Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic

Mandarin Basilic is a cult classic and for a good reason. A real fresh mandarin with green notes, light and happy, ethereal but not boring and bland! It was my first experience with fresh, citrusy, green, aromatic scents back in the day. I personally find this scent really natural smelling, fresh and energising. Cooling and breezy. It is one of those uplifting scents I like to put this on first thing in the morning or anytime of the day when I feel I need an energy boost. And it works! The opening is a very juicy, sweet orange, mandarine/clementines, with orange blossom mix. Then the green tea, basil, ivy, chamomile and peonies come in giving Mandarin Basilic a soothing, comforting side. At this stage it’s a gorgeous combination of delicate florals and aromatics. I can’t really say I get the sandalwood and the amber per se, I perceive the base notes mostly as something that offers the citrusy and floral notes warmth and softness. Perfect for summertime or hot weather wear since it’s such a light scent, lasts for 4 hours with heavy spraying but stays close to the skin. Also, I find Mandarin Basilic completely unisex and appropriate to be worn at any age. It’s perfect for a young person who’s new to fragrance and wants something easy and uncomplicated to wear but also fits to more experienced fragrance lovers for a casual wear when you need a break from heavy, challenging scents. Found a good deal and got myself a second 125 ml bottle!

My actual findings of Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic sprayed from a sample vial, 2 on neck, 2 shared on wrists and back of hands. Clear and exuberant notes of clementine, bitter orange & basil pop beautifully upon first spray. Super bright and cheerful. The opening notes begin to soften moments later allowing the milder notes of mandarin, teas, Ivy and orange blossom to introduce themselves less intrusively. It’s a beauty at this point! Basil, chamomile and peony fill the fragrance with an herbal softness and a pale floral balance as the citrus mildly soften. It reminds me of a beautifully choreographed ballet, the timing and transitions are soft, fluid & impeccable! I now realize that the “basilic” part of its name is most appropriate and clever as it’s certainly not all about the citrus! Mandarin Basilic’s citrus and herbal blend is absolutely stunning, it is soft yet bright enough to cheer the gray windy 1° weather blues we are challenged with today. Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic by Guerlain Paris is not only the brilliant summer freshie most are inclined to use it as, but it’s also an amazing “pick-me-up” for blah wintry days when a good dose of of Vitamin C & D are much needed. Addendum: I’ve just begun to notice the sandalwood and amber nuances & there are the loveliest micro bursts of citrus in the deep dry-down that refresh your senses, more Guerlain magic!

I recently bought a bottle of this from the duty free in Malta and from the time I sprayed it to the time I landed home was about 3 hours in which this lasted. I mention this to address the longevity issues some have with this range, because to me that's actually pretty alright for an EDT and ESPECIALLY a citrus one. I have had EDPs who have lasted the same or less. Now about the scent it really is the best most real life and fresh mandarin/orange citrus on the market and there is just no doubt in my mind about this. I think everyone who enjoys citrus fragrances should have this. The basil and green tea only work to enhance the freshness of the citrus. There is basically NO sweetness in this scent, instead there is warmth, which I am guessing is because of the amber at the base. I know a lot of people associate mandarins with Christmas, but this evokes warm summer sunlight flickering through the green leaves of a mandarin tree. People who say it's simple are right, however that is absolutely a feature and not a bug. There is no need to add sugar or spices when the orange scent itself is this good and natural smelling. Overall a gorgeous and elegant fragrance. TRUE unisex and perfect for spring and hot summer days.

It is a summery delight. Gentle, refreshing, very true to the fruit but not overdone. It is a perfume take on citrus. Clean, vibrant. Rather shy on the skin but the 1,5 hours I wear it I feel it. After 4 hours it is already a skin scent. It is predominantly fruity with soft herbal and floral edge. I actually enjoy its softness, I must finally buy a bottle, today I am wearing a sample. Herba Fresca, this, Pamplelune, Teazzura, Ylang et Vanille remain the best Aqua Allegorias in my opinion. And Grosselina. And Nerolia Vetiver. But I must say I dont know them all. Bosca Vanilla is calling me too. Surely one can pick their own every spring and summer. Many scents fade and dissipate in heat but Mandarine Basilic actually intensifies. One of my favourite citrus. It feels dreamy and watery, like a good mandarine lemonade with basil leaves. I just wear Chance Eau Fraiche edt more often than my Allegorias but next year I am expanding my Allegoria collection for sure. I so regret being late to the Harvest line. They disappeared lightning fast - it was so good. I dont know the Forte line, it must be interesting, too. Both feature Mandarine Basilic for a good reason.

