Acqua e Zucchero

WOW! This is amazing! Totally ADDICTIVE! I love it so much, it is so comforting, sweet and luxurious. In my large collection of gourmand fragrances, this very well might be the most delicious and distinctive. Luckyscent has sent me a few samples of this over the years, and it took me a while to really "get" it. My initial dislike of Aqua e zucchero is that it smells quite like pink sugar, which I hate. It is different though, obviously of higher quality- soft and well blended cotton candy, vanilla and berries instead of pink sugars screamingly synthetic straight forward sticky sweet cotton candy. The vanilla in this smells almost identical to the one used in the same lines Vanitas- another fume I love (which is for some reason not on this site). Maybe PS just didnt work on my chemistry, but Aqua e zucchero smells great on me. SS chia also has a similar smell, but once again, it does not smell good on me, but better than PS. I would suggest this to people who like pink sugar but want something a little more adult and frankly, worlds prettier. You obviously do not have to like PS to enjoy this one, but if you arent up for a dead on berry cotton candy scent that lasts for many hours, pass on this one. My roommate said when he smells this he can practically see someone twirling the stick for the fresh, gourmet berry cotton candy- and hes right! He made a comment about ps being watered down, and smelling more like old, wrapped expired cotton candy and once again I agree with his nose, although I pick up a ton of anise as well in PS whereas its totally absent in this. I love to wear this perfume, it makes me happy every time I wear it and my roommate and other guys love it on me, it really brings joy to those around you if they like sweet scents. Sometimes I spray my sheets, clothes and GLOVES! I sprayed this on my cashmere gloves and even when I smoke a cig with them on, theres always that sweet goodness that is Aqua e Zucchero. The lasting power of this is amazing on cloth, and pretty good on skin, too. I have tried mixing it with other fumes as well with great results. I love it with tihota, jalaines vanilla and Vantitas, Blue Sugar, Miss dior cherie, Coco Mademoiselle but my favorite combination is Elixir Charnel Gourmand Coquin by Guerlain and this. Its like a gourmet candy store on my skin and I cant get enough of it! It is a great scent to layer! This is not for people who do not like sweet, foody or gourmand scents. It seems every site has the liquid in this different colors, but now that I have gotten mine I can tell you it is light yellow juice (similar color to vanitas, but less pigmented.) The bottle is expensive, but also very large at 100ml. I would suggest sampling pink sugar, ss chia and Aqua e Zucchero if you love cotton candy scents. Aqua e Zucchero is flat out delicious and it changed my mind forever on cotton candy fragrances- I used to hate them, but Aqua e Zucchero is so perfect with high quality vanilla and berries mixed with some sort of expensive candyfloss. BTW the body products by pink sugar like the whipped moisturizer smell more like this and less like my unflattering pink sugar description and layer well with this scent :) Men go bonkers for this scent more than anything else I have tried. I have 2 half empty bottles, one in my living room and one next to my bed and I know I will never be without this fragrance, I think if it isn't the best gourmand of all time, its way up the list! I have tried thousands, and this is top 5, sometimes even my number 1, depending on my mood. I had to make my roommate a decant for his sheets, it's his hands down favorite out of all of my 200ish perfumes- and I make him smell them all! So the verdict between the men and my life and myself is the same, this perfume is amazing- if not the best, one of the best. Good luck UPDATE: I just had to order 2 more bottles :) As I said, I cannot be without this fragrance and mine are getting pretty low. I want to give him the half full bottle because he loves it so much on his sheets and I noticed his decant was getting low. I want both him and I to enjoy my fragrances to the absolute full extent, and that includes sheets and occasional air freshener uses. If I couldn't afford to use it the way I do, I wouldn't, but I can, and with that in mind I want to enjoy this fragrance all the time... I have never used a bottle so quickly lol! I think this perfume will be a life long obsession for my roommate and I. I can't imagine growing tired of its comforting sweetness and luxurious aroma. Still not a fan of Pink Sugar, this is worlds better after extensive testing on both fragrances. This is the ultimate gourmand comfort scent that everyone who enjoys should be allowed to experience at least once (even though I did not like it for a long time and many tests). It grew on me so much it became a favorite. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT DISCONTINUE THIS! I would have to get 10 bottles if I even heard rumor of discontinuation, after Tihota got discontinued I am totally freaked they will stop making all my favorites. :(

The other day I was looking for an elegant scent with strawberries, which is very unlike me. The strawberries I mean. Because to me, this reads as girly, cheap, and deodorant-like. They didn't have a real strawberry fragrance but what I encountered instead is this scent. I was immediately in love. They didn't have it in stock and today it finally arrived :D For me, it evokes pure joy and excitement. As if I'm sitting on a chain carousel and while flying through the air different notes hit my nose and become a delicious yummy pink-golden blur. First I'm hit with orange blossoms and a very deep sugary note: tonka bean/caramel? It's as if someone forgot their sugar in a pan and it's already starting to develop a bit of fume. Then there's a whiff of strawberry syrup. The other day, we had champagne and sugared strawberries for brunch. Cause I was still craving that strawberry note. I ladled the remaining juice into the Champagne glasses when the strawberries were gone. That's the note I'm getting sauf the Champagne. So far the fragrance could be quite sticky and sugary. But there is a high note, that floats atop the base like an overtone. It's not there to be acknowledged but to brighten everything. This fresh sour accord is owed to lemon blossom and possibly also lemon zest. The vanilla that's wafting over has a hint of creaminess to it. And then the forest berries become more pronounced. Like candied fruit. But also very authentically smelling of forest berries and a bit of woodiness. I'm getting wild strawberries and brambleberry; also the leaves of brambleberries, maybe even a hint of sandalwood. As the swirling of notes quietens down a bit, there's a lovely scent of rose. But there's no pinkiness to it more of an apricot. It reminds me of those David Austin roses. And it's already withered and slightly decayed with notes of hay and peach. You know when you stretch out your hand to touch it or bring it closer to your nose, and the petals just fall into your hand soft like the finest suede and you are left with the inflorescence. At the end of my ride, I'm getting a breeze of Cointreau and a bit of almond liqueur. Maybe this mixed with the caramel smoke is what hits people's noses as plasticky? Not to me though. There's nothing sharp. It's all so beautifully blended with the lemony glint to lend it freshness. Throughout this merry-go-round spinning, the orange blossom never loses its radiance. What started as a dark red and amber-coloured elixir ends in a warm, pink and golden swirl with the softest cloudlets of magenta. I want my life to be like this perfume smells: Joyful, exciting, comforting, sweet with a bit of darkness - a wistfulness. And filled with golden sunshine.

