Review – Arquiste – Limoneros

Review – Arquiste – Limoneros – A Mexican summer bottled 8/10.

I confess I purchased Limoneros blind. However, I am not a regular blind buyer. I rarely partake in such silliness. But I knew I’d love Limoneros. The notes, the perfumer, and the bottle looked like the perfect match for my taste. Fortunately, I was right. Perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux knows his way around a citrus scent. He has a proven track record with scents such as Clinique Happy, Neroli Portofino, and a slew of freshies for John Varvatos. And along with these examples, his body of work for Arquiste gave me confidence in my blind buy.

Flores-Roux seems an integral member of the brand, if not the official in-house perfumer, which makes sense given that Arquiste’s founder, Carlos Huber, is a fellow Mexican. Perhaps it is a case of kindred spirits gravitating towards one another. Various other Mexican brands (there aren’t many) utilise Sr. Flores-Roux’s expertise too. He’s the go-to man. So, it was no surprise when, in 2018, Arquiste and Flores-Roux collaborated on a series of scents (Escencia De El Palacio collection) with the Mexican department store El Palacio de Hierro. Appropriately enough, the line has a Mexican focus and includes, among others, vetiver, vanilla, and guava fragrances. The subject of today’s review, Limoneros, also forms part of the line. 

Limoneros, inspired by a Mexican soda (Yoli) Flores-Roux drunk as a child, opens bitter and fresh. My senses were working overtime, trying to work out whether it was lemon or lime I was smelling. It’s both, with key lime and lemon leaf playing a part in the formative moments. The citric notes smell tangy and tart and aim to evoke the scent of a Mexican Limon, a fruit closer in taste and appearance to lime than a lemon. Indeed, the tart qualities of Limoneros remind me of the sweet and sour soda, lemon, lime, and bitters we drink here in Australia. 

Limoneros never loses its fresh, tart qualities. But it’s not a simple citrus cologne by any means. The middle stages smell decidedly botanical, effervescent, and even green. Herbaceous absinthe, petitgrain, and buchu fill a small part of the space between the citrus top and woody base. However, the spicy hit of ginger and cardamon gives Limoneros its kick. The ginger, in particular, provides a bubbly, sparkly piquancy to the perfume. 

Limoneros rests on a sheer woody, vetiver, iris, and patchouli base. It has become one of my summer staples for the past few years. Even with my vast wardrobe of summer fragrances, I wear it at least 15 times during the warmer months. Unlike most fresh scents where the citrus notes burn off quickly, Flores-Roux somehow extends the fresh, tart qualities of the lemon, lime, and grapefruit right through to the base. Sadly, Limoneros seems to be out of production now, and my bottle is all but empty, but I’d repurchase it if I had the chance.

Do you have a summer staple or a favourite from Arquiste?

All photos are my own. I purchased the bottle of Limoneros.

Quick Notes:

Launch Year: 2018.

Perfumer(s): Rodrigo Flores-Roux.

Top Notes: Key lime, lemon tree, pink grapefruit.

Mid Notes: Buchu, wormwood, ginger, and cardamom (not officially listed, but I sense its spicy, cooling qualities).

Base Notes: Florentine iris, lemon tree wood, patchouli, vetiver.

Longevity: 4-6 hours.

Projection: 2 hours, medium.

Seasons: Spring and summer, preferably while eating fish tacos and wearing a sombrero.

Alternatives: Eau de Italie Acqua Decima, Atelier Cologne Cedrat Enivrant, James Heeley Zeste de Gingembre.