Acqua di Scandola

I could not be happier to have discovered the French Fragrance House 'Parfum D'Empire' I only wish it had been sooner than now! I thought I would only be wrestling with the decision of which herbally, aromatic green scent to buy; should I go fresh summer grass and tomato plants in Corsica Furiosa or dark green vegetale undergrowth in Mal-Aime? But now I've tested Acqua Di Scandola and I'm checking my bank balance to see if I can justify two bottles of perfume, one of them being this one! It's like being blasted with the most bracing fresh salty air and splashes of crystal clear sea waterfrom the shores of the hot Corsican shoreline. So refreshing, so energising, so summery. Then as the perfume settles the green accords begin to peek through amidst the marine joy and you are climbing (scent-wise) up the rocks away from the sea, into aromatic shrubs and late summer plants on the hillside. I've never smelt this combination before. There are so many layers that I am constantly smelling myself and trying to identify what is is I can smell. This is 'the' marine fragrance for people that hate all those screechy cheap marine smells you find in supermarket men's deoderants. This is ozonic, blue, green, transportative, scudding clouds and splashing water. I'm in danger of giving this perfume house the contents of my savings!

There are lots of oceanic fragrances, but it's surprisingly not always easy to find one that's right. Too many either overdo the marine notes, making them harsh, or the mitigating florals and fruity notes, rendering them cloying. This appealing fragrance from Parfum d'Empire hits the sweet spot, and seems neither too briny nor too overwhelmingly voluptuous. This smells to me very natural, with top-quality ingredients (almost always something you can count on from this niche house), and it smells like you would want it to smell: like you've been outdoors in a seaside Mediterranean grove. I cannot vouch for whether this really smells like Scandola in Corsica because that peninsula is pretty difficult to access; apparently that land inspired Marc-Antoine Corticchiato, a Corsican native, to create this lovely fragrance, and this does at least seems like the beautiful scent of a real space. This reminds me in particular of the feel of the charming Gerald Durrell travel books from mid-century about the Mediterranean islands.

I'm a big calone bomb hater; they're always sad, limp, and cheap excuses for perfumes. At this point, they always feel more referential to the idea of perfumery rather than, you know, the ocean. Acqua di Scandola, on the other hand, is completely evocative. Corticchiato constructed a complex and full bouquet of abstracted notes into a full, high-res image, perfectly layering marine, green, and citrusy aspects into the ideal sea breeze. It has a welcome grit and subtle earthiness that is so often missing from the genre, as well as a smokiness that somehow works. Masterfully done, I think it’s overlooked but it's easily a top-tier Parfum d'Empire.

I love the fresh spicy feel of this scent. There is a subtle warmness to balance the freshness and masculinity. I do feel the marine notes - like a hint of little saltiness. The initial impression was warmer. With time the scent becomes greener with the moss and oak surfacing. I test this as a sample (together with other Parfum d'Empire scents). So far this one really fits me - a true unisex, fresh but not cold - I would consider getting a full size bottle.

This smells like the idealized memory of being on the Mediterranean coast. It’s salty, a little sticky, and herbaceous without ever feeling “perfumey.” When I close my eyes, I’m back on the beach in Genoa at sunset, drinking a cheap spritz, surrounded by other young people doing the same. I can smell fresh basil, tart lemon, sun-kissed skin, a cool ocean breeze, and the faintest whiff of men’s designer cologne. An instant love and instant buy.