Ajlen

Oh. Oh. A modern lavender freshie. Especially since the quality of this Pure series from Ferrari is quite okay. This could have been so nice! But I don't eat it. Why is quickly told:

The start is still quite promising. Citrus and lavender fit well, the whole not too heavy and easy to carry. Then it's a rapid descent. After only a short time this modern sharpness has evaporated and remains behind: Lavender. With the temperament of half a cheese roll. Without pickles.

Of course, that's not really bad or 'mean', but it's incredibly boring. And in this boredom the lavender also develops a certain nerve factor. Oh, I'll just make it short and sweet: I don't want to smell like a pollunder-bearing mid-forty like mother's ironing water type lavender dream. Not right now. Never not. Thank you. I'll take care of it.

I love perfume. Some more, some less. Some is beautiful, some isn't. Perfume can be creative or totally arbitrary. Flattering and annoying, accessible or bulky. And, of course, the perception about it is always subjective. But sometimes, very, very rarely, a perfume is so much more.

Aqva Amara is such a special case. When the analysis of fragrance components becomes unimportant and the limbic system takes over instead. A feast for the senses. Heart over head, feeling over mind. You can call it whatever you want. I mean, you can call it whatever you want: That's what perfume is made for

What it smells like to me? Fresh, tart, tangerine, aquatic, a little smoky. Everything already described in detail. Good and correct and yet much more than the sum of its parts. Anyway, absolutely irrelevant.

What it feels like to me? Light-hearted and inscrutable. Sea. Untamed power. Waves breaking on high cliffs. Depth. Vastness. Rugged and sweet at the same time. Sun. And clouds. Alternating light and shadow. Wind. Warm breeze and wild roar. Peaceful balance or the calm before the storm. Longing, unbearably beautiful. Absolutely and not at all. Supposed memories of an unknown place.

Aqva Amara touches me. What better thing to say about a fragrance?

For a Rasasi fragrance, Hawas is very western oriented. Fresh, fruity and sweet, which is what the market seems to mainly demand at the moment. Nevertheless, the Arab producer manages to incorporate an oriental twist with a good pinch of spices, which makes Hawas a little more interesting than the usual suspects.

For my nose, the main accord of this fragrance is a combination of cinnamon and plum. There is no doubt that there is much more fruit involved. Apple and citrus, maybe some pear and the almost obligatory melon-like fresh note. But they all entwine themselves more or less around this interesting plum and cinnamon combo. Other good perceivable components are neroli and cardamom, the latter seems to me to be responsible for the oriental impact together with cinnamon.

Throughout the course of the event I feel reminded of many acquaintances. Invictus, of course, for its sweet fruitiness. But there are also very clear references to Allure Homme Sport Eau Extrême. Interestingly enough, a fragment of Égoïste also flashes through here and there - this is probably due to the cinnamon. I wouldn't see any of them as fragrance twins, but Rasasi is a very independent fragrance of the category Orient meets Occident. Western, youthful freshness meets eastern spice and depth

The intensity is without question more oriental. I think it is very flexible, but this EdP is definitely not a lightweight. For the office I would dose it rather sparingly. Especially on clothes the durability is remarkable. This brings me to a point that I see somewhat differently from my pre-commentators: in the last few warmer days towards 30 degrees, Hawas was a bit too much for me at times due to its strong seasoning. I would therefore not categorize it as a summer scent. But it plays its strengths very solidly up to ~25 degrees.

Very nice also the bottle. Simple but sturdy glass and a heavy metal lid with a snake-shaped decoration match the overall impression of the fragrance. All in all a recommendable candidate, if you like the references mentioned. Here, the wheel was not reinvented, but proven elements were reinterpreted and independently supplemented. Top!

If you're into surfing, sooner or later you'll come across Teahupoo, a small town on the south coast of Tahiti. A coral reef there produces particularly powerful hollow wave breaks, which is why it has become a hotspot for the scene. The choice of this name for a perfume thus awakened in me very specific associations and also expectations.

The start of the fragrance makes a fresh and slightly tart grapefruit. Right behind it flashes the bergamot through and adds some fruit sweetness and spice. On the skin, it reminds me very briefly of the citrus chord in Kiton's Napoli, only here it's overrun by an intense wave of synthetics. The artificial sea noise here is presented in a more fruity way, creating a slightly (watery) melony impression for me. From the base, the sandalwood slowly works through and consolidates the fragrance character, which I would describe as follows: a lounger of sandalwood on the beach, a fruity-sweet cocktail in the hand and a mild, tropical sea breeze in the nose while looking at the waves and the sunset.

So I wonder if Zara has found a fitting name in Teahupoo In a way, yes. Even if the sporty, quite dangerous part of this particular surf spot was rather not hit, so I feel this fragrance as a successful interpretation of the relaxed, chill part. Quasi after surfing, from late afternoon into the tropical nights.

Whether this is a clone of Invictus Aqua, I can not judge, by the way. I have neither in the current, nor in the original formulation ever tested. Therefore, I can only judge Teahupoo independently and not in comparison. I would subscribe to Florinori's assessment as a grab & go. For the price, you get a pleasant refresher for the warmer months with (at least) solid performance. It is the first Zara, which was allowed to move in with me.

I recommend testing with the following caveats/limitations. Teahupoo is:

* sweet and fresh
* shallow rather than stormy
* tends to be U30
* more South Seas than Atlantic
* 100% flip-flops
* not for shower gel haters
* more artificial than art

This is a completely atypical 'Acqua'. Already the concentration as Eau de Parfum suggests that here no cologne-like or even aquatic freshness is to be expected.

The fragrance starts with a very intense and fruity citrus note, fully ripe and juicy. From the start are also immediately perceive green sprinkles, which come from tarragon. When the fruit calms down a bit, the floral notes come to the fore. The scent becomes sweeter and spicier. At the same time, I detect a sweaty, dirty note that gives it a depth that is rather unusual for Acquas. As the fragrance progresses, florals dominate and the perfume veers towards a high quality spicy soap. With this emphasis, the fragrance then also sounds out.

The floral-soapy finish reminds me distantly of Bogart's One Man Show. Acqua di Portofino serves the same classic oldschool track, supplemented by a juicy-citrus start and thus fully meets my taste. Only the endurance leaves much to be desired. 5-6 hours are okay, but for an EdP but rather below average