Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune Guerlain for women

The first 'adult' fragrance I purchased for myself. Lovely citrus opening, but the funky cassis note ruins it for me.

If you want a perfume that smells of candied grapefruit, this is the one!!

It’s my new favorite perfume ! It lasts long , it’s perfect for summer.

I wasn’t sure about this one the first time I wore it, but it’s grown on me. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last very long on my skin- like an hour or two tops, but starts out a bright, zesty grapefruit, a little bitter, and a little floral.
I’m newer to figuring out specific notes, but I don’t get much else in the meantime. After a couple hours it’s a skin scent that’s VERY light. A slightly citrusy, slightly sweet, maybe a bit powdery and dry scent.
I have a large bottle, but I don’t think I will buy another after I run out just because of the poor performance on me. I will continue to use it into the warmer months to see if that improves with heat and humidity.

An unexpected favourite! The first time I tried it, I was struck by how bitter and astringent it was (it is a quite realistic grapefruit scent in that regard) and was not a huge fan. However, after a few more wears, I ended up loving it. I sampled this throughout the summer and early autumn and my god, this is SO refreshing and invigorating. Nothing cuts through warm humid summer air quite like this one. The drydown is a pleasant citrusy vanilla, unlike many other freshies I've sampled that have dried down to generic white musks.

I think this is one of those scents that smell better as a scent trail in the air (side note: this has quite strong sillage) rather than when you smell it on your skin, and I enjoy catching whiffs of myself while wearing this.

This is refreshing!
At first, I got grassy green plant stem notes and almost wrote it off because I am not a fan of those accords. But as it settles down, I could tell more of the grapefruit with its peel that is aromatic. It’s rather delightful.

Well, I know is all about chemistry, I loved this perfume on the strip paper in the store, unfortunately after I bought it, I discovered that on me smells like pure and genuine cat piss, nothing else, no weed, or citrus not a all, cat piss, actually a lot of...😺

I definitely think this is one of those fragrances that is dependent on your chemistry. It smells amazing on me and will definitely be my summer fragrance. I get compliments. On me it dries down nicely and I can still smell it the next day.

A candied grapefruit + neroli. Think saville a laube from lartisan parfumeur with extra green notes and grapefruit. Sits close to the skin but really good!!

Sticky, citrus-sulphuric, surprisingly resinous freshie! Smells like a puddle of IPA spilled on an untreated picnic table, baking in the sun. Cassia? I get CASSIS! Smells fruity-pissy, like sticky buds of hops (or weed?). Very interesting, but I do not enjoy wearing it because life is so short and I prefer obviously floral scents. Have heard others say it’s the most realistic *white* grapefruit scent they’ve ever smelled. I appreciate its bitter, zesty, borderline-astringent, naturalistic character, too. But to me it’s a curiosity, not a perfume.

batch 2016: Hong Kong Style Iced Lemon Tea

Hong Kong Style Iced Lemon Tea ~~~

One of my more liked ones among the AA collection, up there with Mandarine Basilic, Coconut Fizz 💀 and Herba Fresca. Very tart and juicy grapefriuit, with some hints of colour and sweetness from the cassis? I can see where people coming from when they mention it being slightly pissy

Tried it at the store, nothing less than gorgeous. I thought I had to have it. I bought it while on the trip. Once I got home I happily put it on me and rush out... After about half an hour I start to smell something unpleasant, sour, body odor like. Thinking that I must have been just sweating oddly and too much I masked the smell with deodorant. Next day, same odd smell. I thought my cat peed on my clothes. But no, it was this perfume. I thought that, unfortunately, my skin reacts strangely to it. But I still wanted to give it a chance so I sprayed my room with it only to have my sister go into panic mode because she thought that there was a gas leak.

Sorry but this creation is so awful and not refreshing at all. I agree with the comment below that it smells like a citrusy underarm body odor.

Kapow! A big blast of lemon upon first spray! It quickly morphed into a pure fresh grapefruit scent and I loved it! 20 minutes later I could pick up on a nice subtle floral under the grapefruit. An hour later it morphed completely into Brut men’s Cologne. I didn’t enjoy that part. The vanilla didn’t show up until the next morning. It was fun sniffing this and noticing all the changes!

To me this doesn't smell AT ALL like grapefruit, it smells minty and a bit like eucalyptus. Did not like it at all, it also didn´t help that as soon as I sprayed it on me, my sister said 'You smell like a cat peed on you'

Guerlain Pamplelune (1999) - grapefruit chypre - #mathildelaurent if you put it in context, she was trying to making the freshest Guerlain while staying aligned to the house’s chypre legacy. Starts with life-life Grapefruit mixed with Bergamot. Zesty, Bitter and Sparkling. As it develops, I get Blackcurrants and Neroli with wisps of resins and smoke. Just ever so subtle. In the drydown, the Patchouli and Vanilla come create a chypre structure. Though not as lush as Mitsuoko or Vol de Nuit, it creates a structure very common to most Guerlains.

This is my summer EDT for over 15 years. The top note grapefruit scent is gorgeous and true to fruit. I also like the drydown that smells like honey, it's discrete yet sensual.

Reviewed from sample: I love citruses so have been excited by the idea of this one for a while. It is a super realistic grapefruit including the bitter peel note. However I had somehow not anticipated that I like smelling that scent but I don't want my own body smelling like it (lol @ me). I do also find that modern Guerlain freshies tend to dry down into a warm and slightly musky 'perfumey' base that is not what I, a 4711 person, am ideally looking for.

The opening is a really gorgeous grapefruit and bergamot smell. This doesn't last too long on me before drying down to a mild patchouli scent with a hint of grapefruit.

The drydown isn't as creamy as Mandarin Basilic, I personally prefer how Mandarin Basilic ends up smelling like an orange ice-cream, Pamplelune ends up more bitter. Which one you will prefer depends on personal preference.

The opening is absolutely fantastic, the best grapefruit I have smelled. I wish it lasted forever.

Cat pee, what's wrong with you??? You're insulting such a gorgeous perfume. I don't understand how moderators allow such primitive comments and don't delete them???

When I first got this in about 2008, it was bright, and definitely grapefruit for a while before moving to the middle notes. I just sprayed some on for bedtime, as I enjoy the fresh clean feeling with the patchouli dry down. I am not getting grapefruit anywhere, but the bergamot is extra loud. I assume this is to do with the age of my bottle, but it’s an interesting change. Makes it like having a mug of Earl Grey to wind down before bed.

I loved this EDT in the colder months but it recently started giving me a headache and I ended up selling my 125 ml bottle. I think because the vanilla musk became too heavy for warmer summer months and I became hyper-aware of the body odour accord in the drydown. For a much more photorealistic and brighter grapefruit with longer staying power, try Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue Forever, the male version is unisex. I also own Le Pamplemousse by Miller Harris which is a dried grapefruit rind. I realised that this Guerlain ended up stopping me from exploring other great grapefruit fragrances like Yohji Yamamoto Essential or Pamplemousse Basilic by L’Essence des Notes because it is a generic but versatile scent. Feeling freer with the extra space in my wardrobe. But it was nice wearing this to bed after a shower especially on days I felt sad and tired. It was an instant mood-lifter.

It was a long time searching for a perfume like this.. this is exactly what I needed in every summer, so fresh so bright

I love grapefruit and bergamot fragrances, and picked up a sample of this in response to Luca and Tania's enthusiasm for it.

As is always the case with fragrances that Luca and Tania recommend, I found it to be complex, interesting and well-composed. As is often the case with their recommendations, I found it too strident and piercing, especially in the middle of its dry-down; I did not smell neroli or cassia, I found that it took on a pungent, astringent quality.

As with many of my favourite Guerlains, it resolved to a lingering vanilla that I found appealing.

I admire it but would not wear it, the florals in the middle are simply too bright for me to want to have it on me again.

This is a wonderful realistic grapefruit, which always gives me energy and brightens up my day, even in the gloomy cloudy Northern European weather. It's beautiful, fresh, deliciously sour, and remarkably well done for a citrus perfume.

This is lovely! It’s grapefruit-y and citrusy sharp but in a lovely way! The sweetness of the vanilla comes in later but it isn’t cupcake sweet.
There’s no trace of urine or cat piss in this but then again, each nose is different…
Beautifully done with a name that evokes sunshine and citrus orchards aplenty 🍋☀️🍊☀️🍋☀️🍊☀️🍋☀️🍊☀️

I considered myself a total Aqua Allegoria junkie until I smelled this. For the life of me, I don't understand how Mandarin Basilic takes me to heaven, but the second I smelled this I almost passed out. At least on me, it smells like urine mixed with pungent sweat. Horrid. I have a whole bottle in my stack of perfumes, laughing at my sorry face every time I reach for a bottle. I just sprayed once; I don't think I will ever do it again.

The opening was so lovely gone in 10min and Omg didn’t believe it until I tried it 100% cat’s pee on my skin Yuk :(
My partner liked it so passed it on to him

I really, really wanted to love this - and the opening grapefruit IS divine and so realistic. However, the dry down for me is too acidic and harsh somehow - not quite the cat's pee that others mention, but somehow lacking in warmth that the vanilla should hint of. I am going to try this again in much warmer weather as that may make a difference.

Best grapefruit in the game, like Robes08 had said.

Bitter, rindy smell of the grapefruit peel. Realistic and interesting, supported by a delicate vanilla base.

The sour-bitter-sulphurous smell of cassia-blackcurrant leaf is what makes this fragrance unique and different from the other sweet offerings.

a classic.

Someone paring a *WHITE* grapefruit rind in a clean, cool kitchen. Really does capture that wonderful sharp bitterness that only grapefruit can really do, especially the drier white kind as opposed to the somewhat sweeter pink variety. It's a very unusual grapefruit fragrance in that it isn't sugared. It's flanked and supported by green, herbaceous accords.

That being said, I highly recommend not overspraying--as I did. I noticed that upon initial application, I did detect a musky, rather sexy vanilla underneath. Well, I wanted more of it and against my better judgement, I blasted myself again. That's where that BO thing a few reviewers have cited made its entrance for me. I suspect that's probably an oversaturation of cassia and patchouli working in conjunct.

Otherwise, what a wonderfully unique summer scent. I'm willing to bet you'll stand out brightly in a sea of orange, coconut, and calone.

Love this! a photorealistic grapefruit scent. I don't get any urine notes, no way! just juicy bittersweet grapefruit and pomelo. Excellent!

