Aqua Allegoria Pampleune

Oh man is this good. The best evocations of grapefruit across multiple accords without any of the “rough” parts of grapefruit. Well, that’s not strictly true. Some of that sulfuric acid type note of grapefruit is in Pamplelune but Mathilde Laurent (with the help of JPG, apparently, although I doubt she needed it) rounds it out so well that you can darn near appreciate it if not outright like it, as I do. It’s a photorealistic grapefruit grown by the world’s best grower of the ripest it should be allowed to be. It’s making my mouth water. The heart notes of neroli, primarily, but also a good dose of petitgrain and cassis is inspired. They do a marvelous job of pulling the citrusy, floral, green and acrid qualities of the grapefruit top all the way through to the heart while also presenting a very well-rounded green floral flair. Excellent. But the tricks don’t stop there. Finally, at the base, which arrives in a matter of about three hours as expected with a high-quality EdC, we get notes of patchouli and vanilla. But they aren’t your usual characters. The patchouli forgoes its usual sweet, earthy, topsoil dankness to present its more peppery side, complimented instead by a vanilla note that adds a sweetness with a light and airy texture that is simply wonderful. It reminds me a bit of the end of Habit Rouge - that little bit of earthy vanillic clingy-ness - that is light, breathable, silken and powdery, and far from oppressive. This is Aqua Allegoria at its best.

If you are a citrus lover, I can almost guarantee you will love this (with a caveat, which I will bring up at the end). It is fresh, really, really citrusy, but not overbearing. Projection is moderate (even mild), so noone around you will be offended (albeit, maybe they won't notice besides that you smell fresh and clean). Now, to me, the citrus almost overpowers all other layers. The dry down has a hint of sweetness, but barely. I loved this and when I picked it among all other Guerlain scents, it was fresh, young, almost unisex, clean feel and one of the only few scents that did not have the powdery, heavy tones that Guerlain scents have. However, after two weeks or so of wearing it, I started noticing that it also smells a lot like a home (nay-bathroom) fragrances. Here is the caveat-- All of this and the fact that citrus and grapefruit alone are so overbearing, suppressing any secondary or supporting notes, the lack of dimension and complexity you would expect from a reputable, not so cheap, house of Guerlain, kind of "cheapened" the fragrance for me. I love to smell it and wear it to run errands, but I fear I smell not more sophisticated than a 90s teen who doused themselves with Calgon grapefruit.

My first thought upon sniffing Pamplelune was, “This smells like a pool party.” Sunshine, inflatable floating chairs, fruity highballs, pink swimsuits, junk food, loud music, fun times. Aside from its deservedly famous grapefruit accord, as realistically juicy as you’ve heard - my mouth waters at every spritz - Pamplelune deserves credit for being a properly abstract and artistic perfume in the classic French manner, and a fun one. Simple citrus would have been boring after five minutes; Mathilde Laurent is more inspired, fusing lush grapefruit and Guerlain bergamot (theirs is a different breed, I swear) with cassis, neroli, patchouli, and vanilla to create a uniquely warm and sensual citrus that practically glows with good vibes. There’s almost a feeling of sweet and sticky fizziness, like a grapefruit soda you’re in danger of spilling while joyriding on the beach. Pamplelune isn’t just a pretty - and surprisingly sexy - smell. It's art, with a smile on its face. Let the good times roll.

I love the uniqueness of this scent. It's hard to find something that doesn't turn instantly into vanilla or jasmine nowadays. This is a pure, fresh citrus, sits close to skin, and is subtle and work-appropriate. Longevity varies, it has lasted variably between 2-6 hours on me - but I love reapplying, when you get that first hit of fresh grapefruit. It doesn't dry down into basil like mandarine basilic, or into a bitter masculine scent like orange soleia. It's stronger on skin, weaker on clothes. I haven't personally smelled any cat pee when wearing it, but if like me, other people have become a little paranoid after reading some of the reviews on here, I recommend only spraying it 2x max, and wearing it on clothes, that way your body chemistry won't risk affecting / altering the scent. This will be my signature scent all summer. Recommended after testing on skin.

I wore this back in 2016. Quite a long time ago. But the scent is burned in my brain, always, since our olfactory neural recognition is amazing. It is a very realistic grapefruit scent, which I rarely encounter. [There is a really orange juice-like scent from Atelier Cologne. Apart from that one.] I think I liked the bitter, fresh grapefruit opening so much, and I could not stand the amber that appeared after the citrus slowly but surely disappeared. It reminds me of a friend of mine who does not use perfume, only using essential oils of mint and bergamot after a shower. She has this idea of not wanting to smell anything too "sexy or made-up". She just wanted to smell fresh and citrusy. I recommended this one, but she said after trying it out, it became skanky after 10 min. She hated amber, I guess.