Acqua Bianca Solaris

Citruses are one of the few fragrance genres that can be pleasant while being incredibly simple. The sparkling zest of a citrus often reminds us of happy memories while basking in the summer sun, of refreshing lemonade that offers respite from the heat, or simply the energetic jolt of slicing one open and just taking in the invigorating smell. Acqua Viva is one of my favorite citruses. It’s a realistic lemon with a floral broom flower and a slightly woody cypress trail. The unique thing about this Italian offering is that it’s a long-lasting citrus. The lemon carries beyond the normal parameters of a citrus without being infused with petitgrain (citrus leaves) or loads of musk. This has resulted in it being a joyous summer staple for me, and my bottle is on its last legs. So, I decided to check out the Dua to see if they could come close to one of my favorite scents. Well, sometimes I can write well, but my reading might need some work. I ordered Acqua Bianca Solaris thinking it was just Acqua Viva. When I received the scent and sprayed it, I was astonished. I smelled the zesty, tart lemon that I wanted, but it was laced with radiant white florals and musky bergamot, along with a crispy, almost aquatic leaning pear. Hmm, this was certainly pleasant, but this was not Acqua Viva. I was perplexed. I thought that Dua had severely missed the mark here. I decided to peruse the site and look at the Dua write-up for the scent. I then realized my mistake...Acqua Bianca Solaris was a hybrid, and it was combined with Pure White. A light bulb went off in my head and the universe seemed to be normal once again. I let out a sigh of relief, wondering how I graduated high school with such reading skills... So, onto the scent. After letting it macerate for a month, it has turned into a beautiful scent. The tart lemon and musky bergamot blend to form a refreshing Mediterranean breeze, akin to orchards gleaming in the summer sun, with sparkling rinds reflecting the delight that is held within. The star of the show is the neroli...musky, soapy, and probably one of the best neroli accords that I have smelled. Combined with a sweet orange blossom, it lifts the Mediterranean aura of the scent to fully embody le dolce vita, the good life. Sadly, the musky, soapy flower doesn’t tend to stick around in most scents. However, in Acqua Bianca Solaris, it’s tenacious, being lifted with clean musk and softly powdered rice. That clean, dusty powder is akin to a luxury soap, and the aroma is slight, but it adds a resplendent optimism to the scent, resting on a bed of freshly zested citrus with an airy, almost watery pear accord that gives it the crispness of sitting in a shaded refuge from the summer heat. The cypress isn’t that noticeable to me, which is totally fine. I do enjoy the original’s woody greenery, as it casts the image of the Italian coast being speckled with the aromatic trees as you catch their meditative scent within a gentle breeze. Have you ever made a mistake that turned out to be a huge win? Well, this is exactly what happened with Acqua Bianca Solaris. From being utterly confused to understanding the scent, it was my favorite of the 5 that I ordered. The way it paints a recollection of the Italian coast, full of revitalizing citrus groves while clean florals delicately grace your senses, it’s simply an experience, and it’s one that I crave. As far as the performance goes, this scent is very potent. I can smell it the next day, even on skin. It makes me not want to shower it off, but don’t worry...I do wash it off with reluctance. Given the price of the Greed Pure White (Yes, that spelling is intentional), Dua did a great job with this. I always thought Pure White was a beautiful scent, but the value just wasn’t there. Mahsam and his team made me not even want to consider paying the outlandish price for the original. It performs better, simply smells better, and it just makes me feel better. Throw in one of the best lemons on the market, and it’s just better, period. I probably wouldn’t have ordered this if I knew it was a hybrid, as I am not always a fan of mixing scents. However, I might need to rethink my position, as this is an amazing mélange of vigor and redolent aromatics. Sometimes fate has a way of giving you what you need, and I have certainly become a believer of that as of late. So, I will just accept this as one of the best mistakes I have ever made, at least as far as fragrances go.