Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic Forte and Rosa Rossa Forte Review – Delphine Jelk; 2022

We thought we’d seen the end of this year’s crop of Aqua Allegorias. But Guerlain have just gone and presented us with something of a surprise: an entirely new Aqua Allegoria range called Forte, which debuts with two ‘stronger’ versions of older AA compositions, Mandarine Basilic and Rosa Rossa, both composed by Delphine Jelk. Here’s a link to my YouTube video about them: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic Forte and Rosa Rossa Forte review.

Guerlain haven’t got to where they are by resting on their laurels. So although I was initially bemused to learn that they’d decided to form this Forte collection (surely, the whole point of the Aqua Allegorias is that they’re nor particularly forte), I’ve since concluded that perhaps this is part of the ‘let’s give it a go and see what happens’ approach that has served the brand well for nearly two centuries.

Thankfully, the scents themselves are charming, which suggests that the endeavour is more than a mere exercise in marketing. Delphine Jelk has chosen to extend the metallic-citrus personality of the original Mandarine Basilic by bulking it up with a convincing, vanillic-patisserie base. And Rosa Rossa becomes warmer and more sensuous thanks to the addition of heavier woods and vetiver. At a time when many consumers steer away from eaux de toilette, on the mistaken premise that they’re ‘weaker’ than eaux de parfum, perhaps this will indeed turn out to be an effective way of keeping the AA range alive. I shall watch developments with great interest. And I confess, I’m intrigued by the idea of a Herba Fresca Forte.

Persolaise

[Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic Forte and Rosa Rossa Forte reviews based on samples provided by the brand in 2022.]

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