Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune (1999)
by Guerlain

You know it’s grapefruit but you smell cat urine. Fortunately, it doesn’t last too long as the performances are very low.

Gentle spiciness and definitely unisex, there is something softly creamy or powdery present. Grapefruit zest is strong, no sweetness from the flesh itself but there is a fleeting and wispy jammy note in the dry down. Softly herbaceous, slightly green and soapy.

On me, it’s definitely pulling the bitterness and acidity of the zest almost as if pith made its way into the mix. And a minute whiff of astringency and urine. The real disappointment comes from a synthetic chemical scent. For a fragrance that's all about water and nature, I expect more.

While not a completely unpleasant wear, it’s not my favorite way to spend the day. Luckily, it doesn’t last all day on me, it has a staying power of about three hours. What’s left in the very end are cleaned up, vanilla hippy vibes. A bit droll in the end.

Grapefruit & bergamot are perfection here - no complaints from me. I've noted in previous reviews how I am not a big fan of bergamot. I feel it is overused. Here, it is delicious!
Top notes flow nicely into the heart phase. The florals are fine things. Hints of cassis move in awhile later. So far, this is what I'd call a sweet-green fragrance. To me, this is like a kinder, gentler version of A. A. Nerolia Bianca, which I find to be rather harsh.
A kind of candy accord moves in, with the addition of patchouli and vanilla. It all comes together to become one of the better Aqua Allegoria offerings. I think I could wear this one year 'round!

Medicinal and herbaceous patchouli with a dry sweet orange. The vanilla probably is the sweetener, but it's not overt as a separate accord at first. The most intriguing part of the fragrance is the blackcurrent, which gives a whole vibrant summer hot fragrance effect. It turns into a pleasant plain stick gum. It leans more feminine, but it is unisex. I really like this one a lot as a summer citrus berry fragrance.

Pamplelune opens with a energizing grapefruit scent. I wouldn't say it smells like real real grapefruit but it's well elaborated IMO. The acedity, the sweetness and the bitterness are perfectly balanced to create a sparkling and pleasant citrus scent. After about 2 or 3 hours, grapefruit hands the relay off to an aromic base of petitgrain, decorated by a hint of sweet vanilla and neroli, and it stays close to skin for another 2 or 3 hours.

Pamplelune is relatively simple IMO, but efficient. A refreshing fragrance for summer outdoor activities. I'd recommend to someone who's desperately looking for a natural citrus dominant fragrance.