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Profumo by Acqua di Parma

post #1 of 23
5/26/09 at 7:33am
Thread Starter 
I'm hoping some of you could help me with my memory of an amazing fragrance I smelled a few years ago by Acqua di Parma.

I was at the Italy exhibit at Epcot in Disney World a few years ago, and the gift shop was selling what I believe was AdP's entire range. I sample all of them on smelling strips, but unfortunately I didn't write the names of the scents down. The one that stood out to me the most smelled very "dark", somewhat leathery, and had a strong patchouli note - it was fabulous, very "exotic" smelling. For some reason, I'm thinking it was "Profumo" which is their most expensive fragrance (around $250), but I'm not sure. Since then, I've learned that Profumo is marketed as a woman's fragrance, but it smelled very masculine to me, a bit like Givenchy Gentlemen with more leather and patchouli (my descriptions may not be accurate, but describe what it smelled like to me).

Can anyone send me in the right direction with this? I really want to find out what it was I was smelling because it was fabulous.
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post #2 of 23
5/26/09 at 9:17am
Colonia Intensa has a great leathery dry down
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post #3 of 23
5/26/09 at 9:25am
I think adonis might be correct.

Profumo, is a wonderful chypre that can easily be worn by a man, but I don't recall it being particularly patchouli/leather prominent.
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post #4 of 23
5/26/09 at 9:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

I think adonis might be correct.



I hope so, as it might be a first
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post #5 of 23
5/26/09 at 9:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by shamu1 View Post

Can anyone send me in the right direction with this? I really want to find out what it was I was smelling because it was fabulous.

Oh yes, it was fabulous! It was, because the one you have smelled is now discontinued and most recently replaced by a new fragrance with the same name, created by Nathalie Lorson.
The old Profumo was a bold chypre of one´s dreams - mossy, smoky, fruity and absolutely wearable by men, more than Mitsouko in my opinion. It´s a pity that it´s gone, although the new Profumo is said to be a very good fragrance as well - but much more feminine than the older one.

Here are two very good reviews on Profumo:

http://perfumesmellinthings.blogspot...a-profumo.html
http://graindemusc.blogspot.com/2008...-di-parma.html
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post #6 of 23
5/26/09 at 10:09am
I bought two bottles of Profumo for A$30 each when a shop was closing down some years back down here. I gave one to my wife and one to my cousin in Italy. It wasn't ultra feminine, but I wouldn't call it masculine either. My wife may have worn it once since then - she doesn't seem to be much of a fan - but my cousin has used all her bottle up.
Renato
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post #7 of 23
5/26/09 at 11:25am
Colonia Intensa came out in 2007, so if your visit preceded that date, then chances are it is something else. The thing is, I haven't smelled any other ADP scent with a leather prominent note.
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post #8 of 23
5/26/09 at 11:30am
I smelled Profumo recently (so it must be a recent formulation). It reminded me quite a bit of Amouage Jubilation 25.
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post #9 of 23
5/26/09 at 12:59pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sables View Post

Oh yes, it was fabulous! It was, because the one you have smelled is now discontinued and most recently replaced by a new fragrance with the same name, created by Nathalie Lorson.
The old Profumo was a bold chypre of one´s dreams - mossy, smoky, fruity and absolutely wearable by men, more than Mitsouko in my opinion. It´s a pity that it´s gone, although the new Profumo is said to be a very good fragrance as well - but much more feminine than the older one.

Here are two very good reviews on Profumo:

http://perfumesmellinthings.blogspot...a-profumo.html
http://graindemusc.blogspot.com/2008...-di-parma.html


I think you've hit on it, unfortunately. I hope you're wrong, but what you've described sounds like what I smelled (plus, I smelled it in 2006, before Intensa came out). How did you get this information about its being discontinued, especially considering the same name is being used?

