Aqua Vitae Forte

-Pick Renaissance 1861 from Xerjoff. -Remove the zingy surprising fresh mint opening - Exchange for 2% of the absolutely sweet opening of Woman of Now from Elie Saab. -Remove the middle astringent elegant herbaceous masculine hints of it's short duration. - Pick that Xerjoff's Renaissance drydown base of light musky creamy overly intimate note -Replace with light sunny balmy woody sandalwood and beach yellow mellow flower vibes -Mix the result spreading it all over your body, everything at the same time. That's it. It's "Forte" but projection is at maximum 10cm from skin. It's a scent for a night out by yourself or together with anybody. It asks for some little sweat. Like a brisk walk sweat or Hmm..Is going to rain. It's been hot all day! vibe. The perfume makes beer and booze to taste better. (! Not obviously drinking it, but you will find whatever you're drinking much better while using this perfume.) It invites you to be in the hot air of a summer night or waking up with the sun on your face at the beach after sleeping in some puff at the sand with candles around and nice decorations and company. It's too elegant to be an after/during sex scent, but there is a very nice sexiness on it. Maybe a kissing and touching sexiness. Sexy with elegance and maturity. Not desperation. A toothpastey vibe appears in the middle around 2h after applying. Same happened with Xerjoff Renaissance to me. My skin at the wrist tends to make all more ozonic while sholder, chest, neck more dry and salty. It's toothpastey in all places mentioned. A toothpaste very expensive and used by a really wealthy elegant (not snob!) sexy mouth that might be in a hurry and will arrive a bit late for it's agenda of the day but it doesn't care. It will smile a big smile and say cheekly joking and apologizing later, that is chic to get a little bit late. And everyone will agree mesmerized by it's aura. I would buy a full bottle but you need to buy two of it if you want some projection. Definitely a beautiful scent for anyone who wants some sparkling light elegance to it's hot days and nights.

Really very special - as opulent and multi-layered as any of the other offerings from MFK (king of the ultra-rich sweet and woody barnstormer) - but with a sharp spank of citrus and flowers that blossoms into the essence of summer. Smells like a sunlit morning walk through the most beautiful seaside garden, which has a mini citrus orchard of its own; I don't mean that it's "aquatic" smelling, but that it has an amazing mix of outdoor freshness with luxuriant sweetness. The ylang is *very* prominent on me, so steer clear if that note turns you off - try Aqua Universalis instead if you want something more purely citrus - yet it's cushioned in well enough not to get overpowering. This one also has hidden depths; the spice is very definitely in there too, somehow not warming the mix up, but giving a deeper, shadier crook of nuance to things as well (in some whiffs it gets so spicy I thought 'cumin' but relax - there is none - it must have been a vetiver aura.) The sweetness and floral edge make it lean feminine but I think any male wearer who loved this enough could carry it off. Longevity is not quite up to the astonishing stamina of Aqua Universalis Forte, but it's still leagues ahead of most things in the summer-citrus category - easily still pumping away up to 6h after first application on me, which is amazing for a freshie. What more can be said? It's just beautiful. Further proof this is a house that justifies the hype, and goes a long way towards justifying the (frankly scary) price as well.

The original 'Aqua Vitae' was inspired to create a scent which evoked a "celebration of life" as well as a "feeling of the first time" according to its creator, Francis Kurkdjian. If 'Aqua Vitae' is a playful day at the beach, 'Aqua Vitae forte' is a carnal romp in the sand at sunset. Kurkdjian has definitely turned up the heat and sex appeal with this second outing. The result is a sensual and more seductive fragrance, a so called "fragrance of desire". Calabrian citrus notes of bergamot and lemon join forces with sweet Sicilian mandarin to open the fragrance with a hesperidic accord. This lively citrus blending is matched by a trio of warm and piquant spices. Guatemalan cardamom, Ceylon cinnamon, and Szechuan pepper render a spicy dynamic which feels rushing to the senses and quickens the pulse. The opening is truly intoxicating and reminiscent of the invigorating effect of summer's warm sunlight hitting the skin. A permeating floral heart composed of Madagascar ylang-ylang and Tunisian orange blossom eventually bursts forth. It is a heady, narcotic, and sweetly floral arrangement, taking its wearer to distant exotic locales. The floral heart seems to last the longest in the evolution of the fragrance's dry down, providing with it an alluring and sultry charm. Slowly the warm woody nuances of Haitian vetiver and East Indian sandalwood are revealed in the base. Overall the effect is irresistible. Read my complete and in-depth review at my personal blog:

