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Banana Republic Neroli Woods is Excellent

Anyone else try this one? I happened across it for $19 at Marshalls and blind bought it, expecting a half-hearted chemical neroli eclipsed by a massive woody amber. Instead I got a natural bergamot top with super subtle jasmine/coconut underpinnings, all of which coalesced into a full, natural, well-rounded neroli that lasts about five hours. How is this relegated to discount shelves? This is better than Neroli Portofino imo. While that one is a nice enough, I find it a bit too heavy-handed and soapy. Neroli Woods is something I can see pairing with 4711 after a shower and shave.
 
Yeah keep an eye out for it. Not only is it inexpensive but for the low price you get both a terrific neroli frag and a beautiful box/bottle package. They went for basic "niche" aesthetic there.
 
Performance is good. I get about six hours of clear neroli with a very soft hint of cedar/cypress in the far drydown (barely perceptible notes, but they're there). For a citrus neroli fragrance it's surprisingly durable without winding up smelling super soapy or chemical. I've heard the now discontinued Ferrari Bright Neroli suffers from these flaws a bit. Also the citrus in Neroli Woods is very natural smelling, mostly the top notes phase of course.

Projection is good but not overpowering. Idk why but with things like Neroli Portofino and Pens Castile, the neroli note becomes strident and loud on me. Neroli Woods it's a bit softer and better balanced but you can still detect it from a few feet away. Just gentle wafts. Beautiful stuff.
 
Good to know, been curious about that one! I bought Bvlgari Man Wood Neroli recently and really like it. Would be curious how the two compare.
 
I’ve been meaning to try this one. I have 5 BR fragrances and they’re all pretty good. My wife purchased “Republic of Men” for me about 10 years ago and I was always impressed at how well rounded and sophisticated it smelled. I only also had RL Purple at the time and the quality was comparable IMO.

Flash forward to now and I’m trying so many new fragrances. The BR stuff is $20 at the discount stores and there’s a lot of favorable reviews on base notes. Ive recently made some blind buys on Cordovan, Classic Green, Cypress Cedar and M and am pleased so far. Need to wear them each a few times to really decide.
 
Good to know, been curious about that one! I bought Bvlgari Man Wood Neroli recently and really like it. Would be curious how the two compare.

They are quite similar Bvlgari Wood Neroli & BR Neroli Woods. Bvlgari's version is a bit more natural smelling with a juiciness at the top that is very appealing for the first hour or so but, the drydown is a little on the weak side and is rather soft on projection & silage. Longevity also is not a strong point perhaps garnering me 3 to 4 hours tops. For an edp, that's a big bummer for me. At least on my skin. I still love it though.

BR's version is slightly a tiny bit more on the synthetic side but, it gives a nice burst of the Neroli & Bergamot burst in the beginning with a floral component and more substantial woods in the mids and drydown. Marketed as a unisex fragrance but, I believe it leans more on the masculine side and so does my Misses. Overall the composition is done extremely well for what one is paying at discount retailers.

Bvlgari gets it in the opening, Banana Republic takes the rest including performance imo.

On a side note, I would also suggest another Neroli based fragrance that hardly gets any mention and that is Neroli Portfolio by Al Haramain Parfums. This is a TFNP Forte clone done extremely well with exceptional quality & performance @1/10th the price of Forte. I highly recommend it.....
 
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It's cliched to say it but Neroli Woods goes well with 4711. A splash of cologne, a few minutes to dry, and then a few spritzes of NW and the neroli note extends well into the day.
 
They are quite similar Bvlgari Wood Neroli & BR Neroli Woods. Bvlgari's version is a bit more natural smelling with a juiciness at the top that is very appealing for the first hour or so but, the drydown is a little on the weak side and is rather soft on projection & silage. Longevity also is not a strong point perhaps garnering me 3 to 4 hours tops. For an edp, that's a big bummer for me. At least on my skin. I still love it though.

BR's version is slightly a tiny bit more on the synthetic side but, it gives a nice burst of the Neroli & Bergamot burst in the beginning with a floral component and more substantial woods in the mids and drydown. Marketed as a unisex fragrance but, I believe it leans more on the masculine side and so does my Misses. Overall the composition is done extremely well for what one is paying at discount retailers.

Bvlgari gets it in the opening, Banana Republic takes the rest including performance imo.

On a side note, I would also suggest another Neroli based fragrance that hardly gets any mention and that is Neroli Portfolio by Al Haramain Parfums. This is a TFNP Forte clone done extremely well with exceptional quality & performance @1/10th the price of Forte. I highly recommend it.....

Yeah, I agree, the Bvlgari smells great, but doesn't last all that long. Neroli Portofino is fantastic. I've been using the Murphy and McNeil dupe Cat Sidhe eau de parfum and enjoying it a lot.
 
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