for Fleur de Citronnier.

While Fleur de Citronnier exhales lemon, it is nonetheless a bright, luminous juice offering a new, softer interpretation of orange blossom than before. This would explain the confusion between the two Serge Lutens fragrances. This particular citrus flower, this Fleur de Citronnier, offers a juice with muted light and a proven quietude, like a flower of the evening.