CIRO
COLUMBINE

2019

PERFUMER
Alexandra Carlin

Bergamot
Mandarin
Tobacco
Tagetes

Iris
Osmanthus
Neroli
Pink Pepper

Benzoin
Suede
Vanilla Absolute
Musk
Vetiver

Ciro is a brand with a rich history. Started in 1921 by Jacob Wiedhopf (the first president of the Fragrance Foundation in 1949). It relaunched in 2018 and Chevalier de La Nuit is a fragrance I’ve always liked, but recently I discovered Columbine and that’s another hit.

When I first smelled Columbine in store, what grabbed my attention was this almost lemonade-like quality. The citrus is prominent and pink pepper adds a sparkle, but it’s instantly backed by heavier notes, creating a nice contrast. In fact, Columbine is simultaneously heavier and lighter than I initially gave it credit for.

The heaviness comes from the tobacco and osmanthus for me. I think it’s the osmanthus that adds an oily, fig-like suede element. The lemonade orange becomes more like a hard candy.

After a while the tobacco is noticeable, but it’s a lot more on the fresher side for a tobacco scent. A lot of that comes down to the iris. In contrary to a lot of fragrances that grow darker and heavier, Columbine settles into a clean, slightly vanillic powdery vibe as it dries down. There’s a continuous floral tinge and I’d say this fragrance is as unisex as it gets. Fans of Roja Parfums Manhattan or Maison Violet Un Air D’Apogee should give Columbine a look.

I need to give the other releases by Ciro a better look, since Chevalier De La Nuit was good and Columbine is potentially even better, so this is a brand worth exploring.