Acqua di Parma Colonia Assoluta Edizione Speciale 2011

I had heard the Assoluta was a bit stronger with better longevity than the base Colonia, so I started looking for it. I'd never buy AdP fragrances from mainstreet retailers, because some terrific discounted prices can be had through other channels. Before I pulled the trigger on a 100ml bottle of Assoluta, I managed to spot this limited edition version, which I thought was simply the same fragrance in an "alternative" bottle design. I got a 180ml bottle for the price of a 100ml of original Assoluta. But I discovered afterward that the ingredients list is noticeably different between the two. How is it? Very pleasant, lush quality citrus lavender. Something about it is similar to Essenza, with just a gentle shift in the balance of notes. Whereas Essenza is drier and less floral, Assoluta is a little sweeter and more citrus-floral, almost like a succulent lemon drop. And then... about 1 to 2 hours later I sniffed my hand again and the prominent notes had receded quite a bit. I had to bring my nose close to detect it. What I discovered is that it does get absorbed by the skin, but in cool weather when your skin warms up it will radiate back again. Longevity is a little disappointing. I tend to get about 2~3 hours before it completely descents into a skin scent, which trails on for about another 4 hours before vanishing. This is a very good quality fragrance, no doubt about it. But given what it delivers, it's really targeted for those who don't mind plunking down $200 for a bottle of this every few months and spraying it on liberally. Ah.... there are certain privileges in life, that's for sure. And owning a fine Acqua di Parma Colonia fragrance that you can use indiscriminately is one of them. :-) 8.8/10

I like it! #Fragrance is amazing!