Tinibee

With the Aqua Allegoria fragrances, I always feel like I’m entering a room where passion is baked, cooked, tea is drunk, or cocktails are mixed. Naturally graceful ingredients and simple compositions make the scents so culinary and delicious. I have a few clear favorites from the Guerlain line, including Ginger Piccante and Teazzurra, but I particularly love Bergamote Calabria.

This fragrance has the potential to be a signature scent; it feels very close to the skin and human, lacking the artificial, distant quality that makes many fragrances feel more like armor than a second skin. I have become relatively sensitive to synthetic fragrances and do not use extremely strong perfumes or scented laundry detergents or creams (which can trigger allergies in the long run and pollute the environment). I can tolerate Bergamote Calabria well (but I spray it towards my neck just in case, so it doesn’t constantly rise from my nose to my head) and I don’t feel like I’m bothering others with an exaggerated sillage. Anyone who warmly hugs me to greet me or sits right next to me is likely to catch a pleasant whiff of it.

When I smell this Guerlain, I immediately think of a balmy summer evening in Italy. I picture Betty Draper from the series Mad Men, designing a new self as an emancipated woman and spending one last vacation with her husband in Rome: An attractive woman in a black, airy cocktail dress, late 60s makeup, and dangling earrings with a large pearl on each side steps onto the terrace of a restaurant and orders an aperitif. Sex appeal and Italian Dolce Vita, but also a touch of thoughtful sensuality make Bergamote Calabria as complex as people are. Fruity-citrusy bergamot is carried by a deep, hearty base - delicious like a good vermouth with lemon zest in a crystal glass. The bottle is perfectly designed: Golden elegance meets delicate yellow cheerfulness.

This is how I would love to live!

Let's start with a little translation:

allure - English noun: allure, charm, seductiveness, verb: to captivate, to be attractive
- French noun: 1. pace, speed, 2. appearance, 3. demeanor, behavior

There seem to be significant differences in meaning depending on which language you translate "allure" into. The French translation is still quite general, while the English one is more precise. However, if you add the French meanings 2 (appearance) and 3 (behavior), you arrive at a formula that brings you closer to the English meaning. An outwardly beautiful person can seem quite repulsive if they behave in a lowly manner. Conversely, a visually unattractive person can still be attractive if they shine through their behavior. If a person has both, good looks and good behavior: JACKPOT!

But there is something else about a person that turns our heads: their scent. You can smell someone or you can't. Perfume enhances this impression, as it develops differently on each wearer’s skin and because the fragrance direction reflects what type we are: temperamental, sensual, natural, sophisticated, etc.

Chanel "Allure" has exactly this potential to transform an attractive person into an alluring one. It has a certain charm, an aura, that I associate with a lovable person. I sprayed it on my forearm in the morning and "observed" it throughout the day. Time and again, a pleasant wave of scent came my way, making me feel cozy and at home. Warm, tender, feminine, and soft is how I imagine the person wearing "Allure." She is fresh, clean, powdered, and moisturized, in short: well-groomed. As the evening progressed, the scent became heavier and retreated into the skin.

My conclusion: I am not THE person I associate with "Allure," but I can very well imagine it on another woman - on a good friend, a woman in the midst of life. Personally, I find the scent a bit too heavy, somewhat bitter, but miles more pleasant than other scents with a bitter note. However, it shouldn't be hard to find a lighter version of this fragrance or at least a variation, perhaps even a dupe that is significantly cheaper.

"Allure" - a good choice for those it suits. However, it is worth keeping an eye out for similar scents.

A little disclaimer upfront: Dear Chance wearers, don’t let this comment ruin your mood. It is, as always, purely subjective.

And here we go: The hype around certain perfumes is sometimes inexplicable to me. I feel the same way about Chance. I am testing it for the second time and again come to no positive conclusion. And apparently, I am not alone in this. The classification of the scent already shows that it can't quite decide what it wants to be. One could interpret this positively and claim that it is versatile, mysterious, or ambivalent. But no, I mean that it is a homogeneous mixture of different scent directions that, at least on my skin, smell like nothing more than a lavish bath in concocted, synthetic fragrance waters.
Chance smells like the scent wall that hits you in the face when you enter an overcrowded perfumery. This bitter, synthetic weight instantly lays itself from my nasal to my oral mucosa and makes me feel like I weigh 10 kilos more.

