Acqua di Parma
Acqua di Parma
912 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The citrus quartet arrives first—bergamot leading the charge with orange close behind—whilst star anise provides an unexpected herbal-liquorice twist that immediately signals this won't be a straightforward almond gourmand. There's a fizzy, effervescent quality as the Italian citrus fruits jostle for position, bright and Mediterranean, already hinting at the creamy almond waiting beneath.
Green almond emerges fully now, milky and delicate, supported by ylang-ylang's buttery floralcy that enriches without overwhelming. The sweetness intensifies but remains refined, almost pastille-like, as the citrus fades and allows the composition's powdery character to bloom across the skin like finely milled flour dusted across a marble countertop.
Bourbon vanilla and tolu balsam create a soft, resinous sweetness that melds with musk into something skin-close and intimate, whilst cedar provides a subtle woodiness that grounds the remaining almond traces. The powder accord dominates here, leaving a clean, talc-like finish that's more about texture than volume—a whisper of something once more exuberant, now content to simply linger.
Mandorlo di Sicilia is Acqua di Parma's love letter to the Sicilian almond harvest, but this isn't some syrupy marzipan confection. The composition hinges on green almond—that milky, barely-sweet kernel before it hardens into nuttiness—cushioned by a citrus salvo that keeps the sweetness perpetually airborne rather than cloying. That star anise in the opening is crucial; it lends an anisic sharpness that cuts through what could otherwise become cloying territory, whilst the bergamot and orange provide Italian sunshine without turning this into a cologne. The ylang-ylang heart is cleverly restrained, offering just enough tropical creaminess to support the almond's natural lactonic quality without screaming 'white flowers'. What makes this compelling is how the base notes conspire to create a powdery, almost talc-like finish—the tolu balsam and vanilla wrap around that green almond note like cashmere, whilst cedar provides a woody backbone that prevents the whole affair from floating away entirely. It's gourmand without being edible, sweet without being saccharine. This is for the person who wants to smell expensive and soft rather than loud, someone who appreciates that almonds belong in a Sicilian grove, not a Bakewell tart. It's an elegant skin scent for warmer months, the sort of thing you wear to a garden lunch where everything is effortlessly chic. Unashamedly pretty, but with enough structure to avoid being frivolous.
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3.8/5 (202)