Love this fragrance a lot and I look forward to wearing it everyday.. really fresh grapefruit citrus opening with the right amount of sweetness, and dries down to a mild and pleasant powdery patchouli. Prefer to spritz this on clothes so the scent lasts longer

I don't really like citrus-dominant perfumes because that's all I ever smell in a country that boasts about being summer all year round and they just typically don't smell very interesting to me. This was part a 5pc set that I bought which included some of the older formulations of some Guerlain perfumes that I was keen on getting my hands on and saw this as a necessary evil. Today, decked out in some Breton stripes and a pair of shorts, I decided to try this out and I am very pleasantly surprised!

I have never really been a fan of grapefruit scented stuff because they reminded me of body odours (I'm aware that this association puzzles most people but I'm being honest here). This one, however, is candied, fizzy, and smells good enough to eat. Unlike the sharp and ozonic citrus commonly associated with citrus-perfumes, this has herbaceous and woody facets that rounds the perfume off beautifully.

When I was a child, we had eleven grapefruit trees in our yard. My mother, not wanting to waste a single grapefruit, fed them to us every day. She tried, adding sugar and cutting them into bite size pieces. We hated them. To this day I cannot even look at a grapefruit.
So, I should recoil at this fragrance. But, not at all. It brings back wonderful warm memories of a loving home. I love it.
This is a light fun fragrance. The grapefruit predominates, throughout its course, but the middle and base notes are well balanced. It is pleasant without being overwhelming. A good choice for Springtime.

My first thought upon sniffing Pamplelune was, “This smells like a pool party.” Sunshine, inflatable floating chairs, fruity highballs, pink swimsuits, junk food, loud music, fun times. Aside from its deservedly famous grapefruit accord, as realistically juicy as you’ve heard - my mouth waters at every spritz - Pamplelune deserves credit for being a properly abstract and artistic perfume in the classic French manner, and a fun one. Simple citrus would have been boring after five minutes; Mathilde Laurent is more inspired, fusing lush grapefruit and Guerlain bergamot (theirs is a different breed, I swear) with cassis, neroli, patchouli, and vanilla to create a uniquely warm and sensual citrus that practically glows with good vibes. There’s almost a feeling of sweet and sticky fizziness, like a grapefruit soda you’re in danger of spilling while joyriding on the beach. Pamplelune isn’t just a pretty smell - it’s art, with a smile on its face. Let the good times roll.

Absolutely addicted to this scent. I usually get EDP because of the greater longevity, but Pamplelune is definitely worth buying as EDT. Bright, fresh, juicy citrus notes, the other herbs bring out the flavor, and it's interesting that vanilla is used as a base, because I can also smell it. I was able to get my bottle for £60 which isn't a bad price.

I think that perfume is a sensation. Why? Because it is citrusy scent which last over a dozen of hours!!! And it’s not even subjective. Again why? Because it last like that on the CLOTHES. Not just on my SKIN. So this amazing durability isn’t because of my pH or anything like that! What I find amazing too is the way in which that yummy lemon perform. I can compare it to a Lemon Curd. For those which don’t know that British delight, it’s a lemon, puffy, sticky with sugar cream made with a lot of butter in it! And this is exactly how it smells like. Buttery, intensive yet soft, creamy, heavy yet not overwhelming sweet sweet sweet lemon! I ve got a lot of juice in my mouth just by my imagination moved by writhing this review. This is #1 of all fresh perfumes made on citrus base. Highly recommend!

So fleeting, I sprayed this at the airport Guerlain stand and 30min later when I wanted to smell it again it was completely gone. But it was one of the best non masculine citruses I ever tried...

This is one of the freshest, most long standing Aqua Allegorias out there. It should be called Pink Grapefruit, its grapefruit with a touch more sweetness to the citrus but also some leaf spiciness from the currant leaf underneath. Very fresh and lovely without being too harsh or angular. This is kind of a forerunner to the legions of fig leaf fragrances that were issued a decade or so later - instead of the fig leaf its a currant leaf underneath. Tingles my nose in a most appealing way!

I would love it even more if it lasted longer. Natural citrus fragrance - grapefruit, cassis and slightly vanillic background.
Beautiful creation.

The ideal grapefruit, wearable by both genders especially if the green facets come off strongly like they do on my skin.
Upon applying it, immediate freshly peeled grapefruit, picture perfect with the slight bitter aromatic elements, greenness, and tartness. Very tangy but without being candy-like at all.
As it settles the tartness is maintained, a fizzy blackcurrant note cuts through, tart very mildly sweet and with a distinct slightly green bite to it.
Petitgrain, some patchouli, and the blackcurrant, together with what feels like a hidden slightly powdery rose accord persist for several hours while still maintaining the illusion of citrus.

Beautiful, as someone more inclined towards masculine scents I find this very wearable, more so than AC Pomelo Paradis that has intense candied aspects.
For me it is the most realistic and successful grapefruit in the market and the best of its line.
No doubt, the benchmark grapefruit!

A delicious fresh citrus Grapefruity greenish scent which is perfect for summer and spring, I don't detect sweetness, I love it! sadly performance is weak,,

This one and Mandarine Basilic are my favorites of the Guerlain AA line. Pampleune is such a perfectly balanced scent, the grapefruit is not too bitter (or into the cat urine territory) - the patchouli is so elegant and not overpowering, it keeps the vanilla, tonka, sandalwood base from becoming too cloying and sweet. This is supremely elegant and timeless, perfect for summer wear.

Lovely grapefruit that dries down to patchouli with a hint of grapefruit rind. No vanilla that I can tell. I'm rejoiced to say that the oft lamented cat-pee scent failed to materialize on my skin. We're having a hot spell in a city with very little air conditioning, and this eau de toilette is just right for the weather.

GLOrious with the right body chemistry. In the dry down I get the same affect that happens when I wear Chanel Chance. B.O smell after anti-perspirant breaks down. I wanted to love it soooo much. :(

Oh yes. I tested it at the store in my search of a perfume that smells like realistic WHITE grapefruit. This is it, it's 80 – 85 % similar to that smell when you take a whole, white grapefruit in your hand and sniff it gooooooddd... Which is a great achievement for a perfume in my opinion. Just lovely and I can end my search.

The problem I had is that so many perfumes use pink grapefruit, such as my blind buy Zara Vetiver Pamplemousse. While it's still nice and will be used, it's the smell of a _pink_ grapefruit, not white. In the end I find those two so different that if you're looking for something with one of them and get the other, you won't be satisfied. So, if you have specifically pink grapefruit in mind, don't blind buy Pamplelune. But if you want realistic white grapefruit, I'd say this is a 100 % safe blind buy.

The zestiest grapefruit stayed on my skin with 2 sprays for about an hour, after which a bit of vanilla started to come through. Longevity is poor unfortunately, I've had it on for 1,5 hours and not much is left, I expect it to be completely gone in 2 hrs. Will have to be sprayed generously and I'll test it on clothes, too, to see if it lasts better that way. Will buy a full bottle once I find a good offer. One more plus – I find the the Aqua Allegoria bottles to be some of the prettiest.

Edit: after 2,5 hours patchouli has come through and it's all that there's left. Fine by me though.

Beware the cassis is intense with this one.

Literaly smells like pelegrino lemonade

Fresh, vibrant and perfectly unisex, this is a pure, photorealistic grapefruit and its a grapefruit thats been done right!
Theres been a lot that others have written about Pamplelune, and I just don't know what else I can add, so I'll keep it short and sweet for you all.

Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune has been on my want list forever pretty much, its my holy grail grapefruit scent alongside Dior Addict Eau Fraiche. The opening, the mid and the drydown are pure, fresh grapefruit on me and unlike other grapefruit centred scents it never take on a BO or washing-up liquid nature after a while, if anything it seems to retain its freshness all day. I cant really pick out the notes in the pyramid in all honesty as all I get is pure grapefruit (a pink grapefruit, none the less) but it feels very cooling and refreshing which makes it perfect for the warmer days and being in a stuffy environment, it also is very inoffensive so shouldn't tread on anyone elses toes if you're in a crowded room or public transport.

Longevity is good for a pure citrus scent on me I get between 6-7 hours from 5 spritzes with a soft silage, I can't really think of any circumstances where this wouldn't be a suitable scent to wear; its easy to wear casually, has that air of chic which makes it perfect for formal summer wear and is so easy and light it could be worn to work and not offend anyones noses. Honestly, this is a great summer staple that can be worn even in the most grim of winter days to brighten the mood and remind yourself that spring/summer isn't that far away.
Forever repurchase, I love it!

It's a sugared grapefruit at first, very bright and uplifting. I know I've smelled something very similar to it in some kind of citrus candy before. The dry-down loses most of the sweetness and pulls a more realistic, smooth grapefruit, peel included. I like it a lot and I'm not normally a fan of pure citrus.

This one stood out to me the most from this line!

I bought this in 2004. I love grapefruit in the warm Cocoa Beach summers. It is truly the best, most realistic grapefruit fragrance on the market. A good second is Clinique Happy. I'm a long-time Guerlain lover and have a big collection of vintage to modern. I digress, sorry. I LOVE Pamplelune. It's fresh, light, not sweet, it is a happy fragrance. It works on my mood better than essential oils. It's that Guerlain background blending that makes this superb.

The idea of adding vanilla to the base was such a Master stroke.it gives it a smooth/milky feel. And the realistic grapefruit at the opening just gives it life.
But the secret lies within the blending that brings balance. hence the synchronized harmony throughout the life of the fragrance. Its a Masterpiece!!!!

At first it's a very fresh realistic grapefruit, beautiful. Uplifting. Juicy.
With time it becomes a bit more spicy and in the drydown on me it's all patchouli.
I love the grapefruit and spiciness but I'm not a huge fan of patchouli, this is why for me it's like and not love.

I've been looking for my new signature perfume for over a decade and now I found it in Pamplelune.
I just love it.
It makes me feel happier, more beautiful, radiant, younger, more elegant and purposeful. All in just one fragrance.
I always loved niche Guerlain fragrances and Aquas, but I never tried Pamplelune before.
What a find.
I use it in the morning and during the day and before going out and before going to bed, just because it smells so good. And because it doesn't stay on for hours and hours. It just leaves a fresh and pleasant trail once it's gone. Uninvasive and joyful.

