GUERLAIN
Aqua Allegoria  Orange Soleia

2020

PERFUMER
Thierry Wasser
Delphine Jelk

blood orange
bergamot
pink pepper
woody notes
peppermint
tonka bean

The opening of Orange Soleia is absolutely amazing, at least from an artistic point of view. It smells so much like a realistic orange, that you could close your eyes and forget you’re not holding a freshly pressed glass of orange juice. And you get the whole thing, the juice, but also the pulp and most definitely the zest. This is not a watered down orange or a lemonade; it’s bright and fresh, but also pungent.

The blood orange makes for a bitter edge, which is very noticeable in Orange Soleia and something you have to be open to; it adds something to the otherwise ‘standard’ citrus vibe. It’s after some minutes that you start noticing a peppery and a minty touch, although I’d say both are subtle nuances to a straight up, prominent orange juice scent. There’s really not a lot to say about it; from my testing it’s practically like smelling a freshly squeezed orange, so you can probably imagine that yourself.

Which can lead to multiple conclusions. I for one, really love the quality and realism in this creation. I kept smelling myself, just to really appreciate it. That being said; I think I love it as a sampling experience more, than I would for frequent, casual wearing. The scent is quite linear and it does smell like you spilled orange juice on yourself. That can be fun, but I don’t think it’s something I want to go for often.

Being a natural smelling citrus, this will not last you through a day, but the longevity actually isn’t bad, although it’s subtle and close to the skin after the first hour. That’s not unusual for this style of fragrance and you can pick up Orange Soleia for a very reasonable price; I think for most people the weaker performance shouldn’t be a deal breaker.