Wednesday Waftings: Sampler Set Review – Atelier Cologne Perfume Stories

We’re full steam ahead into summer (and what a hot summer it’s already been so far!) so I’d like to feature some cool and refreshing citrus scents for you today. Please allow me to introduce Paris-based Atelier Cologne, a perfume house renowned and beloved for their citrus fragrances.

Atelier Cologne was founded by the wife and husband team of Sylvie Ganter and Christophe Cervasel. The couple met in 2006, fell in love, and discovered they both had a love for colognes. A few years later, they decided to pursue this mutual passion and formed Atelier Cologne, the first fragrance house to focus entirely on high-quality colognes. The company strives to create natural fragrances and focuses on being eco-conscious. The house offers all sorts of lovely gift sets and will even personalize the chic leather travel cases available to go with their colognes.

This sampler set features 7 of Atelier’s most popular fragrances with a heavy focus on citrus scents. Below, I will review each of these 7 scents PLUS a bonus scent that I have previously received a sample of. Keep in mind, these fragrances are colognes so will have lighter performance with both projection and longevity compared to the eau de parfums (and even eau de toilettes) that I often review here. But that being said, they are very high quality cologne absolues that will perform much better and longer than a typical cologne.

Ed. note: Atelier Cologne has been pulled from North America and appears to be going through some re-branding. At this point in time (October 2022), the products on their website are only available for purchase in France but the discounter and decant sites still have some stock available, which all of the links below have been updated to.

Find it here:

Atelier Cologne Variety (from FragranceNet)

Pacific Lime

• Scent Type: Sunny Citrus
• Key Notes: lime (Mexico), coconut extract (Philippines), eucalyptus (China)
• Other Notes Perceived: Italian lemon, mint
• This Fragrance Available in: 10 ml, 30 ml + free travel case, 100 ml, 200 ml + free 30 ml +free travel case

This is an absolutely perfect scent for summer. Cool and refreshing, it reminds me strongly of a freshly-made mojito (minus the booze!) My initial impression is kind of a peppery lime, quickly joined by some mint. It’s actually sort of reminiscent of a tooth gel (not paste-y or powdery at all, definitely like a cool gel). It’s almost equally lime and mint. About 2 minutes into the dry down, as the notes are blending, it gets a little funky/musky but that awkward period is short-lived. The coconut note is lighter here, it’s really more like coconut water. For people specifically looking for a coconut scent, this is probably not going to be what you’re wanting, it’s much more focused on lime/sweet mint.

Perfect daytime scent, would be fine in the office but also wonderful at the beach or on holiday. A fresh aromatic that’s easily unisex, with maybe an ever-so-slight feminine lean. Projection is pretty light. Lasts about 2 hours before fading into a light skin scent so you’ll most likely need to reapply throughout the day. I think this fragrance just might be my favorite of the bunch. Though you guys know how I love my vanillas and the vanilla in this collection is pretty fabulous, too.

Find it here:

Pacific Lime 1ml, 2ml, 5ml, 9ml decants, 100ml (at Scent Split)

Pacific Lime (at FragranceNet)

Orange Sanguine

• Scent Type: Sunny Citrus
• Key Notes: blood orange (Italy), geranium (China), sandalwood (Australia)
• Other Notes Perceived: bitter orange, jasmine, amber, tonka bean
• This Fragrance Available in: 10 ml, 30 ml + free travel case, 100 ml, 200 ml + free 30 ml +free travel case, moisturizing body lotion, bar soap, shower gel, and hand cream

This is the ultimate orange-lover’s fragrance. The opening is a very fresh orange with some slight aromatics. ‘Realistic orange’ is a good way to describe this one, it is not a sweet or candied orange. It smells like every part of an orange: the peel, the juice, the pith, everything. If you love the smell of a fresh-peeled orange, I think you will really enjoy this fragrance. As it dries down, it gets more green and aromatic to me, though the orange definitely remains present throughout.

Absolutely unisex. Projection is quite light, this is almost 100% a skin scent. Longevity is very weak as well, I got about an hour of full-strength scent before it faded but it did last as that faded skin scent for a good long time. These issues are quite common with natural citrus scents, just be prepared to reapply throughout the day. Great summer refreshment and a must try for true orange lovers.

Find it here:

Orange Sanguine 1ml, 2ml, 5ml, 9ml decants, 100ml full bottle (at Scent Split)

Orange Sanguine (at FragranceNet)

Rose Anonyme

• Scent Type: Bright Flower
• Key Notes: rose absolue (Turkey), bergamot (Italy), patchouli (Indonesia)
• Other Notes Perceived: agarwood (oud), papyrus, Somalian opoponax, benzoin, ginger
• This Fragrance Available in: 30 ml + free travel case, 100 ml, 200 ml + free 30 ml +free travel case, moisturizing body lotion, bar soap, shower gel, and hand cream

This is a lovely, warm, balsamic/amber scent. The benzoin and opoponax notes are very prominent here, especially in the opening. For those unfamiliar with opoponax, it’s a resinous balsamic note that’s slightly sweet and woodsy. About 5 minutes or so into the dry down, I start to detect the oud and about 10 minutes in, I finally get the rose. To my nose, it’s an old fashioned, almost powdery rose. Oud can be a tricky note for some, including me! But (at least for me) it works here and is not’ barnyard-ish’ but more woodsy/warm and blends well with the other notes. It also outlasts the other notes; the longer I wear the fragrance, the more oud-y it becomes.

