Acqua di Selva (1949)
by Visconti di Modrone (orig. by Victor)

First memorable fragrance purchased for me in 1979. Of course, there were others before it, but ADS was the very first frag that I thoroughly enjoyed. It got me interested in colognes.

The opening was, and is to this day, a bit biting. Within minutes however, it settles into a calming,almost soothing fragrance. On my skin, it exudes a vetiver mixed with pine. I found Pino Sylvestre to be akin to it, but not quite as pleasing.

Downside is it doesn't last being an EDC. Nice bang for the buck however if you're conducive to a scent like this.

This scent reminds me immeadetaly of the commercial where some too tanned athlets jump from the accapulco cliff and you see the jump first in slow motion but the dive into the water is shown in regular speed again.
I have bought the after shave and the first impression is an accord of freshness: mint, lemon, basil and vetiver in a good an (on purpose) slightly unbalanced combination-just a good start- the only disadvantage: after an hour the whole sensation is over. But what more to expect from a cologne for a very reasonable price?

The opening notes are primarily pine with a touch of the old pinesole cleanser.

There are touches of Lavender and thyme which proceed into the middle notes.

Quite quickly it dries down to a much more subtle scent that hugs the skin.

Not really exciting but comfortable.

Yatagan is the best,in my book, for pine.

This is an inexpensive EDC that smells quite good. The lavender / citrus / herbal opening is quite satisfactory — it’s refreshing and interesting. I find the middle notes less interesting than the top: The combination is pleasant, but I would prefer it to be a little more coniferous. The same can be said of the drydown as for the middle notes: Pleasant but calls for a little more pizzazz. When other reviewers mention “soapy,” I often don’t know what they mean—it doesn’t seem to be a concept that I can consistently wrap my nose around. I don’t have that problem with Acqua di Selva — there is an Ivory Soapiness that runs through the entire fragrance; it’s enjoyable and it certainly smells clean. Clean, soapy, refreshing, lacking in longevity (of course, it’s an EDC) — a nice fragrance.

I have tried Acqua di Selva four times. I was keen to try it because of the favorable reviews and the alleged pine aspect – a quest of mine is to find the perfect pine scent. Each time I come to the same conclusion: AdS has a wierd, obnoxious green note like over-cooked peas or boiled cabbage! I conclude that the oakmoss used here is very aggressive, or maybe the herbal notes are out of control. I really like good fougeres, and appreciate oakmoss as a fragrance component; however, AdS fails in those regards. I think this would scare people away. As for the pine notes, they are non-existent as far as I can tell. I’ve tried most of the pine fragrances listed in the reviews below, and like many of them very much. I am a big fan of the rare Silvestre by Victor, but in my opinion, AdS has no redeeming features at all. Its appeal utterly mystifies me! Perhaps the bottle I keep sampling was stored at Chernobyl and it has mutated into something noxious.

Soapy scents and me aren't always the best of friends, and the likelihood of a mismatch tends to climb when the thermometer does likewise, even with scents that I wear well in other seasons.

But - surprise, surprise - this passes the test, perhaps because it's not so soapy as it could have been. A rare case in which the feather-light, EDC nature of it actually helps it maintain its integrity. Generally short-lasting though it may be, the wispy, soft-focus finish from drydown to fadeout is among the best of its type.

Undoubtedly one of the great value scents - hardly cheap-smelling, full of panache and gentlemanly aplomb, and the added benefit of being not so common for me compensates for any longevity issues.

AdS's natural briskness running the gamut from breezy citrus to ephemeral herbs and greens - not forgetting a slight camphorous quality that reminds one of mentholated cough drops (in a good way!) when combined with the zesty citrus notes. But the bulk of its transitory lifespan is provided by a gnarly pine note and a rustic moss base. All things considered, a well-designed compromise between old-school power-scent longevity and newer-school warm-weather-ready refreshment, as well as a good break to the normally synthetic, clinical nature of many summer scents (not a universal slam, some are quite good as I'm finding out).

But in the end, it is a compromise. The coniferous tree-hugger in me often wishes it lasted a little longer, but as long as you spray a little more than normal and remember to treat it as a different species with its own evolved characteristics - related to but inherently different from Epicea, Wellington, Pino Silvestre, Green Jeans and the like - you'll enjoy it for all its momentous mystique.

Works wonders on my T-shirts during the summer and doesn't seem to stain. Attempt that trick at your own risk.