Cedro di Taormina

I blind-bought this, because I often like natural-smelling, Italian-style scents, I'd been interested in trying something from Acqua di Parma for some time and the 30ml version of this was available in a probably Covid-inspired discount-on-discount-on-discount deal on Groupon. I liked the idea of having this as a travel-friendly summer option (in case I ever got around to going anywhere ever again). As yesterday was a hot summer day where I live, I decided to try the fragrance. I've had a couple of scents that have instantaneously struck a chord with me and just seemed "right" (Bvlgari Soir, one of the Issey summer flankers, probably Davidoff Leather Blend) and maybe a few others that, whether or not they've immediately felt right to me, have really impressed me right away. Cedro di Taormina probably does just seem right to me and anyhow its quality was delightfully, almost overwhelmingly evident to me even at first spray. It does indeed smell natural to me and probably is evocative of Mediterranean landscape. It also has something of an old-school, semi-barbershop feel, without feeling at all dated. I find the combination very appealing. I can understand that the old-school aspect might cause many people to think it an unexceptional fragrance but, while I wish I could compare it to other AdP scents, I'm inclined to say that actually this is exceptional, in the sense that to my mind it is an exceptionally plausible, well-blended, restrained but sophisticated, classical kind of fragrance. Most if not all of the notes listed are there on my skin at varying stages but the stars of the show are the citrus, silky lavender, some cedar of course and, in particular, the leathery, slightly animalic, semi-powdery labdanum. The labdanum alone definitely renders this masculine on my skin. For me it also tilts this slightly away from spring-summer to, say, later spring, summer and some of the autumn. Sillage is moderate and certainly adequate for me (it's the kind of fragrance that reminds you every now and then that it's still right there). Longevity, surprisingly, is good, if not excellent. I directly sprayed this onto either forearm twice for test purposes and can still smell it without trying after 18 hours. Love it. Love everything about it.

Smelled this yesterday for the first time and was very impressed. I've been searching for a new fragrance, something for the summer, something that will WOW me... This one did it for me. I had sprayed it on a paper strip which I brought home and couldn't stop smelling it. I left it on the table next to me as I was working on my laptop and kept getting wiffs and it smelled amazing! I moved to the next room and brought the paper strip with me. I then retuned to the room I was initially in and I was still smelling it. Whoa, this stuff is strong...or am I smelling something else altogether?? I was a bit confused. Then I went to the table and sniffed the area where the paper strip was resting before and it was this!!!!! WTF! That was the reason I didn't buy it on the spot, because it is EDT! After that all I kept thinking was buying a full bottle. So today I went and bought it and I'm enjoying it very much. I also get a resemblance to bleu de Chanel but as it dries down it goes down a different path that oddly reminds me of my girlfriend's Princess Oud by Creed, minus the oud and ambergris. By the way, I love PO by Creed on my gf and this one reminds me of that scent but a masculine and lighter version. I love it. Great silage and very good longevity. This is a very refreshing and pleasant spring/summer scent. 9/10 for what it is. Update 7/10/2016: I returned this today. I love the smell a lot but, compared to that little paper strip, on my skin this lasts 2 hours! Very bummed about it... If I got around 4-5 hours (even though that's considered pretty weak) I would have kept it, that's how much I love the smell. Oh well, on to the next one.

This fits the brand copy about lush greenery blended in with the volcanic rocks perfectly. It opens with juicy citrus fruits of orange, lemon and lime. The greens arrive with basil that gives it an herbal, shrubbery feeling and the pepper and lavender somehow serves to make me think of rocky terrain. I've never been to Sicily, but I've seen the Godfather 2 enough times to have a feeling of the landscape in my head. That green shrubbery pepper feeling mixes in with the vetiver and labdanum to perfectly keep this scenery throughout the experience. Cedar here young, green tree branch variety. Very natural. This is a transportive fragrance and it's a shame that Acqu Di Parma has discontinued this and Ginepro di Sardegna. Worth checking out if you like aromatic vetiver with some touches of wood and lavender. Pepper is fairly prominent so if you don't like pepper then get a sample because it has a small learning curve. Scent 9.3/10 Performance 5/10

Sunlight in a bottle. I have a fantasy about being a well-groomed Italian gentleman in a crisp beige linen suit and jute espadrilles, luncheoning on freshly caught grilled octopus and caprese salad with a sparkling glass of white wine and beautiful madonna at my side on the patio of a seaside restaurant somewhere along the Amalfi Coast. This (or Essenza, Chinotto di Liguria, or Ginepro di Sardinia) would be my fragrance - sparkling, fresh, zesty, charismatic, sexy, and mama mia oh so Italian. BIG love. 8/10 Edit: Finally got a full bottle of this. It's been quite a while since I plowed through my sample, but this still smells as good as I remember. A bright and quite herbal opening gives way to a smooth, sultry, creamy woodsy drydown. Just lovely. Performance has been quite good, with around 7-8 hours of longevity and 2 hours of projection. Can't wait to try this in the summer heat.

Gentlemen: On those days where just a hint of classy, refined essence is your aesthetic aim, this is your scent. Warm days when you might be in close proximity to others and you want to exude trace amounts of taste and refinement? This is your scent. When you want to leave an impression that you are well-groomed, conscientious of your personal toilette, yet never want to bear the humiliation of being labeled “cologne guy”? Wear this. Are you a habitual oversprayer? Have at it- satiate your desires. Apply Cedro liberally without fear of douchebaggery. Behaves like a EDC, so elegant and uplifting. Simple citrus, pepper, lavender and cedar. Lovely gentleman’s scent for summer.