Aqua Allegoria Tiaré-Mimosa (2009)
by Guerlain

Tiare-Mimosa is my least favorite, thus far, of the Aqua Allegoria range of fragrance put out by Guerlain. I think it is supposed to be a crisp, breezy floral bearing a pseudo-sweetness. My nose perceives it as cleaning chemical...kind of like those scented Clorox or Lysol all-purpose wipes in the plastic canister. If a crisp, breezy floral is what you're craving, I'd go with L'Artisan's La Chasse Aux Papillons - which has no resemblance to cleaning fluid whatsoever!

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Tiare-Mimose

Notes: tiare (gardenia), mimosa, lemon zest, pink pepper, musk and vanilla (from NowSmellThis)

Of the two Aqua Allegoria fragrances released this year (2009), Tiare-Mimose is the more palatable. It starts with candied synthetic florals, none of which I can recognize. The fragrance is nonetheless refreshing and brightened with a dash of citrus. The florals are joined by a cherry-dominated fruit punch accord which I think is supposed to give it a tropical feel. Soon after, TM really does turn more tropical with what I assume to be Mimosa. Further along, some YlangYlang comes forth, with a lovely, intoxicating woody flower quality that verges on furniture polish--in a good way. In the drydown, TM is mostly a sweet, powdery vanilla musk along the lines of Guerlain's own L'Instant Magic. Although TM is pleasant, nothing about it "wows" me. It seems like a lighter, rehashed, fruity floral imitating Dior's Hypnotic Poison but much less good and without the rubbery almond note. It would probably be great for anybody who find Hypnotic Poison to be too heavy. Longevity of this feminine fragrance was medium, around 5 hours.

A close cousin of SummerbyKenzo, only with less sunblock. A powdery mimosa opening progresses into a brief but nice tiare moment (not super-realistic, but alright), then becomes a mimosa musk with a hint of the tiare/gardenia remaining to add some depth. Really good lasting power for an AA.

I enjoyed this. Not amazing nor original but by virtue of not being another watery AA, it's automatically less boring. It has some personality; I found it flirty and girly, in a pastel yellow style, and should entertain the wearer enough for its price. Would be a good accessory for a summer date.