Aqua Allegoria Forte Oud Yuzu

Despite all the comments about this being a summer scent, I completely disagree. It shines in colder weather (especially late autumn and winter), and gets funky and very unpleasant in hot, and especially humid weather. There are two reasons for this: 1. Oud is rarely a summer friendly ingredient and can get dirty and uncomfortable especially when it is not of the smokiest type. 2. Yuzu is a winter fruit in Japan (where I live). Not to mention the fact it becomes ripe and is harvested in November and December (cold months in Japan), it is put it in baths in the winter to warm them up as it has a warming effect. Beyond that clarification, I think this is an excellent scent that has very long longevity (around 12-16 hours) and (when not too hot) gives a beautiful glowing, warm citrus effect that is unusual with citrus scents. The cedar base keeps the oud clean and leaves a signature cedary dry and crisp dry down (after 8 or more hours), that lasts for 24h or more (esp on clothes) and also nods to the vast cedar forests in Japan. This is not an obvious scent and takes time and the right climactic conditions to discover, but once you do, it sticks in your memory.

I tested this at the Guerlain store. You can get this for $50 at discounters for the 75mL size which IMO it is a great bargain. The opening is funky and strong - expect yuzu, lemon, and orange, but the bitter parts of it. You have to be OK with the bitterness. If you are not, then you will not like this. As it dries down, neroli comes out and becomes real nice, but nothing too surprising. I forgot I was wearing it and walked away to do something else, then remembered after an hour or so to smell: imagine my surprise when this smelt exactly like the drydown of Zoologist's Penguin. If you have tested and loved that scent, like I did, you will not be amiss in testing this one too. The openings are very different, but they culminate in a very serene base of cedar, vetiver, and oud that is gorgeous. For a 1/3 of the price of Penguin, this is a great alternative that is really well blended and lasts very, very long as well. And it is still a Guerlain. Having to wrestle with myself not to buy a FB at a 50$ discounter price.

Got this as a sample together with some Guerlain best sellers and I have to say that this fragrance deserves more mentions! The main notes are definitely that yuzu citrus and smoky oud, as declared in the name, but the citrus is notably natural in its presentation. I swear it's like I pulled a twist off an actual bitter citrus fruit, very striking and really well supported by the smoky incense and wood. They form a chord that took a minute to get used to for me, but I absolutely have come to to like it. There aren't a dozen different notes here but that's a strength of the fragrance, not a weakness. It's a simple combination but done JUST right and it comes across as elegant, refined and interesting. The scent is approachable enough not to put anyone off but different enough to what the general public is used to that it will be noticed. I will be getting a bottle of this to use on nights out or for important meetings.

Got this as a sample and I really like the scent profile. Guerlain gave me a free sample with my order, I just wish it was a bigger sample (doesn't list the ml but I got like maybe 10 sprays with it). This is like a orange citrus with yuzu, and woods in the background. I don't get the oud personally but I just sprayed it 15 mins ago so maybe in the dry down it will surface. I would say this is unisex, definitely suited for spring and summer. Smells really good but even in the initial spray it's reserved so I worry about the longevity and performance. Gave it a like and maybe once I have more time with it I'll upgrade it to a love. Edit: After more time with the fragrance I think the longevity and performance seems to be pretty decent for this profile, the performance issues that worried me was likely due to the sampler decant not spraying much. I'm enjoying this fragrance and am glad I picked it up.

This one honestly surprised me so much. I did not expect to fall in love with it like this. It’s one of those fragrances that feels weird at first... but in the best way. It’s somehow simple, yet a little complex at the same time. It’s mainly centered around yuzu, and it comes off super clean and soapy, with that bright, zesty citrus freshness. It just smells fresh, crisp, and effortlessly put-together. What really shocked me is the oud in this... it’s not loud at all. You can barely even detect it, honestly, you could swear there’s no oud in here. It’s just sitting quietly in the background, holding everything together and balancing the fragrance so beautifully without ever making itself known. This is definitely a banger for spring and summer. On me, it projects really well and lasts all day, which I did not expect from something this fresh. I’m already ordering a backup bottle.