Pamplelune is a beautiful and fresh grapefruit fragrance, one of the absolute best in the Aqua Allegoria line. It is well known for being one of the most realistic grapefruit accords in fragrance of this kind. The Aqua Allegoria line is light, meant to be used frequently, like an EdC, re-applied whenever you like. It opens with a brisk grapefruit like you are peeling a fresh pink grapefruit. The Bergamot notes make it slightly warmer as a citrus. As it opens the neroli comes through along with pettigrain, and in the dry down a floral vanilla emerges. The grapefruit note is strong throughout and so while being green and warm it also maintains the rind and juice citrus. Deeply refreshing, and yet soft. A real masterpiece in this highly celebrated line.

Just want to come here after trying again and again to like this to just say that this isn't a safe blind buy. Anyone coming here wondering, and looking at my review and deciding to still go ahead, ask yourself: do you wanna be a part of the small (I'm sure) group that finds this to be a true-to-life cat urine fragrance? This one needs to be tried first.

Pamplelune was my signature scent from 1999 up until 2010 when I bought my last bottle. It’s an EDT but stays on almost as long as an EDP. This scent is timeless now and always present at Guerlain’s perfume counter around the world. Even when new fragrances of Aqua Allegoria are launched, they always stand next to a bottle of Pamplelune. So it’s a classic.

I’m not a huge fan of sweet scents and tend to love bitterness over sweetness. Then add citrus to it with plenty of white flowers and I’m sold.

AAP is a vibrant, fresh citrus scent aptly named, as grapefruit takes centre stage here. While it is simple and linear, it is a beautifully rendered grapefruit scent, with a lovely blend of notes that all serve to complement the grapefruit at the core of this scent. It is far from a basic citrus cologne, with unusual accords making for a well-rounded, interesting scent of great beauty.

AAP opens with a bright burst of citrusy freshness, mostly grapefruit with a hint of tart bergamot. It smells juicy and natural, almost exactly like the pulp of a freshly-cut grapefruit. It is nicely tempered by the rind-like bergamot note, giving it some depth, acting as an "agent of darkness" that balances the "light" of the grapefruit. The opening is wonderfully green as well as citrusy, with petitgrain and subtle floral notes tying it together beautifully.

There is a moody grassiness to this scent that comes to the fore as it dries down. Patchouli (an iffy note for me) is masterfully used here, not overwhelming, but adding just the right amount of earthy, dirty grassiness that complements the citrus. There is a herbal quality to the base, reminiscent of high-quality vetiver.

The addition of vanilla here is inspired, elevating this scent to something beyond a run-of-the-mill citrus cologne. Instead of a predictable woody base, the vanilla note rounds out this scent, giving it a rich, sweet feminine quality as it dries down, yet it remains light and fresh. It also gives an unexpected gourmand-leaning dessert-like twist, but remains soft and subtle. It fades to a somewhat salty, tart yet vanilla-centric skin scent. Sillage and longevity are both moderate. I don't get the unpleasant notes experienced by numerous reviewers below, instead this works beautifully with my skin chemistry.

A beautiful, feminine-leaning summer citrus scent with an unexpected vanilla twist, AAP is another excellent scent from Guerlain. A winner. 4/5.

Based on the notes, descriptions and reviews, I expected this to be great. Well, what a surprise, and a bad one at that. On my skin it smells like really bad body odor, like if someone didn't use deodorant properly. I'm appaled that Guerlain produces and sells this, and even more so that people are rejoiced and thrilled by it. I wonder if that's related to that "cassia" note, one I don't remeber having smelled in other fragrances, because the others seem inoffensive. But this is offensive to me. Maybe on other skins something good comes out of this, but to my nose it's one of the most offputting fragrances I've ever come across.

Grapefruit with grapefruit. No additional notes detected so I blend it with my Empreinte for a full bodied fragrance trip. I thought all Guerlain fragrances would have more depth given it's reputation for adding it's special secret signature "guerlainesque accord" but this is straight forward and simple.

It’s really nice and very interesting scent. Positively surprising! Very much TF noire de noire vibe😇

I finally bought this and it has zoomed to the top of my summer fragrance faves. This is so much more than grapefruit. The patchouli and vanilla just give this such depth and longevity, but the grapefruit lasts throughout the dry down. This is one of those fragrances that I put on and I end up constantly sniffing my arm. Just gorgeous.

Beautiful. Not straight citrus - rounded out with vanilla, patchouli and flowers. Stunning and perfect for summer. Highly recommend.

this starts off with a lot of grapefruit and something sort of woody and green. it has a fizziness-it makes me think of those san pelligrino citrus sodas. there is a little hint of sweetness from the currant leaf that seems to get stronger over time and then a hint of vanilla peeks through later. i don't wear a lot of citrus scents but this is nice and refreshing-it's uncomplicated and enjoyable.

One of my favourite from the Aqua Alegoria line for sure! So bright, citrusy, fruity, sweet, but not overly sweet and not too green. Ahh, it’s so beautiful and refreshing!

Wish I loved it - bought it about two years ago, and have only worn it three times. The grapefruit is beautiful, but my nose can't help smelling the sharp acidity and likening it to cat pee :( I'm going to keep hanging onto it, and testing it out because I want to love it, but I might end up passing it onto one of the lucky ones who enjoy this fragrance!

Edit: I never could come around on this one - it still smells too sharp on me, and I am more than happy to trade this with anyone who is interested in testing it out.

-Opens smelling of mint.
-Linear dry-down.
-Nondescript overall. Leans too green for my liking. (-)

Pamplelune has a prominent grapefruit note, juice, peel etc.
It can be a tricky note as it can turn sour and like body odour or cat pee as some say. It has indeed indoles in it, but the outcome depends very much on your skin (acidity, sweat, what you eat etc).
I noticed that male skins support better the grapefruit note, on them it turns sweeter and not so acidic.
On me (female) it works wonders, I never get the dreadful note.
It must be said that I am a lover of those citrusy fresh green summer colognes or perfumes, and I love them more if they are good at uplifting me, if they refresh me and - most of all if they have a good staying power.
Pamplelune is complying with all my requirements, and it has this great staying power...lasts all day.
A great summer day fresh frag, easy and very casual.

I am a sucker for all things citrus and this is one of my favorites. Bright and sweet but not cloying, with enough spiciness to remain interesting during drydown. One hot steamy summer day as I was waiting on the platform of a subway platform, a stranger approached me and (respectfully!) told me my perfume was amazing and he needed to find out what it was so he could buy it for his girlfriend. I happily told him and commuted away from the station feeling happy. I don’t wear a lot of scent so I have to think the humidity just wafted it further off my neck than usual.

I've tried to like this. But there's something very ammonia like in here. Like a creamy ammonia. The BO comments, I get in this fragrance. This is a miss on the allegoria line for me.

Happiness in a bottle! Starts off with a blast of pink grapefruit that blends into a lovely floral heart with Guerlainade musky base. A citrus cologne with depth. Absolute love!

The opening is actually very lovely - fresh zesty grapefruit with a tinge of sugar. Super cheerful start. But the drydown is icky on my skin, to put it mildly - it smells like body odour masked with a citrus deodorant.
I’ll give the perfume more tries and see if I can get past the drydown or change my perception of it but for now, it’s a very weird purchase and possibly, one hell of an unsuccessful blind buy.

At first I thought this was going to be my least favourite Aqua Allegoria (of the ones I tried). It is VERY citrusy, it smells of super sour grapefruit and isn't becoming much sweeter as it dries down. Not that I like sweet scents so much but Pamplelune is really a lot of citrus. But I gave it a couple more tries and ended up liking it.

I'm a dog person and may not have too much experience with cats but I definitely can't smell anything resembling urine 😂

This smells just like grapefruit x ginger soda to me. Citrusy, fresh and bitter. Dries down to a fresh, sweet blood orange or red grapefruit scent, complete with its bitter pith. This does smell like some high end shopping centres in Japan. Relaxing and inviting.

I can see how this could resemble body odour. That note passes after about an hour. If you apply this on a hot day, it will be a fragrance explosion and smell like body odour mixed with citrus. Apply this on a cold day and the perfume will slowly reveal itself.

Mine is a new bottle from Sephora, 2018 batch.

Grapefruits have a number of notes: sweet, sharp and bitter are the most prominent. AAP has these notes in abundance but there's also an artificial
note which reminds strongly of a citrus scented cleaning product.
The unpleasant note disappears after a while, leaving behind a warm, spicy, slightly sweet citrus fragrance. Think citrus candy drops, the kind that come in a round tin. (Patience is the key to enjoying this fragrance, and I ended up
editing my earlier review.)
Sillage is modest, lasting power is good. AAP is completely unisex and while modern, also ageless.
Guerlain is one of my favorite houses, I love wearing many of their perfumes.
AAP has its strengths, and while I was sceptical at first, the dry down has won me over.

Hear me out - the first second of inhale of this scent is nice but the deeper I inhale the more a strange unpleasant undertone comes out. Not sure is this Casia or Petitgrain (I don`t know how any of those smell).

a beautiful (1) bitter and (2) sweet champagne that drys down to (1) sweet and (2) bitter hangover... just like a perfect summer party. it's sexy, it's comfy, and it's unisex.

Oh, glorious grapefruit. Your divine tarte, lip puckering fragrance is not for everyone. However, this incredible juice is dripping with delicious mouth watering beauty. It lingers on my skin like a mixture of sweet and sour summer perfection.

Very sharp citrus-herbal one. In some way it's similar to 'green' Chloé L'eau de Chloe. I was really scared of those "uric" reviews, but I smelled some relatively pleasant fresh soap in the base notes... Anyway I had to return it because it wasn't my cup of tea finally.

Pamplelune begins with juicy sharp grapefruit and bergamot. Then it gets sweeter and better. Uh oh then it starts smelling musty. Like what i imagine an old French apartment from the 1970's with wallpaper, wingback chairs, and a couple of cats living there would smell like. My husband says it smells like an old towel with cat pee on it. Aqua allegorias are great for layering but I wouldn't bother layering with this one because it turns musty after about 10-15 min. I have Limon Verde (sugary lime very similar to Light Blue Italian Zest). I have Nerolia Bianca (mega-sharp neroli peel good for layering with any sweet orange perfumes). The name Pamplelune is misleading because grapefruit is only in the opening. A regrettable blind buy.

Pink Grapefruit Champagne!

Photorealistic, gorgeous, pink grapefruit. People who are hypernosmic to cassis can avoid it, but I detect very little--and I am quite sensitive to that note. The drydown is a musky orange flower, quite nice, unisex.

This is a grapefruit bomb that the genius, Matilde Laurent, has managed to make far more stable than most citruses, and at EDT level! The best of all the Acqua Allegorias by far.

