Aqua Allegoria Tiaré-Mimosa (2009)
by Guerlain

I feel a bit like the madman in the marketplace with his lantern, but it seems time that someone said it:

Guerlain is not Guerlain anymore.

Sound like a contradiction? I'm afraid it is not, and naysayers need only sniff some of these recent Aqua Allegorica launches to be persuaded of the lamentable truth, Tiare-Mimosa being a not-so-inviting case in point. Once upon a time, the Aqua Allegoria line featured simple yet compelling niche-quality compositions focusing upon one or two beautiful central notes. All of the AAs which I acquired around Y2K fit this description, and even a few released in the early twenty-first century. What has happened since then is that all sight has been lost of what this line was supposed to be. Aqua Allegoria fragrances are now inexpensive and smell frankly cheap. They are light and blurry, inoffensive, if you will, but they are not, to my nose, bona fide Guerlain.

Tiare-Mimosa is certainly wearable enough, but there is hardly anything tiare about it, and the mimosa seems like some sort of synthetic abstract floral rendition--one which I recently detected also in Benetton GIALLO. I rest my case. QED.

For those looking for good mimosa perfumes, they do exist. Try Demeter Vintage naturals Mimosa or Bond no 9 Fashion Avenue, for starters.

21st July, 2011.

This is more mimosa than tiare for me, unfortunately. On my skin the mimosa dominates, & makes the opening much too green & sickly for my taste. The tiare comes through in the heart & it improves in the drydown, but not enough to capture me. l don't really think these notes blend well together; mimosa is cool & moist, tiare much warmer & creamier. l love tiare, & have a few other fragrances already that do it much better for me, so l'll pass on this one.

5th July, 2011.

Embodies the description "pretty". What I hoped Flora Nymphea would be--a light pastel floral bouquet, with a hint of honey and pollen, and a soft musky powdery drydown. I dislike powder, but it's very subtle and soft here. The mimosa, tiare, and ylang-ylang are dominant but don't punch you in the face. I get no fruit--maybe a suggestion of citrusy brightness, but not really audibly. Springy. Good lasting power. I got mine at a discounter for $30--certainly worth that price!

5th April, 2011.

A peppery and fresh mimosa opening.Tiare's and vanilla's smell reveal only at heart and base where they add sweetness in a musky background.
The whole impression of this scent is a light sunny floral perfect for day wearing in summer or spring!

7th February, 2011.

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!

20th July, 2009.

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.

17th May, 2009.