This one is easily one of the best refreshing fragrances side with nerolia vetiver it's like a spring breeze or even summer breeze depending where you in the world. it's elegant, captivating. I tried it and I'm male, i have an idea for females and other males that would suit it better, but overall if you character is easily approachable and you feel young and fresh and youthful, that's what I'd describe these two fragrances like, it's similar vibe as with tom ford mandarino an neroli portofino. It smells GOOD, unique to most of what everyone wears, they will have some oudy fragrance, some generic cheap fragrance, branded fragrance from dior or BDC or similar And this type of fragrance just falls into its own category that im sure will be noticeable, just makes sure the fragrance aligns with your personality and it's a great match.

j'adore, oud et yuzu bien présent, réchauffe le coeur, après un certain temps c'est plutôt la note oud qui reste sur la peu. assez intimiste comme parfum mais bien racé; ok pour temps froid, pourrait être trop lourd par temps chaud. unisex convient à homme ou femme; essayer avant achat. je ne peux le rattacher à aucun autre parfum que je connais mais me fait penser à ceux qui contiennent du musc. J'ai été dans un magasin récemment et un vendeur a demandé d'où venait cette merveilleuse odeur qu'il trouvait boisée. il m'a demandé le nom du parfum pour se l'acheter, moi je le sent à peine sur moi, mais vraisemblablement il à un sillage présent après 2heures. encore dans un autre magasin aujourd'hui et tout le monde m'a demandé ce qu'était mon parfum, il semble qu'il rayonne....

I know this game is subjective, but I'm surprised at the low rating. This is beautiful to me. I think I might like this more than the purchase that provided me with this sample. There's a very bright positive energy with this dna, and performance is good, it pops. I will say, first contact on paper is nice, then for some reason after a few seconds it gets a little disagreeable to my nose. But as it moves onto the mid it grows and evolves into something better until it hits its full potential at the full dry down where it becomes something really pleasant. Straight down the middle unisex to me, not really leaning one way more than the other. Definitely will consider purchasing a full bottle. I think its worth checking out but obviously this isn't for everyone. 8/10

I’m arguably Guerlain biggest fan and almost all of their fragrances are absolute winners in my book. I ordered this as a blind buy (no one sells Guerlain anywhere even close to me). Surprisingly, I wasn’t impressed. ...At first! I was getting a “greasy-mechanic-petroleum plant” smell. Although I wasn’t a fan at first, after being tucked away for the winter months, I pulled this out for Spring. It’s become my signature spring scent and I get tons of compliments on it. It’s almost like it needed to age or something! I believe the bitterness of the Yuzu and the unique headiness of the Oud create that initial mechanical smell, but it’s oddly alluring. I just ordered two more bottles. I am obsessed!

Very nice stuff. This is a love for me. The opening is a blast of yuzu rind, more pith than juice. It’s bracing and effervescent freshness without any sweetness. Very oily, it leaves a sheen on your skin for about an hour. It’s not until 30minutes in that the yuzu blast dies down enough for the light Oud to be noticeable, even then you can’t really pick it out from the air, you have to put your nose right up to your skin to smell the Oud. The Oud is there just to give the fragrance more body. It’s a mostly clean Oud, no funky barnyard. Longevity is average, but much better than anything else I’ve tried in this line. Projection is great for an hour+.

I recently bought Oud Yuzu through discount store. Also, this is my first time trying out Guerlain. Wow, this perfume last for a long time. The opening with citrus yuzu is light, not too hash on the citrus. I also hint a trace for neroli. This is my first time trying out oud perfume, so I don't really have any reference to compare. All I can describe this Oud as SMOKEY WOOD. After wearing it for an hour, the smokiness fade into a nice scent of cedar. This is a nice scent to wear on trasition between summer to fall. Personally, I like it. Different twist of citrus × wood other than the most known formular bergamot × sandalwood.

This is amazing, and I'm genuinely stumped at the low rating. A beautiful, therapeutic citrus scent from what is an otherwise underappreciated note - that being yuzu. It comes across as soapy to a degree, and it's all tied together by the oud, which takes a background role in providing a woody depth beneath the bright citrus. Longevity is decent. I usually reach 6 hours, but that can vary between more or less depending on sprays. If you're wanting to explore the Aqua Allegoria line, try this one out.

