Acqua di Parma Colonia (1916)
by Acqua di Parma

The opening citrus accord is stunning and lush which leads to the lavender and rosemary notes. After a while a beautiful rose blooms from the composition and it gets slightly sweeter and powdery. With the basenotes you get a lovely white musk with hints of the glory of the citrus and rose.

This is like a glorious fanfare or song and dance act though short is executed to perfection. I am really impressed with the quality of the ingredients and how lush they feel upon your skin.

Though the sillage is poor and the longevity is short this is a wonderful cologne done with panache and style. Thumds up.

26th January, 2012.

lemon drops in a bottle!

17th January, 2012.

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.

25th November, 2011.

No need to go over what everyone else has said about this classic fragrance. I wish it were a bit cheaper, but those who wear it would say it's definitely worth the money. Fresh, clean, citrus and lemon. Perfect for anytime, anywhere and has great staying power.

8th October, 2011.

this one is so sweet and powdery it hurts.. gives me a wierd feeling in my stomache.. not worth the price.. the citrus is totally abused.. just makes me smell like a toilet freshener..

26th September, 2011.

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???

28th August, 2011.