Paura dell'Acqua

This became so interesting to me once I got what "Paura dell'Acqua" means. It is not about clean "water fresh" smells. Instead, it takes a historical approach to smells that came about during the plague years when people were less apt to shower (or at all), instead masking the scent with an overwhelming amount of rich florals, oil, resins and a plethora of perfume. So when you read the "story" behind this scent and look again, the smells fall into place for me. No "clean" florals in the slightest. It is humid, thick, warm, almost bodily in its texture. The tuberose, the jasmine and the rose feel lush and luxurious, but they are underpinned by a moist, worn-in sensuality which gives this fragrance a totally intentional opulence. It smells like perfumed skin, clothes that smell of old fabric, a lit candle in a room heated up by bodies, oil and a bouquet of flowers going bad in a hot room. What I loved about Paura dell'Acqua was how unabashedly over the top it is. The florals do not feel clean-cut or airy, instead, they feel like they are dripping. The tuberose, in particular, possesses a narcotic creaminess that makes the fragrance feel personal and historical in tone. It feels exactly as if someone has transported themselves to another period where fragrance was not meant to smell "clean, " but more like a way of producing an aura around your person. The addition of ginger and petitgrain cuts through the richness so it does not become overwhelming, although they do not serve to modernize the fragrance much. It fully commits to its richness and opulent drama. The longer it sits on the skin and develops through the dry-down, the more I can feel the ambery tones heating up with the tonka bean in a way that makes the entire fragrance velvety, sensual and almost suffocating-exactly in line with the perfume's theme. What I love about Paura dell'Acqua is that it does not Romanticize "Clean. " It Romanticizes "Perfumed Excess. " This perfume, of all that I have tested, beautifully captured a single moment of human history where perfume existed as armor. Armor against mortality, disease, the body itself. This idea Alone makes Paura dell'Acqua one of the conceptually richest florals I have ever encountered, with the bonus fact that the fragrance itself is absolutely gorgeous. Overall rating: 8.75/10

This fragrance is notable for its unapologetic warmth, resulting in a sensuality that draws me in. I'm confused by how intoxicating I am finding this scent. The floral notes combine with the amber+ginger+tonka notes to produce a sort of licorice-cherry endpoint, which are two scents I normally abhor, and yet I find this fragrance magnetic. This would be a date-night contender, for sure. It strikes me as a great example of an what an updated, contemporary rose fragrance should smell like. It is floral, feminine for sure, but dynamic and alive. Intriguing and dynamic.

lusciously juiced amber... A delicious (non-gourmand) blend that has sweet fruitti amber, sweet moist mandarin juicy jasmines, juicy sweet tuberose, & ginger. The perfumer wrote "During the Italian Renaissance, as the fear of water made perfume a substitute for bathing, rich extracts of jasmine, tuberose, and rose filled the streets and lingered on the skin like a lover’s kiss. ānti imagines this opulent scent like a Venetian romance wafting through a baroque cityscape" I don't know if i see that in this blend, but it is a delicious luciously beautiful blend indeed.

This is gorgeous. I'm savouring my 2ml sample and finding it hard to go full bottle. I've sprayed this on one hand and then Rouge Malachite by Armani on the other. Paura dell'Acqua is warmer and more sensual whereas Rouge is brighter and more floral. I am not saying they are the same but they are of the same direction. Paura dell'Acqua being the more grown up in a young way? Like Rouges sexy older sister that's effortlessly cooler. In my mind anyway!

This was not what I was expecting from the notes but I am completely in love with it. The venetian reference to stone streets and layers of velvet curtains is spot on. It’s thick and rich and opulent. Caught my husband’s attention immediately and leaves a scent trail. I think this will be a date night favorite for sure.