Aqua Universalis

This smells like extremely high-end laundry detergent in the most delightful way. Yes, there is citrus here, but it's not a high-pitched blast. It's all rounded out by the harmony of florals and one of the cleanest musks I've ever smelled. It's fresh, but it has a soft, fuzzy warmth about it. I'm gonna have to hard disagree with the person who said this was masculine. I'm not into masculine scents on myself, and there was never a point where I questioned this one. I'd say this is unisex, slightly leaning feminine. I think this scent is perfect for when you want to smell great, but want to avoid smelling too perfumey. It's office safe, airplane safe, car ride safe, movie theatre safe. It's also the perfect choice to wear around people who say they hate perfume. And although I understand why people are calling this a summer scent, there's something about it that is comforting when it's cold. I think it's the fact that it really does smell like fresh laundry - it evokes crisp shirts and sheets in the summer, but in the winter it's a snuggly duvet still warm from the dryer. Sillage is moderate. I personally get pretty good longevity out of this. The citrus note doesn't last very long, but that fresh musk lingers as a skin scent for hours. I got this in a sample set I ordered from the MFK website, and immediately ordered a full bottle. I was on the hunt for the perfect clean laundry scent, and this is it.

The first time I sampled Aqua Universalis, I wasn't impressed; it was "nice" but I had higher expectations. I thought the case was closed on this supposed linear, clean, simplistic scent. But part of me didn't want to throw away the cloud white cardstock the sample vial came with -- I wanted to give it a second chance. Months passed and I came across the story of Giotto's Circle (if you're not familiar, I highly recommend you Google it) Basically, this artist demonstrates his artistic prowess by painting a freehand circle as his "sample" of work to be considered for a monumental project. Aqua Universalis may appear to be overly simplistic and clean at first, but upon taking a closer look, the way it's blended and mixes with one's skin chemistry, it is truly exceptional. Only a master perfumer could pull this off. It's so realistically clean that I find it invigorating. Some may argue that it's not "beast mode" and has poor longevity. But that's not what AU is for -- it's a softer, refined, clean fragrance that doesn't seek attention and knows what it is; so too is the wearer, unassuming and self-aware. I find that Au is truly for universal wear, day, night, formal, casual, in all seasons, for all ages. AU challenged me to sense more deeply; I hope it does for you too. This one's a keeper.

I ordered a 10ml of this and another MFK just to wear around the house, something uplifting that would brighten my day at home. The moment you spray it is a nice blast of "white florals & citrus" and is very clean, just as all the reviews say. I do feel that this leans feminine in those first few moments, but not enough for me to dislike wearing it; quite the contrary. This is absolutely PERFECT for just wanting something clean, mild, something that makes you smile and go "mmmm". The dry down of this really does smell like "clean laundry" but in a very sophisticated sort of way; it doesn't just generically smell like soap or fabric softener, but rather it retains that "white floral" vibe from the opening as the citrus fades and keeps the whole thing feeling very natural, very light. Other reviews touched upon "whether people would even think you're wearing anything or if you just naturally smell that clean" and I couldn't agree more. This fragrance reminds me of Bond no 9 Hamptons, which itself has a sort of Mefisto aroma, but this MFK offering is the lightest of the bunch and I'd say probably the nicest for me personally. An easy 9 out of 10. Wow!

Along with Millesime Imperial, this is one of those fragrances that is so much more than the sum of its parts. You might look at the notes and think, 'yeah, been there, smelt that', but this smells like nothing else. AU masterfully blends citruses, light floral notes - mainly lily of the valley - along with some musk to add some backbone to the composition. Its both ethereal and tenacious, with great longevity; and like MI, it melds with your skin and gives the impression that you naturally smell this wonderful. It's a minimalistic fragrance, that is reminiscent of a remastered classic record, with all the pops and crackles removed, leaving just the music. I love it. N.B. I really think this differs greatly from the Forte version, which I actually disliked. The Forte had an added floral note (jasmine), which made it both a lot more feminine, and heavy. It was a dense fragrance, that lacked the transparency that makes AU so special. I don't understand how many reviews touted the Forte as a summer fragrance, when personally, I think it would be too cloying for summer, whereas the regular AU is just perfect.

Baby Asprin! That powdery orange candy taste that baby aspirin had, and I was given plenty of as a small child (Is this still around? Is it still considered safe? I'd never give it to my children personally...) in scent form. Then it dries down to a soft pillowy musk. There's green notes in between there, I would have sworn it was peititgrain. Perhaps its the bergamot + florals. I know my comparison to a medicine might give off the wrong impression of this scent, because as it wears on the skin and dries down it begins to smell much more natural smelling. I wish my skin or clothes could just naturally radiate this scent all the time. It's like MFK's take on Dolce Gabbana Light Blue. For the price I'm sure you could find something similar, if not better, but I discovered this one first so now that I have it, and it's a love, nothing else compares in my mind. I apply this liberally all over my body and find it lasts about 4-5 hours, the dry down coming just before the halfway mark. My wallet is concerned at how fast I might blow through this one. We'll see if my bottle makes it to Summer.