It’s always very difficult to pin down the seasons, especially with the current unexpected variations in temperature, but there is one annual fragrance release that definitely makes it feel like spring has arrived. Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria range has earned a reputation for lifting us out of the winter blues and hinting at the warmth that is to come, and this year there are three to choose from. Flora Cherrysia, Ginger Piccante, and Coconut Fizz join the existing lineup and perfectly compliment the ten already on offer. Created by Thierry Wasser and Delphine Jelk, let’s see what Guerlain has created for 2019.
It’s that special time of year again when Guerlain launches its latest Aqua Allegoria and this year it has gone in a decidedly more fruity direction. Passiflora, which is also known as Passion Flower, is the name of the 2018 creation by Thierry Wasser but the fragrance is much more about the fruit than the flower. It is described as “the spirit of passion fruit with an aquatic note” and is designed to be “invigorating, sunny and spontaneous.” So, with the Aqua Allegoria range now numbering ten, and competition for spaces relaxed at least for this year, let’s see just how Passiflora fits into the expanded lineup.
It happens every year but it never gets any easier. I’m talking about the annual discontinuation of one of Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria range. Since the series first appeared in 1999 the collection has seen many fragrances come and go, but it is still a surprise when the final cut is made. Sometimes the choice is made based on sales figures, sometimes due to trend, but occasionally the decision leaves everyone surprised. In 2014 Guerlain introduced Limon Verde to the Aqua Allegoria range but it leaves the collection this year to make way for Bergamote Calabria. So, what is the history of this caipirinha explosion?
The stock room floor is usually littered with boxes at this time of the year with "recall" written on them. In order for a company to make room for its latest fragrance another may have to go. This is always the way with Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria scents. Sometimes decisions are based on sales, sometimes on trends, and sometimes we struggle to work out what the reason is. This was how many people felt when Guerlain's Nerolia Bianca left the range in 2015. It was ultimately replaced by the short-lived Teazzurra and the question remains, did Guerlain lose one of Thierry Wasser's finest creations?
Guerlain's trend for reissuing old fragrances under new names is well known, this year has already seen the 2008 Aqua Allegoria Figue-Iris released in the Parisiennes range under the name Promenade des Anglais, but the company's latest rebottling has left some feeling a little disappointed. In a similar way that Guet-Apens appeared five times with different names, Jasminora has been reissued for a third outing and again given a new name from the archives. Let's see how this fragrance has managed to reinvent itself yet again, and whether it really warrants the price increase from €80 to €550.
