Hiya Perfume Posse,

Rarely do I go looking for a new citrus fragrance. There are three I really love here in my collection already: Escale a Portofino by DIOR, Estratto di Colonia by Pineider and Liberte by Cacharel. There are others but these three are my most reached for my a mile. Recently though Surrender To Chance was doing their Fabulous Friday and I grabbed a few 5ml decants of things I would usually not try because they were so reasonable priced and I thought why not, I do like the Keiko Mecheri aesthetic. So here is one that I quickly fell for….

Sanguine by Keiko Mecheri 2000

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Musk, Amalfi lemon, blood orange, petitgrain, orange

Sanguine: 1. Adj. optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.
                   2. N. a blood-red colour

What a great word, featuring both a positive, optimistic state of mind and the colour of blood red. Sanguine is exactly as it is named. Sweet, fresh and joyously citrus that is almost exactly a blood red orange. A literal impression that is even more wonderful because it lasts so well for me, keeping the fun citrus bounce right through its life, merely hitting pithy (the musks) as a later stage but never losing sight of its beautiful late summer fizz.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

After the opening fireworks peter out a little Sanguine gets a lovely tart bite to it that may be the Amalfi lemon but is probably the petitgrain. Here is where my mouth waters, yes in real and factual reporting my mouth did water and suddenly all I wanted was some citrus in my day. Fortunately there was some bought in the bottle fresh squeezed orange juice which slaked my need. The scent is so real that I was smiling broadly like a fool as I grabbed the juice. I love this green tangy bite that evolves through the heart, it keeps me interested. Then the furry, pithy musks stroll in and while maintaining lovely citrus fruit and leaves brings Sanguine to a close, surprisingly long scent life though softer in the last couple of hours.

(blood-orange-beet-and-fennel-salad) Photo Stolen Bon Appetit

Here is an excellent fragrance that I find quite intoxicating. Sanguine is not a universally loved fragrance, the few reviews I could find were only very mildly enthusiastic to outright mean. Not as in your face as FM Bigarade Concentree, nor as effortlessly pretty as Escale a Portofino by Dior but somewhere else. Here the story seems 100% citrus, fun, light and frivolous. I could easily imagine it as a go-to day spritz or a great after workout shower frag that would reflect the happy jump in my step from doing something good for myself compounded by the endorphins. Excellent work choice, fragrant but not perfumey. You will smell wonderful and fresh all day at work.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Further reading: Sweet Diva and Perfumes: The Guide
LuckyScent has $115/75ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

If you thought this was fun, come on over to Australian Perfume Junkies and join in the conversation over there too. We love visitors, say G’Day while you’re there.

Portia xx