Jul et Mad is a perfume brand founded by a young married couple. The “themes” of the perfume deal with romance and love. Aqua Sextius is the newest perfume from the line and it’s inspired by Aix-en-Provence as an autobiographical fragrance. This is where the couple were wed and where they reside. This place is known as “The City of 100 Fountains”. You can pick this up in Aqua Sextius. This perfume is a mineral, green aquatic floral.
Aqua Sextius is a bitter, tart fragrance with realistic citrus and green tea. It’s so bright and effervescent reminding me of mojitos (mint), mineral water and ice cubes. There’s a dewy, ozonic coolness to Aqua Sextius that is the theme throughout the wear. The heart is a cool, bitter and green fig with tea and an astringent cedar. Florals are in the background and because of the bitterness and citrus, they remind me of linden and magnolia. Longevity is sort of crazy with this fragrance. The dry-down doesn’t really occur until 8 hours later. It dries down to this mineral musk with damp woods and stones covered with moss.
I haven’t really decided how I feel about Aqua Sextius. In theory, I shouldn’t really like it. It’s a refreshing citrus/tea/mineral scent. In a sense, it’s like those Bvlgari “thé” fragrances on steroids. But, I wear it and I like wearing it because it’s done very nicely. And honestly, I’m ready for a rebirth of mineral, sophisticated ozonic scents because I feel there is more to be done, more to add to that genre. Also, I think the perfume fits exactly what the founders were going for. It’s like water fountains, greenery, sunshine. I do applaud how well the perfume is executed and I think the perfumer did an excellent job telling this story.
Notes listed include bergamot, mandarin, orange, grapefruit, green notes, tea, mint, eucalyptus, marine notes, mimosa, white flowers, fig, labadanum, ambergris, cedarwood, guaiac wood, oakmoss and musk. Launched 2014. PERFUMER – Cécile Zarokian.
Give Aqua Sextius a try if you like bitter, green yet fresh scents. Or perfumes like any of the Bvlgari “Thé” scents, Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Fico di Amalfi, By Kilian Bamboo Harmony, The Scent of Departure ICN Seoul, Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Girl, Diptyque Oyedo and/or L’Artisan Parfumeur Fleur de Liane. I’ve mentioned a lot of perfumes but I feel this one is like the “upgrade” to all of those. However, I think this perfume will remind many people of perfumes like this (which is going to be an issue at this price point). I mean, David asked if I was wearing Elizabeth Arden Green Tea while wearing this and I completely see why he thought that.
Projection and longevity are above average. It has sillage too.
The 1.7 oz spray is $280 at Indigo Perfumery. A travel size ($110) and samples are also available for purchase.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Mojitos, bitter figs and iced green tea. It’s crisp, fresh and cool. I’m still debating how I feel about this one. I think it’s nice (I love mineral scents) but I have to be in the mood for it (and this mood is rare for me). Also, the price points with this line are frankly out of my range of comfort.
Want more reviews? Try...
I’ve read a few other great reviews of this scent, but dismissed it outright due to the crazy price. Your review REALLY makes me wish the price wasn’t insane! I personally love ozonic frags, and calone doesn’t make me gnash my teeth in despair. It’s probably because I didn’t wear them when they inundated the market the first time around. But, yeah, I’m still skipping this one…bummer.
I like the ozonic/mineral stuff and I think this is a really good one in that genre. I did say that hubs said it smells like Elizabeth Arden Green Tea but it’s all about exposure. If that is what one associates with “fresh and dewy” then they’ll say that. Aqua Sextius really is like the Bentley of that genre, like “Green Tea” with an unlimited budget…now saying that, look at the price tag 😉
I think it’s worth sampling if you like this sort of thing. But, I also get not sampling stuff in a price range that you find outrageous. It’s not good to fall in love with stuff that we may never have 😉
the couple, by the way, are stunning to behold. i have never thought couples working together a very sane idea, but the art they are creating is history and beauty preserved in the unfolding of their story; romantically exquisite.
When I first heard of the brand, I thought that was a cheesy detail. Another “romance” line??? But, then I tried them and they do work very nicely together (and with the perfumers). These are perfumes anyone can relate to, not just this couple. I mean, that one that described their dating also reminded me of when I dated…it’s good stuff.
[…] 12. Jul et Mad Aqua Sextius EDP – It’s a nouveau aquatic that is fresh, mineral and green. I enjoyed this more than I ever thought I would. Full review. […]
I had the occasion to try this perfume and it is simply fantastic! I never thought I could wear watery, green fragrances, but this one is much more than that! Actually, it is an “Extrait de Parfum” (it is unjustly described as EDP in the review) with the most long lasting effect I’ve ever seen for an aquatic, fresh perfume. The fresh, green notes are never overpowered by the warmth and elegance of the notes at the end; on the contrary, as we wear it, it becomes this envelopping, warm, refined veil, you would never want to take off…
I saw above certain concerns regarding the price. I happen to own another of Jul et Mad perfumes and I think they are simply reasonably priced for the concentration and the type of product they offer. It makes me wonder if the intervenants above have seen this perfume for real or the comments are based simply on photos? Everything, from the fragrance, to the exquisite bottle (btw, did you know the very heavy cap is coated with pure silver and the front is decorated in pure platinum letters?), to the sleek purse spray included that also comes filled, to the very luxurious leather jewel-like box – basically the entire presentation fully justifies the price. Pure luxury and rare quality come with a price and this is true in this case. I wouldn’t say the same for certain brands listed above (by Kilian – not to mention it), although just as expensive (and for an EDP), and not always justified by the quality of their fragrances, but unfortunately blindly accepted by certain people only because of the name they carry …