Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune

AAP is a vibrant, fresh citrus scent aptly named, as grapefruit takes centre stage here. While it is simple and linear, it is a beautifully rendered grapefruit scent, with a lovely blend of notes that all serve to complement the grapefruit at the core of this scent. It is far from a basic citrus cologne, with unusual accords making for a well-rounded, interesting scent of great beauty. AAP opens with a bright burst of citrusy freshness, mostly grapefruit with a hint of tart bergamot. It smells juicy and natural, almost exactly like the pulp of a freshly-cut grapefruit. It is nicely tempered by the rind-like bergamot note, giving it some depth, acting as an "agent of darkness" that balances the "light" of the grapefruit. The opening is wonderfully green as well as citrusy, with petitgrain and subtle floral notes tying it together beautifully. There is a moody grassiness to this scent that comes to the fore as it dries down. Patchouli (an iffy note for me) is masterfully used here, not overwhelming, but adding just the right amount of earthy, dirty grassiness that complements the citrus. There is a herbal quality to the base, reminiscent of high-quality vetiver. The addition of vanilla here is inspired, elevating this scent to something beyond a run-of-the-mill citrus cologne. Instead of a predictable woody base, the vanilla note rounds out this scent, giving it a rich, sweet feminine quality as it dries down, yet it remains light and fresh. It also gives an unexpected gourmand-leaning dessert-like twist, but remains soft and subtle. It fades to a somewhat salty, tart yet vanilla-centric skin scent. Sillage and longevity are both moderate. I don't get the unpleasant notes experienced by numerous reviewers below, instead this works beautifully with my skin chemistry. A beautiful, feminine-leaning summer citrus scent with an unexpected vanilla twist, AAP is another excellent scent from Guerlain. A winner. 4/5.

Fresh, vibrant and perfectly unisex, this is a pure, photorealistic grapefruit and its a grapefruit thats been done right! Theres been a lot that others have written about Pamplelune, and I just don't know what else I can add, so I'll keep it short and sweet for you all. Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune has been on my want list forever pretty much, its my holy grail grapefruit scent alongside Dior Addict Eau Fraiche. The opening, the mid and the drydown are pure, fresh grapefruit on me and unlike other grapefruit centred scents it never take on a BO or washing-up liquid nature after a while, if anything it seems to retain its freshness all day. I cant really pick out the notes in the pyramid in all honesty as all I get is pure grapefruit (a pink grapefruit, none the less) but it feels very cooling and refreshing which makes it perfect for the warmer days and being in a stuffy environment, it also is very inoffensive so shouldn't tread on anyone elses toes if you're in a crowded room or public transport. Longevity is good for a pure citrus scent on me I get between 6-7 hours from 5 spritzes with a soft silage, I can't really think of any circumstances where this wouldn't be a suitable scent to wear; its easy to wear casually, has that air of chic which makes it perfect for formal summer wear and is so easy and light it could be worn to work and not offend anyones noses. Honestly, this is a great summer staple that can be worn even in the most grim of winter days to brighten the mood and remind yourself that spring/summer isn't that far away. Forever repurchase, I love it!

Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune is my favorite perfume, a masterpiece. I bought a full bottle online after sampling at a duty-free shop, then read the “cat pee” reviews and got worried. I needn’t have. Celine Ellena had a very interesting quote in the “Perfect Scent” book, something to the effect that a great perfume must have something “disturbing” about it, something a bit unexpected and unsettling, and I think Pamplelune is a perfect example of this. I love citrus scents in general, and grapefruit in particular, but this one is unique both for its amazing initial bitter blast and for its drydown, which I do not consider to be “vanillic” at all, but more “dusky” (the cassia? sulfur, perhaps?). I receive compliments from friends and strangers alike when I wear this, always along the lines of, “Oh, you smell so good!” There is something addictive about Pamplelune, I have come to crave it. It makes me feel both refreshed and sexy, an unusual combination. I can and do wear it on any occasion — for the office, outdoors, in the daytime, in the evening, to a crowded jazz club in New York... always perfect. It is wonderful in cool weather. It is outstanding in hot weather. Applied liberally, on me, the scent lingers all day — which is quite remarkable because longevity is almost always a problem for me. Every other Aqua Allegoria I have tried — including several that I own — has been a big disappointment, because none of them can compare with the magnificence that is Pamplelune.

Oh yes. I tested it at the store in my search of a perfume that smells like realistic WHITE grapefruit. This is it, it's 80 – 85 % similar to that smell when you take a whole, white grapefruit in your hand and sniff it gooooooddd... Which is a great achievement for a perfume in my opinion. Just lovely and I can end my search. The problem I had is that so many perfumes use pink grapefruit, such as my blind buy Zara Vetiver Pamplemousse. While it's still nice and will be used, it's the smell of a _pink_ grapefruit, not white. In the end I find those two so different that if you're looking for something with one of them and get the other, you won't be satisfied. So, if you have specifically pink grapefruit in mind, don't blind buy Pamplelune. But if you want realistic white grapefruit, I'd say this is a 100 % safe blind buy. The zestiest grapefruit stayed on my skin with 2 sprays for about an hour, after which a bit of vanilla started to come through. Longevity is poor unfortunately, I've had it on for 1,5 hours and not much is left, I expect it to be completely gone in 2 hrs. Will have to be sprayed generously and I'll test it on clothes, too, to see if it lasts better that way. Will buy a full bottle once I find a good offer. One more plus – I find the the Aqua Allegoria bottles to be some of the prettiest. Edit: after 2,5 hours patchouli has come through and it's all that there's left. Fine by me though.

After trying Allegoria Pamplelune in stores for years, summer after summer, and now, owning a full size bottle, I find compelled to echo the reviewer below, Whiffthis about how incredibly refreshing and photorealistic this scent smells like! And unique in the sphere of designer world! It’s very alluring, fruity, crisp, citrusy, green scent, tangy and slightly bitter but delicious in the same time! It’s not a complex fragrance but it’s perfectly blended. I don’t have many grapefruit dominant perfumes in my collection to compare Pamelune with, but I wanted this for almost a decade now, so that says something about its appeal... Sprayed on clothing, it’s unexpectedly long lasting for such a fresh perfume. No joke, I can smell it next day, lingering on fabrics. Wearing it on skin is less impressive but it’s not terribly weak. The sillage is rather minimal though! Being released a quarter of century ago, can be found online for relatively cheap prices. I would recommend getting a bottle of Allegoria Pamplelune to anyone who loves grapefruit. Maybe a bit on the feminine side grapefruit scent but so good... It’s such a beautiful, easy perfume to wear and suitable for day to day, casual, white tea shirt/jeans or linen dress. Light, bright and carefree, like a summer day while on holiday in the Mediterranean!