Acqua e Zucchero
by Profumum

This is a beautiful gourmand vanilla fragrance, made all the more interesting by the addition of tart berries. Wonderful longevity makes sure that this treat lasts and lasts.

It is like saying that you love vanilla ice cream, but you would rather an addition of something interesting. The interest in this one is the addition of a very long lasting berry note that adds a wonderful contrast to this vanilla.

It is sweet, but never too much. Profumum knows how to do vanilla, also amber, and for any vanilla gourmand lover, this one is a must sniff. Wonderful, simple and full of class in an category of fragrance that can very easily go so wrong. An adult vanilla gourmand. I love this one.

15th December, 2011.

What a treat this one is! Acqua e Zucchero is not really the orange blossom cologne that its name implies. It is a vanilla gourmand that is not demure in producing sillage and longevity. The straightforward and linear sillage is a delicious and inviting vanilla with occasional hints of berries. I really can’t separate out the orange blossom, but I’m sure it’s there mellowing and enriching the vanilla / berry brew. As noticeable as the sillage is, it is not overdone or cloying: It simply, lovingly sends out its pleasant, balanced wisps of gourmand goodness. Delightful aroma; very good, non-cloying sillage; and good longevity… All-around excellent…

10th June, 2010.

Wow sweet! I would love this for a woman, it would be the biggest thumbs up. But, for a guy way to sweet IMO. I even like sweet scents and this is to much for me. I get lots and lots of great vanilla. I still have to give this a thumbs up just because I love vanilla on women and this is unisex. But for a guy thumbs down.

13rd July, 2009.

Yet another deceptively simple, bright and cheery gourmand from Profumum (along with Dulcis in Fundo, Confetto, and the other ambers in the line). The simple accord of vanilla and light fruit notes strongly reminds me of a certain pastry, but for the life of me I can't remember the name of the pastry. Imagine the smell of a rich vanilla custard with a tart berry sauce and you're probably close to AeZ. There isn't much development, but nor is it entirely linear.

The fragrance starts out as vanilla with a light dusting of fruit - they say orange blossom but if that's what it is it isn't very distinct. Over the next couple hours the fruit becomes more noticeably a tart berry note. You might be reading this thinking that AeZ is recklessly sweet, which it is not, and although the vanilla is rich there is a restraint to it, and the dryness of the berry note keeps the sweetness in check. About 4-5 hours after application the berry note recedes in prominence but never fully disappears, leaving the vanilic base that is a touch powdery. As you can expect with Profumum, the materials are of obvious quality, none of the notes appear synthetic or cheap, and both great sillage and monster longevity can be expected with minimal application. Like with all other Profumums, it was perfectly well behaved on my skin.

A quick note by means of comparison to other gourmands: I happen to be skin testing Keiko Mecheri's Lokhoum on the opposite arm as I tested AeZ. Other than being gourmand and having fruit notes, AeZ shares nothing in common with Lokhoum-style fragrances such as the KM/Serge Lutens/Ava Luxe Lokhoums or Montale's Sweet Oriental Dream. The lokhoum/"Turkish Delight" gourmand sub-genre is characterized by a sweet almond note lasting the life of the fragrance that provides the sweet background, giving those fragrances a distinctly nutty and more subtle, maple-like aroma. Remove the almond and they are entirely different fragrances. AeZ is far more bright, the fruit notes far more prominent and sharp, than any lokhoum/gourmand.

16th March, 2009.

sugar and orange blossom notes that morph on the skin. something so simple..a male magnet.

9th March, 2009.

Mmmm... this is a delicious vanilla! Sweet and tangy yet bakery fresh. THe scent lingers around you all day. Amazing.

24th September, 2008.