Mainstream Monday – Sniffing a Popular Perfume
When it comes to designer perfumes, Prada holds a steady list in my favorites. I think a lot of what they do is really good. They’re interesting but wearable in many different environments and seasons. When I want to smell good but don’t want to think about it, I usually wear something like Prada Infusion d’Iris or Prada Candy. I’m not as familiar with their masculines because they don’t really “work” on my skin but I do recommend to their line to a lot of fragrance newbies wanting something masculine and accessible.
It took me forever to try Luna Rossa. I was too busy sniffing other things than to spend time trying something I’d probably never wear or end up buying. Alas here I am, years after its launching, writing about it.
Luna Rossa opens as a sharp citrus lavender. And mint, so much mint! Most of these volatile top notes burn off rather quickly and what is left is lavender. It’s not a sharp or medicinal lavender. It’s like a “woody lavender”. It’s like some sort of neglected lavender. ALL of the buds flowered and fell off. All that’s left are woody stalks that really need to be trimmed back. And there’s vetiver, a dry, woody vetiver. Like a lot of the Prada fragrances marketed to men, it gets ambery but in that super clean, synthetic amber way.
I don’t really have much to say about Luna Rossa. It’s a light fragrance. It hits me as something safe enough for daily wear – even in a really hot climate. It’s really inoffensive. That may sound terrible coming from a perfume blogger, but it’s not. It’s like a safe fragrance for people that want to smell good don’t really want their fragrance to be what’s standing out. I totally understand this. Most of the time “loud” and weird fragrances are totally overrated.
Notes include lavender, bitter orange, clary sage, spearmint, ambrette and ambroxan. Launched in 2012. PERFUMER – Daniela (Roche) Andrier
Give Luna Rossa a try if you like fresh scents. Or if you like perfumes like Chanel Allure Homme Edition Blanche, Versace Pour Homme, Acqua di Parma Bergamotto di Calabria and/or Jo Malone London Amber & Lavender. All scents are unisex but I think this one leans more masculine. I will say that for a scent inspired by the sea, it really is dry and not “aquatic” like I was expecting.
Projection and longevity are below average. It’s a rather “light” perfume like a cologne.
Luna Rossa comes in a few sizes with prices ranging from $64-$104 at Nordstrom. It can occasionally be found at discounters like Perfume.com.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Sheer lavender amber. I usually really like Prada perfumes, but this doesn’t stand out to me. Saying that, I think it’s a good safe but not completely boring marketed-to-masculines fragrance for daily wear.
Want more reviews? Try…
Fragrantica – Member reviews
*Sample obtained by me. Product pic from Sephora. Steve McQueen pic from renewsportscars.com. Post contains affiliate links. Thanks!
This actually sounds great to me for work in a super conservative workplace in the desert, different but not too crazy or attention-getting. It can be difficult to find something that lasts and is bearable in high dry temps. I will have to sample some. Thanks!
Prada Infusions were always my work go-to perfumes. They’re light and pleasant but not boring. There’s no way anyone would confuse it with hand soap or clean laundry but at the same time it doesn’t scream “PERFUME”. I found I really got my money’s worth with Prada because I’d wear them so frequently when I worked in a more conservative work environment.