Pleasant, refined & uplifting fragrance. Yuzu adds a unique citrus-focused touch while Oud keeps things warm & grounded. The Oud is very mild and elegant, not dank or thick. Dry down is powdery & clean smelling with yuzu throughout. Definitely office-friendly and non-offensive. My son also wears this fragrance & it smells great on him, so perfectly unisex. Longevity is excellent, silage is potent the first hour, then moves to a skin scent the final hours. Very happy with this beauty!

Highly underrated. Opens beautifully with juicy, fruity, tart yuzu and neroli, dries down to a fresh woody, western oud base, as it loses some of that citrus juice and takes on a more rindy aspect in its stead. Naturalistic, light, bright and unpretentious. Could be worn by anyone, anywhere, at any time but it leans slightly masculine and it's best suited for warmer weather. It also has deceptively good performance, with strong projection in the opening and decent longevity.

It’s an interesting combination, some say there’s no agar wood and I would say the same after one testing on blotter. I have tried it several times and oud is noticeable, it’s not interpretation of oil, but smoke and burning wood. Oud Yuzu is quite original and only similar fragrance that’s comes to mind is M7 Fresh. At the beginning neroli and citrus are very strong, smoked wood comes after, but citrusy feeling stays all way through the lifespan of the fragrance.

Sample was included with a recent purchase. I'd seen it in passing, but never got my nose on it until now. Niche quality rendition of John Varvatos Artisan Pure, with subtle oud. This stuff is awesome. The low rating here is a bit baffling to me... Edit: Probably going to order a bottle. This is some great stuff. Edit#2: Ordered a bottle. I can't believe how well priced this is for what it delivers. Sampling works, folks.

It wasn't love at first sniff but I grown to love this fragrance lately. First time spray I was not sure if I could stand the oud there that smells plasticky burning gasoline on my skin. However, after 15 minutes it started to clam down and turned sweet, citrusy clean on my skin which I love it. Longevity 6 hours on me. I don't expect to love it this much, but I do. Perfect summer scent for the evening wear for me. 8/10

La Cologne du Coq sous stéroïdes. Des agrumes en tête avec un feeling très Cologne vintage. Une transition amère nous emmène sur un terrain plus viril avec des notes de vieux bois sec et fumé. Un parfum tout en contraste avec une vraie personnalité. Un ovni de la collection aqua Allegoria. Tres équilibré 20 minutes après application. Imaginez un camionneur sexy et musclé qui porte une Cologne vintage.

This is good. I can't lie... Niche quality, smelling natural and expensive. Opens with bright as F citrus with slightly green and bitter facets. Then goes slightly sweet, aromatic, floral and woody. I can smell citrus, honey, neroli, cedar, ambroxan, apple like fruitiness. Super positive, "be happy" smelling fragrance. It lasts looong and projects above average. Love this stuff 👌

I discovered Yuzu at our local artisanal gelato shop that makes all their flavours seasonally from local and Asian-sourced ingredients. Their Salted Yuzu became my favourite amongst a bevy of delicious fruit flavours. So I was quite keen to try this and was not disappointed. It's got depth, spicy richness, and a kick. This might be one of my favourite citrus scents.

Definitely the best performing fresh Guerlain fragrance that I've ever tried. Great for holidays because it just makes you feel good. Definitely has a happy vibe. Spring day, don't have anything serious on your schedule. Spray that and go out. It will contribute for your better mood.

beautiful, well bended, masterpiece. opening reminds me a LOT of vetiver nerolia, the bright citrus and dry base. the dry down reminds me of Encre Noir. this isn’t an animalic oud, it’s a very very dry airy oud, almost like vetiver. it really is an addicting smell.

To me this has Top: Bergamot, grapefruit, bitter orange, ginger and green notes. Middle notes: Neroli, honey, floral notes, lavender Base notes: Cedar, amberwood, amber, musk. Great stuff. I love it. Gives me 8hr longevity and really satisfying projection.

