Eau d'Hadrien

Citruses, classic feel, got the niceness added to the mid. to me a study piece.

The OG still hits. I'm using some of my mother's perfume collection and spraying this was like a burst of sunshine on this gloomy day. Some of it might be nostalgia but I'm enjoying the fragrance

I might have reviewed it before, but I don’t remember so let’s assume it’s my first impression. It’s very green. Too green for my taste. Smells like lime zest and dill. Almost picked. It’s refreshing, but has some bitter dimension on my skin at least. Follow me on ig: scent.guide

Quite cheap smelling.

Applies the most perfect representation of fresh lemon skin being zested. Big, bright citrus with perfect amount of bitter pith that is stunningly realistic. Lively and zesty while soft wood fortifies the base. A musk floats in that unfortunately clouds things, but kind of directs the experience into a different direction as opposed to necessarily being a decrease. I guess that's the cypress. Becomes more stately and formal, but the projection also drops significantly. Becomes too stale. On clothes, the enjoyable soft citrus lasts much longer.

In the 1970s and 80s, perfumery was still dominated by rich chypres and heavy florals. Citrus fragrances were often regarded as little more than cologne—fresh but cheap, bright at the start yet gone almost instantly. Annick Goutal broke that limitation. Using real Italian lemon oil together with cypress and ylang-ylang, she created a citrus fragrance that carried both natural brightness and warmth. It made people realize that citrus could also have depth and emotion. Its significance isn’t about being the “first,” but about restoring the belief that a light fragrance can still have soul. Among all the perfumes inspired by sunlight, wind, and lemons, Eau d’Hadrien remains the kind of scent that you recognize immediately—the archetype itself: clean, elegant, luminous, and unmistakably French.

This cologne continues to be made for a reason. It is a tried and true formula that has withstood the test of time. I believe that it perfectly captures the classic Greek mythology vibes it was inspired by... that being said, if you're dive into ancient history, you are strictly working with what you had available. The top notes of lemon and cypress are present about two hours later, without much deviation in scent. Grapefruit sneaks in, and because of the aldehydes it does feel like a bit of a hand soap. This fragrance us perfect for layering on citrus accents, but I don't think I will wear it by itself.

After reading short and interesting biography of Annick Goutal here on Fragrantica's page where it said that this was her most popular perfume which pushed her into popularity, after years of being mentored by experienced perfumer, i came to see about it and it turns out its just a boring citrus...

Fresh citrus notes in many facets—tart, bitter, and sweet—intertwine to create a joyful, mood-lifting fragrance. The composition does not evolve significantly, settling after a few hours into a subtle skin scent.

I use this perfume for more than 20 years and it’s my favorite fragrance. However I just bought a new bottle in a shop in Vienna, new bottle with a bow lace (a bit feminine for my taste I prefer the original square bottle) but was surprised that this time the scent last nothing. It is so weak that you may have a hard time to recognise that it’s supposed to be the best Annick Gouta. What happened, anybody knows? Were they sold to a big conglomerate now which is reducing costs and dropping in the quality ? I hope not. But it was such disappointment. Also considering the high EUR price I paid.

Smells like an Adonis with sun-warmed, golden skin lounging somewhere on the southern coast of Greece. Think hot sand between your toes, a glass of icy lemon in hand, and that faint kiss of saltwater drying on your skin. It doesn’t bother with being masculine or feminine—it’s simply the scent of hot people, period. Pure Mediterranean energy, bottled sunshine with just enough edge to make you sweat a little. The opening is sharp, tangy lemon—refreshing but never candy-sweet. Clean, sexy, and effortless, like someone who doesn’t even need to try because the world already revolves around them. 10/10. (Full disclosure: my partner wears it, which basically makes me the luckiest person alive.)

This is for the EDT. This is a great citrus fragrance. Juicy. A little sweet probably from the orange and the ylang. Does not smell like a cleaning product at all. Smells very unisex compared to the other citrus fragrances I'm familiar with. One of the best citrus fragrances I have smelled. I'd wear this all year long.

