Year: 1996
Notes: myrtle, aroma of salt on the skin, seaweed, cedar
As much as one both admires and respects the existence of the niche house concept, there's a perfume family that should probably be left only for designer houses to monopolise on: marines and aquatics. The mind really boggles as to why certain niche houses fall over themselves to create something of this ilk – not just because this concept has literally been done to death (and it has) but also due to the inevitable prospect of incorporating a significant proportion of synthetics.
Acqua di Sale is Profumum's aquatic offering, and it probably shouldn't have been taken beyond the conceptual brainstorming session from where it was originally envisaged. So what's wrong with it? Well, it's too artificial for a start, with an overwhelmingly synthetic musk base that doesn't do the composition any favours. Also, it has a black liquorice note that, while intriguing, seems sorely out of place.
Accords of algae (which smell like cucumber) and salt water (derived from iodine or calone), intertwine with the liquorice and synthetic musk to create something redolent of the end result of a cold and calculating laboratory experiment. As for whether or not it's the most authentic marine scent currently on the market, one would have to say that it smells very similar to the skin of someone who has spent several hours by the poolside, emitting a blended aroma of chlorine, sweat and sunscreen from their tanned skin.
While it has good longevity and reasonable sillage, there's also another issue that hasn't been addressed: even if it's the best marine or aquatic conceived so far, who would spend money on something that costs nearly four times more than a mainstream designer equivalent? Would anyone really care about the differences in quality between two noticeably artificial representations of fresh brine?
Acqua di Sale is just another unwelcome reminder of why aquatic or marine fragrances are nothing more than synthetic-smelling abominations.
Acqua di Sale is Profumum's aquatic offering, and it probably shouldn't have been taken beyond the conceptual brainstorming session from where it was originally envisaged. So what's wrong with it? Well, it's too artificial for a start, with an overwhelmingly synthetic musk base that doesn't do the composition any favours. Also, it has a black liquorice note that, while intriguing, seems sorely out of place.
Accords of algae (which smell like cucumber) and salt water (derived from iodine or calone), intertwine with the liquorice and synthetic musk to create something redolent of the end result of a cold and calculating laboratory experiment. As for whether or not it's the most authentic marine scent currently on the market, one would have to say that it smells very similar to the skin of someone who has spent several hours by the poolside, emitting a blended aroma of chlorine, sweat and sunscreen from their tanned skin.
While it has good longevity and reasonable sillage, there's also another issue that hasn't been addressed: even if it's the best marine or aquatic conceived so far, who would spend money on something that costs nearly four times more than a mainstream designer equivalent? Would anyone really care about the differences in quality between two noticeably artificial representations of fresh brine?
Acqua di Sale is just another unwelcome reminder of why aquatic or marine fragrances are nothing more than synthetic-smelling abominations.