This one was love at first sniff. It starts out very bright, almost sparkling, juicy mandarin that almost comes across as pink grapefruit. I tried this one after finding that I was anosmic to Light Blue Intense, which broke my heart because the opening note was to DIE for! Unfortunatley, I couldn't smell it at all after about 20 minutes. For the Mandarin Basilic, depending on how much you put on (I use 2 sprays per wrist) that mandarin note will LAST compared to the lemony opening note in Light Blue Intense. It will begin to fade after an hour or two on me, but it's still truly THERE hours later. As it dies down, the peony begins to come through, combining with the mandarin until, much later, only a trace remains. Not a good blind buy. If you don't find it lasts with 1 spray/wrist, try 2 per. It made the difference between almost turning it down to falling in love with it for me!

I got this randomly as a sample in a purchase, Im usually not impressed by samples and Im kinda not with the rest of the fragrance community at times. Imagine my surprise when this was love at first smell. I mean, I smelled it and immediately ordered a bottle. I love a white floral citrus and this just does it perfectly for me, its summer under a orange tree airy and zesty like you dug your fingers into the flesh of a mandarin with orange blossoms floating about a little green from the basil keeping it fresh. Its almost sparkling when I first put it on and I love wearing it in summer as it gets very hot here. I agree with others saying it doesn’t last well but its better in high heat. If you like Orange Sanguine from Atelier this is like a more fem version of that because of the floral touch but this is still unisex to me.

I own a decant of this and it's beautiful. I had to check to make sure I had this version instead of Forte Mandarine Basilic; there is an abundance of rich, beautiful vanilla in the dry down that is absent from the note pyramid here. A lovely surprise! This might be my favorite Aqua Allegoria fragrance so far! Unisex leaning feminine. Average projection/longevity. I put on this fragrance five hours ago and it is still going strong, but at this point the scent is mostly vanilla. Citrus notes stuck around for at least 4 hours. Opening reminds me of Tangerine Boy from Phlur, but the herb notes in Mandarine Basilic give it more depth...along with that lovely drydown. Tangerine Boy in comparison is far more linear.

I'm not usually a big "citrus" perfume lover, but this fragrance is just amazing. It's the most juicy, delicious, realistic orange scent I've experienced thus far. For me the dominant notes are the mandarin and clementine; Mandarine Basilic captures the scent of fresh, juicy oranges very convincingly. The hint of ivy leaves and tea gives a crisp, green, soothing feel. Soft florals round out the zesty mandarin just a bit. There is a faint whisper of basil - it gives a dash of herbal crispness, but doesn't overwhelm the gorgeous juicy citrus. This scent is simple, refreshing, energetic and perfect for warm weather. Definitely my favorite of the Aqua Allegoria series...it's pure orangey happiness in a bottle!

I got this as a sample and wow. I never really expected to be wowed by this but I find myself really wanting to full size. Yes, it's basically orange juice, yes, it smells like expensive hotel soap. But it is so light and inoffensive to me that I feel like I would really enjoy just having it around. Very unisex, intimate projection, a mood lifter. The image this scent evokes in my head is a very capricious and carefree girl, yet sweet and simple, born in June. She has a smile that could kill and the kindest eyes. Sometimes, the best things are the most uncomplicated ones.

Maybe the best mandarine I smelled. Realistic and juicy. This is like a one note concept with the mandarine and by virtue it is a pure summer bliss of a frag. I usually think basil scents have a spicy basil but this is all about the mandarine. I do not see it as inherently feminine - the notes are very much masc in 2024. I think this is more a easy going unisex with no overture on florality, sweetness or powder which to me makes femme scents. And of course when I look there is tea in there, subliminally I must have picked it up because I love almost all tea frags.

