Naviglio

This is the second fragrance by Milano Fragrance I gave a full wearing and it was, indeed, the perfect scent for a hot day. All fragrances by this company are inspired by Milan, in this case a boat on the canal along the “Vicolio dei Lavandai”. Naviglio is the perfect classic Eau de Cologne that performs like an Eau de Parfum: clean, white, bright! There’s something of a lily of the valley accord (not listed) blended with neroli that gives this a watery, green hue and recreates the feel of an aquatic scent without being overly aquatic. Ever since the 90s and the 00s I just have a difficult time with those aquatic, blue fragrances (probably because Cool Water was everywhere). Of course, this is not the scent of the sea with a slightly salty feel ... although ... hmm, there might be a hint of the sea in there. The official notes in the blurb are Marseille Soap (probably that’s why it feels so clean, like a crisp white shirt whose collar is freshly starched), aquatic notes and watery flowers, together with “an elegant ivy facet”. I’m not so sure about the ivy note and have no notion of what ivy smells like, but yes, there might be a green/poisonous hint in the fragrance that keeps it from being just too clean. As I already said: I am impressed with the performance as this smelled as if it would have been gone within 4 hours, but yet again it made it well over the 12 hour mark and still has a decent sillage. I don’t know how they did that, but if an Eau de Cologne type fragrance has ever deserved the label “indelible”, it’s this one 😉. My skin apparently seems to like the fragrance and the unscented sunscreen I’m using might have also helped with longevity. This one certainly has left an impression on me!

Naviglio is the last sample of my Milano Fragranze sample set, a soapy aquatic that mixes a bit of dirty seawater with a clean cologne concept, involving citruses, lavender, petitgrain, vetiver, and cedar. It’s immediately very interesting and an easy-to-wear marine scent that nevertheless is interesting, particularly in how it balances the clean vs. dirty aspect, generally the great challenge of marine scents, making them realistic have some of the “dirty” aspects of seawater while at the same time being a palatable, refreshing fragrance. Naviglio achieves this very well and becomes one of reliable favorites, like Imaginary Authors Every Storm a Serenade (which leans dirtier, with its prominent calone note), Nautica Oceans (which is cleaner, more of a saltier freshwater vibe), Tom Ford Costa Azzurra (comparably dirty, but saltier/sharper, with driftwood and seaweed), and Dua Flagship (which is sweeter/muskier), though I’m sure I’m leaving out others. Naviglio is a nice option among these, fairly easy to wear relative to some aquatics while still having its own vibe. Naviglio, like the rest of the Milano Fragranze line, is priced at $135 for 100ml, which I maintain is pretty outstanding in the current market, and certainly more accessible than the Masque Milano line, which has similar bottle prices as the 35ml size. Milano Fragranze is sold at boutiques like Perfumology, where I bought my sample set. It’s been really fun working through the sample set of eight, and I look forward to trying to the newer releases as well. 8 out of 10

This is the perfect kind of Italian clean - an upscale Mediterranean bar of soap you can spray. There's neroli, of course (Italians sure do love their neroli), perfect sparkling bergamot, with an aquatic soap note that feels like an Italian breeze in the delicate spring air on your body, right after the most refreshing shower. Don't worry about the lavender - it's in the background only. The vetiver is also non-intrusive, which I can appreciate. The musky cedar base is so gentle yet gives Naviglio just enough to make it unisex. Really, it's so perfect if you are after a soapy and clean perfume! This deserves so much hype for how beautifully executed it is (nah, I'm not a gatekeeper - try it out!). The "Navigli" are a system of canals that run through Milano, Italy. Last time I went to Italy, I ate at a restaurant just beside one canal, Naviglio Pavese - string lights at night, reflection off of the water, good company, Italian ambience. I walked these canals with my grandparents. That was years ago, and my nonno has since passed. I miss him, I miss the experiences. Fragrances like this evoke emotion and longing from me. I could own this whole line because of the way it grips me!

Wow - another blind surprise. Arrived with Basilica which is much much stronger. Smells like a super high quality laundry scent. A high quality long lasting but low volume output very very reminiscent of Gendarme EDP. Not far off Montale Aqua Gold (which is heavier and oilier) or Fougeres Marine. For the price and 100ml this is very attractive if this is your thing. I have all of the above mentioned plus a few others (mmm well distantly Rogue Bon Monsieur and Mazzolari Augusto - arguably the worlds benchmark for a classic soapy barbershop) despite requiring a more generous application the smoothness of the product build leaves me extremely happy. The initial opening is quite musky but dries down after 10 minutes and the petitgrain lavender and watery notes establish as the main players. Maybe I find this also appealing as the soapiness isn’t quite as in your face as some of the others. Awesome!

This is very clean and soapy, slightly masculine leaning cleanness. It performs amazing on my skin in cold and somehow even better in the heat. Works for all kinds of daytime activities from just being lazy on the beach, gym or even office. Longevity is very good for a freshie. Pricepoint is very good I had to get a full bottle. This will be replacing my Neroli Portofino since they fill the similar need in my cabinet and Naviglio performs 10x better. If you are into clean, soapy, neroli certainly get a sample. Usually I wear fragrance for me and compliments are just added bonus. This one is complimented a lot! As always sample first since we all got different skin chemistry and taste.