Fragrance Reviews by Astaroth

In my opinion, this is one of the only "common" fragrances that comes up to the level of quality of the more expensive "distinguished" fragrances. The fruity top notes are terrific, but especially the lemon and mandarin. (Disclaimer: I'm a huge fan of lemon.) When it dries down, the cardamom, pepper, musk, and tobacco really have a chance to come through, and in the right proportions.

This scent has great sillage and longevity. Unless you have dry skin and a raging fever, you won't have to keep applying it. It's also very easy to recognize this scent; it really cannot be confused with anything else. It also shouldn't turn into anything nasty as it approaches drydown. I've actually never run into anyone wearing this that it didn't smell good on them, and it's worn commonly enough that this statement is not purely anecdotal. You can't go wrong with this fragrance.

This juice is incredible, intoxicating, and luxurious. I loved it as soon as I smelled it on me. In my opinion, it's better than the vast majority of non-niche "classy" fragrances out there (e.g. Tom Ford for Men, Boucheron Pour Homme, most Acqua di Parma --- except for maybe Colonia Assoluta, and even anything by Creed). This is usually what I wear when going to an upscale restaurant well-dressed with someone I want to impress.

I tested this against Profumum's Acqua di Sale today at the Scent Bar in Los Angeles, to see which fragrance was the more authentic marine scent. Aria di Mare came up to about 95% of the authenticity of Acqua di Sale, with the top notes seeming to detract more from its authenticity than the drydown (which was fantastic). Aria di Mare is less than half the cost of Acqua di Sale, has similar longevity, and provides almost everything that Acqua di Sale does. It is an excellent choice for a (relatively) inexpensive marine fragrance.

I tried this at the Scent Bar in Los Angeles today, pitting it against Il Profumo's Aria di Mare to see which was the more authentic marine fragrance. Lucky Scent describes Acqua di Sale as "the most realistic ocean scent we have ever encountered," and I am inclined to agree. There's no tanning lotion here; it just smells like you're catching an ocean breeze. Very authentic, and it lasts quite a while too. I applied it at 6pm and it is still detectable at 4am. And it hasn't morphed into some strange non-oceanic brew either; it's still just like sitting at the beach.

Having said that, it's pretty pricey, more than twice as much as the Aria di Mare for the same 100ml. And while the Aria di Mare starts out as a less authentic marine scent, it's drydown approaches a nice level of authenticity. So, if money is a concern and you can live with 95% of Acqua di Sale's authenticity, I recommend the Aria di Mare. But, if you really want total authenticity so that you can close your eyes and feel like you're really sitting right at the edge of the ocean, from application to drydown, Acqua di Sale is what you have been looking for.

This is not like other offerings from Carolina Herrera, which tend to not appeal to me that much. This is actually surprisingly good, and it lasts quite a while (unusually so, for an aquatic). I actually like it more than both Bvlgari Aqua and Azzaro Chrome Legend, two of my favorite aquatics. Frankly, I almost passed it by completely and tried it only as an afterthought.