This is a silent killer. Now that my taste is come so far to appreciate the soft fragrances more, I am totally in love with Aqua Vitae Forte AVF. >Description: -This is perfect for spring. -This is a niche light musky, flowery, spicy, sweet, scent that can be rocked by any age. It can be dressed up or just for casual wear. It is like a musk scent or a light creamy sandalwood added spices. The main spice here is cardamom sweetened with cinnamon. You can smell the sweetness but you can't get the cinnamon unless you know what you are looking for it. I get some faint cumin scent in the background. -Middle: As this scent progress, ylang flower gets more to the front while the spices keep the scent in the realm of masculinity. -Dry down: it get a bit dark.. it start to smell like sweet licorice. I love this part even more. >Performance: This is light and semi-transparent and hence the name aqua. It diffuses nicely without hitting people in the face. It got some sharpness to it. it lasts a good 8 hours and longer if you spray on clothes. >Compliments: -It s pleasant and non-offending. HOWEVER it got a sharpness and sweetness that can get on the nerve of women if over-sprayed or in high heat. -Less is more with this scent and not something for close encounters. -You wear this to have something special. You want most compliments, stick to Sauvage or Bleu.

My friend, a fellow fan of fragrances, described this as her preferred "brunch scent". I get that. Aqua Vitae Forte is strong but light, casual but elegant. I fell in love instantly. Upon first spray, I get a super creamy ylang-sandalwood combo. Normally this would be a bit cloying, but the lemon-orange blossom is key here: it opens up the sweet vanillic floralcy of the ylang-ylang and sandalwood and creates a sheer, luminous halo that is anything but heavy. The cinnamon and cardamom are there, but only as background tones, adding the slightest bit of spice to the joyful heart of this fragrance. Honestly, this could work in warm weather or cold, but blooms better under sunlight and sweat. Deliciously unisex with stellar performance. Thank you, Francis! Edit: I was reading other reviews, and I realized that I forgot to talk about the boozy note. Other reviewers have mentioned a gin/vodka note. I also detect that, but for me it always fades pretty quickly. There is an effervescent gin note there, but the florals and woods subsume it pretty quickly. I certainly wouldn't describe AVF as a boozy scent! But I suppose this does help with the "brunch" qualification, haha.

My husband makes a signature lemon meringue pie: gorgeously sweet thin-skinned meyer lemons with a hint of floral nectar, dark Mexican vanilla in dense egg whites and pure heavy cream, and a deliciously rustic, buttery crust. Although not a gourmand perfume, this is what Aqua Vitae Forte reminds me of -- my sexy man, in the kitchen, baking a treat just for me. But I can't put a picture of him in his apron in the "reminds me of" box above, so I'll attempt to describe Aqua Vitae Forte as follows: The fragrance itself opens with a beautiful floral lemon note, realistic, sweet, mouthwatering. Ylang ylang adds an irresistibly creamy heady floral essence with orange blossom enriching the citric budding beauty. The sandalwood and cinnamon add richness and warmth in the base and a balmy, humid sun-kissed vibe. Pepper, cardamon and vetiver add some balance that keeps the mood dynamic while still being incredibly smooth. It really does feel like walking on a tropical beach with your partner at sunset. I've tested a few MFKs and haven't been compelled to purchase a full bottle yet, but Aqua Vitae Forte may well change that as I spend some time with my sample.

Fragrance -Aqua Vitae Forte Maison Francis Kurkdjian Bottle from - 2016 This fragrance reminds me of a sparkling eternal waterfall of magical healing water in a hidden paradise,just like in the elven realm Rivendell,you're not allowed to visit.Aqua Vitae Forte opens with illuminated,bright,fresh and citrusy notes with dominant lemon mingled with warm spices,followed by charming ylang-ylang in the middle,that give way to a woody,earthy,creamy and sophisticated mix of sandalwood, vetiver and ylang-ylang with a wisper of magic in the drydown.It is a beautiful and amazing fragrance. Longevity - 7/10(7+ hours) Silage/Projection - 6,5/10(moderate projection and silage for the first 1-2 hours) Weather - best in spring and summer Age - 22+ Compliments - 9/10 Scent - 10/10 Main notes according to me - ylang-ylang,lemon,cardamom,orange blossom,cinnamon,pepper. The drydown is nice and creamy and i get some - ylang-ylang,sandalwood and vetiver. Emotions -eternal waterfall,magical healing water,bright, hidden paradise,illuminated,sophisticated. Occasion - For more or less any ocasion. You'll get compliments and LOVE with this one.Nice for signature scent.