This allegory is a story of fizzy grapefruit juice and musky orange florals This is one of the happiest scents on earth! Its realism is only comparable to Profumum's Acqua Viva (lemon) and the insuperable Pomelo Paradis by Ralph Schwieger for Atelier. Atelier’s Pomelo Paradis is different, though. Less floral, more zesty.

Beautifully done but not my style - like a musty grapefruit (smells also like Pomelo citrus fruit), alcoholic sparkling spritzer soda water with a crushed herbaceous twist - with musty sweet herbs such as natural mint leaves that have that dirty soil sort of smell yet a natural tenderly light sweetness from the plant, just a whisper. It also has a twist of clear simple syrup, lightly sweetened, swirling through the middle of the scent - this comes off as a beautifully crisp, effervescent gourmand of grapefruit, sour pomello soda water spritzer with just a dash of brown liquor. Everything smells very natural and very well balanced, not like the majority of the Aqua Allegorias with a distastefully strong artificial citrus smell like lemon cleaner. The vanilla in here is not apparent. It is beautiful for those who can pull this off and who have the personality for it.

A very, very effervescent grapefruit. Sharp and a bit bitter but not so much that it’s no longer fruity. It brings a blend of the colors orange and magenta to mind. I was afraid it would a very flat, straight up bitter, masculine grapefruit and bergamot but not at all, Guerlain doesn’t disappoint.

Call me crazy, but Pamplelune smells EXACTLY like BON PARI hard candies by Nestle. Sooo yummy!

It's juicy and sweet grapefruit/lemon scent, I get no bitterness at all. Pleasant and very energizing perfume that I'll be happy to wear.

One word - g r a p e f r u i t. Not my favourite citrus fragrance, but I still own a bottle. A bit bitter, can't smell the vanilla. Ok for summer weekends or after shower, but I would never wear it for work. Positive note - definitely brightens the mood and gives energy.

Stunning. As fresh and as pure a grapefruit as I have ever smelled, even moreso than Jo Malone. What I am enjoying is a minty note in the dry down. This is very refreshing and given that I love fresh and clean scents, this one is going to be one of my absolute favorites. The price is right, too.

I actually get TONS of lime in this, not grapefruit! I do get just a bit of the peel and pith of a grapefruit. The first few moments are tremendously INTENSE. Heavy sillage is not a phrase you would generally associate with a citrus-based perfume, but for the first five minutes, this has some throw! Obviously it doesn't last, but it caught me off guard and made me feel a bit self conscious about how I smelled.

Some have commented that it smells a bit like bug spray, which I can understand. I get some of the fizzy, nose-tickling tart citronella-bug spray vibe at first, but it settles down to something more like genuine fruit. It's still fizzy, but like a lemon-lime soda that has real juice tucked away at the bottom of the ingredient list. As the honeyed neroli flowers begin to bloom, the whole affair turns corn syrupy sweet, really driving home the soda motif.

All the way to the bitter end, whether a light or heavy spray, this is pretty much just lime for me. I don’t hate that note, but it’s so powerful and persistent, that I’m happy when it’s gone.

Update: I still swear this should be nothing I enjoy or admire and yet...I come back to it. Why do I sometimes want to smell like Sprite on steroids? I don’t know. But I do.

This is a great perfume for bedtime. After a long workout, shower, put on some coconut oil and spray this on your body; have a hot cup of tea and fall asleep while leaving the crazy world behind for a few hours,

Not at all similar to Zara's Vetiver Pamplemousse. In my humble opinion.

This is a great grapefruit, I've trialled many recently. Not too bitter, very fresh and real. Bergamot gives it another level of unique. The cassis and neroli are always tricky notes for me - they work really well here. Still a tad too herbal for my taste, but great perfume overall. Top notes last the usual citrus half hours, but there's a lovely sweet patch-vanilla drydown. Personally I never like to invest heavily into citruses due to this - very rare to find a long lasting one.

I have dozens of Guerlain's perfumes as well as Aqua Allegoria Pera Granita, but still wanted to try this one, which is the most famous of the serie and deservedly so.

It's a lovely accord of grapefruit, incredibly fresh and quite original in this segment of colognes. There's just something in it (the fabled Guerlain's note?) that gives an extra interesting edge. I'm reading about cat pee (cassia, I imagine) but nope, not there for me. i love this one.

The final vanilla and patchouli notes are hardly perceivable but I love them. Beautiful perfume for summer.

گریپ فروت مهربان و طبیعی که ساده و شربتی عرضه شده
-----------
Scent & Quality: 8/10
Longevity: 6/10
Sillage: 5/10
Creativity & Uniqueness: 6/10
Affordability: 7/10
-----------
Overall: 6.4/10

Oh no.... this one doesn't work with my chemistry at all. The notes looked good though - glad I purchased only a decant because this smells like BO on my skin. Not sure what note(s) disagree with me but I definitely can't wear this one.

(I get no similarity between this and Byredo's Palermo.)

Is it possible that this was reformulated? I own a bottle I bought a couple of years ago, the liquid is light yellow,stored without being exposed to light of course. On the other hand in a perfume shop I saw a bottle of it with a more orange colored liquid that smelled less tart, more sweety-sugary.

A very nice herbal citrusy scent, The vanilla gave it a nice twist too.

I bought this as an impulse blind buy. I know now to ALWAYS check the reviews on Fragrantica. I now know grapefruit does not suit my skin at all. Any Grapefruit note on me smells awful; Cat pee & B.O. I've tried it In Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn sadly the aroma is the same. I've asked my daughter and mum what they think, and both of them at separate times said "cat pee" I so wanted to love this scent, but it has been a valuable learning lesson for me. I'm envious of reviewers who can wear this. It's a gorgeous bottle though !

I blind bought pamplelune because I was looking for a natural smelling fragrance for hiking. I’m not particularly “crunchy”, so a plain essential oil isn’t really my thing. Pamplelune isn’t the natural smell I was looking for, but I do like it and it will probably be unintrusive enough for hiking. I think I’ll finally end up getting Ninfeo Mio for this.

I was concerned about the prominence of grapefruit, because many moons ago I worked at the Gap during the height of their So Pink fragrance release. Since then, artificial sweet grapefruit in anything takes me right back to So Pink, and I So Hate It.
I also came for the weirdness, the unusual notes that have garnered pamplelune a sort of cult following. In this area, I’ve been disappointed. Most Americans are attracted to fragrances that are perceived as clean. I differ from my fellow Americans in this, and have a decidedly more European taste in fragrance. I like some dirt with my fragrances, or some juxtaposing notes.

Diving right into unsavory notes some people get from Pamplelune...

Cat pee: not there for me, which is great because I didn’t want it. I have smelled cat pee many times before. The only thing (other than actual cat pee) that I’ve smelled in recent years that smelled like cat pee was an overripe herbed Brie I bought that was straight up inedible. While I get no cat pee, I do see how the briskness of the unsweet grapefruit could be interpreted that way. I love the unsweet grapefruit for it’s natural tone, but it fades into the background quickly.

Rotting fruit: the fruit isn’t rotting for me BUT the cassis smells like wine, which is fermented fruit and technically that’s rotted. Wine doesn’t smell like rotting fruit though, and nor does pamplelune.

B.O.: I typically identify a body odor note with cumin, and that isn’t here. It does smell inexplicably “lived in”, like a shirt someone has worn for the day. Not bad, just personally anointed- familiar somehow. I think that maybe that is the patchouli’s contribution as a well-blended accord with the cassis.

Past that I get some green notes reminiscent of tomato leaf, and the neroli is just noticeable and smells like orange blossom. The way I’ve addressed these controversial notes is in order of appearance, which is also exactly the way the note pyramid has defined. The citrus is just an opener, pamplelune is dominated by the middle notes with support from the base.

What pamplelune feels like: sitting at a sunny winery in the Italian countryside drinking blackcurrant wine, near a grapefruit grove. If you are from a landlocked state and have a bathroom in your house decorated with ocean themed items, then escapism might be your drug of choice and pamplelune might be for you.

As far as performance goes, Some people complain about longevity and sillage. I sprayed this on two different shirts for reviewing. It didn’t retain on one shirt, but did very well on the other. I mean I put it through a laundry cycle, and it was still on the T-shirt and I could smell it from a couple feet away while folding the rest of the clothes. Conclusion: performs well based on fabric content.

Sunny, warm, citrus juice served fresh with some cat piss.

@missk, my pamplelune is from 2016 and i live in tropical country, heat and humid mostly all year round. Never have any problem with sillage and longevity. Well approximately 8 hours which is quite good for the price and its kind. Love itttt, blooms beautifully in hot climate indeed.

This Summer has been a scorcher and I have found the heat to be extremely unpleasant on my side of the globe. I have heavily relied upon my Summer fragrances to lift my spirits and to keep me smelling fresh throughout the day.

Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune by Guerlain has been a blessing this Summer. I don't own many grapefruit dominant scents and the main reason for this is my skin's inability to work well with this note. Thankfully Pamplelune wears beautifully on my skin.

The opening top notes are quite bold with notes of sour, zesty grapefruit, green bergamot, and somewhat herbaceous cassia. Guerlain has masterfully captured the aroma of a grapefruit picked fresh from the orchard. The sharp, citrusy opening does soften after the first fifteen minutes on the skin, creating a unique herbal citrus aroma.

I am surprised to see patchouli and vanilla listed in Pamplelune's official scent pyramid. The patchouli is quite minimal to my nose, just the slightest hint of earthy greenness towards the base. The vanilla note I don't smell at all.

Pamplelune may have undergone some reformulations since the Aqua Allegoria line received updated packaging. My miniature is the vintage version, and I have found that the juice is a much darker, ambery yellow when compared to the newer Pamplelune bottles in the store. Thankfully my bottle of Pamplelune has not succumbed to age and still smells as fresh as ever.

I have nearly finished my miniature of Pamplelune, as I have been using it as part of my Summer rotation. I truly hope that the latest, re-packaged version of Pamplelune is just as stunning as the older formulation.

I had forgotten what a totally incredible scent this was. It is utterly radiant and sparkling with the best grapefruit note in perfumery, in my opinion. I like the background sharpness of blackcurrant leaves - it can smell urinous to/on some skin but on me it smells tart enough to suck the saliva out of your mouth and adds a green kick. Later come some floral notes and then vanilla and earthy patchouli. As others have mentioned, it adds a lustiness to the scent and saves it from being 'just' a citrus. No good perfume can just do one citrus note forever, after all.
I wore this years ago, during the hot Alpine summers in France, and it used to get lots of compliments then. Today, on a grey and cold winter's day, I realised how the grapefruit sparkle and sexy vanilla and blackcurrant leaf is just as appropriate and uplifting.
The longevity and sillage are seriously impressive: 2 sprays on my scarf from a tester at the Guerlain counter at lunch break, then my office (where I left my scarf) smelled of Pamplelune when I came back at 4:30 and I can still smell it faintly on me, even though my scarf is hanging up, at 9:30pm.