This is my current main love. This one is sunshine in a bottle. This does not last more than 2-3 hours on me, but I find I don't mind at all. It gives me an excuse to go back to my vanity and revisit my little collection. My nose is not trained enough to pick out anything more than the Mandarin and the basil. I have friends that swear that it smells like everything from lemon tea to pine trees. Without fail though, the impression is always positive. This scent bounced around you like an excited border collie wanting to go play, and you can't help but smile.

This is pure happiness in a bottle. The mandarin is bright and juicy, the basil adds a fresh herbal touch, and together they create this effortless, sun-drenched scent that feels like a perfect summer morning. It's fresh but not sharp, natural but still elegant. It is the kind of fragrance you just want to wear, when it‘s hot outside. Longevity is around 4-6 hours on my skin, which is decent for a fresh scent. Not a powerhouse, but perfect for a refreshing pick-me-up. By the way, this would be a ‚alternative‘ to Louis Vuitton Afternoon Swim.

A vendor presented it to me and it haunted me for a week and now I bought a bottle... It is so fresh and sparkly, I typically go for sweet gourmand perfumes but this one is just so beautiful ! There are no sweet notes in it but I swear it smells like a citrus/pear sorbet, you get easily addicted. It is an EDT but it lasts as long as an EDP, which really surprised me. It may still be pricey, you have to buy at least a 75ml bottle, but the flacon is an art piece in itself !! I hope that this one will follow me for the summer !

This smells so incredible I want to drink it. It's the juiciest, freshest, most photorealistic mandarin orange, as though it were just picked from a sun-drenched tree. There's a bit of green basil in the background too, not quite as photorealistic (my search continues for a dead-on basil fragrance), but still lovely. It's linear, really just smells like these two notes, but I don't care. Delicious, delicious, delicious. If this had any lasting power at all, I would already own it. Smells like: An Italian summer fantasy.

really lovely for this late september cold-but-sunny weather - like wearing the last gasp of summer. i actually think i prefer it in this context but am yet to try it in proper warm weather. wenjt to a dj set last night on mdma and this made me feel like daytime was at night its a shame that the citrus fades so quickly on me, i wish the first 5 mins would last forever. don't get as much basil or green tea as i thought i would. will repurchase or try to find something similar

I absolutely love this scent! First smelled it on my roommate when I asked her for advice on a new summer scent and it was the perfect decision! It's a more unique scent since its so focused on the orange and probably the scent I've gotten the most compliments for! Perfect for summer and I wore it both at day and night and found it suitable especially when on a summery vacation! I wore this while I was visitng my girlfriend in Greece and now it always reminds me of that. :)

Once in a while you encounter a perfume so realistic and delicious you think, “surely THIS one wouldn’t taste that bad.” Such is the curse of a fragrance lover, because no such edible perfume exists. My point is that I could see myself sipping on Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic on a sunny patio near the seaside, surrounded by my girlfriends, enjoying a wide array of tapas. I’ll be physically restraining myself from purchasing a decant or bottle of this for my own safety.

Got this as a sample and I really, really like this. Fresh and clean smelling, without being lemon-y or screechy. I was surprised how prominent the basil is in this. Very tea-like, herbaceous orange fragrance. Whenever I wanna achieve that “clean girl” smell, I put on some plain lotion, spray this perfume and use the ouai scalp serum in my hair, as it has a pretty similar scent profile to this. Soooo juicy and yummy, potentially full bottle worthy for the summertime.

This smells like the super ripe small mandarins we used to get around the Christmas time in Czech republic when I was a kid. It’s so sweet and juicy. This is btw what I imagined the Lime, mandarin & basil from Jo Malone smells like - I was so disappointed when I actually tried JM perfume, it’s so medicinal and not nice at all. This, on the other hand - I want to have 2 litre bottle of it and overspray myself with it every day, it’s that pretty.

This was love at first sniff. I love realistic citrus and this one really delivered. The mandarin is bright and juicy and the basil is freshly picked from the garden. Sure, it's not complex, but I love its simplicity. I really only smell the mandarin and basil but that's fine - I love it all the same. The basil keeps it from being boring and gives it a beautiful herbaceous note. Lasting power is ok, about 3-4hrs before it becomes a skin scent.