Essenza di Colonia

''smells like vacation!!'', first reaction i got spraying it from my sis. it smells classic, italian everything that conjures the relaxed mediterrean vibe. the initial spray of photo realistic citrus is so sparkly and airy. like a field of grape/orange trees in the wind. and the opening does last quite a while and i love that. Neroli, neroli, neroli all the way. this is what michael corleone smelled like in part 2 when he wore his casual clothes going back to his heritage vineyard in sicily! After the long lasting citrus opening gradually settles. a very thick soapiness comes up in the mid with beautiful floral hints of rose/jasmine + complimentary orange bitter green of petitgrain that make you feel relaxed, comfortable, clean. that soapiness persists pretty much till the end combined with a unique green herbal fougere profile of sage + rosemary with a slight minty/ camphor undertone. woody vetiver + a tinge of cloves. theres an ambiguous leather accord too. with a generous amount of earthy patchouli musk / amber warmth / oakmoss base as support making it masculine. the cloves is the secret ingredient here, working magic in the background adding a layer of complexity from base to mid. Please judge this with the appropriate weather condition its meant for. It's not a powerful projecting scent however it does leave scent trails that are just out of this world. it really does need a good warm outside temperature and wind. and thats often with really good natural smelling summer scents that are not relying on powerful aroma chemicals to give lift. The opening is the most projecting part and it last like 20-30 minutes and that's bit unusual for a citrus forward frag. prob cuz of how much neroli n petitgrain is used giving an illusion of a continues citrus. within that time reception of others was lovely. after that I never really had a compliment unless im like very close to someone however when the mid develops the scent trail is just something so good that i had someone run up to me to ask what i am wearing. literally never had that happen with anything else lol. Honestly the longevity is a fair 5-6 hours. But not like it dies within the last few hours. It holds on wrapping you around a scent bubble for 4 and giving you 2 hours skin scent. letting it self known to your own nose every so often. a slight over spray works well with it. it's not a dated scent... but its not a blind buy. the scent will wear you if you cannot appreciate the uniqueness + oldskool/modern vibe. it's not challenging at all to wear. quite safe really. and i read some people comparing this like a dollar store scent? come on.. tom ford portofino neroli which i genuinely find smelling like baby wipes with an outrageous pricetag lasting barely 1-2 hours is deserving of that label not this. its genuinely a complex unique scent but you wouldn't be able to tell right away. it has enough transitions to discover. its one of my fave summer scent for a while. i just had to get another bottle years later. it can be worn all seasons acting like an work/office scent too. I got prada amber pour homme too and i prefer the soapiness in that one cuz of overall versatility performance / projection but sometimes you want something that doesn't announce itself but is to be discovered. don michael corleone/10

Probably my favourite fragrance of this type, the very upfront citruses combined with clean florals like neroli and Jasmine typical of Classic Italian Men's Eau de Colognes. Only in this, it's done to its high possible degree of elegance, and remains modern and timeless while paying homage to the classic DNA and feel that this kind of fragrance illicits. The opening of Essenza on my skin is one of the best experiences I've had with a fragrance if not the best if were just talking openings, it opens up very bright as you can imagine, The citruses are so effervescent and sweet with a little zingyness, to the point it almost feels like I'm smelling a very sweet Grapefruit candy or sugared Grapefruit confection, it may sound weird (and I don't blame you if you give me a weird look), but its so sweet that it very very vaguely reminds me of the sweetness (not flavour) of Fruit Loops, the sweet taste of them, but transmuted into a smell instead of a taste, only with Lemon, Grapefruit, and a clean-sweet Neroli being at the forefront. As it starts to settle down the more aromatic and clean parts of the foundation begin to shine more and take over the void left behind by the citruses, and like the people below me I must also agree, in that it does smell very soapy in the best possible way, it smells so much like an expensive North Italian soap you'd find in a hotel. By the early mid the citruses have all died into thr background and I mainly just smell Grapefruit and a bit of orange, with the main player being a Neroli characteristic of this type of fresh Italian fragrance, but in here it feels much more modern, which is aided by the use of rver so slight aromatic almost earthy-esque spices I can't quite place that are behind the clean florals, though this still does smell familiar(in terms of its age) in the best way imaginable, and as a guy in his early 20s I do wish Citrus fragrances would return to something more akin to this, but aye a man can dream😔). Wearability should go without saying but this is perfect for casual wearing and ill probably get myself a bottle for hot days, spring days, and to use as an aftershave. Longevity I get around 4-5 hours but keep in mind it was cold as hell when I wore that (raining and 16C° despite it supposed to be around 33C°+ since its an Aussie summer??😂😭), but I can easily see this pushing up to 6 or 7 hours in the heat. Leans very much masculine as is typical with this men's barbershop/fresh Italian men's EDC type of perfume, however I can't imagine it entirely impossible for a lady to wear this if she really enjoyed it and rocked it to a T. In conclusion it'll probably become my dumb reach fragrance and undoubtedly my most worn in summer and dare I say even spring 🗿, there's really nothing bad to say about it, my only gripe is I wish the absolutely divine; sent down by the gods themselves opening, that if prescribe as Amrbos personified, would last longer into the mid, but all great things are fleeting and should be appreciated during their time in the sun. Classic, timeless, familiar yet modern, Likeable across all aspects, undeniably Italian 9.5/10

