Colonia Acqua di Parma (1916) Eau de Cologne

Colonia (Eau de Cologne) by Acqua di Parma

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Designer Edition 2011 von Luca Scacchetti

Colonia (Eau de Cologne) (Acqua di Parma)

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8.0 / 10 469 Ratings

Colonia (Eau de Cologne) is a popular perfume by Acqua di Parma for men and was released in 1916. The scent is citrusy-fresh. It is being marketed by LVMH.

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Top Notes	Lemon, Orange, Calabrian bergamot
Heart Notes	Lavender, Bulgarian rose, Verbena, Rosemary
Base Notes	Vetiver, Sandalwood, Patchouli

Ratings

Scent

8.0 (469 Ratings)

Longevity

6.3 (331 Ratings)

Sillage

5.7 (307 Ratings)

Bottle

7.8 (311 Ratings)

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 12.10.2019

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Reviews

07/27/2019

EmmaPeel
0 Reviews

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EmmaPeel

The ultimate fragrance even for the hottest summer days

The only fragrance I can stand even on hot summer days, which still surrounds me with a touch of elegance and freshness despite sweating.

As with lemon ice cream, the art is that it should taste like lemon, but the balance between sour and sweet is the art.

Here it doesn't smell like a rest stop, but like a relaxed ride in a cabriolet along the Amalfi coast, with a light breeze, on a hot summer day.

I've been using this fragrance for almost 30 years now and every summer I think you could get something new.

Then I smell my way through 30 new perfumes to end up with one of my two classics (Hermes Orange Verte/Aqua die Parma Colognia)
The term timeless fits here like ass on bucket.

06/17/2019

6.0 6.0 7.0 8.0/10

Mantus
0 Reviews

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Mantus

The softest shaving foam cream in the world

First of all, one can perceive an intense citric note, which brings with it a fine sourish hint and is due to the lemon.

At the same time, the lemon is enveloped in a fine, sweet, fruity shade, which ensures that the lemon's sour fragrance does not sting in the nose, but appears extremely pleasantly soft and is due to the orange
In the background a subtle herbaceous note rounds off the top note wonderfully and in my opinion is responsible for the fact that the soft aura is still a little potentized and comes from the Calabrian bergamot.

A little bit later the hint from the top note in the heart note has unfolded completely and is not to be surpassed in softness and you really see an older gentleman standing in front of you who has just painted himself with the softest shaving foam in the world.

Very fine sweet, slightly Mediterranean, but also herbaceous notes of lavender and rosemary merge with an even finer sweetish flowery, very delicate creamy nuance of the Bulgarian rose to a true shaving cream - fragrance that still possesses the quality that many "shavers" among us appreciate very much.

"Ick unfortunately can't shave me "right", because ick would look like a light buoy for 2, if not even 3 days; but the others could finally eat, but ick, if there would be the scent as shaving foam, would actually want to try again without hesitation.
- But ick must be honest to myself - Blank shaved look ick just like a Dullie" :-)
- And ick find dat wonderful, ick have always liked the Jeruch of shaving cream, already as a child, even if it is classified with most with the older faction - Why? - It's just like that, some scents just can't be explained and I think that's a good thing!
- Some things can also be "explained dead", but what is completely meaningless for me' - Just enjoy is' here the better option, as ick find!"

The entire heart note is enveloped in a wonderful, very delicately cooling greenish hue, reminiscent of mint and nuance, which provides a certain refreshment and comes from vervain.

In the last 3 hours a beautiful clear crème-like wooden breath remains perceptible on my skin and is due to the musk in interaction with the sandalwood.

Unfortunately I couldn't see Patchouli, but I can imagine very well that the fragrance component was used for background music.

In total, the fragrance lasts 7 hours on my skin.

The Sillage is designed from the start to be perceived very well at half an arm's length and this is maintained for 2.5 hours before it is minimised in quiet steps until the fragrance ends.

06/12/2019

6.0 7.0 8.5/10

Groxxda
0 Reviews

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Groxxda

Very helpful Review 8

First-class Cologne implementation

Colonia - as simple and precise as your name is your content. A perfect refresher for the guest bathroom.
When sprayed on, a friendly, balanced and noble top note with the promised citrus smells - no trace of pungent acidity or the dreaded toilet associations, but: light, fruity and pleasantly refreshing.
A small drop of bitterness that you pay for this unobtrusiveness is that this beautiful top note quickly clears the stage for the main actors. Maybe this is even wanted: You get the feeling of freshness without immediately pointing it out to the whole society.

