Marterosso

I love this! Marterosso is so strong and masculine, a classic aromatic fragrance from 80s.

I strongly disagree that this fragrance smells cheap. (To my mind it's far better-blended than that and the ingredients, not all of them ultra commonplace, are overall of better quality.) I think it's more that, although it doesn't strike me as outdated, it does have a classical feel that might lead some people to dismiss it as generic. Also, although it smells masculine, I don't suppose it was ever intended as a dark, super-impressive masterpiece for the colder months or as an uncompromisingly pungent scent for a would-be alpha-male determined to assert his dominance as crudely as possible. I find it fresher and more "playful" than most if not all of the headline powerhouse scents of what I imagine must be its period (somewhere around the mid- to late '80s, perhaps). That might conceivably cause some people to dismiss it as being thin by comparison; I would not agree. I'm wearing it today, on a dull late August day in Scotland, and I look forward to seeing whether it's gutsy enough for the winter as well as the autumn. For me, though, its citric, green-herbaceous character makes it a shoo-in for the spring, when the sap starts to rise. The citrus is on the lean, fresh side (I mostly smell the grapefruit) and the prominent combination of the verbena, the lavender and probably the broom imparts a kind of sweet, sherbety or candied lemon feel that I really like. I'm used to that accord from countless fragrances roughly as old as I think Marterosso must be but this has too much going on to fall into the trap of smelling like era-typical lemony-sharp post-workout cologne or anything similar. I get something of a gummy or rubbery note after a couple of hours but I don't find it prominent or at all unpleasant. If only because I find the blend to smell quite natural, the gummy note makes me think of plant sap or balsam. The sillage is probably moderate to heavy for me, the longevity probably moderate to poor but in no way problematic. Naturally the scent lasts longer on clothes. Overall, I love it. Edit: this pairs amazingly with Clinique Aromatics Elixir. The herbaceous quality of the Marterosso tempers the Elixir's florals and grannyish fullness, while the Elixir broadens and deepens the Marterosso (and does away with its borderline-obtrusive rubber or latex aspect). Elixir still contains moss, for one thing, whereas my probably quite recent bottle of Marterosso seemingly does not. The resulting combination smells like a walk among the roses in a European garden full of fragrant flora--or almost like a generous serving of the finest Turkish delight, most of it flavoured with rose, but some with sherbety bright citrus and verbena, and some with something sappy yet fresh, such as mastic.

Marterosso is a strange one,not a bad fragrance but a bit cheap smelling,there is some association in it that reminds me of the smell of a dusty car with an almost lasted air freshner tree inside.The myrtle,galbanum and lavander notes are really prominent.It lasts more than 10 h and project really good,but i don't know if you'll wear it!Not an easy choice.

Nice notes, but a tad synthetic and loud. "Vintage" for young people?

Superb fragrance, cistus and resinous coniferous feel very natural smelling and gentlemanish. Aromatic and complex. A male version of Aromatic Elixir less the floral parts.