Old-money French Riviera in heels and an oversized floppy hat.

This beauty opens with a burst of floral, honeyed sweetness from the orange blossom and the calabrian bergamot which accentuates the soft citrus with a green, almost aromatic note. The magnolia is already wanting to make an appearance here and my nose delights in the recognition of an old scent memory; ‘Royal Jelly’.

But interestingly wrapped around these tops notes is an aquatic breeze - a mild, fresh spritz of sea salty air. It tempers the soft magnolia, which is not heavy or loud in the middle. It’s enough to keep the white floral and citrus continuing into the heart, but adds a mild creaminess. Here, there is the sensual Arabian Jasmine but it’s brightened with the slightest touch of green rose. To my nose, the honey becomes more noticeable here in the middle, a floral warm honey. In writing, this might sound like a heady mix of warm, sweet, white florals, but it’s not cloying or in your face. It’s fresh and clean with a very slight soapiness. Its delightful!

And then as it settles on my skin. Oh my happy heart, these ‘solar notes’. It’s like when you’ve been lying on the beach and caught the sun and your skin is starting to golden, you can smell the sun, traces of the salty sand and the creamy sun screen lotion. It’s warm and comforting yet radiant and beachy. As with most Aqua Allegoria’s, the scent stays pretty linear from the heart to the dry down.

Now *real* royal jelly is a pungent, sour and tangy affair. So what is ‘Royal Jelly’ to me? It’s a scent memory I’ve been chasing for decades. A gift set of my mums, of bubble bath, body lotion and talcum powder that was in a navy box with gilded gold and ‘Royal Jelly’ scribed across it. It is memories of being frozen and soaked coming home from school, walking through the hail & snow, a warm bath run, then wrapped up in a cozy towel warmed up on the radiator, and ‘getting spoilt’ by gaining access to the ‘Royal Jelly’ talcum powder and fluffy powder puff applicator as a treat. This is the closest I’ve ever gotten to it that scent. My heart!

Nettare di Sole means Nectar of the Sun, but I call it my little bottle of contradictions. It’s clean, fresh and floral yet sensual, creamy and decadent. Its holiday memories of sun-kissed skin and sunnies on, yet it’s also personal happy memories of comfort - wrapped up in a warm, cosy towel after a bath in the winter.

Is this a 10/10 perfume? People may argue not. But it’s a 10/10 to me. I’ve a strong emotional scent memory to ‘Royal Jelly’, and this perfume just hits me right in the feels. And I think it’s a great example of the beauty created when Thierry Wasser and Delphine Jelk work together, bringing sparkling brightness and natural tones to balance round, warm and sensual boldness. I do think to young noses this might have a vintage feel to it. It’s fresh and clean floral-honey as apposed to gourmand honey, with soapy nuances. But the really clever, interesting and well blended aquatic and solar notes in it add a modern twist.

In essence, this perfume is a happy place. It almost makes you smell like you’ve caught the sun on your skin whilst lying at the pool or on a beach, enjoying the carefree, warm Mediterranean breeze. It’s chic and elegant, old-money French Riviera in heels and an oversized floppy sun hat.