BDK Citrus Riviera

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] I’ve been thinking about fragrance prices recently, having featured a couple of really expensive perfumes that gave me pause for thought. It was always the way that high street fragrances could be knocked out extremely cheaply and often the perfume arm of any brand was the one propping up all the other arms because of the exceptional margins. But, the rise in popularity for artisan brands and not wanting to smell like everyone else has meant that paying more for exclusivity doesn’t seem to be only for a select customer base any more. I am unquestioning about paying more for Louboutin shoes or a Chanel bag than I would expect to for either from M&S for example, but there’s a bit of me that still can’t quite square up the same expectation for fragrance. I’m thinking out loud really because I can’t tell what the shift is that means luxury fragrances aren’t now perceived to be at the Chanel or Dior counter but in the perfumery boutiques or departments where £100 a bottle of a brand you’ve never heard of isn’t even blinked at.

All this brings me round to introducing BDK Citrus Riviera – a unisex fragrance that is £150. I can see it – the weight of the bottle, the visual attention and the back story which I’ve featured before HERE when I reviewed Tabac Rose. But, I think it’s the assumption of luxury that I like best about this brand – it’s still relatively new, founded in 2016 – the fearlessness of failure and the absolute knowledge that people will (and do) open their wallets for something unknown. It’s very bold.

The name itself gives you the inspiration behind the notes – it’s wildly citrussy at first spritz with lemon, neroli and mandarin, followed by orange blossom, fig, eucalyptus, jasmine and strawberry (missing to my nose). These are combined with watery and green accords (a scent impression comprising relevant notes) which come across to me as slightly mossy – wet moss sounds horrible but it’s what cuts through the citrus and flowers to stop it being sharp or too feminine. It’s really a ‘everyone’ fragrance because it lies neither traditionally masculine or feminine. The base is vetiver, musk, patchouli and tonka for a smooth finish. I think everyone with an interest in fragrance has an ‘aha’ moment when something finally clicks – mine was with Creed Virgin Island Water which was designed to capture sailing in the Caribbean. I really could smell that moment between land and sea – a scent I didn’t even know I had in my head – but it was a landmark in my fragrance understanding so I will always listen to the inspiration from credible noses because I truly believe they’re trying to capture precious moments and memories. Not so much the high street where the strong independent woman has a soft and feminine core hidden to most but expressed in overpriced vanilla substitute – my eyes still roll! Anyway, if you love the Rivieria and you love citrus, this fragrance will immediately make sense to you. Its £150 HERE, non-affiliate HERE.