100

It's this sort of fragrance that separates the baby-faced reviewers from the more mature ones. At first spritz, 100 (1914-2014) is an exact replica of a certain popular fragrance beginning with A. Indulging further into the world of E. Marinella (do be mindful of your wallet), one can appreciate the quality of this scent. Morever, it is Italian quality that I am talking about. The pine and bergamot seem to dominate in the opening, with a beautiful thyme and cypress appearing very soon after. I say beautiful because the two aren't necessarily enemies; though they do need a bit of tweaking before they can sit comfortably together. The progression is actually quite slow from here onwards, especially for an EdT. Going from one phase to another is a smooth transition, yet each and every note comes out just as expected. In the dry-down, the patchouli-vanilla that we're so used to these days (not least from that other scent previously mentioned, beginning with A) comes out distinctively, yet with the thyme and pine increasingly there and going in to a decrescendo. Overall, longevity is very good. On paper this passed the 48hr mark. On skin it was less than that but I could still smell it on me the next day or so. Very natural smelling overall, without getting cloying. And the packaging and bottle are also top notch, as you'd expect from a luxury Italian brand. Thoroughly recommended, but definitely sample first.

Make no mistake, this is no Aventus clone. This is fine craftsmanship. Italian quality and made with the very finest ingredients. Starts off with a gorgeous bergamot opening, followed by cypress and pine joining amber and thyme add warmth to the entire composition. Then the leather comes into play, almost transparent with a touch of smokiness that comes off as suede. There is also an herbal-ness here but it never gets austere nor off-putting, with sandalwood and cedar holding everything together beautifully. It actually smells a lot like L'Or Du Sillage, but it isn't as sweet, instead airier, transparent, and woodsier. Overall, 100 is a beautiful fragrance and has definitely sparked my interest in the entire Marinella line. 287 is another good one.

I get the Aventus reference but it’s more in the same family and definitely not a clone. It’s more similar to Royal Vintage than Aventus, but it’s lighter, more Italianate in its structure and exudes a more bon vivant aura than the French ones. I love the cypress in this mixed with the fresh notes. I swear I smell something here fruitier than just bergamot, which adds to its charms. It’s a well crafted fragrance and just delightful.