Aqua Allegoria Winter Delice

This scent had been suggested to me as a "Christmas tree" scent. It doesn't quite live up to that -- there's wood in here, but this scent is not even close to what you'd smell when walking past rows of cut Douglas firs and blue spruces. It definitely smells like conifers, though, and I think I can sense cedar, so maybe this just doesn't match the types of Christmas trees I'm used to. I expected this to be a "cold" scent, but Winter Delice is warm and makes me think of incense (until the drydown). I don't get anything remotely camphorous or earthy. Supposedly there's some gingerbread in here, but I'm not getting any of it either. There's definitely sweetness, but it's not like honey or vanilla. Winter Delice is sweet throughout all of its stages, especially in the opening, but nothing about that sweetness is edible (until the drydown). The drydown, the drydown... the drydown is bizarre. It's absolutely nothing like the other stages; I have trouble understanding how Winter Delice could have developed like this. Unlike the other stages, the drydown seems a little cold -- not strong like menthol, but enough to be weird. There's no more incense, no more woods. The sweetness is subdued, but I'm getting... cold sparkly grape? Not wine or Concord grapes, but carbonated purple grape juice. It's not unpleasant, but... why??? This isn't a result of my skin chemistry, either -- this happened on both paper and my clothing. I'm a little disappointed at Winter Delice's weakness. On fabrics, it lasts a long time (I checked just now, and it's still faintly there over 48 hours later), but it's a skin scent from start to finish, and I can't sense it on myself at all 6 hours in. The weird grapey scent doesn't appear on my skin, but Winter Delice appears to die off on me after the heart notes. In conclusion: As far as top and heart notes go, I like this scent even though it didn't fit my expectations. It's heavy on the woods, sweet but not a gourmand, and the incense isn't offensive to my nose. Winter Delice isn't "cold"-smelling, and while it doesn't match the Christmas feel, it's good for winter and fall. The longevity and sillage are both disappointing... if only it were stronger!

Just got my FB about a week ago, have been wearing it NON-STOP!!! I LOVE *sweetnspiceys* review and that she said it smelt like freshly tapped maple sugar water!! I bought this as a way of making peace with Winter since it is sticking around so long and I do happen to love ALL of the scents of a traditional Christmas celebration. So I can see myself wearing it during the holidays, but just in wintertime in general. It is so fresh and cold yet warm and spicy at the same time. I love the scent of the fir and the pine, it is masculine smelling at first, but then sweetens up a lot on me and then OHHHH, that fabulous incense dry down, what I live for in a woody, smoky perfume like this. All in all, I would totally wear this as a signature fragrance during the cooler months!! the longevity is amazing for an EDT and the sillage is moderate.. It just makes me really, really happy and yet sad at the same time because I know it will always be a hassle to find more of it, but as much as I love it, it will be worth the struggle.

I was the weird kid who would eat the drops of resin from the bark of the pine tree. Yes, I know: it's a miracle I survived to adulthood; nonetheless, those small, golden, sparkling drops that weren't quite solid and weren't quite liquid either, totally fascinated me. And I suppose they still do. Winter Delice doesn't suggest Christmas to me -- that would require the addition of cinnamon, nutmeg and eggnog; instead, it's the scent of snow and winter moonlight. Winter Delice suggests the chill and excitement of cross-country skiing by the light of a full moon many years ago in Chama, New Mexico. The snow sparkled and the only sound in the insulated, muffled quiet I remember was the swish, swish, swishing of well-waxed skis. The stars were too numerous to count, the air cold and crisp, the moon shadows danced and the Ponderosa pines perfumed the air with the same sharp resin I smell on my skin now from Winter Delice. Fabulous.

This EdT, part of the Aqua Allegoria series and now discontinued, starts out as a mildly spicy, incensey, smoky, composition, then quickly a fir balsam note becomes the primary one. It’s not at all a “Christmas” scent, it’s more the smell of fresh resin and old incense. Even though the sillage is light, I would characterize this as dark and brooding, like walking into an abandoned, haunted chapel in the middle of an evergreen forest and finding that it still smells like the incense that was once burned there. As the evergreen notes die down, a light gingerbread note appears, breaking the spell, but the incense still remains in the background. After a few hours it dries down to a gingerbread, vanilla and musk skin scent. Overall, this is fairly long-lasting for an EdT, at least 4-5 hours. I love the opening, and like the rest of it. Too bad Guerlain stopped making this.

When I sprayed Winter Delice onto my arm, I was immediately transported to a different time and place... my imaginary cabin in the Great North-West. It is evening, and the seasons are just turning from Autumn to Winter, so there is a slight chill in the air. I return from gathering some more firewood, and the fir trees surrounding the cabin are starting to be coated with snow. The cabin's chimney is sending up spirals of smoke, and there is a warm glow in the window. How inviting! Winter Delice is so atmospheric. Yes, it is like standing next to a pine or fir tree that is leaking some sap. You smell the bark, as well. Long-lasting and beautiful. I have a decant, but soooo want a FB! WD would be perfect for a snowball fight with your love, or roasting marshmallows by the fire. But I can see wearing it, snuggling under a comforter. Lovely!