Néroli Outrenoir opens elegantly with a soft, floral note of petitgrain and crisp, sparkling bergamot. Their citrusy freshness contrasts with a note of smoked tea that’s smoky, dry, deep, dark and haylike. Bergamot here suggests Earl Gray tea to me, which is not surprising, really, as Earl Gray is flavoured with bergamot. As it blooms, neroli comes forward. Its delicate freshness and floralcy are light and airy and always make me pause. It’s the perfect counterpoint to the animalic, lush, honeyed orange blossom that joins it. The orange blossom links the luminous citrus notes to the smoky dark tea notes so that they play off the deep, dark tea dancing around it and running through it, creating a layered texture and sense of excitement - that ‘Outrenoir’.

As it moves to the base, it gets musky and mossy from ambrette seed and oakmoss, balsamy and resinous from myrrh and smoky and woody from Guaiac wood. There is a slight bitterness and smokiness that runs right through to the base. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Guerlain fragrance if there wasn’t a detectable note of vanilla in it.

Néroli Outrenoir dries down to a tenacious skin scent that is woody, aromatic and gorgeous. A true piece of olfactory art and a beautiful fragrance to wear.