Now to the main performance: I perceive Colonia as a balanced clean scent. Not after clean laundry but slightly soapy - inconspicuous but nevertheless unmistakable - by no means like trying to cover a bad smell but a self-confident charisma of "I washed my hands thoroughly".
The woody notes round off the fragrance very nicely. Make it unobtrusive, round and discreetly male (but not completely unsuitable for ladies).

As soon as the top note is gone, I don't recognize any more scent. The Eau de Cologne works constantly for a few hours. I find the durability sufficient for its intended use (refreshing).
Before I left the house, I wouldn't go to Colonia for perfume. I prefer to leave this work to a full-grown perfume and enjoy its complexity and fragrance. I also see Colonias "Primetime" rather in the evening. In the morning you better take a shower to get clean ;-)

For me, a host can hardly provide his guests with a more appropriate "freshener" than this Colonia. Even at the risk of everyone smelling reservedly and uniformly at an advanced hour, this is still better than the alternative: individual "human scents".

2 Replies

07/23/2018

6.0 5.0 5.0 6.5/10

Thatsmr2usir
61 Reviews

Thatsmr2usir

Helpful Review 1

Classic Cologne

This has to be the best traditional citrus cologne known to mankind. It reeks of sophistication in a bottle. Grown up citrus followed by Lavendar which I am not a fan of & some nice floral notes. This is not the teenage sugary sweet stuff. Pure class & sophistication for when you want people to know you have great taste.

This cologne last a good 6 hours on me before coming faint. Much better than any of these summer frags being produced today. It is summer in a bottle, it is a lavish party on the coast of the Hawaiian islands.

It projects medium to low on me which is not bad. Wearing a all white outfit suits this fragrance perfectly. If you have any reservations about Acqua di Parma Colonia smelling old & or outdated, please save you breath. It is anything BUT! You can't do much better than this. Enjoy!

04/21/2016

6.0 5.0 5.0 8.0/10

MasterLi
367 Reviews

MasterLi

Greatly helpful Review 4

An elegantly made and beautiful eau de cologne...

Colonia by Aqua di Parma may just be the Rolls Royce of eau de colognes. There are some instances where I liken this fragrance to a hand-crafted, elegant, luxury car. It's not so different in structure to many of the eau de colognes out there, true, but it's executed ever so beautifully.

With that being said, yes, it does develop much like an eau de cologne, the characteristic drawback being, it doesn't last so long. However that can be overlooked I believe, by it's smell.

It definitely doesn't smell generic. It reminds me of something very polished and luxurious, but it's a kind of carefree, relaxed luxury... not a stuffy, privileged and exclusive one.

The fragrance opens up with bergamot and lemon, and coupled with aromatic and rich lavender and aromatic rosemary, with hints of solid vetiver. I can also detect the coumarin in the base, and the floral undercurrent of rose, neroli and jasmine. It's such a great experience really.

It's absolutely unisex, and I highly recommend it as an experience. I do prefer other versions to this though (a favourite being Chanel pour Monsieur which I feel has more development than this).Dior - Eau Sauvage is also a strong contender. In terms of a favourite pure eau de cologne, I also like Guerlain - Eau de Fleurs de Cedrat.

However, all being said, this reminds me of a well dressed, elegant young person, who enters a room and catches the centre of attention there. They make an impact on everyone around them, and everyone is intrigued, impressed and interested in them, and want to spend time in their company. Then, as soon as they came in, they go out... leaving everyone in awe. This describes the experience I have of this one. Brilliant and dazzling in the start and beginning, then mellowing into something confidant and relaxed, before slowly fading away and vanishing. Beautiful & elegant, but eventually fleeting. Who said good things always have to last forever? It's definitely worth a try.

06/05/2015

WildGardener
100 Reviews

WildGardener

Faux de Cologne

Not really a cologne because it's as much about rose as citrus, but it is an elegant and well made summer floral none the less.

