Berdoues Cologne Grand Cru, Part Four - Vanira Moorea, Selva Do Brazil, and Scorza Di Sicilia

Berdoues Vanira Moorea - This is the newest cologne in the Grand Cru collection, added this year. This perfume emphasizes a vanilla note, using vanilla harvested from Tahiti, and also features notes of orange and petit grain.  Moorea, the picturesque island for which this cologne is named, is only a short ferry ride from Tahiti. It's the place that has those beautiful over-the-water bungalows seen on travel posters, sandy beaches, and volcanic mountains. Berdoues says they have created  "a wild and sensuous vanilla with delicious addictive notes." I agree with the "delicious" notes comment. The vanilla is very smooth and a little sweet. The orange and petit grain combine to give it a very sniffable yummy creamsicle appeal. The orange and vanilla meld so well that it's hard to say one dominates the scent. I think the green and woody  properties of the petit grain help cut the sweetness. Years ago I used to enjoy wearing a perfume called Comptoir Sud Pacific Vanille Citrus and this has a similar vibe, except this is more transparent as it is a cologne. I really enjoyed wearing this.

The next two reviews are colognes which while very nice, didn't evoke a strong response in me. Scent appreciation is subjective as we all know so you may find these the best of the lot. In my case, I have other bottles in my collection that remind me of these, or they just weren't something I found unique.

Berdoues Selva Do Brazil - I approached this one with some preconceived notions of how Brazil-based scents should smell; like beaches with scantily clad bronzed bodies or tangy caprioscas and mojitos. But Berdoues chose the Amazonian rain forest as their fragrant cue, which makes perfect sense as it such an important geographical and historical part of Brazil.The perfumer Jennifer Riley said, "When I created Selva Do Brazil I had a vision of these moist, rich and deep notes that invite you to plunge ever deeper into the depths of the selva."

Selva translates to jungle, and the green leafy illustrated bottle indicates this is what to expect,  and herein lies my problem. Selva de Brazil starts out airy and green. The perfumes notes are Brazilian tonka bean, Paraguayan petit grain, and gaiac wood from Argentina. The perfumer was going for lush and moisture in the forest and has succeeded in giving that feel. I have a preconceived notion that it should smell more green, and I'm not really getting that note. The tonka bean is very mild and the wood never comes on strong on my skin. Petit grain is supposed to give a green floral note, but on my skin it is reacting more like neroli or orange blossom, and I think its that which is bothering me. On someone else's skin this may not happen. The floral smell is not necessarily a bad thing. It smell very good like a light and airy neroli scent. It's just that I was looking for a little more jungle. I would encourage you to judge for yourself, as it is a nice scent.

Berdoues Scorza Di Sicilia - This is a woody aromatic with a strong citrus opening. A Calabria lemon note is used to open this cologne and it is as aromatic as if you just zested a plump yellow lemon. The note is super bright and appealing. But citrus notes are hard to sustain, so the perfume moves on to the other two notes,  Virginian cedar and Indonesia vetiver. Perhaps it's my skin chemistry but these notes never develop much for me and within an hour I can hardly smell anything.

For more reviews of the Berdoues Grand Cru line see Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and Part Five.

Photos from www.Berdoues.fr website. Samples my own.