Aqua Sapphire

The time has come to talk about Aqua Sapphire by Boadicea the Victorious. One of the most expensive marine fragrances you can buy. It’s often described as a dupe of Megamare, and since Boadicea has a reputation in some circles as a “dupe house,” I approached this with a fair bit of skepticism. But judging by the note breakdown alone, there seemed to be more going on here. So let’s see what this one really brings to the table. The opening is immediately loud and intriguing. There is a slightly fruity, boozy sweetness rising from davana, rum, and pineapple. The davana is the standout in the first moments. On its own it already carries that rum soaked fruit character, so pairing it with an actual rum accord and a fruity nuance almost amplifies what it naturally does best. A soft saffron sweetness lingers in the background, slightly hay like and warm, giving the opening texture rather than sharpness. At first spray, I understood the Megamare comparisons, but it still felt very much like its own creation. That independence becomes more complicated about ten minutes in. Once the marine musk fully merges with the seaweed accord, the resemblance becomes undeniable. The salty, briny, mineralic quality pushes forward big time. It has that expansive, oceanic presence that fans of Megamare will instantly recognize. Roughly an hour into the wear, the composition begins to change. A soft rose note appears, and it does something important. It smooths the harsher edges of the salty seaweed musk and adds a gentle floral lift. The rose does not dominate or sweeten the fragrance in a traditional way. It refines and softens it. Even with that refinement, the Megamare DNA still sits firmly at the core. Around the three hour mark, moss and cypriol oil start to reveal themselves. The scent takes on a drier, earthier tone, almost reminiscent of vetiver. This stage gives the fragrance a grounded maturity and prevents the marine aspect from feeling one dimensional. By the fourth and fifth hour, sandalwood and a very subtle creamy musk emerge. There is a faint vanillic impression, but it reads more as smoothness than sweetness. It feels polished rather than gourmand. Performance is nothing short of extreme. This fragrance does not let go. I sprayed a single spray onto a tester strip, placed it inside a bag with other items, and threw it into an outdoor garbage bin. Weeks later, after multiple collections, the bin still carries a faint trace of Aqua Sapphire. That alone tells you what kind of longevity you are dealing with. If you work in an environment where you constantly wash your hands/wrists or even shower during the day, this is the kind of scent that will persist. What you get overall is an elegant, dressed up interpretation of Megamare. The sillage is slightly more controlled, and it is not as aggressively briny or sweaty. The quality of materials feels high, and the composition is smoother around the edges. It keeps the bold seaweed musk character but presents it in a smoother way. Now we have to talk about (you guessed it) the price. At nine hundred thirty five dollars retail, it is difficult to justify. Even if this were the best fragrance I had ever smelled, I would struggle to accept that number. If I am being brutally honest, I did not want to like this scent because of that price tag, yet I have to admit it is a beautifully executed and more polished evolution of the Megamare style. It is not a safe blind buy. Not even close. If you can find a ten milliliter decant for under one hundred dollars, it becomes far more reasonable, especially considering how long it lasts. A small amount of this fragrance will carry you a very long way. I genuinely love Aqua Sapphire for what it is. However, once my sample finally runs out, if it ever does, I will not be repurchasing at full retail. The price is simply too steep to justify. That said, if you truly appreciate that bold, briny, seaweed driven marine DNA and want it refined, elevated, and smoothed just enough to feel more composed, this may be exactly what you’re looking for and is worth experiencing at least once.