P.S. Do you know of any other fragrances that are similar to the old Profumo? The smell was intoxicating and I'd like to find a substitute.
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post #10 of 23
5/26/09 at 1:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shamu1 View Post

P.S. Do you know of any other fragrances that are similar to the old Profumo? The smell was intoxicating and I'd like to find a substitute.

Why not give Intensa a try? It's in the same family, probably closer to what you smelled than a scent from another house.
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post #11 of 23
5/26/09 at 3:52pm
I own the old one. I find the new one extremely similiar to The Party and Jubiliation. The old Profumo is one of the most classiest fragrances I have ever come across upon. It smells of quality oakmoss dipped in plum syrup and left to dry on a breezy, autumn day.
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post #12 of 23
5/26/09 at 8:48pm
I have sampled this and had the feeling that it was too feminine for me. If there are those that can pull this off.....go for it and enjoy.....I wish I could.
Gary
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post #13 of 23
5/27/09 at 7:03am
I have a pre-reformulated Profumo and it's an amazing chypre - worth seeking out for chype fans. The oakmoss takes hold after 30 minutes and lingers for hours. I find it perfectly unisex if not slightly masculine in the base.
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post #14 of 23
5/27/09 at 9:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by shamu1 View Post

I think you've hit on it, unfortunately. I hope you're wrong, but what you've described sounds like what I smelled (plus, I smelled it in 2006, before Intensa came out). How did you get this information about its being discontinued, especially considering the same name is being used?

P.S. Do you know of any other fragrances that are similar to the old Profumo? The smell was intoxicating and I'd like to find a substitute.

VoilÃ*: http://www.nstperfume.com/2008/07/14...-new-perfumes/

I´m afraid, a substitute is hard to find... Maybe Rochas Femme (forget the name!) preferably vintage or Castle Forbes Lonach, a scent dedicated to men but close to Profumo. But at first I would try the new Profumo, maybe it´s not that bad and wearable by men, too. Nathalie Lorson is a fantastic perfumer and I´m sure she did a good job! (She also created Encre Noire and Perles de Lalique!)
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post #15 of 23
8/13/09 at 10:52am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sables View Post

VoilÃ*: http://www.nstperfume.com/2008/07/14...-new-perfumes/

I´m afraid, a substitute is hard to find... Maybe Rochas Femme (forget the name!) preferably vintage or Castle Forbes Lonach, a scent dedicated to men but close to Profumo. But at first I would try the new Profumo, maybe it´s not that bad and wearable by men, too. Nathalie Lorson is a fantastic perfumer and I´m sure she did a good job! (She also created Encre Noire and Perles de Lalique!)

I read Tania Sanchez' recent review of Profumo, and she describes it as "prune chypre", and suspects that it is an old formula re-bottled. Her description does make me wonder: Is there any chance that AdP has gone back to selling the original superb version of Profumo? I hope so!
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post #16 of 23
8/13/09 at 2:22pm
shamu1 have you tried Colonia Intensa and/or the 'new' Profumo yet? I believe you can get samples from The Perfumed Court of both.

If not, please do, as I'm sure this will clear up a lot of your confusion.
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post #17 of 23
8/13/09 at 4:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sables View Post

Oh yes, it was fabulous! It was, because the one you have smelled is now discontinued and most recently replaced by a new fragrance with the same name, created by Nathalie Lorson.
The old Profumo was a bold chypre of one´s dreams - mossy, smoky, fruity and absolutely wearable by men, more than Mitsouko in my opinion. It´s a pity that it´s gone, although the new Profumo is said to be a very good fragrance as well - but much more feminine than the older one.

Here are two very good reviews on Profumo:

http://perfumesmellinthings.blogspot...a-profumo.html
http://graindemusc.blogspot.com/2008...-di-parma.html

This fits in with my knowledge of it. I was lucky enough to buy a bottle of Profumo back in the mid-90s, and it is (even after all these years) perfect, and very wearable by a man. I keep it in the original box to protect it from light and heat, and it usually gets worn for an evening out on my birthday or wedding anniversary or other special celebration. It's that good!