Eau d'Hadrien by Annick Goutal First impressions from the squared bottle Very citrusy in the opening like a man cologne from the '80. Refreshing, but complex with mossy undertones. The beautiful part is when a creamy ylamg appears rendering all the conconction very soft. The cypress in the dry-dowm turns it again into alpha-male territory. that is the scent of a love story from a past long gone. Folow me on IG @alexolympia6

Man I really am not a citrus fan, and I also don’t have the best history with ylang ylang and aldehydes, but this is so lovely! On me, it’s a very soft, sweet lemon scent. I find that lemon can very easily take a “cleaning product” route which is not my thing, but this leans more lemon candy! It’s not overwhelmingly sweet, very fresh. I like that it sits close to my skin.

Goutal does the best citrus in the biz. I'm not into lemon scents but I think everyone into perfume should get their nose on Eau D'Hadrien at least once to understand what a lemon note could be. Is it simple? Yeah. But it's also perfect.

I dunno.... just a single lemon note - cheap lemon like lemon sweets or candies. Vey boring. Strong and pongy yet at same time sits close to skin. Won't even bother to reapply. Next!

What happened to this perfume and this brand? I was recently in Paris and went to the Goutal boutique near the Musee D'Orsay and the space was 1/4 the size it once was and it was honestly pitiful. L'Eau D'Hadrien is my favorite lemon scent. It's perfect for summertime. I bought a small size of the EDT in the classic bottle with the bow. I was glad to see they have gone back to their original bottles. They are so iconic. Anyway, the perfume starts very strong and is bright and green and happily screaming, but it's completely gone in 15 minutes. I paid close to $200.00 for a Jean Nate splash. Come on, Goutal. Do better. What a disappointment. I've always loved this brand, but I will not buy from them again. Sigh.

(Bottle c. early 1990s) Water from Hadria, or Hadrian Water, a town of northern Italy. Or, perhaps, a reference to the Roman emperor, Hadrian, or to someone "dark haired", apparently. How ever you choose to translate this, and derive the creative vision from the meaning, there is no doubt you will find blistering Italian sunshine heating up a lemon and herb garden. At this point in the perfume's life, which for this bottle is getting on a bit, the top notes of lemon have gone a bit bitter and astringent to give a determined bergamot and lemon verbena accord; not the intention of Annick Goutal or Francis Camail, but it is certainly striking as was the original lemon top. The sheer force with which this old perfume still tries to assert those top notes certainly gives you the impression this was a lemon bomb in its prime. It dries down quite quickly to a heart of cypress and grapefruit. They too have lost some of their bright and sour notes but instead now have the effect of dried green herbs and freshly ground anise roasting in the sun. The woody and aromatic oily note of the cypress turned more anisic, and the sulfuric tendencies of grapefruit highlighting the more dried zest facet... I think. So, while it may not be the same perfume it was nearly 30 years ago, it's a testament to just how good it is that even well-aged it is still great.

Aldehydes and lemon over lush salty woods with hints of ylang (EdT) I’m not surprised this one gets plenty of negative comments, eventhough it objectively is the classic that put Goutal on the map. Brash lemon and aldehydes in the opening, blisteringly cold and acidic almost hygienic. This is exactly what most people dislike about strong bright citrus (not me). The picture perfect lemon cleanliness persists surprisingly long before a fuzzy blanket of abstract salty woods kick in, staying for several hours on my skin. What I also pick up on a ylang raw materials, benzoates, salicylates that give a warm kind of inviting feeling to it. Now this is not something you want to dig your nose into. I recommend spraying it on liberally and keeping your arm at a foots distance and letting it arrive to you. The lemon and aldehydes clear the senses and the salty backdrop resonates and shimmers almost magically. I am particularly reminded of wafts of summer air from warm afternoon in Greece or Southern Italy, an hour before sunset on the beach, lemon water washcloth in my hands, table full of empty seafood shells in front of me, vibrant air from the nearby hills.

Eau d’Hadrien is capital-L Lemon. Vivid, totally acidic, photorealistic, totally free of sweetness or synthetic harshness. Cuts through the grime of life like a blade of sunlight. Soft after an hour or so; performs like a typical cologne, i.e. very fleeting.

