Aqua Allegoria Mentafollia (2004)
by Guerlain

Hello. My name is Quarry, and I'm a green-aholic. No surprise to anyone here that I love these mint green top notes, but once they mix with Mentafollia's soapy heart, the spell begins to break. I'm put in mind of the unceasingly minty goodness of Masakï Matsushïma Mintea (discontinued), which doesn't vary to any degree, but sustains that sweet, green blast that puts a glint in my eye.

Mint, mint, mint. This was surprisingly enjoyable. I'm not a big fan of mint in fragrances, but Guerlain lets mint take center stage with a barely noticeable supporting cast. After about two hours it takes on a slight synthetic edge but softens after that. Be warned, it lasts forever. Two days later (and I shower every day) and I could still smell it on my hand.

Oh, I SO prefer Mentafolia to the more-lauded Herba Fresca. Herba is harder (and more expensive) to come by, but the discontinued-yet-less-inexpensive Mentafolia, in my opinion, is prettier, fresher, cooler, more floral, and a balm on hot days.

leaves of fresh mint crushed in the hand in the early morning while sun is rising and flowers around are opening their petals
a fragrance fair to this view and which name corresponds excatly with the impressions created
so fresh so minty (far more minty than Herba fresca)
dedicated to hot sunny summer days

I know this AA has been discontinued, but as its only been recently so I was able to purchase a large bottle fairly cheaply on ebay. I'm a big fan of Herba Fresca, another minty AA, so I was eager to compare the two. Why is HF still around and Mentafollia discontinued?

So here I sit with HF sprayed on my left hand and Mentafolia on my right. They are both minty, minty, minty! But whereas HF has the crisp grass and basil notes that give it a (no surprise!) herbaceous, fragrant salad-y smell, Mentafollia's mint seems very intertwined with its tea notes. In fact, on my skin this perfume might better be called Mentafollia The' (mint leaf tea) as the mint notes seem to be on equal turf with the tea notes in this composition.

Like most AAs, there isn't much evolution from top notes to dry down. The cedar is light and barely detectable (definitely not the woody presence in a composition like, say, Philosykos). Beneath the tea and mint there is the sweetness of the florals and orange but they never leap to the forefront.

This is a cooling, refreshing perfume. Like a tall, cool glass of ice tea with mint leaves on a hot summer day. It's my post-bathing perfume of choice, perfect for cooling me down after some time in a hot steamy bath or shower. I also sometimes sneak some after a workout if I'm feeling icky. Pure minty bliss!

(And OK, I still love HF, but my boyfriend gets that "soapy" note in it that I've never smelled so he far prefers this one, likening it to his all-time fave cologne, Creed's Selection Vert. And maybe it is, a little...)

How refreshing--a spearmint perfume. I love spearmint, and it remains the dominant note throughout this fragrance. I also smell green tea and jasmine, one of my favorite teas. And the surprise finish which had me cheering? Powder. It dries to a nice powder. High marks for creativity--not for creating a "work of art" that is difficult to wear, but for creating the clearest, simplest presentation of mint in perfume imaginable. Brave--not bold. Unusual--not strange. Food for thought--olfactory, that is.