WHAT I SMELL: Cologne Rare initially shines with a fresh citrus and bright bergamot opening. But there’s a little surprise with the addition of a lightly herbal and sharpened green note. In all it’s like a sun filled herbal garden surrounded by several lemon and lime trees. The freshness and sparkle from the opening starts to warm on the skin and there’s a light sugared tartness that adds just the modern uniqueness to this rather traditional scent. As the cologne continues to develop, a sweetened patchouli that feels topped with lavender, pulsates off the skin. In a short while, the patchouli becomes the centerpiece, but the woodiness of the note seems to be wrapped around a citrus tinged vetiver. And just when you thought the perfume had found its resting place, it instead continues to deepen like a golden elixir. This is one nice cologne.
From the La Manufacture website:
A breath of bergamot and basil
Under the intense sun, one seeks out the scarce shade beneath the dungeon’s stone vault. You can sprinkle yourself with a spirited freshness.
Bergamot collides with basil, peel meets leaf. Notes full of character cross steel in an exchange of green… The green tartness of rhubarb yields to the somber green of patchouli and vetiver, giving rise to full-bodied base notes. A breath of coolness lingers, weaving among heightened wood notes.
“I chose bergamot from Italy for its lavender and pepper undertones. The basil from Egypt, with its singular anise note, makes the transition from citrus to green heart. The green is darkened by a smoky-leather note specific to vetiver from Haiti.
Carla Chabert, perfumer
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A stroll through the sun warmed Italian countryside.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE COLOGNE RARE: comforting, easy, delightful
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT COLOGNE RARE: No additional reviews were found.
BOTTOM LINE: Cologne Rare is the perfect antidote for the heat of the summer. It’s an uncomplicated, yet modern, version of a classic citrus cologne with a tangy herbal edge. It’s bright, sunny, easy to wear and it can’t help but put you in a good mood.
- Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Citrus Aromatic
- Nose: Carla Chabert
- Classification: Unisex
- Expense: $125 for 100 ml cologne
The Scented Hound 
June 29, 2016 at 12:01 pm
Aaaaand another one that sounds great! I love the notes, and there’s something about basil in cologne that gives me the shivers (in a good way.) Where did you bump into this one?
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June 29, 2016 at 7:45 pm
I love a good herbal perfume as well…just as long as it doesn’t dominate and get funky. Here is doesn’t. I had a rep contact me about a few lines. I hadn’t heard of the line, but found their colognes to be really nice and a little different. Cologne Noble was my 2nd favorite in the line.
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June 29, 2016 at 3:30 pm
I love those Colognes from La Manufacture, they’re all so fresh and crisp!
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June 29, 2016 at 7:45 pm
I really like them too. Too bad they don’t get much publicity!
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July 2, 2016 at 4:20 am
I recognize the bottle from seeing it somewhere in the Perfumeland but I’ve never seen that brand anywhere in the store. This Cologne sounds very good and I’ll give it a try if I see it somewhere, but it’s not a genre that I’ll be seeking on purpose.
If you were to compare this one to some of the Atelier Cologne’s perfumes (not note-to-note but a general approach), how similar or different are they?
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July 2, 2016 at 9:04 am
U – I don’t think it’s really promoted or stocked that well in the US. I’m not sure as to why. So how are these different for Atelier? I’ve never been a big fan of the Atelier line…as they’re cologne aboslues, I find that they’re typcially heavy and a little goes a long way. Cologne Rare to me falls more to what I think of as a cologne…it’s refreshing, voluminous without being heavy and completely wearable in any setting.
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