{{Fragrance Review}}: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Neroli Bianca

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Neroli Bianca - S$79/75ml
from DFS Galleria, Singapore and Guerlain counters, Singapore

Hey people! How's it going? I have been rather inactive on my blog these few weeks because I was busy with so many things! 

Well, I'm back with a review of Guerlain's Neroli Bianca from its Aqua Allegoria range. This is Guerlain's 2013 offering that's not "travel exclusive". I love the beautiful design of the Aqua Allegoria...so...luxurious.

Basically Neroli Bianca is inspired by the bitter orange tree. I've come into contact with bitter orange in L'Occitane's The Vert. It is basically a note that is less bright than an average orange note and even lightly bitter (hence the name).

Neroli Bianca itself is a pretty interesting fragrance. It opens up tart, citrusy and bitter. For some reason when you first whiff it, it feels like you're smelling layers of it. I can almost see the flesh of the bitter orange in front of me, with its citrus juiciness. It is zesty, bringing a sort of effervescent effect to this fragrance. I also detect what seemed like a faint honey note, bringing a roundness to this scent. But the honey isn't the ordinary honey you get in jars; it actually smells a bit smoky or burnt, as though the honey has been roasted. Picture a bitter orange, sliced open and doused with a thin layer of mildly burnt honey. Sprinkle on a bit of those "popping candy" that kids usually eat and that's the effect created by Neroli Bianca.

As the fragrance develops, you can feel undertones of woody and green notes emerging. I guess we're climbing down from the tree, away from the bountiful bitter oranges and straight into its leaves and branches. The magical zest is waning and this is the part of the fragrance where the citrus is rather subdued.

Then, as you reach the bottom of the tree, you can see that just nearby, another bitter orange tree has yet to bear fruits. Its orange blossoms sway in the wind, bringing their light floral scent to your face. If you had smelt harder while up the tree, you'd have noticed the faint scent of these blossoms. The dry down is a bouquet of orange blossoms and their pollens - powdery, mildly citrusy and woody.

Sillage wise this is a pretty strong scent and longevity was a good 8 hours on my wrists.

This is an interesting scent but it was not my cup of tea. It is worth a whiff if you can get your hands on a tester at the store. Who knows, it might just be what you'll fall in love with.

I hope this review was useful :D
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That Whimsical Blogger!