Aqua Allegoria Mentafollia (2004)
by Guerlain

The olfactory impression I had while wearing this was that of a light floral tea flavored with citrus peel shavings and crushed mint leaves. If polite and pleasant company is what you're after, Mentafollia fits the bill. Personally I much prefer her greener, less sedate mint-chewing cousin, Herba Fresca.

Yes, there is mint in this one, definitely, but never as a solo performer. A hesperidic-citrus combination is also present in the top notes. Initially, there is more of grapefruit, later on it is more tangerine-heavy.

The best part here is the fact that the mint and the citrus are balanced perfectly well; neither is domineering and this balance is remarkable indeed.

The drydown sees the development of a delightful green tea, accompanied by the concurrent weakening and gradual evaporation of the citrus components. Later on a touch of a soft and quite green jasmine is added.

Later in the base a wood mix develops, initially rather unremarkable. Then, in an unexpected olfactory apotheosis, the mint, tea and cedary wood notes, beautifully smooth now, merge, somewhat creamy and delightfully blended, into an elegantly gracile melange. Very nice a scent from the handbag people.

I get moderate sillage, adequate projection and ten hours of longevity on my skin.

An original combination of citrus, mint and wood, very well blended, with none of the notes ever being overriding the other notes - a spring scent of democratic equality, composed of constituents of very good quality, albeit a touch lacking intensity in the heart notes. 3.5/5

Initially smells very similar to Jo Malone Fresh Mint Leaf

Top: mandarin, grapefruit, mint
Heart: rose, jasmine, green tea
Base: Atlas Cedar and woodsy notes.

At this point, this is probably my favorite mint scent because of the fact I don't really like mint as a fragrance. Mentafollia has a lot more going on than mint, which pleases my requirement for modulation of this note. And this one is taken in a soft, fresh, summer-air direction, so it's really quite lovely.
The opening is a fresh, light-handed citrus mint combination which scintillates. There is a slight green tea note in the opening, which, as most teas notes, is mid-tone and moderating, so it mellows the mint to a pleasing degree.
As the citrus dissipates, what comes in is the light soft rose/jasmine accord, and a strengthening of the green tea note. I think the top and mid notes are blended quite well. They seem to flow into each other fairly unnoticeably, and nothing is jumping up and down saying "Me, me!". In other words, it has a cohesive light summer ambiance. The mint at this point is mint tea that syncs well with the florals.
The drydown becomes slightly sharper, lightly wooded, but keeps a mint and tea vibe.
This one evolves and has enough complexity to keep my interest, and what I consider a successful main theme, an airy pretty one that appeals to me. It is also fairly long-lasting for an effervescent summer scent. Besides, I like the name.

It's very very green. Apart from the mint green leaves and the grapefruit notes I can't smell the rose and tea that is supposed to be in this! It smells very fresh but apart from that I don't really have much more to say about it. This perfume is simple but effective. And it's possibly unisex too but I'm still debating this with myself.