I've owned 30+ Acqua Di Parma fragrances over the years and if I had to pick one, choose one favourite over all others, Essenza di Colonia would likely be the one. I've owned four bottles of this over the years. Many people have called it the nicest neroli scent ever made and I'd agree with that. It is one of those scents that is more than the sum of its parts. There is magic here. EdC means something to me. You have a sparkling bergamot and citrus opening like the original Colonia, but with a jasmine and white flower body and a base that serves as an anchor only, consisting of some vetiver, rose, some green aromatics, musk, oakmoss, patchouli and amber but with none of these accords jutting out or discernible above the rest. The blending is absolutely magnificent and as classically AdP as you'll ever find. Neroli is star of the show here and EdC showcases how it works with the citrus in the head, other white and yellow florals in the body and everything else in the base. The reissue of this has apparently been slightly reformulated to make it a little brighter and add more floral feel to go with the new clear bottle but it is still excellent and still has the same vibe. The overall effect is beguilingly beautiful in the way the Amalfi Coast is which I am sure is the vibe AdP were going for. I've always found the original Colonia - a superlative day scent - to sometimes not quite give you the richness and depth you want on a night out but EDC is peerlessly versatile. I would absolutely love for AdP to do a La Reserve flanker of this. I do prefer EdC to Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino and Villa Neroli by BDK even though I own both of these too - EdC is cheaper, better balanced, dries down nicer, is more versatile, performs better in Dubai heat and just smells better to me. Performance is in keeping with the notes and so you're always going to see it sink to a (gorgeous) skin scent after 3-4 hours but I have a decant atomiser of this which I would take out with me now and it really rewards an occasional little top up. My dad wears EdC regularly, and so do both my little brothers because I got them into fine fragrances. EdC reminds me of days and nights out with them in Sydney, Singapore, Dubai, London, New York, Porto, Vienna, Munich and on Hamilton Island, eating, drinking, and laughing. I think that is why I love it so much. It is pretty much part of our family at this point. Three Word Summary: The Best Neroli Layering combination: Santal Calling by Ex-Nihilo or Santal Precieux by Caron. Scent - 9/10 Drydown - 8/10 Sillage - 8/10 Bottle/packaging - 7/10 Performance - 4/10 36/50 but is a 50 for me in terms of the emotional connection.

I bought this rather unemotionally, as a summer office fragrance, but I find myself experiencing moments of lucid, uncomplicated pleasure that make it a real joy to wear on a daily basis. The citrus medley in the opening is a high production value experience, like listening to the soundtrack of a youthful impression of summer on expensive speakers: clean and uplifting, but also smoothly three-dimensional. Nothing screeches here, as this composition is blissfully free of the imbalanced dosing of synthetic bergamot that spoils so many fragrances. There is a roundedness to the topnotes that gives the impression of many translucent layers overlapping to create a softly luminous opacity. Imagine a citrus with the texture of petals.This impression is miraculously extended for much of the fragrance’s (solid) running time. A layer of subtle warmth (clove) is discernible beneath the brightness, operating like a buffer between the citruses and earthier elements (mostly, to my nose, vetiver, rosemary, and a little sage.) The effect is interesting, as the base never ends up feeling heavy. Indeed, my impression of Colonia Essenza is almost the reverse of the typical formula: the topnotes feel rich and substantial, while the base treads lightly. What makes all of this possible are some very well-blended soapy musks. I appreciate whatever design and budget went into these workhorse materials, because they do not annoy me over time the way so many musks do (especially on a second application): never coarse or baldly synthetic, they perform the task of stage-managing the other notes perfectly. A few final comments. I like classical French fragrances like Eau Sauvage, Guerlain Vetiver, Paco Rabane Pour Homme, and Habit Rouge. I think the ‘old man’ category is unhelpful for a number of reasons, not least being that all of these fragrances have been popular with young men at some time in history, and, having survived for decades, obviously created an interest that outlived the youth of their first generation of wearers. But I will say that ADP Colonia Essenza has a directness and forward-facing charm that make it feel more modern than those classics I cited. Finally, I could not be happier with the performance – detectable but comfortable projection, a solid workday’s longevity, and a nice fade out that welcomes reapplication if you’re heading for drinks after work. I’m starting to wonder about wearing it all year long.

To my surprise and disappointment — a barbershop scent. The kind that’s a slight step up from Drakkar, like Paco Rabanne, though not quite Azzaro. Maybe a bit like Pasha. Suddenly it turns out to be more oriental than I initially thought. It starts moving toward notes like Chanel Pour Monsieur or Rive Gauche. Will it drop the lavender? The oriental part here is heavy — maybe even more enveloping than in the Chanel. To me, though, it feels like a kind of Chanel knockoff. My opinion drops accordingly. The lavender fades away completely, and what remains is a narrow corridor of sweetness in the Chanel style — but weaker. ⸻ A lot of time has passed, and I can now take this scent more seriously. My citrus–fougère journey has left behind all the Portofinos, Amalfis, Soles di Positanos, and YSL Pour Homme fragrances. Honestly, I haven’t found a citrus scent that truly suits me — they’re either fleeting breezes or old-man trash. Acqua Viva becomes too warm, Eau de Yuzu and Lemon Line are too candy-like, Oranges & Lemons or Melone Grapefruit disappear after 8 minutes, and Dior Cologne is too linear (though I’m not done with it yet). I also can’t get into any mint scents — not You Or Someone Like You, not Minthe by Diptyque, not Beach Hut or Enclave, nor any of the others, which mostly stay linear and merely naturalistic. My only saving grace so far is Aventus — but that can’t be it. I want something more natural, fresher, more connected to nature. That’s why I’m thinking about Essenza — it’s refreshing, citrusy, but maintains the right amount of fougère character, which gives it distinction. It’s genuinely good, without being as old-man-ish as YSL PH. Before buying it, though, I should still have a conversation with the last big contender (to be rejected), Fathom V, and the new player, Lippizan. Essenza has a certain type of unpretentious elegance — like something you’d wear during an intermission at a vernissage on a sun-scorched Mediterranean coast, when people have stepped outside just to breathe for a moment. There’s no real depth here — it’s only hinted at. But that sketch is filled in by life.