I adore vetiver. I love neroli. But I don’t like this. Granted, the not unpleasant, semi-sexy fig musk of the basilic base has a vaguely beguiling, après-tennis drink in the sports bar vibe – you wouldn’t necessarily move to another seat — but Nerolia Vetiver, an inessential, lite summer fragrance – doesn’t smell of vetiver, nor particularly of neroli, for that matter; the weird segue from the creamy orange blossom freshness of the opening, to some kind of fake lilac bathroom spray heartnote, headache-inducing ; blousy.
The Black Narcissus 
I haven’t found a single Allegoria that I have liked; just seeing that honeycomb gold mesh makes me anticipate unpleasant grapefruity and limey smells. Should I be more adventurous and give the entire range a second chance? Where to start (again)?
You are totally right.
I have a soft spot though for the strange Gentiana, which is indescribable
🤣thanks for the laughs.
The original AA were good, and a few others after that up until Lys Soleia. Every AA since then has made me go meh if not 🤢.
I have a bottle of MPG jardin du neroli which has a vetiver note and is delightful, especially in this season. With the temps going up I’ve been craving neroli these past few days.
LOVE Lys Soleia and wore some – i ration it – last weekend.
Agree about all recent AAs: generally indigestible
Please seek out the video Guerlain made for the launch of these new scents. A tad cringy for me(what is that lady doing with those Iris?)and the least of it is the green washing, despite the beautiful Sia song. I own only AA Pamplelune and I am perfectly content.
I daren’t look ( but will ).
Some of the AAs are gorgeous but recent fare has left me sorely wanting
Just watched the ad for the Launch. Love the Sia track, “The world is our garden” is the very unoriginal tagline. I don’t know, the AAs I tried at the Istanbul airport in 2019 all seemed meh. Really wanted to like Tiare Mimosa. I have yet to try the new Kadine. Sigh…..
Oh come on everyone: there are a few AA which are rather lovely: Pamplelune, Lys Soleia, Flora Nérolia and Lavande Velours are all quite enchanting, the lily & the neroli ones actually quite naughty…! (And truth be told, I’d love to have a bottle of AA Ylang & Vanille!) Let’s accept them for what they are probably doing quite well: filling Guerlain’s coffers with cash so they can carry on producing Mitsouko, Après l’ondée, L’heure bleu etc.
Definitely. I venerate Guerlain completely ( and love the ones you mention above). It’s just that release after release in this line recently is wan, unstimulating.
I didn’t pay too much attention to the more pedestrian AAs until the fragrance rep at my loyal drugstore walked by trailing something utterly delicious. Turned out to be plain ol’Jasminora, the tester of which I’d yawned right by. Ever since, I’ve stopped underestimating them. The appeal is — or can be; there are misses — in the sillage. I have quite a few spanning many years and even some of the duller ones are no-brainers for a quick stroll to the shops. I think I might just be a contarian, my darling N., and try this new one!
I hope so, as I actually love to be proven wrong with these things. And I can totally imagine the Jasminora – I think I also yawned – we condemn with force – floating by on the more nonchalant person and it smelling lovely.
There is just this…..generic, blah note in the middle of it all in ‘Nerolia Vetiver’ that is too boring, in the same way as Limon Verde (which again, smells STUNNING on a friend of mine so I will just shut up) .
So, I got me some AA Gentiana, and that was a nice surprise! Once the grapefruit wore off (fairly quickly), it reminded me of Cartier’s l’Heure Fougueuse, with a little bit of Shiseido Zen fusti-/mustiness; now it has settled to a comforting oakmossy fougere or something similar. I can’t stop sniffing. The true test may be overnight. Next stop, some of the other recommendations above!
Pleased to read this! Gentiana was one of those unexpected pleasures; the heart and base of it are just pure positivity I think. My mum picked up a bottle in a charity shop: I am planning to nick it secretly when I come back in the summer (and give her lots of other things to replace it).
You and your mum and the charity shops! I have never found any perfumes in the charity shops I go to. What am I doing wrong? I would so love to just pick up something unexpected…
And this is in Shirley – if I may say it, a shithole ; god knows who is depositing Guerlain
Only AA fragrance I ever liked was Winter Delice, and maybe a couple of the originals, such as Herba Fresca and Lavande Velours.
I still can’t forgive D for using Winter Delice for some performance or other and losing it. It was a full pristine bottle!
Oh no!! That makes me sad. Well, I have a lovely miniature that will be yours, eventually, should you not find a new bottle.😊