Aqua Allegoria Forte Oud Yuzu Guerlain 2023

Oud in the base of an Aqua Allegoria fragrance sounds like "not fish, not meat" to me. Too fresh and spicy for an oriental and too voluminous and exhausting for a light, summery AA fragrance. This is aggravated by the fact that oud is one of my fear opponents, because since no version of this note has ever really thrilled me, I usually cringe a little when I find it in a pyramid. Especially when it appears boldly in the name of a perfume. Although I have to admit that the AquaAllegoria range no longer really attracts me anyway, because I have lost the common thread that used to characterize the fragrances. Especially when the "Forte Flanker" came onto the market, the topic was dismissed as unimportant for me for the time being.

So now AA, forte and also oud - can it work or can it go away...?
Even though I've already said here several times that I've moved away from Guerlain, I'm still tempted to test it every now and then, especially when I find what I'm looking for in the souk.

I try to ignore everything else and just focus on the fragrance on my skin. And lo and behold - it's actually something. The top note, which is clearly dominated by mandarin and yuzu, which I find rather green and citrusy, has real Aqua Allegoria character: expressive, cool and energetic. I cannot detect a break with the heart note, but it is true that the fragrance drifts into a well-known neroli aroma, which is obviously resented by some perfume members. I can't understand that, because I like it. Amber gives the neroli warmth and at the same time leads into a base that I find pleasant. It may be synthetic - but why not? But I really like this somewhat brittle finish, which lingers on my skin for a surprisingly long time. For me at least, oud is well packaged between cedar and vetiver and only works in secret - as a fragrance enhancer, so to speak, and not as the theme it is advertised as in the name of the perfume. So the all-clear for all those who avoid oud like the devil avoids holy water. I'm actually one of them. I'm also not sure whether Guerlain has done the fragrance a favor by presenting oud so boldly in the name. Listing the note in the pyramid would probably have been enough and would not have polarized so much.

Since the time of year is not the right time to add a new Aqua Allegoria fragrance to my perfume cabinet, I will probably make do with a bottling for the time being and who knows, next spring is sure to come. Because even if I don't consider the fragrance to be lightweight, I prefer other scents for autumn and winter.