Acqua Colonia Blood Orange & Basil

On me, it opens up with a very hyper realistic bitter blood orange taste, as if I’m really drinking a carbonated blood orange limo. This opening was too bitter for me (I honestly also find blood orange limos sometimes too bitter). Afterwards, it started getting less bitter and more mellow, and the basil started to show up, but really as a supporting role. It has almost no sweetness, besides the hint of sweetness you would naturally find in a regular blood orange. I’d like it more if it had a more prominent basil, or if it was perhaps a bit sweeter. It can indeed be a great alternative to Guerlain’s scent. But the Guerlain has that hint of sweetness that I miss here to balance out the tartness. So, for me personally, Guerlain receives a love, and 4711 receives a like. If it’s worth it to pay the price difference, I still need to figure it out…

4711 Blood Orange & Basil smells really good, yes, but smells soooo much like fresh orange that it's like I just squeezed one for morning orange juice. As good as it smells -- and it smells amazing! -- after trying this one over a couple of years, I have finally recognized that I don't want to smell like straight up orange juice; it veers too edible/gourmand for me. I always say that I need my gourmands to have something that renders them inedible, otherwise I feel like I just smell too much like food (or drink). And so it goes with Blood Orange & Basil. By the way, I've been able to get decent (4 hour or so) longevity out of this one by both overspraying as well as spraying directly on my clothes.

This one is my second favorite from the mini collection. i was positively surprised when i sprayed it. It´s juicy, natural and has a delicious herbal feeling. when i spray it i am immediately transported to the woods. i think it makes a great scent for a picnic or when you go camping. it is good for hot and cold days.great for men and women alike, all ages. unfortunately, like with all scents from this line, this one is gone within minutes. I wish 4711 would work to improve longevity. But, while it lasts, the smell is really intense. if you like citric and/or herbal fragrances you can´t go wrong with this one, but i don´t know if it would make a good gift for someone else...

I'm normally not a huge fan of citrus, but I adore the smell of oranges and this perfume so much I've gone through three 170 mL bottles already. Great refresher for hot days, but I actually prefer wearing it on cold winter days because it just makes me feel so spritely and happy. The sharpness of the basil really cuts through the cold and brightens up those gloomy days. I also like wearing it when studying or doing something that requires focus since it's quite energizing. Lasting power isn't anything to write home about, lasts a good 4 hours on me. I will forever have this in my collection I love it so much.

Very refreshing and overall my favorite of the three colognes of this line that I tried. It reminds me of the L'Occitane Eau de Toilette Orange Leaves which I love, too, but the Acqua Colonia is less bitter. It took me some time until I detected the basil - one day, when I stepped into the sun c an hour after applying it, a strong whiff of basil rose from my skin - I looked around me to see whether there was a basil plant in a garden. But no. It's difficult to catch but it's there.