I’ve written before about my search for the perfect orange fragrance for summer (I already have 2 for cold weather: Fendi Theorema and i Profumi di Firenze Spezie de Medici). There are any number of contenders (L’Occitane Ruban d’Orange, L’Artisan Mandarine Tout Simplement, Maître Parfumeur et Gantier Sanguine Muskissime, Guerlain Orange Magnifica, Hermès Eau d’Orange Verte, Calypso Tangerine, among others), but so far, nothing is exactly right for orange…
Angelique Lilas is one of Guerlain’s two entries for 2007 to the Aqua Allegoria line, the other being Mandarine Basilic. As I said in last year’s review of Tutti Kiwi, the Aqua Allegoria fragrances tend to be lighter, younger and simpler in composition than those in the regular line, and they are basically limited editions: if they do well, they hang around, but otherwise they hit the chopping block in short order. Older Aqua Allegorias currently in production, according to the Guerlain website, include Tutti Kiwi, Grosellina, Pivoine Magnifica, Herba Fresca and Pamplelune.
Angelique Lilas is an “aromatic floral” attributed to perfumer Jean Paul Guerlain…
Two new fragrances join the Aqua Allegoria line from Guerlain this year: Angelique Lilas and Mandarine Basilic.
Angelique Lilas is an aromatic floral created by perfumer Jean Paul Guerlain, and features notes of pink pepper, jasmine, bigarade, angelica, lilac, ylang ylang, cedar and heliotrope.
Mandarine Basilic is an aromatic citrus created by perfumer Marie Salamagne…
Tutti Kiwi is one of the two entries for 2006 in Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria range. The Aqua Allegoria fragrances tend to be lighter, younger and simpler in composition than those in the regular line, and they are basically limited editions: if they do well, they hang around, but otherwise they hit the chopping block in short order — last year’s Orange Magnifica has already disappeared from the Guerlain website, as has my favorite Aqua Allegoria, Anisia Bella. Tutti Kiwi is attributed to perfumer Jean Paul Guerlain, and the notes are tangerine, rhubarb, frosted lemon, kiwi, geranium, mock orange, sandalwood, vanilla and woods.
I will start with a disclaimer for anyone who isn’t a regular reader: I don’t particularly love fruity florals. Beyond that, kiwi is firmly entrenched very near the bottom of the list of fruits I’d like to smell on my person. The first few minutes of Tutti Kiwi, however, were a pleasant surprise: a crisp and sparkling blend of rhubarb and citrus, very tart and slightly green. After that, the kiwi kicks in along with vague floral notes, and the crisp and sparkling part eventually gives way to a rather indistinct fruity floral over a Guerlain-ish base of sandalwood and vanilla…
Anisia Bella was launched in 2004 as part of Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria range of fragrances. It was created by perfumer Aurelien Guichard, and has notes of aniseed, orange, bergamot, basil, star anise, violet, jasmine, liquorice wood, and cedar.
I love anise-based perfumes, and Anisia Bella is one of my favorites for warmer days when Serge Lutens Douce Amere or Caron Aimez Moi are too heavy. Anisia Bella opens with lightly sugared citrus; the anise is pronounced from the start and stays central through the dry down. There is a minty-peppery undertone from the basil and a bit of sweet violet drifts in and out, but for the most part it is all about the anise. The base is musky and woody, with a fair amount of cedar…