- With the spray, the synthetic severity hits me hard.
- About 15 minutes after spraying, a friendly, floral note peeks through - probably the iris or jasmine. However, the scent remains bitter and heavy.
- Even hours later, the scent remains heavy. Thanks to pink pepper and vanilla? The floral peek transforms into a somewhat musty, at least organic note. I can give the scent credit for that.

Lastly, a note for sensitive noses and people with migraine issues: You should better stay away from this scent.

(Okay, I must admit that this review was a bit harsh. But my frustration with this scent is speaking. Other reviews are much friendlier when a perfume truly convinces or at least has potential.)

She nudges a dozen petals into the wind with her pink fingertips. Her lap screams musk and patchouli. A bitter grimace tightens my throat.

Heart attack, blinking

A group of teenage girls drags their fake designer handbags behind them, cackling, along with a thick cloud of Fleur Musc. Too much makeup and a series of split ends in their straightened hair push themselves onto me.

The Fleur Musc could be so beautifully floral if it were just a bit less. Unfortunately, it remains too flat and clogs the nasal cavities of the city with its penetrance.

What a shame, otherwise it would be a very beautiful scent!

Dear sniffing noses,

first things first: I believe every fragrance deserves to be tested without bias. So only continue reading if you have already had your experiences with "This is her."

A few years ago, I stumbled upon "This is her" and had THE revelation. I'm sure you all know the following situation: You're just going about your day when suddenly a breeze surprises you, wrapping you in a heavenly veil as if an angel has just zipped past you. For a moment, you are still dazed by the beauty, and in the next moment, you become a scent-hound, nervously following the trail like a lemming. That's how it was for me with my arm when I first sprayed "This is her" for testing - I could have been sniffing my arm like a dog that doesn't realize it's chasing its own tail. But enough with the animal comparisons and back to the topic! :)
The fragrance is unisex, which makes a woman no less attractive - on the contrary: For me, unisex fragrances have something erotic about them. And indeed, I was approached about the scent relatively often by people of all genders.
Warning, trigger alert! For all those who love "This is her" unconditionally, it might get a bit uncomfortable now. Those who feel similarly to me might find themselves nodding along. I wore "This is her" for about a year... until the headaches started. This may not necessarily be due to the fragrance itself, but probably because I've been avoiding synthetic and strong fragrance ingredients in cosmetics, laundry, and cleaning products for a while now, making me more sensitive. (By the way, I also quickly react with headaches to other perfumes.) If you have a fine nose like mine but don't want to completely give up "This is her," I offer you, ONLY HERE AND ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME ;), the ultimate instruction manual:

1) Wear the fragrance rarely and only as an evening scent or for special occasions. Most of the time, you are a bit dazed anyway, and a lighter perfume would get lost among all the other scents. Shower before going to bed so you don’t inhale the fragrance at night (and it's best to sleep with the window open).
2) Spray the fragrance with just a light spritz. It is intense enough that you can still perceive it. If necessary, it can be layered with a more natural scent to give it a more personalized touch.
3) Do not spray on your clothing. The scent lingers longer in a synthetic way there.
4) It's best not to apply it directly to your neck or chest, as it will draw directly from below to your nose and make you feel dizzy. Ask someone to spray the fragrance on your upper back.
5) Choose the right season for the fragrance. On hot summer days, it lingers heavier in the air than on cooler days, where it is less overwhelming to the senses.

"This is her" is a fragrance that is attractive to the average person. Sophisticated scent aficionados may find it cliché, flat, and too strong. If I had to choose between a bath in a package of fabric softener and a walk in the woods, I would now also choose the walk in the woods - meaning: One should not wear "This is her" too much or too often. That's how I will approach it: Generally wearing lighter, more natural fragrances. And if I want something stronger, then just a hint of "This is her," layered with a green scent - then I might get a few approving glances - YES! BUT no migraine.