Picked up a sample a few weeks back. It is going to be a really hot day here in Melbourne so decided on MFK's AV Forte. WOW - Loving it so far. The initial citrus blast is so refreshing... It's been an hour now and the scent has settled down into an intoxicating mixture of floral/citrus/spicy/green. All of these olfactory textures seem to flickering in and out of each other. I can understand the 'feminine' aspect of this fragrance as well as some reviewers have mentioned, and I agree a little bit. There is a powdery/floral aspect that leans a little bit towards the feminine side. BUT - not overpowering. and IMHO - Totally acceptable on a hot summer day. Will update in a few hours ..but one thing is for sure. Francis Kurkdjian is a genius. UPDATE: ------------ It's been 14 hours since the first few sprays and I can still get the whiff. IT was a really hot day here in Melbourne and had no issues with the scent. Yes - it leans a little bit towards the feminine side BUT I don't mind that because it works perfectly for a hotter temperatures. I'll try out the standard Aqua Vitae in a few days and post up a comparison soon.

MFK’s Aqua Vitae Forte is beautifully thought out and unreservedly sensual. Desire in a bottle. Lemon peel with tart bergamot and sweet, almost honeyed Sicilian mandarin marry vibrant cardamom, cinnamon and pink pepper to form Aqua Vitae Forte’s thick, golden citrus-spice opening. Kurkdjian’s treatment of the citrus here is smolderingly warm rather than fresh – quite unique and very beautiful. Slowly the citrus fades, revealing as it does the middle’s permeating floral bouquet of creamy, fleshy ylang-ylang and heady orange blossom wrapped in the spices’ still persistent golden warmth. The effect is intoxicating, mesmerizing even. The eventual dry down matures with vetiver radiating its nutty earthiness, and sandalwood adding to the composition’s overall creaminess with the spicy floral bouquet still evident right to the very end. Sophisticated and enticingly warm with a beautiful velvety smoothness, there isn’t another citrus fragrance like it. Entirely unisex. Longevity is good at 8-10 hours on skin, days on clothes. Sillage is moderate. 9/10

My NO 1 favorite fragrance to smell. Not on my skin, but on someone close. I discovered this fragrance hunting for ylang-ylang note for my personal scent project. The first time I spray this on my wrist to test it, I was blown toward me wrist - not blown away. It's so alluring. I've turned into a psycho digging my own wrist for a solid 15 minutes. Somehow I didn't get nose-blind by it neither. If I can explain it through the screen, this will be Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 (youtube it if you don't know the song) but floral. It's deep and resonating with such a unique vibration that the first note touches your nose and you can say that's MFK-AVF. It's delivered in classical form where each and every nuance tickle your senses in multiple direction at once. It's kinda similar to Universalist forte but imagine this one is played by a gorgeous woman in modest luxurious dress with amazing hair done on top of the music she's playing.

I am fairly sure that all of the negative comments in here are from people that tried this on a piece of paper. True, the scent profile warm citrus-anise-florals is not reinventing the wheel, but just wow! This is SO well made that I can finally see what makes a good perfume! It blends so effortlessly with the skin and its lasting power is freakin’ 10+ hours. As a rule of thumb is usually the vanilla or amber that stays the longest, but here, the elusive citrus notes stay throughout. Man, I am telling you, 6 hours in and it keeps the same intensity with all of the notes just like as if you’ve sprayed it 10 mins ago! Word of caution: this is not to be oversprayed! Two sprays are enough. It’s dna is made to be worn as a light and airy cloud around you and too much will come off as a citrus bomb! “This didn’t get me any compliments!” - WELL IT SHOULDN’T! This is a classy perfume, not an obnoxious room-filler!

This fragrance is everything I ever wanted from a monoi de tahiti inspired scent, I think it’s stunning. If you liked Replica Beach Walk or Tom Ford Soliel Blanc but found they went kind of screechy on your skin after the initial blast, try this. It’s suspends the creaminess of ylang-ylang and it perfectly balances the citrus, floral, and cream vibes. It’s bottled happiness and sunshine. Similar in story to Petit Matin, both are sunshine vacation in a bottle, but PM is citrus-soapy with cleaner florals and this is citrus-creamy with sweeter florals. Go for this if you like that summer vacation a warmed skin scent. Edit: after wearing this in a high-heat, tropical climate, I now recommend it only for the cooler months. Think of this as a tropical island escape from the winter; too sweet and heady for heat.

