Aqua Mysteri

I always enjoyed fresh, aquatic perfumes, or any kind of perfume that was surprising me with a certain unknowable quality, like they are somewhere on the border between the material and the spiritual. I bought this as a blind buy, because I like Neroli and it's creator, Ellena, said about it that it is "bright". My impression is the same, it has that magic I was looking for, with a hint of sweetness. After about 30 minutes, when all the sharp notes soften, the best part begins. From then on, it's so wonderful, so delicate, balanced, soft and airy but comforting at the same time. It developes more complexity than the opening makes you expect. For me, it is a definite winner. Do try it on skin if you consider getting the right impression, I liked it better than on paper. Also, being vegan is always a plus.

Fills the role of fresh clean easy cistrus green scent for daytime wear in the spring and summer while also being slightly off the beaten path. Whenever i think i might enjoy having something like TF Portofino Neroli or DG Light Blue or CK One in my scent wardrobe i remind myself i have this and it gives off much the same vibe. Is it a pot on dupe for any of them? No. But it is obviously the same kind of scent categoy and very enjoyable.

I was mad at this house when they sold their label a few years ago. The Minime's Covent (17th century) from Provence's Mane, not far from Sisteron which is on the High Alps Road leading from Geneva lake to Grasse, and its unique skin care and Fragrance production based entirely on natural Provence ingrédients and old recepies from the Covent's sisters ... they were unique in the world for their quality/price ratios. The new owners discontinued everything and released new products 3 or 4 times more expensive... However, this composition caught my attention because quality comes close to what they made in the past, though it takes a guy like Elena to achieve it. Adela7 well describes the shift from an incredible green opening (Palmarosa) to the floral facets of sweeter neroli, all of this based on delicately expressed woody-aromatic cedar. Fortunately I don't get any watery-misty calone-indolic-like facets we sometimes find in Elena's or now Nagel's juices... So here we have a nice composition, modernized with a big and sad uptick in price ! I guess somehow we have to pay for the name.... but in the same family of hypergreens I prefer Vuitton's Cactus Garden with a better longevity, despite a still further uptick in price.

It takes a bit of time to fully acclimatize to Ellena's version of what a cologne is/should be, but once that happens the aesthetic just becomes a point of reference. I can't 'smell' other colognes now like before, but only with reference to this whole line of colognes by Ellena for this house. I am not suggesting that they are 'better'. But they introduce an element of surprise (or twist depending on your viewpoint) that sets them apart. This one is no exception. The grapefruit is quite strong at the beginning, to the point where it turns the orange blossom more 'lemony' than expected. Definitely different to Palmaris, which is neroli in full swing (but develops into something sweet). The twist arrives courtesy of palmarosa, which personally I view as a sort of vetiver-y note. It's this slightly bitter, slightly woody shade that one finds so often in Elllena compositions, yet gives a certain depth and interest in what would have been a straight forward cologne. Refereshing, unusual and rather elegant.

Absolutely agree with the reviewer who said this is 4711 with better performance. Imagine taking 4711 and giving all its elements more depth and fullness so that it actually lasts. I'm excited to have found it. It's a wonderful fresh, zingy citrus perfume and I'm looking forward to rocking it in summer and spraying it on my husband.