I ADORE the concept of Profumum Roma perfumes. I like Patchouly a lot and I like Gioiosa. It is clear to see that this house creates exceptional blends with nuclear strength, fine ingredients that support lots of staying power. I'm intrigued by the percentage of essential oils infused into each Profumum Roma EdP. And yes, the cost of these fragrances supports the exceptional quality of the products. So, I was REALLY looking forward to trying four, generous decant samples of Profumum Roma fragrances, Acqua e Zucchero was one of the fragrances among the four samples I purchased. This fragrance, along with Dulcis in Fundo was initially an extreme disappointment. I cannot overstate my initial upset today when I applied this fragrance and gave it a wear. My generous samples were NOT inexpensive. And truthfully, I didn't really find a great "match" for the fragrance I am seeking with this house... And NOW, I must admit...after initially feeling beyond neutral about this fragrance, Acqua e Zucchero has GROWN on me! It really has! And I love it! Acqua e Zucchero wears a LOT like many of the similar fragrances on the niche market these days (and even some mainstream fragrances) that are fruity, raspberry, cotton candy, vanilla and tooth-achingly sweet. AeZ DOES wear a bit like the $18.99 Aquolina Pink Sugar, or Prada Candy, I suppose. But the highest quality of ingredients in Acqua e Zucchero and the way these ingredients perform together really make AeZ stand alone in its own lane. The opening is definitely super-sugary, pink, cotton-candy, bubble-gummy sweet. As it develops, the dry down is smoother, more subtle with remnants of deep, creamy, vanilla and something a bit sour (resinous), which is reminiscent of orange blossom flower (the stems and leaves more than the petals themselves). Then the dry down presents lots of mixed fruit (I detect raspberries, perhaps pears) and lots of sugary, sweet vanilla. I'll keep wearing it and see how I feel about the fragrance over time. EDITED TO ADD: After applying this several nights at bedtime and being lulled to sleep by the wonderful fragrance (as I snuggle into my arm), I am PLEASANTLY surprised to wake some 8+ hours later and still easily detect this fragrance on my skin. Purchased a full bottle 100ml. This stuff is glorious, it really is!

As someone who never cared for sweet or "juvenile"- leaning scents, I could not be more surprised by how much I like this. Just by chance, I got my nose on it in a local, small-business-owned fragrance boutique. I took a friend there and the owner brought us a wide range of options for testing. My friend took home a wonderful Scents of Wood and I took home Acqua e Zucchero. I otherwise never, ever would have tried it, particularly since I haven't clicked with any Profumum Roma. In the mid-2000s Pink Sugar was extremely popular, but I had never tried it and wouldn't have been able to pick it out or identify that scent profile. I think I'm just late to the party on this one. Though AeZ seems suitable for year-round wear, I expect to wear this playful, flirty fragrance mostly during the spring and summer. The high quality of the ingredients, coupled with performance longevity, elevate the composition and keep it sophisticated, as "girly" as this scent can feel. Its simplicity is its charm. EDIT (7/5/2023): I can't stop wearing this. Already I've made a huge dent in the bottle. I've purchased the corresponding body oil and body lotion. I still can't believe I like this so much. It's divine for layering. EDIT (1/20/2025): I still love this, although I think the better part of the tart red berries note has started to fade from my bottle. A characteristic of Profumum Roma, I think, is its powerful linearity. I mostly use this fragrance for layering these days, although I do wear it on its own for running errands and lowkey weekend activities. I really enjoy having a high-quality ingredient, high oil-concentration fragrance that is just an easy fun wear -- not something so precious.

Acqua e Zucchero is an unusual composition, but that's becoming normal for Profumum, that seems to artistically and boldly go where many fragrance houses seem not to, and AEZ is no exception, pushing the boundaries on what I expect fragrance to be, and what I expect to like. As usual, Profumum's note breakdown is pretty limited, at least in terms of what they disclose, so it's simply listed as vanilla, orange blossom, and some mix of fruit (berries, red fruit, forest fruit, something to that effect). It's sweet and vanilla-laden but light and fresh enough to be worn in warm weather. Not light as in weak on performance, to be clear, as it's still up to Profumum's standard performance that is very strong, the extreme of most houses. I'm not familiar with the Pink Sugar fragrance to which many seem to liken AEZ, but I'll offer that it doesn't smell of cotton candy to me, though some seem to think that's case. It's far more natural-smelling to me than cotton candy specifically or confections in general. Overall, it's a very pleasant scent that's unusually productive, not in my typical wheelhouse, but it's strong in several categories---performance (as expected), versatility, creativity, and fun. 8 out of 10