Aleria

The field of Citrus-orientated fragrances must be the most overcrowded in all of perfumery, so finding a new angle, combination or approach to presenting Citrus must, in turn, be one of the toughest challenges for any perfumer. With that in mind, I'd say that Xavier Torre did a pretty good job with Aleria. The opening is a bracing and quite bitter/green lemon which rapidly settles and also sweetens, although (thankfully) never becoming candy sweet. But the interesting developments start after 10 mins or so when the other notes start to emerge. At first a faint creamy woodiness appears, but soon the beeswax moves forward and the lemon/beeswax interplay becomes the main theme. Both notes are extremely realistic and natural - Aleria smells pretty much exactly like a lemon-juice-soaked beeswax candle - and they really do compliment one another quite brilliantly. The effect of the beeswax serves to deepen, mellow and smooth-out the composition and gently moves it a long way from the "bright" tones that you might usually expect from a citrus fragrance, whilst still keeping the sharp/lemon edge....which is quite an achievement! The floral notes hover some way in the background (this is in no way a floral composition) and I can detect bergamot, but the other citrus notes are really no more than a supporting cast to the lemon. Overall, a great and a rather unusual blend of notes using undeniably high-quality materials that widen the scope and use of citrus. Perfectly wearable in any season - will be really interesting to try this out in Winter, in fact. Totally unisex too.

This scent is outstanding, fabulous and energizing. So pure in its citrus notes. It's woodsy dry down is perfect. Nothing synthetic or artificial. Good longevity and siliage. Just expensive. Definitely a unisex scent.

Fragrance composition: Topnote: Orange, Lime, Lemon, Tangerine Heartnote: Myrtle, Ylang-Ylang Basenote: Woods, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Beeswax Are you looking for an aromatic woody citrus that is not overloaded with the usual woody-amber base? Aleria is a very nice option. As long as you don't expect something groundbreaking, you will discover a simple yet very well refined and incredibly natural smelling composition that opens with citruses galore. Tangerine and lemon are supported by a remarkably aromatic, sort of green, nuance of lime giving an overall effect which smells halfway between Limoncello (minus the sweetness) and a summery citrus-centered alcohol-free cocktail. Refreshing and invigorating. Myrtle make its appearance in the middle phase reinforcing the general mediterranean vibe and serving as a nice introduction to one of the smoothest cedarwood bases I've smelled in years. Ylang-ylang provides subtle floral details without never becoming dominant or particularly detectable. Unisex, summery and with a strong mediterranean vibe. I don't exclude getting a bottle in the future... Rating: 7/10

Natural smelling citruses with a bitter undertone from the beeswax. The first opening is a fantastic sugary lemon, very natural, the sweetness merges with the bitterness and the whole composition seems very interesting. As it develops the bitter note gets more noticeable, I can almost feel the greenness of the lemon tree leaves, still - very natural and very, very nice. Try this if you are for a lookout for a good citrus, this is by far on of the most natural smelling things I've tried. 100% unisex and refreshing.