Eau d’Hadrien By Annick Goutal Perfume Review

I came across the brand Annick Goutal while searching online for new perfumes to try.  I found that many people professed a great love for their perfumes and had a certain reverence for this perfume house, and I became quite curious about it.  So on my birthday off I went, at the height of summer in sweltering heat and humidity, to sniff at the Annick Goutal line, and came home with Eau d’Hadrien as a present.
Eau d Hadrien Annick Goutal
Annick Goutal is a French perfume house, founded by Annick Goutal, who was a prizewinning pianist and model prior to crafting her line of fragrances in 1977.  Her first three creations were Passion, Folavril, and Eau d’Hadrien.  She passed away in 1999 and the company is now run by her daughter, Camille Goutal, and perfumer Isabelle Doyen.

Eau d’Hadrien product description:

In Italy, Annick Goutal worked to compose a marvellous garden of fruit ripened in the Italian Sun. She then added cypress, a base note which would echo the Tuscan gardens and landscapes. Annick Goutal spoke eloquently of the scent that can be obtained by rubbing the branches between your palms. The fragrance is an expression of Annick Goutal’s great love for the South. It also owes its inspiration to Marguerite Yourcenar’s novel “Memoirs of Hadrien”, a brilliant literary interpretation of the life of the emperor. This perfume is universal and timeless, evoking the freshness of citrus fruits in the shade of a lemon tree. (From annickgoutal.com)
Eau d Hadrien Annick Goutal Bottle
First, regarding the packaging, which is an aspect I always appreciate: I love it! I like how it is simple and beautiful.  It looks like something to be treasured.  The ribbon and the tag with the bow make it look like a like a delicate, pretty gift.  Very feminine and for me, classic.

Eau d’Hadrien is advertised as a fresh, citrus scent.  The notes for this perfume are Sicilian lemon, citron, grapefruit, green mandarine, cypress, aldehyde notes, and ylang-ylang.
Eau d Hadrien Annick Goutal Uncapped
This is my go-to scent on hot, hot, hot days.  I love citrus fragrances in high and humid temperature because they really are quite refreshing.  And this is a very citrusy fragrance, especially during the first twenty minutes or so, when it smells like a real, freshly squeezed lemon, tempered by water, grapefruit, and some herbs.  It is bright, upbeat, and does a good job in waking me up, yet I don’t find it overwhelming.  A spray of Eau d’Hadrien while I’m melting under the sun is like getting a cool drink to momentarily quench my thirst.

When it’s dried down it’s softer and warmer, with an undertone of musk.  To me it smells like skin, with some dark honey and woods.  This is actually a unisex fragrance and I easily see it being worn by a man.  In fact, my own husband has asked a few times if he could use it.  I personally don’t find it too masculine for myself though.  I just find it to be a pleasant warm scent that stays close to the skin

My review is for the Eau de toilette (Hadrien is also available in Eau de parfum), which on me doesn’t last as long as typical eau de toilettes.  I get a maximum of six hours wear if I spray on both my clothes and skin.  This fragrance also costs more than other department store perfumes, with the 50ml bottle (there’s a bigger size- 100ml) priced at around $86, which is approximately Rs. 3880 when converted.  Expensive, yes, but I must say I think it’s worth the price and definitely want to try more fragrances from Annick Goutal.

Also Read:

Clinique Happy for Men and Women Perfume Review
Avon Simple & Warm Sunshine Eau De Cologne Review
Perfume Shopping Tips: How to Find the Perfect Perfume
Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Parfum Review

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10 thoughts on “Eau d’Hadrien By Annick Goutal Perfume Review

  1. Sounds divine Ida! What store did you pick this up from?
    I just received my Calvin Klein coffret from Sephora and they’re the most dated and disgusting smells ever!
    My HG perfume is D&G Light Blue, but I want to change things up! Any suggestions?

    1. Hi Devie, I got this from a Duty Free Shop. 🙂 That’s actually where I get most of my perfumes…just seems cheaper there.
      I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never tried any Calvin Klein perfumes. :doh: Which one would you say smelled the worst? 😀
      I used to use Light Blue a lot, like everyday. I’d suggest Clinique Happy, Lanvin Eclat D’Arpege, and Marc Jacobs Daisy. All pretty modern, feminine, and not overwhelming. :)) :))

    1. Hi Mita am not sure why my comments aren’t going through. I purchased this at a Duty Free shop. I’m sorry but I’m not sure they’re available in-store at India but I think some online stores based in India do have it. :))

  2. Lovely article, made me curious :snicker:
    Goutal got quite popular the last years and it´s supposed to have a nice scent rage between classical an innovative. Never tried their scents but now I will do that :-* Thanks a lot for sharing your impressions :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose:

  3. Thank you Tatjana! :blush: Annick Goutal has a number of fragrances, and from the ones I’ve tried, I’d say they’ve indeed got a classical touch to them, but at the same time they’re wearable. 🙂

    They definitely don’t do overly sweet vanillas you mentioned before that you disliked. :laugh: And they probably have a nice woodsy scent. Thanks for reading. 🙂 🙂 🙂

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