Editor’s Note: This spread originally appeared in Volume II of B.H. Magazine. For access to future issues, consider subscribing here.
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Search, Amouage
Imagine throwing a bag of citrus into an open fire with a fistful of incense – that’s a rough approximation of what you can expect in this bottle.
‘Search’ is Amouage’s take on citrus, layered over the house’s signature resins and spices: elemi, pepper, and frankincense. It offers a long, fresh opening; aided by angular wood notes of vetiver and cade oil.
Replica Under The Lemon Tree, Maison Margiela
This fragrance is about the lemon tree as a whole, from the leaves, to the branches, to the soil.
Maté – a bitter tea note from South America – makes up the greenness of the leaves, while petitgrain and cardamom bring warmth. A huge burst of lime in the opening adds energetic freshness.
Coach Blue, COACH
Coach Blue is an ode to hedonistic simplicity: a good smell for good times. Here, lime is used in much the same way as a classic Caipirinha – a zesty, fresh opened that paves the way for the liquor below. (In this instance, it’s absinthe.)
There’s a good deal of pepper and cedar in the dry-down, preventing it from veering too far into boozy richness.
City Of Stars, Louis Vuitton
A love letter to Los Angeles, this fragrance is a blend of the city’s boldest elements wrapped in a spray of beachy citrus. Lime, orange, and mandarin combine with the sweet scent of tiare, with hunts of suntan lotion and vanilla.
There’s sandalwood and musk in the dry-down, and something a little bit funky beneath all the crisp top notes. A perfect metaphor.
Azure Lime, Tom Ford
As with most Tom Ford fragrances, this is a classic accord with a dash of modern sex appeal. Azure Lime takes the traditional citrus model and puts it on a yacht, in the Mediterranean, with an entourage of supermodels.
There’s a salty note beneath the freshness – sweat or saltwater, take your pick – that comes from a native South African plant called buchu.
Bohemian Lime, Goldfield & Banks
Vibrant and refreshing Australian finger lime sings in this fragrance alongside a grassy hay-like note in the drydown.
Cologne is noted for its lightness of wearing, often to the point of transparency, but coriander and woody elements of vetiver add some welcome grunt to the overall experience.
Eau de Citron Noir, Hermès
This fragrance is inspired by a Middle Eastern ingredients: black limes, which are limes that have been blanched in a salty brine then dried in the sun.
Their usual sweetness is replaced by a smokier, more bitter palate. Combined with guaiac wood and notes of black tea, the result is one of the most arresting and fascinating accords in perfumery today.
Fils De Dieu, Etat Libre D’Orange
You’ll be transported to Southeast Asia – specifically, the Philippines – with this gourmand fragrance, which is almost good enough to eat.
Tropical top notes of coconut, ginger, coriander leaves and lime combine with more earthy layers of jasmine, cardamom, and tonka bean to make something truly delicious. There is really nothing else like it.
If you’ve enjoyed this edit of our favourite lime-inspired scents, then why not discover a few more stories? Direct, from the pages of BH Magazine:
