bdk Parfums
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The verdello lemon and Tunisian neroli hit simultaneously—bright, green, and surprisingly bitter, with that peculiar metallic quality good neroli possesses. The petitgrain adds an almost herbal sharpness, like crushing citrus leaves between your fingers, whilst the orange blossom absolute already lurks underneath, hinting at the richness to come.
The Moroccan orange blossom absolute takes centre stage, revealing its full indolic character—heady, slightly animalic, with that particular orange flower richness that borders on overripe fruit. The Bulgarian rose weaves through, adding a jammy, honeyed quality, whilst the labdanum begins its slow amber transformation, turning the entire composition warmer and more resinous.
What remains is a softly vanillic skin scent where the vetiver's earthy, slightly smoky character becomes more apparent against the lingering orange blossom. The patchouli provides a gentle chocolatey undertone, whilst the labdanum-vanilla combination creates a golden glow—like sunlight on old stone walls, warm and quietly persistent.
Villa Néroli reads like a love letter to the bitter-sweet complexity of citrus blossom, where Alexandra Carlin has cleverly inverted the typical fresh fragrance structure. Rather than letting the neroli and petitgrain fade into abstraction, she's anchored them with Moroccan orange blossom absolute and Bulgarian rose—two of perfumery's most opulent, indolic materials—creating a floral that breathes with citrus lungs. The Tunisian neroli brings its characteristic metallic greenness, sharp and almost aqueous, whilst the Paraguayan petitgrain adds a woody, slightly camphoraceous edge that prevents this from slipping into conventional cologne territory.
What's particularly clever is how the Spanish labdanum interacts with the orange blossom absolute in the heart. Where many neroli fragrances go soapy or collapse into generic freshness, this one develops a golden, almost honeyed resinousness that feels Mediterranean rather than clinical. The Bourbon vanilla doesn't sweeten so much as soften, rounding the sharper citrus facets without tipping into gourmand excess. The Madagascan vetiver and Sulawesi patchouli provide just enough earthiness to keep the florals from floating away entirely—there's soil under these blossoms, sun-baked terracotta rather than cut stems in water.
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4.3/5 (213)