bheansidhe Report post Posted September 7, 2017 (edited) Sour orange and fiery pink pepper with mandarin, neroli, and rum absolute. This opened with a rainbow parade of sour-sweet, fizzy citrus notes, and then settled into something intensely familiar that I couldn't place. It wasn't until I re-reviewed the notes and spotted the rum that I realized it's a dead ringer, scent-wise, for one of my favorite cocktails, the Boulevardier. The bitter orange and sharp neroli really mimic the rhubarb-and-citrus-pith astringency of Campari liqueur. Links that better describe what I'm talking about (TW FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE):https://drinkstraightup.com/2012/12/14/boulevardier/https://drinkstraightup.com/2013/05/07/side-by-side-bitter-orange-spirits/ I don't specifically get "rum" from the blend until it starts to wear down, but honestly it winds up smelling like a pretty close cousin of Swank on my wrist. Definitely a classy cocktail, not a pirate-rum boozefest. Edited September 14, 2017 by bheansidhe Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zankoku_zen Report post Posted September 13, 2017 Swanky-citrus booze with a dash of pink pepper. This one is kinda pithy on me, and its sour-sweet, fizzy and citrusy. However, it disappears on my skin after an hour. BOO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
surlygurl Report post Posted September 13, 2017 In the bottle and freshly applied, I get straight up Orange Julius. Being thrust back to shopping malls of my teen years is disconcerting, so I'm glad when the black pepper comes out to play. The sour-sweet orange is still loud, but pepper tones it down and adds that musty vibe. As the sweet-sour mellows, rum/neroli blend in and tempers the whole thing. It fades quickly from this point on, but doesn't disappear. Every now and then I'll get a faint whiff of...something. Something lightly citrus, but prettier. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gloame Report post Posted September 20, 2017 Wet: very tangy mandarin/neroli. Stays about the same on drydown. Where is my rum and pink pepper?! I was so stoked for those notes, but my skin is just not having it. Where I'd wear this: A very vibrant day spa Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doomsday_disco Report post Posted August 12, 2021 This is mostly neroli and mandarin with the white part of the orange on me. I didn't get the pink pepper or rum, and the bitter and floral qualities of the scent mean it is not the kind of orange scent that I appreciate (I'm not a neroli fan, and this mandarin is the type that smells somewhat soapy on me after a while). Surly Dragon is for neroli fans. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyturtles Report post Posted September 10, 2021 Straight out of the lab frottle I get peppercorn, grapefruit, and froot loops. Wet on my skin, the fruity sweetness fades away into a more booze-centric scent, still heavy on the citrus which is now more obviously of the orange family than the grapefruit. Yup, I smell like a cocktail in the corner of a dark yet clean and classy basement speakeasy. I don't much like oranges so I'll be passing this along, but it's neat to try a thing I usually wouldn't buy! Some else mentioned a spa day and I can see the resemblance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LavenderCoffee Report post Posted January 28, 2022 In the bottle, this smells like a spicy orange cocktail I might enjoy, and I can pick up the sweetness of the mandarin. On my skin, the boozy mandarin qualities disappear, and once it's dry, it smells like what I imagine dragon breath would smell like, if the dragon mainly ate oranges: Sour spicy orange. It's not bad, but I bet this is better for folks who can wear rum notes! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elka_knits Report post Posted September 7, 2023 (edited) I get a sour mandarin orange scent that fades/softens quickly and stays close to my skin. Upon application, and prior to looking up notes, I thought lime! Yay Me and My fabulous nose of lime picking out it ness! uh no Pithy is correct. It reminds me of Tang or some other kids faux orange drink that I haven't had in forever. I don't get the rum or any other booze. I DO get a strong mandarin. It is a very clean citrus scent. Too clean for me. I like me some resins or vanilla or otherwise heavier scents or, you know, florals. Not sure why I asked my pickup fairy to get this for me way back in the day. I was probably on a king mandarin kick at the time but didn't want to wear king mandarin SN on its own. Edited September 7, 2023 by elka_knits Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
