Mainstream Monday – Sniffing a Popular Perfume
You have to love when a designer brand spares you the prose of their new launch. With Salvatore Ferragamo Acqua Essenziale, I was told it was “inspired by water” and with the name and the color, I could deal with this.
Acqua Essenziale opens with cool herbs like mint and rosemary over aquatic melon. It’s extremely “fresh”. And then it turns into Irish Spring bar soap – the aquatic freshness turns into mountain spring freshness. Sharp and clean. The dry-down is like a fruity ambrette with some vetiver with a lemon wedge.
“I’m really behind on everything right now. Wear this for a few days and tell me what you think“.
He holds the large blue rectangle bottle in his hand. Sprays a few sprays. He reports back less than 30 minutes later, this is what happens when you let a rookie sample perfume.
“I have never worn something as deliberately uninspired and as generic ‘man’ as this. This is only impressive if their goal was to create the most generic ‘right now’ masculine that they could“, says David, my husband turned substitute fragrance reviewer.
And you know, he’s exactly right. It’s a deliberate pop star boy band of perfume – you need the aquatic one, you need the herbal one, through citrus, you need the evergreen fresh one…pair that with projection and a big blue bottle and Acqua Essenziale is on tour with their faces on all of the back-to-school supplies sold at Target.
And you know, I’m not offended by this one. I don’t dislike it. I really don’t have any feeling for it. Like a boy band or a pop star, I realize that I’m not the target audience. Really with the name and pale blue juice, I expected something much worse. The new generation of mainstream aquatics are less “screechy” than those of the 90’s. The helveltolide base is still novel and new.
Notes listed include mint, lemon tree leaf, geranium, rosemary, lavender, Cascalone, patchouli, vetiver, cistus, and Helveltolide. Launch date 2013. PERFUMER – Alberto Morillas
Give Acqua Essenziale a try if you like fresh, mainstream masculines. Or if you like perfumes like Estee Lauder Beyond Paradise for Men, Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio Essenza, Chanel Bleu, Bvlgari Man, and/or Ralph Lauren Polo Blue. It’s a modern-day masculine probably best suited for younger guys or summer wear.
I feel that longevity and projection are average. If this was marketed to women, it would be labeled “EDP”.
Acqua Essenziale comes in two sizes with prices ranging from $60-$80 at Macy’s.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Fresh, squeaky clean, super safe mainstream masculine. Technically, American men should love this. However, it may remind American men of lots of other fragrances that they already own. I’m obviously not the audience for this one but I do feel it could have been much worse.
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Yes, but Alberto Morillas. You would expect more. ouch!
I know. But, I don’t think it was his fault or any lack of talent, this is what he was told to make and he did. Like I said, it could have been awful but I think because he was behind it, that it ended up being better (“newer” to the market aromachemicals and it does all blend seamlessly)…it’s just a boring brief. Oh, well.
Sometimes the rookie is right!
I agree. This is why I like to let kids sniff stuff too 😉 You get the most honest responses.
I loved your review of this, Victoria, not because I’m interested in this scent, but simply because your observations are so sharp! (Both observations, yours and the Rookie’s.) “It’s a deliberate pop star boy band of perfume…” is such a great analogy, and I don’t even have to smell this to know exactly what you mean.
No need to try it. You aren’t the audience either 😉