Cala Rossa

I'm surprised this isnt more popular. Many of the Santa Maria fragrances don't do it for me. Many are too heavy on the citrus notes for me, too fresh and lack enough depth and warmth. The more oriental ones smell a bit linear as well and nothing really stood out. The stores are lovely places to be in but it feels the scents arent true perfumes but derived from skinscare and meant to compliment the skincare. Except this one and one other, they were things I havent encountered before. This is still fresh and light, but it offers complexity and depth to me at the same time. I can see how you can wear this in a warm climate and it just works. Cala Rossa for me is very unisex, it reminds me of a clean beach scent. Maybe a beach that has been tidied up, fresh clean towels are waiting and you added scented candles, some fresh herbs that look aesthetically pleasing and then let all the scents mingle together. However, if this was a scented candle I still wouldn't be surprised and it is nice enough to wear.

A perfume that I’ve been looking for a long time... I remember when I was a child, in my grandparents' garden of olive trees, I loved to dip my nose in a large lavender bush, risking being stung by wasps😅. I loved that smell and I have always associated it with my childhood and nostalgia for those summers. I spent most of my summers in Sardinia, SMN's Cala Rossa is inspired by the island of Capraia, a small island located along the route that connects Italy to Corsica. The Mediterranean scrub on the island is very similar to that of Corsica and Sardinia, where myrtle and helichrysum reign supreme in sun-burned lands. This perfume literally paints one of the sunniest and most joyful scenarios of my heart.

What an elegant green aromatic cologne with a spicy minty opening. I find myrtle as a fragrance note difficult to smell in other fragrances, especially since it is often surpassed in intensity by incense, patchouli and spicy notes. Myrtle shimmers here as a herbaceous, but always very pleasantly fresh base note. Fragrance: 8.5/10, Longevity: 6/10, Sillage: 5/10, Flacon: 8/10.

I bought this over a year ago and it sort of got lost in the burgeoning tsunami of my fragrance addiction and got pushed to the back of the shelf. It just caught my eye on this 80+ degree humid morning. I had already showered and applied my new Lutens Ambre Sultan. But after spraying Cala Rossa in the air and giving it a sniff I thought "hell, why not" and applied two spritzes to my linen shirt. Wow. I love the combination. Cala Rossa by itself is quite different from anything else in my collection and I will admit to being a little ambivalent about it. But layered over Ambre Sultan it is intoxicating. I feel so fresh and clean and ready to face the humidity. I don't feel equipped to separate the notes. It IS unusual and I usually run screaming from lavender. Cala Rossa is crisp and herbal with a floral note that I can't pin down. Different and well worth a try.

This fragrance was apparently inspired by Cala Rossa (Red Bay) in the island of Capraia - a stunning geographical landmark of red and black rocks formed by volcanic activity. The story aside, this is a stunning balsamic green fragrance with a minty, sparkling opening. Aesop lovers would adore this. Check out Aesop’s Rozu if you’d like something darker and woodier. If you'd like the mint-flora aspects of Cala Rossa amplified, try Frederic Malle’s Geranium Pour Monsieur.