Bergamotto Marino (2006)
by Gianfranco Ferré

I see why this one gets such good reviews, it's just so pleasant. It opens up with some bergamot and a bit of "marine" notes but not enough to smell like a chemical bath. The perfumer exercised a steady, gentle hand when blending this fragrance. Actually I was surprised by how natural this ends up smelling considering the price and the use of jasmine. The bergamot mostly evaporates away fairly quickly on me and I'm left with a lingering whisper of those watery notes and a very mild, calm jasmine. The jasmine progresses kind of like A La Nuit just in the way that it calms down and gets a touch of clean musk at the end, but divide the potency of ALN's jasmine by about fifty. The tiny hint of ambergris that starts coming out after a while is just fantastic mixed with the jasmine/"marine" accord. Somehow, as floral as this is, it never feels like I'm wearing perfume and never feels too feminine. It's safely unisex for all but the most staunchly anti-floral fragrance enthusiasts out there. The longevity is better than I expected for an EDC, and the sillage is mild but I don't care much about that, I mostly wear fragrances for me. It won't be unnoticeable, it just won't scream across the room and slap anyone who doesn't have a cold. Just a nice, quiet, passing whiff of relaxed goodness. Well worth twice the price.

20^th February, 2015

Beautiful and comforting scent...I enjoy the marine dominance in this cologne. It takes me to
summer days at the coast; out in the sun, fresh sea air, grass and orange trees...then later on heading back home and having an ocean fresh bubblebath. In the opening I get fresh bergamot, lemon and blackcurrant; very fresh and fruity, then it turns a little salty and the sea rolls in harbouring the perfect dosage of seaweed. It is reminiscent of standing on grass, near some orange trees next to the beach with a fresh salty-seaweed breeze. BM changes again and remains at a clean artificial aquamarine scent like a bar of seaweed and loofah soap in a pure white bathroom.

22^nd January, 2015

An unremarkable powdery and sweet cologne that can be found for peanuts, best layered with Lime, Basil and Mandarin where it underpins the rather ascerbic profile of the Jo Malone to mutual advantage. Have fun trying to get the optimum balance... Enjoy, that's what cologne is about eh?

15^th January, 2015

I picked up a bottle of Bergamotto Marino after it was suggested to me by a fellow member for it's oceanic/ laundry qualities.

BM opens with notes that are very, very reminiscent of Mugler Cologne, to the point that most wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Very quickly BM becomes it's own scent, however, when the bergamot and soft floral notes emerge, and BM instantly transports me to a strange location... the small hair dressers shop that I go to to have my hair cut.

Allow me to set the scene: this shop is a small, one man operation in a small seaside town. The shop is beautifully finished with wood, and it contains two leather chairs; one the classic hair dresser's chair in front of a mirror and the other off to the side that leans back into a small sink.

It has a small oil stove to keep the place warm in the winter.

The proprietor is an easy going man who's hobby is to collect antiques. Maritime history, such as old tickets from passenger liners, which he's framed and put on the wall, old perfume and cologne bottles, porcelain and ivory, all decorate the walls and shelves.

He also finds and restores old hair dresser equipment, such as the old fashioned hair dryer which is nestled against the wall, next to an wooden table that is stacked with books on local history.

This shop has a mix of smells that come from all of these things, as well as the smell of a dozen different hair products and soap. It is a relaxing place where the crisp clicking of scissors is heard above the soft voices from the radio, which is always set to the local talk program and never popular music.

The notes in Bergamotto Marino all come together to create this little coastal shop. It's uncanny, and I couldn't believe it a few minutes after spraying. I was instantly transported there and put into a state of relaxation, almost trance-like.

That being said, if I sniff my wrist and say to myself "Laundry", my imagination takes me to a grassy field by the sea on a sunny day, where sheets are hanging on the line in the wind, but for the most part it is the hair dresser's shop.

A great fragrance that I can form favorable connections to, maybe a bit on the feminine side with its floral notes, but for myself I have to give it a thumbs up.

08^th January, 2014

Cote D 'azure in a bottle

Opens fresh and vibrant, just as i expected (and happy with it) first 10 seconds are combining ingredients citrus,floral,sour.
After a few minutes the drydown comes in and oh my... i really gonna love this one!
For an EDC very good longevity with strength of a good Edt.

Its classy and by all means a bit sporty but in a yachtclub kinda way.
Its a great fresh scent maybe one of the best fresh scents i sniffed in a long while! It captivates me and presents me a scenery i try to descibe here :

IMAGINE :

Cote Azur,Cap Martin South France at the Italian border late 60's...
In a yachtclub in the port all boats and luxury yachts are lined up in the blue waters.

In this port a little marketplace with stacked up crates of fresh fruits like bergamots and citrus fruits is openened my the marketmen in the morning when the sunrises for a nice summer day.

In front of the port some bars are openened to get breakfast outside , classy women with hats and big sunglasses and gentlemen in white linen suits reading the morning paper and drinking orange juice.
Then a mild seabreeze opens and gets past the yachts,marketplace and bar with people...this breeze will captivate this scent.

I love it! it divined me a great cologne with almost eau de toilette and parfum like sillage/longevity.
It also beats my review on sunday cologne by byredo. its better in my opinion

Straight in my top 10

Pros: Fresh Vibrant and confidently dandy
Cons: hard to find here...."

26^th August, 2013

great value

a great light summertime scent. very favorable and just classic. not old man smelling classic but elegant and can be worn by all ages. longevity is great for and edc. blind bought it and love it.

Pros: longevity is great
Cons: nun!!

06^th July, 2013