Acqua Viva

I’m not in the habit of writing a review based on a single experience, a single wear, but this impressed me so much that I can’t resist. Today I was in a perfume shop, tried a few scents, bought three, and while the shop owner was ringing them up, I started opening Profumum Roma bottles and just bringing the atomizers to my nose to get a quick sniff and see if anything would catch my attention. When I opened this one and smelled it, that spontaneous “wooooow” burst out of me - the very reaction that has drawn so many people into this beautiful passion of collecting fragrances. I’ve never had such a pure, shining and unbelievably powerful lemon scent under my nose before. Since both my forearms were already sprayed with other fragrances, I rolled up my fairly thick denim shirt above the elbow on one arm and did a single spray on my bicep. The owner told me that with this beauty, one spray is enough... that it’s very strong. I’m usually skeptical of claims like that - even with perfumes with enormous sillage I tend to apply three, four, five sprays on each wrist, completely soaking them. People, really - this stuff is strong like an atomic bomb. After I left the shop, just a few minutes into walking, I could smell it again when I moved my arm the right way - through a thick denim shirt and a thick, down-filled winter jacket zipped all the way up to my neck. Throughout the day, over the course of hours, I kept smelling my arm from time to time and that lemon was still there, not fading. Beautiful, natural, shining lemon. Take a look at that accord pyramid. After several hours of strong, enormous projection, there should be nothing there but “citrus.” In fact “lemon” 🍋 Unbelievable... I don’t understand how anyone can rate this sillage as “strong” or even “moderate.” I take the “intimate” rating as a joke. This is E N O R M O U S. I’m definitely ordering a full bottle and after wearing it multiple times throughout the season I’ll come back to this review. But even now I can say this: for perfume enthusiasts - whether you like citrus fragrances or not - this is something you simply have to smell. And I’ll definitely have to reduce the number of sprays with this fragrance. Lemon power! 🍋

There is no review of DUA fragrances Acqua Solaris (Acqua Viva clone) on this site, so I hope no one minds if I place this bit of advice about Acqua Solaris here. A brilliant, zesty Summertime citrus Lemon.....that last for 60 minutes. With no exaggeration, only the faintest traces of this juice can be detected after 1 hour, even on clothes. Sadly, I wanted to love it. I really did. I loved the idea of the same niche quality being offered by a small start up fragrance house. In hindsight, Designer houses with millions in capital behind them have been unable to do this but a small, independent start up is going to do it? Yeah right. After doing more research after my initial disappointment, I read an article that says These companies purchase 1 bottle of the original and find a way stretch over 100 bottles. That would explain their "inspirations" sometimes being released just days after the original has been on the market and their insistence on 30 and 60 ml bottles. I've ordered several DUA fragrances and this was the first to arrive. This has served to wake me up to the reality of a clone of a $250 niche fragrance being offered for $60?? (Really $30 because DUA uses the same oils as Alexandria but charges twice the price). I have yet to receive the other fragrances but at this point my ultimate conclusion is You get what you pay for. No way Around it. Profumum Roma, shut up and take my money.

Profumum Roma is a house that by sheer quality and pleasantness of the scents is becoming one of my favorite houses against my will. I have more than enough other stuff to spend money on than more perfume by now, so I try to fight it off, but after a great offer of a travel-size bottle of this I can't deny it is one of the best light summer-scents I ever smelled, and it is quickly becoming a signature by the sheer fact that it makes me want to wear this and only this! Incredibly rich and deep lemon that envelops you - I don't know how to check, but I'll buy that it is probably the cypress, cedar and laburnum I am smelling that gives off this slight woody-green base that makes you want to bury your nose in this. It definitely doesn't just smell of lemon even though it is the easiest to pick up on. It's subtle sweetness and tartness is gorgeous, and doesn't tire you out like heavy sweet vanilla-scents and the like tend to do. This little beast makes me instantly want to buy a full bottle ahead of all the others I was planning on buying. It is that good! It's ligthness is such that I find it needs a few more sprays than usual even though it has a lot of oil - I feel this isn't necessarily one to be afraid to overspray, it feels rather fitting to envelop yourself in as it is so light and refreshing.

As the hype has indicated, I agree that Profumum Roma Acqua Viva is among the best fresh lemon scents that I've ever smelled, or could smell, apart from perhaps a sweet lemon scent along the lines of Dua Fragrances Vanilla Lemon Gelato or Chanel Allure Homme Edition Blanche. But as far as a strong lemon presence and not too much mixed in, Acqua Viva takes the cake as the best fresh lemon fragrance I can name. It involves, overwhelmingly, fresh lemon, both the juice and the peel/rind, blended with the yellow flower laburnum, and woody notes of cedar and one of my favorite woods, cypress. It doesn't develop much, which is actually nice because the opening is so pleasant and bright. Performance is solid, more up to the par set by much of the rest of the line, with great projection and longevity. The only pitfall is that paying the standard $250 for 100ml Profumuma Roma price for a citrus-dominant fragrance seems unpalatable, but considering that this is balanced enough to be a versatile performer in not only the warm weather, but due to its strength, the cold weather, the price could be right. I'll have to consider splurging for this one---next year, perhaps. 8 out of 10

You will struggle to find a finer citrus than Acqua Viva. Many of the reviews here are absolutely spot on, especially @Estebanz. A real journey of an opening with citrus from sharp lemon/grapefruit settling to zesty peel which smells super real, natural and accurate. A citrus smell which is complex within itself and even changes slightly over the first few minutes. At this point I'll just say I'm not typically one to get excited about citrus but this is really worth the gushing praise. Now then, I was expecting the waxy nature of white florals like neroli to develop at this point because that is my experience of 'high end' niche citrus fragrances bases and heart notes. I think they use them a) because they do compliment fruits and citrus and b) because they turbo charge the longevity. To my utter surprise nothing developed except a gorgeous woody accord and even the tiniest hint of smoke. It's very subtle fresh incense type vibe like olibanum, maybe coming from the cypress or cedar? but it's of the highest quality and a welcome addition to a fresh summer fragrance. This is a masterful citrus aromatic a truly awesome piece of work with good longevity.