Edited 22-06-16

04/27/2014

2.5 5.0 5.0 5.0/10

WRoth
153 Reviews

WRoth

Colonia by Acqua di Parma

This fragrance opens with a lively blend of citrus and herbal notes. At first rich lemon dominates the accord, but gradually gives way to lavender and rosemary. The lemon note now adds translucence to the conservative herbal composition, but there are moments the scent smells rather stuffy on my skin. As the fragrance progresses the herbal notes disappear and floral notes emerge. What is supposed to be soft, powdery rose smells like a pissoir on my skin. I smell urine, lemon scented disinfectant and urinal cake. The only saving grace is the verbena which I can distinguish very close to the skin. The dry down is sweetened by ylang-ylang which adds a honey-like quality to the woody notes. Honestly, the dry down is the best part of the fragrance.

01/03/2014

5.0 2.5 2.5 7.0/10

Miaw2
339 Reviews

Miaw2

Very helpful Review 2

Classic italian

There is not much to write about this fragrance. A classic italian cologne thats timeless.

Opens with a beautyful blend of citrus and herbal notes and there isnt much development.

I love how the rosemary note is done in this cologne - i guess it does gives it a barbershop smell thats really good to me.

In the drydown it gets a little powdery but i cant identify the notes.

Longevity, sillage and projection are weak, but acceptable for an EDC.

Updated January 2014

01/02/2013

7.5 2.5 2.5 9.0/10

Drseid
671 Reviews

Drseid

A Classic Eau de Cologne With An Amazing Open...

The opening invigorating top notes are probably the best I have smelled in a scent (actually tied Dior's Granville). A very classy orange and lemon blend with just a hint of herbs that is just heavenly. The only drawback is they disappear ever so quick. That said, the rest of the high quality floral, soapy and slightly woody experience is fabulous too, ranking this one as one of my favorite warm weather scents... Don't expect it to last hours and hours though... 5-6 on my skin, unfortunately. Look to reapply a tad throughout the day to smell those top notes again. 4.5 stars out of 5 for this classic Eau de Cologne.

02/20/2012

5.0 7.5 7.0/10

Missk
1165 Reviews

Missk

Helpful Review

Contrast between sparkling lemon and powdery florals

Here I was, expecting a typical citrus-based, predominantly lemon scent - something along the lines of Eau d'Hadrien or 4711 eau de cologne. Colonia may open with all the pizzazz of bright lemon and all its crispness, but within the development of this scent, Colonia becomes very complex and indeed very pleasing to the nose.

Despite a classic approach, Colonia can be perceived as modern. Unisex this fragrance is indeed; it is neither too feminine nor too masculine. For that reason, this perfume is great for a couple to share during the warmer months.

When first applied, Colonia with its obvious lemon note, sparkles for the first few minutes. What I love so much about this fragrance is that the citrus is not sharp or masculine. I would describe the citrusy top notes as being rather smooth.

The moment the heart began to develop, I was quite astounded as to how powdery and floral the scent became. The rose note is glorious, with the lavender providing a relaxing yet silky feel.

It's more towards the drydown where this fragrance begins to smell faintly like old-fashioned, expensive soap. It's a mixture of rose-scented talcum powder and lavender soap with a touch of bright citrus.

The contrast between sparkly citrus and powdery florals is to die for, (at least in my humble opinion). The lasting power is quite incredible and the sillage, although not all that strong, certainly has a distinctive presence.

I find it very hard not to like this fragrance. I would go so far as to hold this fragrance in such high-esteem alongside Iris Nobile, also by Acqua di Parma, which is another love of mine.

01/25/2012

7.5 7.5 7.5 5.0/10

Sherapop
1239 Reviews

Sherapop

Back to the Barbershop--Again

The lavender and rosemary of Acqua di Parma COLONIA are so salient to my nose that this fragrance actually evokes in my mind vague memories of JICKY! Even more, I am reminded of barbershops. Well, I cannot say that I've spent a lot of time in such places, but this cologne definitely reminds me of my stored images of barbershops from films—especially mafia-related.

Audrey Hepburn wore this? Cela m'étonne. Perhaps she only admired it, on her male friends? As for myself, I would never, ever choose to wear this composition. I may not even finish my mini (which I received along with a purchase of IRIS NOBILE). I don't even consider COLONIA a citrus fragrance so much as a facsimile of expensive shaving cream! Do women really wear this???