Endust Lemon Zest. What's not to like. A freshly cleaned study covered in wood paneling (assuming the old cigar smell has worn away). That is a way over-simplified description of the scent, but if you haven't actually smelled this I hope it gives you an idea of what this is. Similar to Afternoon Swim (LV), but with a woody touch, and it lasts longer.

Current EDP is a total snooze. Also does anyone truly believe A-list celebrities wear this? lol, that's approaching tabloid levels of imagination the likes of which has only been attained by Creed. EDT is supposedly more delicate and complex which makes sense with lighter notes, but I realized I got the EDP a bit late. Straight lemons and not much else, then it's gone.

An online search reveals that several A-list celebrities, notably Tom Cruise and Leonardo di Caprio, wear Eau d'Hadrien. Surprising when reading all the reviews here since it apparently has poor performance and is heavily citric. I would have expected them to be in something more musky. Also confusing is that this Fragrantica listing is for Eau d'Hadrien "for women and men," but FragranceNet is separately selling Eau d'Hadrien for men and Eau d'Hadrien for women, with the bottles looking completely different from one another. Can anyone clarify if the "for men" version smells different from what's listed here? Are the notes the same? There also appear to be EDT, EDP and Absolu (discontinued) versions that Fragrantica isn't accounting for. I'm intrigued enough to blind buy it (The EDT variant is only around $80 so not much risk) but would like to know what I'm getting myself into.

Unisex leaning masculine. I smell citrus and cypress very clearly, not aldehydes thanks goodness.

It’s a nice perfume and it’s the most beautiful lemon I’ve smelled ever. But….longevity is awful. It lasts ten minutes and it doesn’t even turn to a skin scent, it disappears. Also I stored it properly at a cool and dry place and the cap of the bottle started chipping at 8 months with minimal use (because it doesn’t last) I am so sorry but it’s so expensive it shouldn’t have chipped like this after so little time. I am never buying anything again from this perfume House. This shows that quality is low for the money someone gives

I expected much, much more from this fragrance. Eau d'Hadrien EdP doesn't smell like real lemons at all. It is just another fragrance that mimics something citrusy like verbena. It doesn't smell zesty or natural. Rather, it reminds me of the smell of those citrusy geraniums (Pelargonium Graveolens) that you use as a mosquito repellent. No citrus fruit smells like this. It becomes a skin scent after 15 minutes and is mostly gone after an hour. I have smelt and owned many citrus scents and I must say that the only one of these that really smelt like lemon was Monsieur de Balmain, which was discontinued some thirty years ago. Alas!

the same scent as normal eau de cologne nothing special without the alcohol opening and many citruses. performance wise its an eau de cologne less than one hour where you smell it then its a skin scent for another extra hour

Despite the whole bunch of citruses I think this perfume will sound the best in cold winter time. Smoky and little bit salty base that reminds the scent from a camp fire make this fragrance bold and probably too heavy for summertime. Overall it is fresh classic scent with an interesting twist.

Smells SOO incredibly fresh and light, I love it. A true punch of citrus and green, however it also really reminds me of is when you get a fresh towel/a lemon wipe after you've eaten with your hands at a restaurant. Sticking by my freshness comment though, it is powerful and very refreshing. Forgot I owned this, just went to smell it again from the actual bottle and it has become very peppery and much less sharp lemon over time. Seems to have completely morphed over time even in the bottle. Stunning bottle too, reminds me of something that would be seen on a toilette in the Rococo era.

My bottle is an older version of the aftershave for men. Right away you know as an aftershave it will not have even the strength of the EDT/EDP, however, what it did have is one of the best citrus moments of my life. Lemon, citron, even a little orange, simply stunning realistic citrus. Was it gone in less than thirty minutes, yes, but who cares it was beautiful. Sometime after I got this bottle I quit shaving and grew a beard . . . that was well over a decade ago. I kept this bottle in a dark cabinet (air conditioned all the time). I recently went back to just sample the citrus (having rediscovered my love for fragrances) and to my disappointment they were gone. A citrus that magical probably just doesn't age well regardless the way it was stored but wow, when it was fresh, what a stunner.