Note Pyramid
Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic
Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic Eau de Toilette is the fragrance that keeps the whole Aqua Allegoria line in business, and it manages that on four materials.
Mandarin orange and basil open it together, and that pairing is the entire reason it has lasted. The mandarin orange is sweet, round and juicy rather than acidic, and the basil is green and aromatic with a faint aniseed lift, so the fruit never reads as a soft drink and the herb never reads as cooking. The balance between them is better judged here than in any of the stronger versions.
Green tea is the only material in the middle, dry and slightly astringent, and it does the quiet work of carrying the opening onwards without adding sweetness. Sandalwood closes it, creamy and low and gentle, and it is the only thing in the formula with any real staying power. Four materials, and it behaves exactly as a short composition should: immediate, legible and over reasonably soon. Four to five hours is the honest figure, with the strongest stretch in the first hour and a soft trail afterwards. Anyone wanting more volume should look at the forte version rather than apply more of this.
What it is for is heat. It is a morning fragrance, a holiday fragrance and an office fragrance, it reads unisex and is worn as readily by men as by women, and it suits anyone who wants to smell clean and awake without smelling expensive. The composition is credited to Thierry Wasser.
The title of official perfumer went to this house's founder in 1853, on the strength of Eau de Cologne Imperiale, composed for the marriage of Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie. Guerlain had been trading in Paris since 1828.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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