Fresh citrus fragrance with a twist, in 2-3 hours it shows its "roots" – vanilla. Delicious and warm vanilla. Also, it reminds me of Osmanthe Yunnan by Hermes, but it's more changeable and somewhat more sweet in the end.

This smells like the best sex you ever had on a hot summer day in a grapefruit grove. If you are hoping for a clean bright straight up grapefruit,this is not it. Jo Malone would be a better route. This is naughty, animalic, a bit sweaty and sexy as hell. All that is countered by a bright juicy grapefruit that still makes you wanna sink your teeth into it. I told you this scent was naughty. I could see how this scent could turn on you if you don't have the right chemistry but if you do.....wow. Definitely unisex.


EDIT I have the 1999 version that had not been reformulated.

This smells singularly horrible. Harsh, acrid. My mind says "bug spray" but I don't know if that's actually accurate. Whatever it is, it's a glaring disappointment and a total scrubber.

I read somewhere that if a woman wears a grapefruit scent she will be perceived to be 10 years younger. In my misguided quest to turn back the clock I bought this fragrance. I do love the citrus note, but like others the cat urine factor kicks in. It has been relegated to bathroom spray, which is fine. Just does not mix well with my chemistry.

pamplelune
one spray on outer hand

hmm, nozzle scent i liked, on skin, a bit too ...feline... if you catch my drift..
its a no for me

This leans toward the masculine side... Nice grapefruit and green fragrance.

A Nude in Repose by Henri Lebasque

The top note is more lemon over grapefruit for me, which is very pleasant. But then a bitterness takes over which could be the neroli, grapefruit, bergamot or all three. It reminds me of when as a young child having my hair washed, I would accidentally get a taste of the shampoo, that kind of bitter.

I recently chose a promotion from Sephora that gave me three Aqua Allegoria samples: Limon Verde, Mandarine Basilic, and Pamplelune. I decided to try Pamplelune first, to see if I could get over my "fear" of grapefruit in perfume (instilled in me by a horrible experience with Clinique Happy when I was a teen). I sprayed a tissue first, and just got grapefruit, all day every day on that tissue, nothing but grapefruit. Not unexpected, of course, and not exactly unpleasant, but strong. Then I bit the bullet and applied to my wrists.

This was *not* terrible, much to my relief. Grapefruit is certainly the crispest scent of all citrus, and not something I see myself seeking out in the future (despite loving most citrus), but I can still use the sample that I have. Obviously, grapefruit is the star, boosted a little by the bergamot... but there are undercurrents of neroli and (I think?) petitgrain supporting the longevity of the perfume. I have now been wearing this for six hours, and the patchouli is finally winking at me. I'm impressed that the patch note has stayed hidden for so long - that stuff really has a tendency to cling to my skin (especially when mixed with musk or ambergris)!

So while this isn't something I'd get for myself, at least now I know grapefruit on its own isn't horrible on me. (I wonder if it was the green apple in Happy that was so awful on my skin...?)

Like all of the Aqua Allegorias these are light and perfect for wearing on summer days. This is a pure grapefruit smell. Its bright and refreshing.

This one wears longer and better than some of the other Aqua Allegorias. And the bee cage bottles look so beautiful sitting on the shelf.

On paper this smelt really great!! I was so excited I bought it. I should know better at my age but there you go. On opening and spraying on my wrist however was a totally different experience. On first spray the lovely grapefruit aroma but then...... What is this warm. moist, lingering smell that feels like I've had it on all day!! You know when you get a women that sprays on a heavy musky old scent and it's not particularly a nice smell after a few hours. Well this is what Pamplelune smells like. First spray - fresh grapefruit and bergamot then.........warm moist and I'm afraid yes a little like a sweaty blouse with old perfume on.
What a shame indeed. Want to love it but it's got a twin personality that I don't like. I've had to give it away. (Lets hope the next owner can stomach it)

Beautiful, unisex fragrance. Leans feminine but can be worn by anybody imo. Lovely summer staple though I'd only spray 2-3 times. Poor longevity but too many sprays and you'll gas yourself out.

Wild, addictive, joyful summer scent full of weeds. Every time I smell it I can hear grashoppers' chirping.

Grapefruit peel + stale sourdough bread + black currant leaves + weeds, nettles + elder leaves + grass + milky scent of cypress spurge + trace of wild rose? + scent of watermelon rind.
(Grapefruit and black currant leaves mix into a strong almost "sweaty" scent -sometimes I couldn't wear it, it depended on weather).

I'm so glad I purchased an extra bottle of Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria Pampleune.
At first spray, it smells like you just peeled a grapefruit and citrus, I don't detect aldehydes, the opening notes are almost effervescent in feel - the dry down is a gorgeous chypre, the spicy greens and bergamot are well-balanced against the patchouli. I get about 6-7 hours of wear out of this one.

I tried many of these Aqua Allegoria variations, and none of them worked for me, and so I just gave up on the whole line. This one in particular smelled very synthetic to me, and I agree with one reviewer who noted that it smells very much like furniture polish.

Fizzy, bright, compelling and definitely not shy about proclaiming itself as a citrus scent, Pamplelune was a blind buy for me and I love it. I don't get cat pee smell on me at all...but I can see where some might...it is slightly acrid, like the pith of a grapefruit.

On me...it subtly warms down to a skin scent, with some greenness and vanilla...for some reason it really opens up on clothes after a few hours.

Here in the Northwest, it is our first warm week and this will be in steady rotation as it is just what the doctor ordered: crisp, light and effervescent.

Well done, Guerlain!

For me, it is a no. I wanted to like this...as of late I gravitate toward sparkling citrus fragrances, but this is all blast with nothing at all to soften or temper it. It is just straight up grapefruit, but it also smells synthetic...almost like harsh household cleaner. It is quite linear and does not transform over time...at least not on me. The patchouli just creates an odd, incongruent vibe that does nothing to ground the fragrance. If anyone wants a bottle of this, I would love to trade. If not, I might resort to using it as a room spray.

Bought this scent after reading reviews on this site. Thank you everybody. I love it. Fresh, tart and citrus when first applied. It settles almost oriental, vanilla and sandalwood.I think it is defiantly unisex. Works great on my skin. My husband loves it.

This is a very bright, fresh, and zesty perfume. On initial spray, I get the burst of sweet grapefruit and lime; it almost crosses the line of being a Bath & Body Works body spray, to be honest. After a few minutes of dry down, though, the vanilla and the greens come in to add some powdery freshness. These notes definitely tone down the citruses, but they don't fully get rid of them. As I've grown older, I've grown to have a huge appreciation for patchouli, and I think that note is blended very well here; I think it's the note that balances all of the other notes out. It doesn't smell too fruity, too sweet, or too green. Instead, I think this pretty much smells like an orange grove, where you can smell the citruses, but can also smell the leaves and the dirt. That's the best way I can describe it.

If you are a fan of tea-like perfumes, I think you'll enjoy Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune.

After an initial blast of gasoline this settles into a slightly sweet grapefruit. Nice.

Grrr I wish I hadn't sold my bottle of this a few years ago. At the time, the patchouli bothered me. I got a mild but insistent whiff of body odour from it, only in the dry down, but still... not something I yearn for in a fragrance.

Since then, I have come round to patchouli. I really like it in some fragrances, like Coromandel. And now I don't mind it so much in Pamplelune. I would happily wear it if I still owned the full bottle. I've decided it's the patchouli plus citrus combo that my nose isn't completely loving. It gives the patchouli that sour edge that becomes suggestive of things you might not want to smell like. I'm pretty sure that's what I really dislike about Angel Muse. Stroooong patchouli + stroooong citrus. Ack!

So while I do think Pamplelune has some really pretty moments, for me it's a like only. The citrus is pretty darn strong at the start, and I can't get too near my wrist for a while. Then it dries down to ever so slightly skanky but at the same time a bit enjoyable patchouli. The citrus calms down plenty but never goes away. And the bit of vanilla at this point is nice too. But... by the time it reaches this point, it's wearing pretty close to the skin. All things considered, I don't think I'll be replacing the fb I sold.

It's described wonderfully here, I'm sure you get the picture but it has abysmal performance on my skin. I will try it with Eau de Shalimar as I often find similarities with perfumes created around the same time, in this case with Mathilde Laurent in the driving seat. It has kinship with Eau de Hadrien in that it doesn't carry unnecessary sweetness but my summertime fix is Eau du Sud.

What a great fragrance! Pamplelune is fresh, bittersweet and really vibrant. It's very citrusy and minty at first then I got warm fresh sweety notes. It's stunning and very pleasant

On first spritz there is a sharp green almost chemical smell which disappears instantly to be replaced with the distinctive scent of grapefruit zest. This blossoms into a more lemony grapefruit scent. On me this then turns into a sweeter citrus with just a shade of vanilla.
I love the first fresh grapefruit burst. It is a pity it didn't last long on my skin. But the sweet citrus is longer lasting and very pleasant. I would wear this down to breakfast in the morning. Fresh if a little sweet. A morning perfume.

Huge burst of freshness !long lasting and sparkling !
All these aqua allegorias are unisex so don't be put off by the description of it being a women's scent

Burst of juicy grapefruit and sensual neroli. In the middle it becomes almoust gourmand as the vanila gives the fragrance popsicle vibe that reminded me amen ultra zest- this is unisex. The patchouli and vanila in the base creates a musky undertone that reminds me blue jeans for men by Versace. Yes this fragrance reminds mostly male frags :) somewhere in the complexity also tom ford noir comes in mind... maybe it's the sourness.. anyway I like it a lot. Less then Nerolia Bianca or limone verde.. or Herba Fresca.. but still a lot. Think it's not for very hot summer.. more like chilling evening on late spring or early autumn.

Edit: great for heat! Creamy sour very gentle grapefruit with delicious vanilla makes me happy on those hot days.

Very citric entry of bergamot with a lot of grapefruit this is the predominant note that we will feel during the whole route. It lacks floral notes, it practically does not feel the nerolí or almost the petit grain, although if the cassia that brings a green note to the composition.
As it evolves, it goes sweetening itself towards the dessert side, similar to a grapefruit mousse, but never getting into the gourmand, this happens because the woody character of the patchouli that gives it body and subtraction sweetness is interposed between the vanilla. There is also a note of musk that gives it a certain dusty touch, but subtle.