As with most of the others, the projection for this fragrance is intimate. Of course, the great thing about that is you will not be blasting anyone away with any of these scents. This fades to a skin scent after a couple of hours but lasts a long time as a light skin scent. Overall, this is a nice woodsy amber fragrance with a touch of sweetness. Feminine-leaning but still unisex, for sure. Those who love sweet, warm amber fragrances should add this one to their list to try. Also recommended as a ‘safe’ first oud fragrance. If you’ve been curious about oud but scared that a straight oud fragrance might be too much for you, this is a good one to start with.

Find it here:

Rose Anonyme 1ml, 2ml, 5ml, 9ml decants (at Scent Split)

Rose Anonyme (at FragranceNet)

Clémentine California

• Scent Type: Sunny Citrus
• Key Notes: clementine (Italy), juniper berries (Turkey), vetiver (Haiti)
• Other Notes Perceived: mandarin orange, basil, star anise, pepper, cypress, sandalwood
• This Fragrance Available in: 10 ml, 30 ml + free travel case, 100 ml, 200 ml + free 30 ml +free travel case, moisturizing body lotion, bar soap, shower gel, hand cream, candle

This a very well-loved fragrance from this perfume house and might just be their most popular scent. The opening is a very nice fresh orange, light and gentle. As with Orange Sanguine, I would not call this a sweet orange. In the early stages of dry down, there is light musky/sour orange peel impression. As it continues to dry down, it reminds me a bit of a musky/indolic white flower, such as a jasmine sambac. About 15 minutes in, the musk dissipates some and about 20 mins-a half hour in, it’s finally fully developed. My honest opinion is this is not a super special or unique fragrance. I was expecting a spicier scent with the pepper and star anise but I didn’t really detect those notes on myself. It’s a very typical orange/white floral/white musk combo. But that is a very popular combo and if it’s your fave, this is worth adding to your wish list because it is done well here.

Projection is very light in the beginning but picks up to be more moderate. Another good one for office wear and for folks who do not care for heavier scents. This is decidedly unisex, I think men who love a good citrus will adore this. A very safe spring/summer pick. Lasted pretty well for about 3 hours and then longer as a faded skin scent.

Find it here:

Clémentine California (at FragranceNet)

Vanille Insensée

• Scent Type: Bright Flower
• Key Notes: vanilla infusion (Madagascar), lime (Mexico), coriander (Eastern Europe)
• Other Notes Perceived: citron, vetiver, oak moss, jasmine, oak, amber
• This Fragrance Available in: 10 ml, 30 ml + free travel case, 100 ml, 200 ml + free 30 ml +free travel case

Here’s my vanilla! This one is a spicy, powdery amber/vanilla. I get lots of spices with this fragrance; the coriander is very pronounced. There’s a delicious sweet vanilla sugar/licorice powdery-ness to it. The lime is subtle here. It’s slightly woodsy, too, which keeps it from being a too-sweet gourmand – though it definitely has its toe dipped in gourmand territory.

Unlike the summer-y citrus scents above, this is definitely a very autumnal-feeling fragrance. Unisex with maybe a very slight feminine lean. Projection is fair/on lighter side. Average longevity. I’ll never say no to a good vanilla, she’s a keeper!

Find it here:

Vanille Insensée 1ml, 2ml, 5ml, 9ml decants (at Scent Split)

Vanille Insensée (at FragranceNet)

Musc Impérial

• Scent Type: Fresh Woods
• Key Notes: musk accord, bergamot (Italy), cedarwood (America)
• Other Notes Perceived: black currant, clary sage, fig, leather, lavender, ambrette (musk mallow)
• This Fragrance Available in: 30 ml + free travel case, 100 ml, 200 ml + free 30 ml +free travel case, candle

Ok, disclaimer: this fragrance and the next one are not my faves of the batch but I will do my best to still give a fair review because I’ve read plenty of reviews from other folks that love them so you might, too. But the weird thing is, I kind of wonder if my samples of these two had the labeling switched because this one is super woodsy to me and the Cèdre one is ultra musky!

Anyway, on to the review! Unless you’re new here, you know my feelings about musk 😫 lol Let’s just say, it is not my fave. In fact, I think it is my most disliked note. BUT it’s very popular, found in a TON of fragrances, and a lot of people absolutely love it so I fully own the fact that I’m (probably) the weirdo here! The initial scent of this fragrance is quite woodsy/mossy/masculine. In fact, it’s very, VERY masculine. If I smell it up close, I do lightly get some of the fig, which is one of my favorite notes. The cedar is a major player here, as is the sage. I’d classify this as a very woodsy aromatic. There is really no musk present on my skin, maybe the teeny-tiniest bit but I wouldn’t frame this as a musk fragrance and certainly for having ‘musc’ right in the title, I’d expect a muskier scent. This is why I wonder if this and my Cèdre Atlas samples got mixed up?

