Eau de Parfum Aqua Motu Intense

The sea. I don't know how to describe it literary the smell of the sea. But not the beautiful Mediterranean sea, no this is the North sea with its powerful winds, salty, green almost metallic. I love it, this is the most sea-like fragrance I have ever smelled.

Yes, perfumed sea. Or sweetened subtle seaweed. Was/is always slightly uncomfortable with heavy marine scents. Despite this Bulgari Aqua and Aqua Marine Toniq have been in my top 20 rotation for 20 years. Being a CSP fan and finding most EDP alternatives in this genre too ‘full on’ I thought I’d give this version a go after sampling the original EDT. It’s taken me many months of personal space squirts to finally admit what my brain was trying to tell me - that it is indeed pleasant. It’s like Bulgari Aqua sans the synthetic sweetness. A heavier natural but not overpowering briny seaweed polished off with an airy sweetness. It has respectable Sillage and decent longevity. The longer the dry down the softer the seaweed brininess becomes evolving into a not overpowering salt spray like waves crashing on a rainy night and you’re nearby. Unfortunately in my belief this is as I believe most in this genre not for professional use (bar Bugari Aqua and its variants). This however of all the high end brands I have tried has the most forgiving natural scent that lets people know that you are wearing a perfume rather than they assume you just fell in a rock pool at the beach...just right...

Riding a theme park ride that tries to replicate 'ocean air' scent.

I like it. Very oceanic. Great for summer. Unisex.

Salty beachside air and ocean water. There’s something ever so slightly sweet here, probably immortelle, but I’m not very familiar with that note. Elegant and different. This makes me think of the coastal grandmother aesthetic.

This finally hit me while testing it but I think Aqua Motu EDT and the Intense EDP version are two perfumes I smell on people in public transportation sometimes, and that I can't bear. I don't hate calone nor marine notes but when they're done in a certain way they can be really unpleasant to me-- be it on my skin or on other people's. The Aqua Motu line achieves to both remind me of the actual sea breeze (which I love in real life) and... salted, raw egg yolk. When people around me wear these two perfumes or similar marine fragrances, I'm highly reminded of the latter image. Aqua Motu Intense amps up the egg yolk effect on my skin x100. Completely turned my stomach. It projects and it lasts. Unfortunately. I tried to scrub it off with bar soap... it remains. This is one of my fragrance nemesis, I guess. If any Aqua Motu fan is interested, I have a 50ml bottle of the EDT up for sale or swap.

Smells like Seaweed and celery (not in a good way). Edit: I like this now. It is so natural and reminds me very specifically of my summers where I have my cottage, after the farmers cut their grass to feed the animals and there is a lot of humidity in the air. At the same time it sends my thoughts to the norwegian fjords, which is also present in my cottage's rural area: it smells like when the mountain river water meet the salt water from the fjord and makes a 50/50 mix. If you know, you know.

This perhaps the weakest perfume I have ever owned. Initial blast of alcohol followed by weak as fck performance. There is no sillage or projection. Zero projection. Worst brand ever.