The fragrance is fresh and is great for cooling off on a hot day or to use as a sporty fragrance.

The character is unisex, the duration and the stela are means that to be citrus is more than good and the aroma itself is not bad.

But if you are looking for a fragrance with a lot of body, worked and complex, forget about Pamplelune.

Rating: 6

Tart grapefruit that evolves into a soft vanilla. I love the interesting progression from fresh to comforting. This is a great high summer fragrance- perfect for the hottest days.

WOW thats a lot of grapefruit. Im in love with this, even though Im a man, Id seriosly concider wearing it, its just so natural and well done! It saddens me that it somewhat goes sweet, like all the Guerlains, thus making it uwearable in the summer.

Love the grapefruit note in this fragrance. Unlike other citrus scents this lasts ages on me. This is such a great scent I don't see the need to splash out on expensive alternatives from the Atelier line.

Very light, soft sillage and doesn't last long. However, it's got a nice fresh grapefruit flavour to it, nice for gardening or to freshen up on a summer's day.

I just acquired this one today in a swap after years of hearing tell of it's magical grapefruity-ness. This, along with stories of it bearing resemblance to other offensive pet aromas had caused me to place testing this one at the back of the priority line. Yet at some point I had heard enough and it was time to see and judge for myself.
First things first. I had a blast of salivary gland-stimulating grapefruit and random citrus that brought forward clear sensory memories of me opening a packet of Tang and eating it dry when I was a little girl. In a good way. (Raise your hand if you understand THAT one)...In my opinion the patchouli is present from the very beginning--and the neroli nearly undetectable till an hour in--but it works because there is a sweet aromatic semi-sour warmth that permeates pretty early on coming from the cassis that will calm down any worry of over-astringency. I didn't get the negatives others had warned about. Really didn't. I just take this as another sign that fragrance is for just you; and no one else. Sample with yourself in mind!! It would seem that this is just the tart little aperitif I needed. Give it a wee test and see if you feel the same.

In my search for summer fragrances, Pamplelune has been there in the background.
I had not really considered it as a contender because the Allegoria's are more sweet than I like for hot weather. Pamplelune is not sweet but fresh, herbal and a bit bracing. So glad I finally gave it a try.
There is, as expected, a big hit of grapefruit. The other notes combine to give a herbaceous middle, with a finish of dry vanilla. No sugar. I am very pleased.
Edit, at the end of the summer, I gave this away. I had such high hopes for this fragrance, looking for a refreshing burst of citrus. Pamplelune is fleeting scent. First you smell it, then you don't. Such a shame.

Dispite the bottle, this scent could be easily unisex. There is something masculine about it, especially in drydown. The citrus opening is quite sharp and spicy. I love citrus notes, and I like this one, but it is not love. For sure this one is more complex, so citrus haters might like this one.

Hands down my favorite of the Aqua Allegoria line. Very realistic grapefruit smell. I can definitely understand the cat pee equation, but that don't bother me none.

I would agree this is reminiscent of a cocktail, but a little sweeter. I found a HUGE difference between testing this on a blotter and on skin. I found it extremely sour on the blotter, especially initially, but when I sprayed it on my skin, it wasn't sour at all, just tart, semi-sweet grapefruit. It actually surprised me how different it was. Anyway, this is a unique, authentic grapefruit scent - I don't get any cat pee or ammonia vibe at all, but I can see how the tartness could turn to that on some people. I love citrus, but there are so many of them out there, it has to be something unique for me to invest in it, and this one definitely is unique. I wear citrus all year round, but I live in Atlanta where winter is very mild; if you live somewhere very cold, this may still actually work to add a spark of brightness on a winter day, because it does have a degree of sweetness/warmth to it. Test on your skin first - there seems to be a lot of variation in what people read from it on their skin. I find it slightly sweet, sheer, and easy to wear. If you're looking for something that's clean and fresh with no hint of soapiness and is not a run of the mill citrus, this just may be the thing.

Beautiful sparkling grapefruit atop a warm base of vanilla and patchouli. It's like a summery fruit cocktail.

I can see why the grapefruit and cassia accord is off-putting to some. It is sharp, slightly acrid and ammoniac. But so too is a real grapefruit, and that's exactly what I was after.

Is it synthetic and divisive? Yes. But does it also smell great, with excellent tenacity? Does it ever! Pamplelune is just excellent all round. A must in any serious citrus collection.

This is a loud, sharp fragrance; it doesn't really calm down into a softer concoction. The grapefruit shrieks. Not a fan; I dislike it on everyone, as it is a loud scent to me.

The artistry of perfume is on display here....Delicious grapefruit morphing into a blackcurrant and vanilla haze. Performance on me is pretty poor,,,,2hrs max....but the magnificence of the fragrance still makes it full bottle worthy...Perfect for after the shower on a warm day ....10/10

Opens with a heady blast of citrus without being overly green, cold, or caustic. Over ripe (almost fermented) grapefruit and neroli add juicy sweetness while petitgrain balances with fresh astringency. Instantly uplifting, this familiar, softly comforting fragrance immediately transports you somewhere warm and wonderful.
I detect something like Kumquat or pomelo and to my nose there is not a trace of cat pee.
Reasonable (medium) longevity for a citrus fragrance (a few hours)

This review is brought to you by Renflower Investigates...Potential Cat Stench!

I adore citrus and Guerlain so when an opportunity arose to get my hands on this I took it! Before it arrived at my home I was quite concerned due to the number of reviews here citing it's similarity to cat urine. I am not a cat person (not by choice, other people I live with take great umbrage with them) but all I get is a citrus blast and a little bergamot which I like. I didn't spray too much on me because I feel like it had the potential to become overpowering, even for a citrus lover like myself.

A negative is that it didn't last very long on me. I was interested (read: worried) in seeing whether or not the dry down revealed the 'cat urine' complaint. I ran it past the boyfriend (whose family has a cat) and he said (upon my asking) that unless someone had specifically brought up cat urine he wouldn't have noticed any similarity. He noted that there was a similar pungency (ammonia) that the perfume held that could be interpreted that way but stressed he wouldn't have gotten that unless someone brought that up.

Have just got this and worn it a couple of times. I think it is a very complex fragrance. I wasn't sure at first..thought it smelled of body sweat and now I've read others saying its like cat pee I agree with that to some extent. But it goes through many phases, there is the sweat smell, which is a very primitive attraction for some, somewhat sexual somehow, then it goes to the lovely velvety undertones which are sensual and comforting. I think it also smells like fresh guavas. Its not the sort of fragrance I normally wear... I tend towards Coco and Cleopatra by Tocca..
I find the intensity and complexity very interesting and I'm still exploring. Can't decide if its amazing or really awful.. I may just enjoy it alone for some time!!
I think men might like this...It's not an 'in your face' OTT smell...but probably quite seductive at close range. I'll be interested to know if people's menfolk like it?

I love this juice! Juicy grapefruit, bergamot and blackcurrant leaf. It's simply beautiful. Like eating a grapefruit in a magical forest. If anyone wants to trade me theirs for something I have, please let me know!

Now I am relaxed.... not the only one who got the cat pee feeling ... I tried to sniff this perfume several times just to give him more chance but I always felt the same :( Anyway, must be a fresh fragrance but definitely not for me.

For me, this is the ideal citrus scent. Zesty, bright, with a sweet and slightly sexy dry down. Some citrus scents smell like shower gel (or worse, bathroom cleaner). The addition of vanilla and patchouli here mean that there is no such risk - this smells like perfume. It is great in the summer and also in the dead of winter for some much-needed sunlight.

Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune is my favorite perfume, a masterpiece. I bought a full bottle online after sampling at a duty-free shop, then read the “cat pee” reviews and got worried. I needn’t have. Celine Ellena had a very interesting quote in the “Perfect Scent” book, something to the effect that a great perfume must have something “disturbing” about it, something a bit unexpected and unsettling, and I think Pamplelune is a perfect example of this. I love citrus scents in general, and grapefruit in particular, but this one is unique both for its amazing initial bitter blast and for its drydown, which I do not consider to be “vanillic” at all, but more “dusky” (the cassia? sulfur, perhaps?).

I receive compliments from friends and strangers alike when I wear this, always along the lines of, “Oh, you smell so good!” There is something addictive about Pamplelune, I have come to crave it. It makes me feel both refreshed and sexy, an unusual combination. I can and do wear it on any occasion — for the office, outdoors, in the daytime, in the evening, to a crowded jazz club in New York… always perfect. It is wonderful in cool weather. It is outstanding in hot weather. Applied liberally, on me, the scent lingers all day — which is quite remarkable because longevity is almost always a problem for me. Every other Aqua Allegoria I have tried — including several that I own — has been a big disappointment, because none of them can compare with the magnificence that is Pamplelune.

I am a citrus fragrance hater and love this. It is not even close to cat pee. It is all grapefruit goodness that is a bit sweet. No vanilla at all thank god. A little hint of patchouli in the base, which I also hate but it is very subdued in this to balance the grapefruit. This is potent for an AA line and unlike any Guerlain I own. As the fragrance dries down I see where some people may get that cat odor because of the patch. But, it's a nice, fresh summer scent that is bright and better than many more expensive scents like Shay & Blue or Byredo.

Du pamplemousse en concentrée tout court, c'est un parfum très très bon, citronné, aromatique, des notes de plantes, fraicheur surtout, idéal après la douche pour se sentir encore plus clean et plein de fraicheur
j'aime bien et en plus ça sort de l'ordinaire

i only wish i didn't know what cat wee smelt like. i don't use exclamation marks in my reviews too often, but this needs one! i cannot find words that allow me to express how utterly astounded i am that they decided to bottle this stuff.
!

to a cat wee scent virgin, this might be a very enjoyable fragrance right?
!

but to my nose the cassia is the most dominant note and totally drowns out the grapefruit, citrus and base.

i feel like a kitty cat might feel after being squirted by a Tom. Affronted.

Wonderful juicy pungent scent alone - I like to spray a bit over Shalimar parfum to lighten the load in the summer time...blends beautifully with the top notes of Shalimar...then fades away later in the day and the deeper notes of Shalimar take over just in time for evening cocktails...

Grapefruit bomb, lemon and bergamot underneath. A bit of a one note wonder, not complex enough for me. Smells like grapefruit soda you buy at the grocery store.

