Sniff Test FRagrance Review: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Orange Soleia

Sniff Test Fragrance Review: Guerlain Acqua Allegoria Orange Soleia

Guerlain adds to its Aqua Allegoria collection with an homage to Sicilian citrus in this uplifting and powerful fruit-themed fragrance for her and him. It features an overdose of blood orange accented with woods and a hint of sweetness through tonka bean. Here is what our fragrance experts have to say about it.

Eau de toilette, 75 ml

She says:

This is a transporting translation of the heat on Sicilian citrus groves—specifically, on blood orange. It’s the entire fruit, fresh-squeezed: the pulp and even a bit of the bitter peel, and smells so juicy your fingers will feel sticky. What keeps it from being one-dimensional is the hint of a powdery base drydown —the so-called guerlinade, the Parisian perfumer’s signature accord present in all its historic fragrances like a secret olfactive fingerprint. Like the ritual of aperitivo hour with an Aperol spritz in hand, it’s a refreshing escape on a hot day, with the sun beating down and the hiss of cicadas in the background. If it lasted longer, it would be less like the perfect summer afternoon it evokes. 3 out of 4

He says:

Guerlain in-house perfumer Thierry Wasser is one of the most talented perfumers working today. He has an innate respect for the soul of ingredients – the personality and character of rose blooms, iris root and citrus groves. He says that ingredients created in laboratories can never match the personality of the flowers and plants that grow in fields. So I always look forward to each of his creations.

Aqua Allegoria fragrances are typically promoting during the spring and summer months and most often play up one star ingredient. Wasser has more room to express his creativity with these scents and the scents literally jump out of the bottle at first spritz. Orange soleia, as you can imagine from the title, is a celebration of Sicilian blood orange accented with wood notes and a little tonka bean.

Here’s the dilemma with this particular scent: the drydown about 15 minutes after applying is really lovely. The soft citrus blends nicely with the woody notes making it an ideal fragrance for day. Unfortunately, the top notes are so strong that it may put some off before the eau de toilette has time to evolve completely on the skin. It’s an example of the wisdom of not judging a scent a first whiff. 2 out of 4

Sniff Test Scent Reviews are the personal and professional opinions of Nathalie Atkinson and Cityline beauty & fragrance expert Dave Lackie.

---

More Scent Lodge Stories You Might Enjoy