Houbigant Paris Orangers en Fleurs, bottle photo by Gail Gross ©
Orange flowers, peels, pith, leaves, stems, trees and orange groves! Houbigant Paris Orangers en Fleurs is the fragrant sum of all these citrus-y parts and more, a complete experience of everything that is orange, resting in a bouquet of white flowers, yang-ylang and spiced fruity roses. The bitter orange trees that we know today probably originated in China more than two thousand years ago and have been growing in France since at least the early Middle Ages. In the 1600s bitter and sweet oranges, lemons and other citrus were cultivated, pampered and protected in large conservatories or greenhouses – the “Orangeries” of the wealthy, the aristocrats and kings.
The Storming of the Bastille by Jean-Pierre Houël, 1789.
As an indirect result of the “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity” brought to us by the French Revolution, I like to imagine that oranges, once considered luxuries reserved for the rich and powerful, have become, over the years, a delicious and fragrant part of everyday life. Orange trees, and their flowers and fruits, inspire a number of citrus themed festivals all over Europe, especially in Southern France. As a new EU citizen of Luxembourg, I am happy to celebrate my French neighbors’ holiday, Bastille Day, July 14, 2019 with the complex and realistic orange blossom perfume that is Houbigant Paris Orangers en Fleurs.
Jean-Francois Houbigant via Houbigant Paris
The Perfume House of Houbigant was originally established in 1775, several years before the French Revolution, serving mainly royalty and the rich from its first shop in Paris at 19, rue du Faubourg Saint- Honoré. Today Houbigant Paris continues to supply fragrances to some of the same royal families, but now also offers beautiful perfumes for everyone, scents that are at once refined and accessible.
J.J Grandville from his Les Fleurs Animées 1847
Orangers en Fleurs is an elegant fragrance that takes me from the sharp and angular freshness of the leaves and stems and the tight young orange flower buds, to the honeyed warmth of the blossoms and the first juicy bite of the table version of the fruit. Created for Houbigant in 2012 by perfumer Jacques Flori (lauded for his work with Xerjoff, Parfums de Marly, Balmain, Jovoy Paris and so many others), Orangers en Fleur is a breezy, blithe and buoyant bouquet suggesting groves of bitter and sweet orange trees blooming and fruiting in the South of France.
Young Woman Picking Oranges by Berthe Morisot, 1889.
Houbigant Paris Orangers en Fleurs begins with the tree itself and the sharp, green angular and naturally fresh qualities of the leaves and twigs. Just a touch of Petigrain’s vegetal smelling cousin, Eau de Brouts, creates a realistic first impression that extends throughout the life of the fragrance. The centerpiece of Houbigant Paris Orangers en Fleurs is an extravagant garland of orange blossoms, tuberose, jasmine and rose, a citrusy version of the nectarous floral heart that the House of Houbigant is so famous for. This richly aromatic bouquet is judiciously highlighted with hints of peppered, woody nutmeg. While Houbigant Paris Orangers en Fleurs should not be classified as soliflore; I find there is a subtle progression from trees to flowers and then to a kind of juicy fruit, the result of the combination of the orange blossoms, leaves, sweet cedar wood and musk. Orangers en Fleurs has, unlike many citrus perfumes, a considerable longevity that is at once tenacious, subtle, lively, fresh and free. What better way to celebrate Bastille Day, 2019!
Notes: Orange Blossom, Rose Absolute, Egyptian Jasmine Absolute, Tuberose, Eau de Brouts, Ylang Comores, Nutmeg, Cedarwood and Musk.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank Houbigant for my much loved bottle of Orangers en Fleurs Eau de Parfum. My opinions are my own.
Gail Gross – Senior Editor
Photo courtesy of Houbigant
Thanks to the generosity of Houbigant Parfums Paris we have a draw for on one 3.3. oz of Eau de Parfum available for one registered reader in the USA, Canada and EU. You must register here or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you enjoyed most about Gail’s review of Houbigant Paris Oranger en Fleurs, if you have a favorite fragrance by Houbigant, and where you live. Draw closes 7/17/2019
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