This being a stronger scent with heavier notes, it has quite good projection. Good longevity, too, it lasted ALL night and I could still smell it in the morning. Overall, it is a well-crafted woodsy fougère that I think will mostly work best on men and masculine-leaning folks. This wasn’t my kind of fragrance but If you love the smell of a summer hike through mossy trees, this will probably be your jam.

Find it here:

Musc Impérial (at FragranceNet)

Cèdre Atlas

• Scent Type: Fresh Woods
• Key Notes: cedarwood (America), lemon (Italy), papyrus (India)
• Other Notes Perceived: bergamot, black currant, apricot, jasmine, vetiver, amber
• This Fragrance Available in: 10 ml, 30 ml + free travel case, 100 ml, 200 ml + free 30 ml +free travel case

So this one for me was 100% STRAIGHT musk. Again, this is what I expected Musc Impérial to smell like and that one smells strongly of the trees/cedar I was expecting here. So odd. Besides the musk overload, all I can really detect is a faint touch of cedar. I’m trying hard to find something good to say because I know someone will love this but boy howdy, it is NOT for me. I had to defer to other reviewers for some positivity here 😂 Folks that do like the scent say that it is fresh, clean, citrusy, and invigorating. I saw just as many positive reviews from women as well as men so if you’re not a guy but enjoy musky/woodsy fragrances, don’t be shy about giving this a try.

This one is another strong projector with those heavier notes. Longevity was decent, I got about 3 solid hours of strong scent and then it mellowed a bit to smell more like nail polish remover with a slight woodsy feel to it. A lot of other reviewers thought it was similar to Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue so if that is a favorite for you, you might like this one as well. My personal opinion is that Light Blue is more similar to JHAG’s Not a Perfume and Cèdre Atlas was nothing like that for me so definitely this is no safe blind buy. Sample or decant highly recommended first.

Find it here:

Cèdre Atlas 1ml, 2ml, 5ml, 9ml decants, 200ml full bottle (at Scent Split)

Cèdre Atlas (at FragranceNet)

Lemon Island

• Scent Type: Sunny Citrus
• Key Notes: lemon (Indian Ocean), jasmine (India), vanilla (Madagascar)
• Other Notes Perceived: salt, sea notes, starfish
• This Fragrance Available in: 10 ml, 30 ml + free travel case, 100 ml, 200 ml + free 30 ml +free travel case

This is another scent that many people rave about but for whatever reason, does not play nicely with my personal chemistry. The initial scent is fine, mostly strong lemon mixed with a sunscreen scent – but not a Hawaiian Tropic/coconutty suntan oil, more like a chemical sunscreen. But the dry down is really awful on me, it smells strongly of wet dog and weirdly also slightly like bacon?! I’m sure it’s just my personal chemistry reacting with it but it’s the weirdest thing! About a half hour or so into the dry-down, it does get better with the bacon/wet dog impression mostly dissipating and returns to more of a lemon/sunscreen/beach water combo. A good summary of this is lemons + the ocean + sunscreen. I’m getting zero vanilla. Don’t really get any jasmine here, either, unless it’s a more indolic jasmine, which could be contributing to the funky smells I’m getting on my skin.

This is not a typical ‘clean’ lemon scent as so many of them are. It’s lemon mixed with REALISTIC beach aromas, as in ALLLLL of the smells of a beach including dead sea creatures 😂 It’s very odd and, to me, rather unpleasant. Another review I read compared it to a dried starfish and while I lol’d, I have to agree 100%. Projection is light to moderate. Longevity is average, about 3 hours and then fades to a long-lasting skin scent. I went to bed for the night still smelling like the ocean, lol This is not a safe blind buy; sample/decant STRONGLY encouraged. I might also suggest JHAG’s Vanilla Vibes or Maison Margiela’s Replica Beach Walk as alternative beachy fragrances if this does weird things on your skin like it did for me.

Find it here:

Lemon Island (at FragranceNet)

Have you tried anything by this citrus-famous perfume house before? I’d love to hear if anyone else had the same experience as I did with the last 3 fragrances listed here or if I’m just a weirdo. Ok, I already know I’m a weirdo but dying to know if anyone else gets a wet dog/bacon dry down with Lemon Island?? Guys, I eat bacon rarely, like a couple of times a year MAX, so it’s definitely not interacting with what I’m putting into my body! 😂🥓

Side note: if you love citrus scents, please do also check out my review of Bastide’s Fragrance Discovery Set. It’s another wonderful collection of summer-friendly fragrances and chock full of masterfully-done citrus scents. I also have a full list of the best summertime citrus freshies here.🍊💛💐🍋🧡

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