Pompelmo, pompelmo ed ancora pompelmo!Profumazione primavera - estate per il giorno. La Natura ti accompagna nelle giornate più assolate, quest'AQUA ALLEGORIA è tra le più piacevoli.
Sillage 7/10
Longevità 7/10
Profumo 7/10

Funny how houses can interpret citrus so differently. To me, this scent is not like any other in that it brings to mind overripe fruit and peel, somewhat fermented. Not bright and fresh, as I like my citrus fragrances, and thus not my cup of tea.

this is absolutely great for citrus lovers and honestly I didn't except it to be anything imperfect.
At the beginning it smells like sour fresh lime and then changes to a milder,sweeter version mixed by some flowers. It is not a complicated scent to describe, but as far as I love grapefruit it smells very pleasant to my nose. Also the long lasting power is very good with compare to other vaporizing citrus scents. It is in the same range with Verscence and Miss dior cherie L'eau and since it is on produce from 1999, I can happily replace it with my miss dior cherie L'eau which I can't find anymore as soon as it finishes.

I love this, it actually makes my mouth water everytime I sniff it! I only use this in high summer (if such a thing exists it London?) It makes me feel instantly refreshed. The scent of grapefruit is supposed to be an afrodisiac and it certainly works on me :)

A blonde French woman at an art exhibition wore it so magnificently - I could follow her fresh patchouly trail with my eyes shut from room to room, and gravitated around her for a while. And of course asked her. Grabbed a bottle and appreciated the grapefruit zing - but I did not get the warm, soothing notes. Skin chemistry, you make fools of us all! Still, happily wearable scent, with no sillage to speak of. On me, at least.

Beautiful, fresh, light. The grapefruit is so juicy, bitter and tangy. Underneath is Guerlain, powdery and soft, but heat and movement send out jolts of fresh fruit throughout the day.

No cat wee smell for me, but I can see where the thought comes from in the first few minutes. After that, the grapefruit settles into a softer juiciness, the bitterness fades. Kinda wish it hung around longer.

Really easy to wear, its so fresh and light, but still has that lovely elegant Guerlain body backing it up.

I have very complicated relationship with this fragrance. As for me - it is a piece of bitter grapefruit peel, so fresh and piquant, like a cocktail that you're drinking, enjoying the tropical vacation getaway! BUT! People around can smell... cats. One note is too playful in this perfume. Some of my friends adore this fragrance, some just feel sick of it. I am not brave enough to cause these problems to my friends. I would wear it only for myself, when I am sitting at the seaside. Me and my bitter grapefruit. Oh, yeah, the sillage is beautiful, it fades away like a burned citron...

WOW- UPDATE NOV. 20- 2015:

Sprayed on my clothes a few days ago-- and therein YES it smells cat pee like! HOWEVER the longevity on my clothes was stunning.



Just scored a used nearly full bottle on eBay for $20.00 blindly.

NEVER HAVE I SEEN SO MANY NEGATIVE REVIEWS on here for such a delicate happy wonder juice such as this one!


Yes- this opens up a little harsh & bitter for 30 seconds ....DEAL WITH IT. They dry down here is wonderful! It sparkles with pure market-fresh natural grapefruit and hints of floral--very balanced and very distinctive very playful and giddy! ......it really dazzles. Longevity is very good. No complaints.

No kitty piss. Maybe you people all got one big bad batch all at once?

I love Guerlain and would blind buy if they made roach spray.

P.S. For some reason I never see Guerlains for sale at T.J. Marshalls...(anyone ever find any there?)

One of the newest fragrances I own, being made in 1999. I loved the grapefruit of Clinique Happy but it was lacking in some sophistication. So I tried a small sample of the Guerlain and it was instant love. It's my only summer scent. I find nothing unpleasant in it. It's a light, splash for hot summer nights. Now I can't recall if I have left a review for this or not. Oh well, the gift of being 65 is that I think I'm allowed to repeat myself. I'm doing well enough to remember all my pin codes, passwords and phone numbers. And btw I am a Guerlaine lover. I think they have made some of the best fragrances in the world. EVER.

This is a masterful fragrance and likely one of the most unique and beautiful citrus fragrances around. Citrus fragrances tend have most personality when they forgo the "clean" route and mimic the smell of a human wearing a citrus perfume rather than a fractionated clean element of a citrus oil. YSL pour Homme, Eau de Hermes, Rochas Moustache, Chanel pour Homme etc all do this.

In Pamplelune, this is achieved by a "whole" citrus accord that smells just like someone cutting into a whole pink grapefruit with a blunt knife that squirts oils and juices all over the person cutting it up. That juicy, fruity, bright - and at once - dirty smell (intensified by the cat-pee odour of blackcurrant) is laid over a full patchouli and soft vanilla and some musk. The middle of the fragrance is an abstract pink floral accord that - to me - screams oleander. However, I cannot find any mention of an oleander accord in any description of this perfume.

So there it is - a simple perfume idea, brilliantly executed. Photorealistic grapefruit, warts and all, laid over a softly woody vanilla and the two bridged by a pink oleander style note. An absolute delight that continues to be very wearable and pleasant when the weather turns cold.

I just received my blind buy of
Pamplelune. I got just what I expected, knowing Guerlain quality.

Guerlain Leau Boisee is my favorite Summertime fragrance being an exquisite natural lime fragrance embellished with mint and woods. Pamplelune is like that one in that it has a suberbly natural citrus/ grapefruit.
The amoniac like note of black currant leaf, that many say smells like cat pee to them, (I like dogs so I wouldn't know) just ads to the bright and refreshing grapefruit note; it makes an accord with it but doesn't stand out in some cloying way. It smells like intense black currents to me, and it makes a great accord with the grapefruit. The patchouli ads some texture to the composition so its not a straight up grapefruit. The vanela ads a nuance of smoothness balancing the citrusy blast. The Neroli and petigrain are superb blending with the bright and refreshing citruses making them more aromaticaly floral.

The longevity is quite good, obove average for this type of fragrance. It is a bit on the feminine side, but it is very similar to some quality citrusy Summertime Male colognes of this genre. So I think we can share this one.

It is the brightest most refreshing fragrance I have, it is close to Creed Milisme Imperial, in It's fresh pungent citrusy fruitiness. Because I have this I don't miss not having Creed MI, and saving a bunch of dough.

A note on the Cassia/ black current note. It is in one of my favorite classics, that is said to be one of the very best male/ floral fragrances ever composed, Givenchy Insense.


Rating: 9/10

John 3:16

Some people like this, fine.

Why some people dislike this, on this particular bottle, it is very important.

When I'm sniffing the cap, it is pleasant enough, but I can't rewire my brain, it finds the connection and the alertness goes up.

I can never wear this in public, what's left to do with this bottle is to study this phenomenon.

I'm thiking of a room spray possibility too, I'm too afraid to put this on my skin. Very very sad. :(

An amazingly accurate grapefruit representation. I can actually envision the smell of opening a ripe juicy grapefruit. This is not a sugared grapefruit, or a ruby red grapefruit nor does it venture into household cleaning supplies territory. Just really refreshing and nice. I can see how this might not work for all skin types but I think its still worth a try for citrus lovers. It's close to the skin, non-offensive and a mood lifting fragrance (as are many citrus IMO) I only have a mini splash (cute bottle btw) but I think i will transfer it to a spray to see if it performs better. I Likes!!!

I couldn't wait to try this. I read all the reviews. No way was this going to wear poorly on me, right? I dabbed it on, and within minutes I was loving it. I kept sniffing my wrist, thinking, "This is the nicest grapefruit fragrance I've found. I feel bad for those people who smell cat pee. Sure glad I don't have that problem." Ten minutes later...womp, womp. Cat pee. I haven't tried wearing it on clothes, yet. Maybe it won't evolve this way if it isn't in contact with my skin. Worth a shot. It's a beautiful fragrance, prior to the feline excretion phase (which is the longest one). If you can try before you buy (like many reviews warned me to do), you definitely should.

EDIT: I have plenty of other scents to keep me occupied. If there's someone who would like to trade samples (mine is a mini-bottle), feel free to message me. It would be a shame for this to sit unused.

I was at the airport in Paris and when i waiting to plane i noticed the amazing smell from a beautiful woman. She asked me something to help but i was focus to her scent. Then i asked to her "what did you wear? It is an poetic! She answered to me: "I'm happy to hear that! It is Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune". I could fall in love with her...

Someone gave me her partially used bottle of Pamplelune last spring, and for the longest time all I could detect in it was grapefruit, from the realistically bitter opening almost to the end. I didn't particularly dislike it, but the best use I had for such a citrus-heavy perfume was to keep on hand for energy boosts during all-nighters. Recently, though, I've learned to pick out and very much enjoy the interplay with the other notes, and now I actually think it's lovely. This will be getting a lot more wear out of me this summer, and it fully deserves its status as a modern classic.

Oh how I wish it worked for me! From the bottle I get gorgeous, natural, extremely invigorating mix of bitter grapefruit and citrusy petitgrain, complemented by heavenly, rough black currant leaves. And, to my great despair, from my skin I get... yes, that's right - cat pee.

I enter a random perfumery from time to time to take a sniff from the bottle of Pamplelune and put it back on the shelf, hoping that some day someone will make a frag like this and it won't turn so ugly on my skin.

One of the relatively few accurate grapefruit scents out there. Sadly, on me it disappears very quickly. It becomes a very subtle skin scent (nearly gone) in about an hour. A pity!

This is really unisex; men could wear this easily.

Nice bottle!

Pamplelune is one of the original five Aqua Allegoria scents released in 1999 and it's still available. I'm very happy it is because I believe it's the best of that collection. It entered my stash of scents when it was first introduced. Seeing that row of boxes with their fresh, green and fruity imagery drew me to the Guerlain counter like snake charming music to see what these new colognes were all about - they were definitely my type of scent. I went home with a bottle of Pamplelune that day. I don't think I'd experienced such a realistic grapefruit top note and was not expecting the blackcurrant, patchouli and vanilla that followed. I love these sorts of combinations and this is an unusual scent - it isn't for everyone but what scent is? It wouldn't be out of place in the Hermes cologne collection. I find it such a welcome escape from the too many sweet scents I encounter every day. Most definitely unisex.

Mesmerizingly fresh at the first few sprays. A sunny "jump out of bed" citrus & green, I can almost taste the pulp of the grapefruit, it's so fresh!
Then there is a depth that creeps in like a pleasant shadow, in the form of patchouli and cassia that gives this bright scent something to perhaps create intrigue....?
I can see this being unisex and even intense on some, but what a fresh, sultry surprise!