It smells bright fresh by in a warm cosy way. It literally smells like ironing air-dried clothes that have dried under the sun. It’s a fantastic smell so addicting but no oud at all is detected. It leans more airy breezy 10/10

Gorgeous perfume. I don't like neroli but this one is done so well. Feel great wearing it. For being a primarily citrus, floral and woody is actually quite complex. Love it. I finally start appreciating Delphine's work 👌

Really don't understand the low score on this one. Very refreshing and uplifting fragrance. Scent profile is different without being strange, and it's a super easy wear. One of my favorite spring/summer dumb reaches

I love it so much, yuzu bien présent et oud également, vrai coup de coeur mais à essayer avant achat. Cher mais vaut son prix, une vraie perle, convient pour l'automne car un peu lourd par temps chaud

a great blend of yuzu and oud wood. However, if you would like it to be on the woody side, then it is probably not the fragrance that you want.

First blast - NEROLI! A neroli bomb. Very citrusy and bright. The oud is just underneath to balance it up.

It’s a surprise for me. Usually oud is very heavy but not this one! Great for layering 👍🏻

Great citrus warm weather fragrance. Lasts 7hrs with just the right projection.

Addictive scent. It smells surprisingly complex.

This sounds INCREDIBLE! I need this right now

Not familiar with yuzu. But I'm experiencing it as shaving a lemon all the way down to the white part of the pulp and not stopping till its fully grinded with a slight paint thinner smell. It starts off a bit weird honestly. You're getting that with hint of floral honey. That citrus is becoming cleaner later on. Once it calms down a faint oudiness comes up. This stays till the end. But it's not behaving at all like oud. It feels like its muting some of the recognizable oud qualities. Like it is not fully committing to it. I do like it and it has Geurlian quirks all over it. But hmmm.. I don't vibe with how the ouds are represented. But sure... a stylized take I guess. For sure nothing I smelled before. Lasts actually really long I don't know what people are complaining about. It really latches on my skin for 8-9. I like it but it's not a love. Would have preferred if it committed more to the oud. I don't even think Guerlian wants to do oud to be honest. It's not a very frenchy note but whatever.

The longevity leaves a bit to be desired but the fragrance itself is lovely. The yuzu and oud synthesise really well for a warm-weather friendly woody fragrance. The oud remains present throughout the four to six hours that you will get from this fragrance before it becomes faint enough that you can barely smell it. It does this without becoming too overbearing though. It reminds me of Creed Royal Oud in a way. Oud fragrances tend to center it while this fragrance, like Royal Oud, sits it in the back as something that binds it all together. A subtle finisher to perfect what is already there. It is sharp and fresh, definitely unisex in a way that both a masculine man and a feminine woman could wear it, and more suited to warm-weather than the cold, but I could definitely see myself wearing this on a milder winter day. The only major drawback is the longevity. 8/10

Today tried the 3 new releases to the aqua allegoria forte line: Oud Yuzu, Rosa Palissandro and Bosca Vanilla. Out of the 3, this one is my favorite by quite a margin. Yuzu note is photorealistic and the combination with the oud gives some character to an otherwise boring fragrance. The oud is present but not crazy funky or fecal, it executes a very good supporting role for the juicy and slightly bitter yuzu/citric accord. You have to appreciate the simplicity and effortlessness that almost the entire line conveys in order to love this perfume. It goes accord the line and is a nice addition with enough edge and character to standout in this minimalistic realm. Performance its actually far better than what I was expecting. I hope to get a bottle soon as I really dig this line and want to get the most I can from them 4/5

I really didn't expect to enjoy this, but I've been exploring citrussy woody fragrances and this one stood out. I've never smelt yuzu but to me here it's a bit like a mild neroli, so not as sharp. The woodiness here is akin to charcoal, not exactly smokey but certainly charred. It reminds me of a very mild version of that kind of note that's in Oud Khol. Not too long lasting but not short lived either. Also certainly the kind of quality and beauty you'd expect from Guerlain. Definitely worth trying if you are tired of sweet summer scents and want something different.

100 percent a summer fragrance. Soooo much fun and so delicious. If you like a citrusy fragrances then you are in for a surprise. Starts of with an explosion of a citrus and in the very background you do feel a bit of oud. I wish they'd add a bit more oud in it! It's a bitter fragrance and some have parallel it to sweat well to be honest if sweat smells so fresh then I wouldn't mind 😅 I personally enjoy this scent for a fresh day out in the sun.