I really cannot understand how people can say that this is a Megamare dup. Megamare is a seaweed and dead-like fish chemical scent, instead Aqua Sapphire is a "scent of wet nature" true masterpiece. I was really not a fan of aquatic fragrances before trying BTV AS and I did not change my opinion at first when the clerk almost forcefully sprayed my wrist with this fragrance at Harrods. That scent stayed with me till evening and on my clothes till 2 days later, when I went back to Harrods for buying a full size. AS opening is like smelling what it feels like standing next to a river or a lake, deep in the wet nature. The scent is much more deep than Megamare as you can almost feel the scent of all the different trees next to that river that you are smelling. The difference I would say is that Megamare smells of what comes out of the sea once it's dead, AS smells like the alive nature around a water source (and not just the sea). As I mentioned this perfume is a real powerhouse and if you are not careful there is the real risk to cause hallucinations of water and wet nature also to who is around you. To make a comparison: my skin literally DRINKS perfume, it can destroy almost any fragrance within a single hour in most cases (or even minutes sometimes) and I am really not a sissy sprayer, but this one has stayed on me for 12+ hours. If you want a similar vibe and you have budget issues, then go for Megamare, but if it's not the case give a chance to AS

I've been testing this for several days and it's very good. Normally I would not lead off with performance talk because I think people (especially Americans) put too much focus on the desire for ridiculously strong fragrances, and it's slowly trickling in with many brands launching chemical laden extraits that are tacky, and smell like shit. Now I'll get off my soap box and tell you that this stuff is STRONG AF. I literally put one spray on my arm when I first got it and went swimming a few hours later, and it was still there. I took a shower a few hours later and it was still on my skin. It lasts 24 hours on my skin. 1 -2 sprays is enough for me. It's basically 2 fragrances. The first is davana, pineapple, saffron, and a knockout rose de mai. Smells incredible once it calms down. That's the first 2-4 hours. The next 20+ hours is Megamare but less fishy and more elegant imo. I didn't like Megamare but this is better. If you haven't tried Megamare, I can describe it as a salty, musky scent that smells like you are near the ocean. There's seaweed in this even though it's not listed on fragrantica, I confirmed it on the manufacturer website. -----------------------‐------------------------------ Conclusion: Megamare classed up and upgraded to probably as high is it can go. Great quality ingredients and performance that is even stronger than the legendary Megamare, which is insane. Scent 95/100 Performance 100/100

One of my favorite high heat go to's. This is a great fragrance especially used in moderation and by that I mean 1 or 2 sprays, anything beyond three and you're doing way too much seriously. This built for the outdoors, parties and exciting adventures. This monstrosity needs to breathe and by the way do NOT wear this to the office unless you want to be accused of drinking on the job (you've been warned and don't ask me how I know 😅). Cause its really boozy, its a perfectly made Mai Tai. The pineapple rum and davana dominate. It has aquatic facets but something like Megamere is more deep sea marine and musky. Aqua Sapphire isn't that. If you smell them both side by side sure you'll find similarities but you should find more differences. Aqua Sapphire is by far one of the most beastmode and long lasting fragrances I've ever put my nose on. Wardrobe wise it doesn't really fit but I like enough to not part with it. I don't really care for those types of "Mr in your face try hard" scents. I never want nor need for my fragrance to announce me before I have a chance to do so. Seriously I actually like for my scent to disappear after a while I don't need to smell anything 12+ hours or the next day or on clothes after they've been washed lol. But I digress because it seems as though I'm complaining. Beside Aqua Sapphire can't help that its beautiful, deep AND obnoxious.

Just blind bought this..the only way to buy of course ( @taleb ) lol. Will update once it arrives and I get some wearings. Incredible. Not your typical summer, beach frag. This is fresh with a backbone. Almost reminds me of a summery Almas. Really surprised there is no oud note listed. Very powerful, I sprayed once on my hand to test and I work in the operating room - it’s all I can smell! I got two compliments already with one spray on my hand lol. I did buy this retail and I feel like my fragrances hit differently when They are bought retail, as opposed to second hand - FB, eBay etc. More thoughts to come as I just received this bottle. More thoughts: this may be the best fragrance I’ve gotten my nose on in the past two or so years..absolute beast in every category with the grace and beauty of a princess..incredible. I also don’t get a huge aquatic vibe. This is much more oud based and again reminds me of a perfect summer Almas!