Acqua Di Parma was an aftershave I had wanted to try since February of last year after someone on Reddit mentioned in passing that it was their favourite and gave me a run down on the notes.
Fast forward ten months and as soon as I saw a bottle I knew I had to give it a whirl. The fact that I spent ten minutes talking notes with the gentleman with the tester says a lot about my obsession with all things fragrant. Needless to say, one whiff and I was hooked. £53 was parted with for a 50ml bottle.
Marketed as a timeless, refined Eau De Cologne, which is still created in the same traditional method and with the same original composition since it's creation in 1916. The smooth notes of Silician citrus reveal a rich heart of blooming rose and refreshing lavender, the precious woods offer warm base notes to this harmony of more than ten natural ingredients.
A delicate, fresh and elegant Eau de Cologne that embodies the Acqua De Parma brand.
Now my personal favourites in the cologne and aftershave stakes tend to err on the citrus side, with a few exceptions where they have rich and light top notes that dry down to a warm and earthy aroma. Given the patter coming from the salesman I thought to myself that this would be a perfect fit for me and my skin type.
First impressions in Harvey Nicols were that this baby comprised simply all of the citrus zest top notes on earth and they were very strong, really strong, yes it may initially come across as it leaves the bottle that you have just paid £53 for a bottle of orange rinds blended with lemon zest but almost instantaneously it hits the heart notes and within minutes the entire blend has dried down
As it dries down for around thirty minutes you can pull out incredibly subtle hints of the citrus and lavender and it does get a little warmer on the nose as the dry down woody notes come through, but then nothing, nothing I tells ya.
An old favourite of Cary Grant and Ava Gardner (the salesman had every fact in his arsenal) this is indeed a timeless classic with a wonderful fragrance. Yes, I’m in love with the actual fragrance but this is wear it all goes a little bit pear shaped - the staying power. It has none to be blunt and that is a massive disappointment. Within thirty minutes of applying I asked for a second opinion while out and about to be greeted with “are you wearing any aftershave?”. Not good, not good at all.
Still the same some 98 years on the mantra 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' really doesn’t work here. It needs tweaking so that it simply lasts longer on the skin and is more noticeable ten minutes after applying it. At £53 for a 50ml bottle I expect it to still be wafting around hours after application.
Putting all of my cards on the table I love the fragrance for the first half an hour but then boom, a reapplication is needed and taking the price into comparison this just doesn’t represent good value for money. Six to seven sprays and still no signs of the cologne after an hour. This is not good.
If you can afford to work through a bottle quickly then you probably won’t mind this but for me I expect some form of quality to go with the amazing fragrance and this is sadly lacking and therefore it is the first aftershave where I love the smell but can’t in all honesty recommend it.
NOT RECOMMENDED
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I am still on the fence with this, it isn't my favourite scent I preferred one of the other options personally, but I don't dislike it either.
ReplyDeleteHow disappointing that it didn't last longer! For that price, you should be smelling nice ALL DAY!
ReplyDeleteLaura x
How annoying it doesn't last very long because it sounds like it smells lovely!
ReplyDeleteCharli | Beauty and Lifestyle Blogger at CHARLI B
Oh that's such a shame - re-applying is often not practical - you want ot put it on and go out and enjoy yourself, not have to worry about taking it out with you!
ReplyDeleteSuch a shame that it doesn't last. I had this with the Lady Gaga Fame fragrance, I loved the scent but it would disappear straight away! xxx Thou Shalt Not Covet
ReplyDeleteI'm not a male so I don't use any kind of aftershave but I feel like the purpose of this product is defeated if it doesn't last longer which is sad because it sounds like the smell is pretty awesome
ReplyDeleteshame it doesn't last all day!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a nice fragrance but it is a shame it doesn't last longer - especially at that price!
ReplyDeleteShame it doesn't last very long x
ReplyDeleteI cannot say I have herd of this brand but I am intrigued!
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ReplyDeleteThis is not a brand I am familiar with. It's a shame that the scent didn't last long.
ReplyDeleteNot a brand I have seen before, shame didn't last long.
ReplyDeleteSophie
xx
www.pocockins.co.uk
My FIL used to wear this! It is always worth trying a scent for a day or two before committing to it
ReplyDeleteIt's a lot of money for something which doesn't last. Thanks for the advise
ReplyDeleteIts a shame it doesn't last :(
ReplyDeleteLaura
Pink Frenzy
it is really disappointing when you purchased and risk a lot of money for something that doesn't even reached your expectations (or what it claims to be).
ReplyDeletesuch a shame that the scent didn't last!
ReplyDeleteA www that's a shame. I would have been really disappointed.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteaw this is a shame its not worth it if the scent dont stay is it ?
ReplyDeletehttp://beautyandtheprince.weebly.com/mummy-of-7-blog/creative-painting-with-the-children-on-this-dull-day
I've not tried this but shame it didn't last very long! x
ReplyDeleteSuch a shame it didn't last
ReplyDeleteI've never been a fan of Acqua di parma myself, always thought it was over priced and considering you needed to reapply shortly after confirms what I thought
ReplyDeleteIt sounded like a good scent so it's a shame it doesn't last for long!
ReplyDeletex
I love the look of the bottle and I love the history with it, but that's not enough and for that money I'd definitely expect it to last!!
ReplyDeleteI love it when you find a fragrance that really works for you.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoy citrusy eau-de-colognes. I find them so refreshing and light.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby is aftershave obsessed so think this could well end up on his to try list.
ReplyDelete