I'm enjoying this one. This is the first oud fragrance I like enough to wear: a citrusy oud. It is such a safe oud for everyone. The contrast between the earthiness of the oud and the sparkling top note is comforting. It turns very soapy during the middle phase, I'm not sure if I like that but it makes it more versatile. They late dry-down is way more pleasing.

I really enjoyed the scent. The citrusy burst of yuzu hits you right away, bright and uplifting. As it settles, a soft touch of oud emerges, not heavy, not funky, just the right amount to add depth. It lasts around six hours, but it stays very close to the skin with almost no sillage. Subtle, but beautiful.

Very good fresh oud. The Yuzu dominates thoroughly and takes over right from the beginning to the end. In the mid a little bit of western oud comes out shy. It's a unisex fragrance that leans towards masculinity. Imagine mixing Acqua di Parma Oud and Issey Miyake L'eau D'Issey.

Just picked this up, and wow longevity is amazing! It changes to a beautiful sweet citrus scent after about 15 minutes, with the Cedar base notes.. stunning fragrance for fall. This will be added to my my collection.

Fresh Yuja. It’s not just citrus, but there’s an undercurrent of freshness to make it not too fruity or sweet. It’s nice.

Not sure I love this as it is, but I'm sure I'd love it as part of a Shalimar Millesime Oud formulation.

Love at first sniff I was wish it was little stronger for the price tag.

No surprise here; we are told oud and yuzu and we have oud and yuzu. To my nose, the yuzu is present at first but - after a while - the woody smell takes over it. I find the smell very strong with quite exceptional staying power (at least on textiles). I sprayed it on the sleeve of a jacket a week ago and the smell is still there in full force. If I imagine it being worn by a man and in a rather pleasant way, I can't see myself at all - as a woman - wearing such a woody and strong perfume (even though I usually love woody fragrances). It reminds me of some men's colognes. My advice would be to try it in a perfumery to form your own idea because I think this masculine side could surprise you (negatively or positively depending on your personal tastes). Not ideal for a blind buy in my opinion.

I was expecting more from this Guerlain creation. After the last year releases, the Harvest Collection, which were spectacular, the expectations were high. Unfortunately for me, Oud Yuzu Forte, does not meet the expectations. I feel that it’s rather a flat, fresh, citrusy scent with very woody, oudy base. It’s true to its name, oud, but not barnyard smelling and a blast of zestiness from the yuzu fruit. It doesn’t smell bad, to be honest, but it doesn’t have anything to wow anyone about it. And on me it felt more of a masculine scent. The performance wasn’t too impressive either. About 5-6 hours, which is very average in my opinion, and this is supposed to be a forte version of aquas.

So much anticipation and excitement for this only to be let down. This is just ok and in my opinion makes a far better room spray than actual fragrance. Annoyingly lite scent, especially since it carries the "forte" title. The smell itself is pleasant for maybe 10 - 20 minutes then poof!! All gone! You get the burst of zesty orange with a touch of floral sweetness mixed with a hint of whatever "oud" was used in TF OUD WOOD. Maybe in time maceration will work it's magic but as of now this scent is a Big let down for me. Nerolia vetiver forte is a better buy than this one if you're looking for a hot weather frag.

Bitter yuzu, sweetened by mandarine. The lemon aroma is quite raw: more peel than juice. Smells photorealistic, piquant and dry. The heart of perfume is soapy, more sophisticated and feminine. Personally I find it luxe (nice aroma of oud), but irritating because of overly flagrant neroli. The base is all about cedar, which is mossy and adds a touch of dark. I'll skip this one, but I praise Forte Oud Yuzu as clean, wood-citrusy scent, which is approachable and bright.

Out of the samples I’ve received from this house , the “free” sample is the sleeper scent for me lmao. It’s unisex, it isn’t sweet, it’s a solid citrus and wood. The hate is misplaced here , I assume it’s because it’s a free sample which may be seen as lesser than. I’m freaking loving this, it’s something I’ve been looking for for my collection. I’m not sure what else this specific collection has to offer but this is awesome