Best grapefruit note I´ve ever smelt, after the fresh opening there is something a little "dirty" in the base, which I tend to find interestering in a perfume.

But this "dirty" note is nothing similar to cat pee, according to me, though (and I´ve got 3 cats).

Love it!

Beautiful!
A blast of authentic grapefruit mixed with neroli on a bed of patchouli and a HINT of vanilla. Really nice. My favorite Aqua Allegoria (I've only tried the permanent ones.) It's very refreshing and perfect for Summer. The bee bottle is gorgeous as well.

Real notes
citrusy notes and grapefruit accompanied by bergamot. Its energetic heart features neroli, petit grain, blackcurrant bud. Its dry-down reveals an extreme sensuality thanks to the presence of patchouli and vanilla.

To my nose it smells exactly like cat pee... yuk! The bottle is very pretty though)

I wish I'd tested this before buying. It smells EXACTLY like Kiehl's Nashi Pear & Pink Grapefruit does on me. Pampelune is just a more expensive version, and I find both of them too sweet.

This is a realistically bitter and juicy grapefruit and black currant scent with a bone-dry oriental vanilla-patch drydown. I can wear this because I can wear black currant notes. They smell like tangy, not-particularly-sweet fruit on me rather than cat pee -- I understand this is not the case for everyone. This fragrance is one that makes no attempts to tone down its pungency, either that of the grapefruit or that of the black currant. It's a sharp, high-frequency accord and it does not care or want to be otherwise. As the dry vanilla/dry patchouli base notes surface, it does smell a little bit like clean sweat. This is in a perfumey way, though -- I do not think it could be reasonably mistaken for a person's actual sweaty armpit.

Pamplelune might just be the ultimate grapefruit perfume. I love it; it's dominated by very realistic, deliciously bitter grapefruit, which is wonderful, but there's more to it. Other, mostly complementary bitter green notes give it a lot of extra depth, without really being distinctly present. This is enough to make Pamplelune an elegant, interesting perfume instead of just uplifting aroma therapy (like that one note Body Shop Pink Grapefruit, that I also love, but that doesn't really qualify as a perfume).

I don't get the many "cat pee" references here, unless cat pee smells like zesty citrus? Or maybe it just doesn't come out on me, in which case I'm lucky. It's true that there's no sweetness at all to this fragrance, but I really like that: I love sweetened citrus fragrances, but this one is closer to the real deal, very natural, very refreshing and very, very delicious. It works well right now, in winter, as a mental relief when spending a lot of time in stuffy heated rooms, but I bet it'll be even better in the summer. Really, it's very versatile, I can imagine it in virtually any situation, from formal to sexy, in any kind of weather and on people of any sex, at any age. A must try for everyone who likes the smell of grapefruit, and which crazy person doesn't?! I think my little decant will turn into a full bottle once it's gone, which might be sooner than most that I have!

A not cloying citrus fragrance, it's a bit more elegant. Perfect for daily wear.

I first purchased this in France, after trying it in a little shop in Sarlat then going back again and again to make sure before buying. I fell in love with the fragrance and have only just used the last drop. Needless to say, I'm going to be getting it again! It's such a fresh, delicious fragrance, unlike any other.

Very nice citrusy grapefruit. Citrus scents don't always work on me, but I really like this one. Although, I don't know if I would buy this after my sample is gone because it does smell a bit like a really expensive bathroom spray.

It's a grapefruit bomb, I think this one very much depends on the wearer's body chemistry, it's wonderful on some and down right nasty on others, personally I like it, I like the 'true' grapefruit aspect of it, it's so accurate, longevity is great, the aqua allegoria bottles are nice too. Sunshine in a bottle.

I really could have done without that cassis note... yeah, I'm getting cat pee, too...

The best grapefruit fragrance ever!

For once Luca Turin finally gets it right! When it comes to the smell of Grapefruit, Pamplelune is at the top of the league. This fragrance has the most authentic grapefruit note I have ever encountered. This isn't a shampoo or sweet candy type of grapefruit. This is the whole, ripe, juicy fruit itself... the bright, bitter skin, the ripe pink flesh, the tangy taste, the acidic, almost sulphur-like aroma. It's so raw and authentic, and so real... that I think this is what turns some people off when they smell it for the first time.

Pamplelune (the name is composed of the French words for grapefruit "pamplemousse" and moon "lune") opens up with an incredibly bright citric, tangy, acidic and authentic grapefruit note that is given body by some herbs and green notes (neroli, petitgrain, and cassis). It is the Cassis or blackcurrant leaf which gives this fragrance the impression of the "cat urine" note, and this could equally be a combination of this note with the acidic grapefruit and the patchouli in the base. Personally I don't get this impression, to me it's an incredibly authentic grapefruit aroma which lasts for the whole length of the fragrance.

Pamplelune eventually dries down to a warm, sweet, patchouli-vanilla combination... it makes such a soft landing and impression on your skin after a few hours. Bright, fresh, zesty grapefruit in the beginning, then changing to a warmer, sweet vanilla by the end.

Needless to say, I really love this fragrance. just spraying it in any weather gives me a boost (like vitamin c)! I guarantee that it will brighten up your day and make you feel so fresh, and the best thing is, it is so well made that this authentic grapefruit lasts all day, turning into vanilla by the end. Please, ignore the association with cat urine etc. Because if you have ever opened a real, fresh, juicy grapefruit, complete with the fresh tang of the pink fruit and the acid of the juice, this is almost exactly what it smells like to me.

Try it in summer, spring, and even in cold weather! It can cheer you up! This one makes me so happy, I sometimes even call it "sunshine in a bottle"!

The top notes, to me, seem like more of a pomelo, mixed with something that smells sickly sweet or rancid, it makes me feel nauseous. The middle scent is more pleasant, but not enough to make myself feel sick waiting for the top notes to dissipate.

If, to some people this smells of cat pee, I would love to bathe on a cat pee. I love this perfume especially on very hot and humid days of summer. This is the best grapefruit scent on the market, IMO.

Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune starts like bitter and sweet spicy, grapefruit and dries down to a cinnamon-apple cobbler smell. There is huge contrast to how the fragrance opens and closes. It almost two different scents. I find it interesting, although I prefer the beginning part. I think this one fits gourmand category and will be quite cozy in a colder weather. Still debating if I should get a bottle of this.

I'm still not sure if a close resemblance to a natural thing is a good way of doing a perfume. However, if you think it is, and if you like grapefruit smell, you really have to try this one.

Pamplelune has, like pretty much all its cousins from the Aqua Allegoria line, one main note and a few other carefully picked additions to it, to make it more prominent from one side and make this thing a perfume rather than an essential oil from the other. In this case, there is a fantastic grapefruit note that plays with your nostrils from the very beginning of the perfume's evolution. This is as close to a grapefruit smell as I can imagine, other than rubbing yourself with the fruit or its peel, maybe. The heart of the scent adds a cassis note to a citrus one, and it's actually quite prominent on my skin. To clarify, it's clearly behind the grapefruit all the time, but it makes it dirtier in a very obvious and, for me, good way. The drydown is rather insignificant as the scent has already done its point, but it's about earthy patch that stays as close to the skin as it could be done.

This perfume has a perceptible sillage and a mediocre, four hour longevity. It is a summer scent, an absolutely unisex creation in my book(can you really give a gender to a grapefruit?) and a versatile, inoffensive one, certainly. As I said, this is as close to a real thing as any perfume I've ever tried, and, because of that, rather unique - a hard thing to make of a citrus scent. It's Guerlain, after all, and you can't be wrong with that house, even if this is everything but a typical Guerlainesque creation.

8.75/10

I love grapefruit. I love eating them, I love them in fragrances and I buy almost strictly grapefruit flavoured lip balms. I do smell all the notes here, mostly. Grapefruit, neroli, patchouli. But mostly I smell, and this is for the first and hopefully last time, cat pee. I've heard of people getting cat pee off of fragrances before and always figured I was immune but no. Cat pee. And I grew up with anywhere between 2 and 5 cats in my home at a given time. I'm all too familiar with the smell.
Test first!

Another masterpiece by Guerlain. I like the citrusy freshness and purity of this fragrance. It makes me think of nice, windy but warm morning at the countryside.
I like the bitter aroma of grapefruit in it. All of the perfumes with grapefruit note, this is the one with bitter grapefruit note. And it is amazing, seems so natural.
I think this could almost be unisex fragrance, it's so citrusy.
Anyway, it's lovely spring/summer morning scent. Smells like nature!

I got many compliments wearing it, it's bitter-sweet grapefruit wrapped in warm vanilla.Dry down is very pleasant, warms the skin. Top notes are so uplifting, in fact, as it has a double face; at first you think it's just another citrus, and later enjoying warmest vanilla. And yes, I so agree with previous review. Not a big vanilla fan, but I'd always come to Pamplelune and Vanilla&Ginger by L'Erbolario. That's exactly how I love vanilla to be made:)

When I first sprayed this on I hated it. It smelled like hand sanitizer...really flat and citric, sour and soapy. I craved some depth and complexity and pretty much decided this scent wasn't for me... however, after about 30 minutes of wearing it, it melted into something wonderful. The vanilla and sandalwood are warm and rich without taking away from the summery, bright feel. This is definitely for daytime-but be sure to give it some time to mellow before you leave the house.

Smells fresh citrusy and grapefruit-like. I love it, but when I asked someone else's opinion they said it smelt like cats pee! Not going to buy it - I wouldn't want people to think I smelt of cats pee.

fantastico! mi sento un brick di succo di pompelmo!!! l'odore è freschissimo e si assesta dopo ore su un timido patchouli. eccellente!

Initially, I didn't like Pamplelune because all I got on initial spray was flat grapefruit. It seemed too one-dimensional for me to justify a purchase.

However, I finally got my hands on enough to wear it of an extended period of time, and I can't get enough. The grapefruit was refreshing, but it was the dry down I became obsessed with. The bergamot and neroli came through after a while, to lend greenness to the scent, and the dry down of a clean patchouli and vanilla deepened and rounded out the scent gorgeously. I loved catching whiffs of this in my hair throughout the day. I actually loved that this got muskier as the day went on - if it'd stayed as the same initial flat grapefruit, it wouldn't have stood out to me.

No cat pee here, fortunately. Unless I just normally wander around smelling like cat pee, and nobody really has the courage to say anything to me. (C'est la vie.)