Atelier Cologne Advent Calendar Day 3: Pomélo Paradis

Day 3 of the Atelier Cologne advent calendar introduced me to Pomélo Paradis, another citrus-centric fragrance, this time focusing on the grapefruit-like pomelo.  I had no idea what a pomelo was, but apparently it is one of the four original citrus species from which all the others have been cultivated. Grapefruit is my favorite citrus fruit to eat, and I'm fond of it as a fragrance as well, although I've yet to find one that leaves me swooning. Could Pomélo Paradis be the one?

• Top notes: pink pomelo from Florida, mandarin from Calabria, blackcurrent bud from Burgundy
• Middle notes: Moroccan orange blossom, Bulgarian rose essence, mint from China
• Base notes: vetiver from Haiti, iris from Tuscany, amber

First off, before I get to the scent itself, I've got to rant a bit about that nefarious little black stopper on these vial samples. I drop it almost every single time I open one. Fortunately, I've been able to find them each time, but I know that eventually one will escape me forever and I'll be forced to use an entire vial at once. I guess that will be a fragrance impact day for me.

Source: Atelier Cologne

Now on to Pomélo Paradis, which was introduced to the Atelier Cologne line in 2015 by perfumer Ralf Schwieger. He was also responsible for two of my favorite Atelier colognes, Orange Sanguine (2010) and Vanille Insensee (2011). I love the opening burst of Pomélo Paradis, which is definitely a realistic citrus with it's fresh and slightly sweet notes of grapefruit and mandarin. The opening lasts far too short, although the hint of orange blossom intertwined with the citrus before the base notes take hold makes up for it. Somewhat. Most of the criticism I saw online regarding Pomélo Paradis had to do with how ephemeral it is - and indeed it is one of the Atelier Colognes that does seem to fade quickly on me.  I've worn it 3-4 times now, and the last time I made sure to slather on quite a bit.  It becomes a skin scent in short order, although I could smell it on my wrists 5-6 hours later.  Overall I was left missing that first initial burst of citrus/orange blossom, which makes Pomélo Paradis not one I would want to purchase in a larger size.  Pretty, but fleeting. My search for a grapefruit based fragrance continues.