The other day, i was at Saks, and what looked like exactly the same perfume (red box, squat round bottle) is without a doubt the new one. It's quite nice, but I would agree a bit thinner and a bit more feminine.
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post #18 of 23
8/13/09 at 8:01pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

shamu1 have you tried Colonia Intensa and/or the 'new' Profumo yet? I believe you can get samples from The Perfumed Court of both.

If not, please do, as I'm sure this will clear up a lot of your confusion.

I hope you're right because the Colonia Intensa is still in production. I was the original poster of this thread a few months ago, and as I wrote then, the fragrance I smelled and am trying to identify smelled very dark and rich, like a leathery chypre with a strong patchouli base. Does this describe Colonia Intensa? One reason I think you may be right is that the fragrance I smelled definitely smelled like a masculine fragrance, not something that would be marketed towards women, which now makes me question whether it was the Profumo I was smelling. Again, I hope you're right!
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post #19 of 23
8/14/09 at 6:04am
Just my two cents - I think you were right in the first place with Profumo. I have Colonia Intensa, and wouldn't describe it as patchouli or leather. Though they may be notes, they certainly aren't prominent enough for you to take that away as an initial impression.
I have also smelled the Profumo at EPCOT - it is in different packaging than the "new" one. The one in EPCOT was like $325 I believe... the one more widely available (such as Sephora website) is ~$170. The AdP rep there said that the version there was only available there and the Italian boutiques (take that for what it's worth though). I haven't smelled the new one, but the one in EPCOT Italy was an incredibly robust chypre in the classic style with a leathery base. I soaked a card with it, and the GF and I went to dinner in France and smelled it through the evening. It was rich and masculine enough that I didn't even realize it was marketed to women until I got home and looked it up.
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post #20 of 23
8/14/09 at 6:12am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrd4t View Post

Just my two cents - I think you were right in the first place with Profumo. I have Colonia Intensa, and wouldn't describe it as patchouli or leather. Though they may be notes, they certainly aren't prominent enough for you to take that away as an initial impression.
I have also smelled the Profumo at EPCOT - it is in different packaging than the "new" one. The one in EPCOT was like $325 I believe... the one more widely available (such as Sephora website) is ~$170. The AdP rep there said that the version there was only available there and the Italian boutiques (take that for what it's worth though). I haven't smelled the new one, but the one in EPCOT Italy was an incredibly robust chypre in the classic style with a leathery base. I soaked a card with it, and the GF and I went to dinner in France and smelled it through the evening. It was rich and masculine enough that I didn't even realize it was marketed to women until I got home and looked it up.

jrd4t, unfortunately for me ($325 - OW!!), I think you're right about this. What you've described is exactly what I smelled. I smelled it in 2007 at Disney. When did you try it?

It was truly an amazing scent. I'm hoping to go to Disney next summer and if it's still there, I may consider coughing up the $325 to get it, it's that good.
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post #21 of 23
8/14/09 at 6:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by shamu1 View Post

jrd4t, unfortunately for me ($325 - OW!!), I think you're right about this. What you've described is exactly what I smelled. I smelled it in 2007 at Disney. When did you try it?

It was truly an amazing scent. I'm hoping to go to Disney next summer and if it's still there, I may consider coughing up the $325 to get it, it's that good.

Probably around the beginning of this year. Next time I'm there, I'll swing by and get more details for you. We go there probably once a month or so.
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post #22 of 23
8/14/09 at 7:15am
The plot thickens...

I had never heard of 2 versions of Profumo - well...except for the vintage & new versions. Interesting.
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post #23 of 23
8/14/09 at 10:28am
Thread Starter 
Well, I'm going to assume I'm not going to be able to obtain or afford the vintage Profumo, so do any of you know of a good substitute?

I would describe the vintage Profumo as dark, smoky, leathery chypre with strong patchouli base. Emphasis on the dark and patchouli. Any suggestions?
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