Awesome fragrance that again shows the clear difference between mass oriented generic stuff (invictus, eros, 1 million, azzaro wanted, etc) and the NICHE parfumery. This house offers highly versatile and sophisticated fragrances...it is a few steps ahead of others like Diptyque, Mancera, Montale, Annick Goutal, Etro, Penhaligons, etc.... This is slightly different to the original...denser to be honest, perfectly suited for summer COLDER nights, spring, fall and even winter...This, the original and both versions of A. Universalis have the same undertone or MFK DNA... Scent 8-9 out 10 Performance 9 out of 10 (a projection monster that last well over 10 hours) Versatility 7 out of 10 (it is to high class to be worn while in the supermarket or the office...) Overall a nice 9

I (22M) just got a bottle of this beauty and upon sniffing it on my wrist, AVF immediately came to my mind as a dream of orange blossoms, fruity/florals and lemon. So beautiful. It also gave me fond memories of receptions and weddings when I was young. I will be wearing this in the 35C humid hot weather in Singapore to report on the longevity after. (only wore it indoors/in air-conditioned spaces) Report (05/03/21): I permeated the space around me with beautiful AVF. A pity we all have masks on. I would say the sillage is akin to a contained sphere of about an arm’s length. After about 5-6 hours, upon smelling, it mellows down to a lovely bouquet of soft orange blossoms for me. It would be so lovely to wear this to a small al fresco gathering.

Smells really high quality. Still impressed me to this day from 4 years back when first tried it at a sample. Mr. Kurkdjian really is a master perfumer, if you look at the notes he made it smell like really clean without adding white musk and made it exotic smelling and expensive without adding patchouli, oud, and other ingredients that are added just to make a perfume smell expensive. Most citruses on the market smell the same like all the lines of atelier cologne with a baby cologne like quality but this one is well done that decently project and lasts long. It's like simple Salt pepper and steak done by Gordon Ramsay. You can really tell that it is done well. Smells clean and fresh without the addition of clean smelling ingredients.

Captures the emotion of when you and your lover are lying next to each other on a beach or a resort and looking at the sunset. You both just got out of shower, crispy clean and fresh. Your muscles are relaxed after a massage or a spa and you lie there, with the breeze blowing at both of you and the orange sun provide you with the warmth. Then you, or you lover rests on his/her chest and watches the sundown. No complicated thoughts, no words said. Complete and content. The freshness of taking a shower, relaxed after a massage or meditation, the warmth of glowing daylight, and the sensation of clean, yet slightly salty skin. Aqua Vitae Forte - 10-12 hours of bliss

Omg I love this, this is such a happy scent! I totally agree with the comment below, this is also my fav fresh scent from MFK, aside to L'eau a la Rose. This just brings me back in time, two summers ago...That summer I was working so much and I just used this perfume to cheer me up while everyone was enjoying themselves outside and it made me so happy, it truly truly lifted up my mood. Most of the time I am not very into zesty perfumes, with sharp citrusy notes, but this is such a great scent - it is a bit sharp in the beginning for a couple of hours and later it turns a bit softer smoother. Perfect scent for summer, bright luminous, cheerful and uplifting!

I did buy a new sample 23/12/2022 from the House website. I am afraid that the perfume was reformulated. I did try my old (prior to 2019) and the new sample side by side. -The older had a clear cardamom and cumin / cinnamom vibe. -The new formulation are much fresher and transparent. Ylang ylang and orange blossom seems ampt up. The new formulation is really generic and soulless. If you want freshness and easy going smelling clean fregrence. You would prefer the new formulation. I miss the old version. In my opiniom it was a cardamom master peice. It was a nuit de l homme done a la Francis Kurdjian. Performance of the new formulation is very good.

When I purchased it, I actually slightly prefer AV > AVF but unfortunately AV is EDT and doesn’t last long so I picked AVF. I’m glad I picked AVF because it definitely smells more unique than AV, and AVF is what a bottle of designer perfume should smell like (off topic: I love 724 but it’s not worth the price tag). I like its combination of warm spice and florals, just like the smell of sunset at a luxury beach club of French Riviera. It’s so sensual and subtly seductive without being offensive. And it blends so well with my skin chemistry once the notes settle. Would be even better if the notes of wood and spice are more prominent.

first time i tried this i sprayed it on a paper tissue... i brushed it off as something okay and put down the tissue on my bedside table. couple of days later i toucher the tissue and got a whiff of this amazing mix of citrus, sweetness & floral... i picked the sample and sprayed it on my wrist and uuh it's sooo beautiful. unlike APOM this has the perfect amount of orange blossom which i love, combined with ylang-ylang, bergamot, lemon & some sweetness.. makes it the perfect summer scent. the drydown is even more captivating when you add the creamy sandalwood to the mix. 100% bottle worthy. 9/10