I fell head over heels for this scent. I tested it head to head against the very popular Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic. It should be said, both scents are excellent bright refreshing oranges, but Orange Soleia wins for me on a few counts and is the orange Aqua Allegoria for me.
Firstly, I like the tartness from the blood orange here. While there is a touch of sweetness, I would say the effect is more an orange peel rather than a candied soft or sweet fruit. Some oranges turn sour on my skin, but this was not the case with either Mandarine Basilic or Orange Soleia. I also much prefer the mint note in Orange Soleia over the basil in Mandarine Basilic. I find it helps give an overall effect of sipping on an aperol spritz in the summer. The pink pepper and woody notes are subtle but present and gives some strength and grounding to Orange Soleia. For me the effect of Orange Soleia is just more refreshing than Mandarine Basilic.
Performance is not great, but it is an EDT so I expect it to be lighter. I get about 1.5-2 hrs on skin and around 5 on clothes with a very intimate projection. Still, this is a scent that makes me happy to reapply it and as an orange dominant spring/summer freshie I think Orange Soleia is just incredible. It was available at a really affordable price point too.
