Jul et Mad - Aqua Sextius

Picture: Fontaine-Albertas in Aix-en-Provence.
Photo: By Oslostudio under CC Attribution-Sharealike license
Wikipedia commons, some rights reserved

Inspired from Aix-en-Provence with its sparkling fountains, the latin name of the city gave name to Aqua Sextius, the founders of perfumehouse Jul et Mad, hired the it-perfumer Cecile Zarkoian to create a fitting blend.

Aqua Sextius starts with a concentrated limenote which reminds me of the classic Rose's limejuice. Soon an aquatic accord somewhere in between Aqua di Gio and Agua de Loewe joins  the lime together with a fresh, green, minty note. Even if not mentioned as a single note, I percieve something close to a soft cardamonnote mingling with the mint through the whole developement of the fragrance. A sort of clean and dry figgy note also appears in the middlenotes together with a slight flowery element. Some fresh, soft, woody notes together with a pleasant, clean musk anchors Aqua Sextius and the notes blends in a comforting and relaxing way.

Aqua Sextius is a perfect fragrance for relaxed casual wear but also easy to wear and not disturbing in the workplace despite its good sillage. The longevity is very good, for over a day even in warm, sunny, summertempratures. The style of Aqua Sextius is appropriate for summer but I also think it's a fragrance which is comfortable to wear in any season. A happy and easy to wear fragrance within the "mainstream niche"cathegory.

Picture: The well matched bottle of Aqua Sextius
Photo: PR Jul et Mad (c)

Those who like fresh fragrances in the style of  Parfumerie Generale Yuzu ab Iratio, Phaedon Cendres de The and Noir Marine will probably also appreciate Aqua Sextius. The fragrances doesn't smell the same but have common accords as for example the fresh cardamom smell in Cendres, the aquatic wood of Noir and the dry but juicy texture of Yuzu.

Rating: 5

Notes: Grapefruit, bergamot, mandarine, orange, the, mimosa, aquatic notes,mint, eucalypthus, white flowers, fig, pine, labdanum, amber, moss, cedar, guaiac wood, musk

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to try

Oscar de la Renta - Sargasso

Picture: Lines of  Sargassum 

Photo: Unknown, source NOAA FishWatch 

Wikimedia commons

Sargasso is a green slight flowery-acquatic, happy and sunny fragrance in the Oscar de la Renta Essential Luxuries line. Sargasso will express the essence of the Sargasso Sea, it's deep bluegreen
color and exceptional clarity that  touches the shores, the scents of salt and the marine vegetation that washes up to the beach at Oscar de la Rentas house.

Sargasso starts with an accord that is constructed (to my nose) as it has an embedded accord similar to the start of classical Eau de Rochas. It's just like that the "Eau de Rochas-accord" is a minor part of the main topaccord, which is smooth acquatic-green. When reaching the middle Sargasso becomes woodier and a bit sandy in texture, as sand meeting the salty water a sunny day, mixing in notes of driftwood and the special algae for the Sargasso Sea, Sargassum, just as the marketingblurb says. I can also smell traces of a flowery note, note that also is present in the base. The basenotes are smooth woody-green with supported by a slight white musky note, the same as present in Granada from this line, but to a lesser extent in Sargasso.

Sargasso is a smooth and tender acquatic fragrance in the fleeting style that characterizes many of the latest releases from many houses. I suspect that these fragrances are pre-compliant to the coming, much stricter regulations that probably will become effective the coming summer. Sargasso is discrete and is not chemical -screaming as some acquatics tend to be. It's a officefriendly character and best suitable for the summermonth, even if wearing it in the winter, conjures the images and feeling of the warmer season waiting about some months.


Sargasso is a fragrance for those who like Calypso Marine by Calypso Christiane Celle even if Marine is more distinctive, woodier and mediates a more watery feeling.

Rating: 3

Notes: Mandarin, lemon, juniper, petitgrain, spearmint, cucumber, lentisque, fennel, driftwood, patchouli, cypress

Loewe - Gala de Dia

Bild: Bamboo trees in Kyoto, Japan

Foto: Paul Vlaar, some rights reserved (cc) Wikimedia Commons

Ursprungligen publicerat på min tidigare blogg "Parfumistans blogg" på Damerns Världs hemsida i mars 2009.

Gala de Dia är en fruktig, vattnig floral komposition från det ärorika spanska läderhuset Loewe. GdD kom ut 1996, mitt under den aquatiska eran. Fruktigt, aquatiskt och floralt kan låta som rena skräckblandningen men faktum är att GdD ändå är riktigt bra. Visserligen typisk mainstream men den känns på något sätt inte lika kemisk som många andra i kategorin.

GdD inleds med persika och andra lite vattniga frukter, tack och lov inte melon. I mellanregistret finns mimosa, vattenjasmin, lilja och ros. I basen bambu, ambra, sandel- och cederträ.

GdD är egentligen den perfekta sommardoften men den går att använda året om dagtid. Fräsch och okomplicerad som inte kan störa någon. Med andra ord helt ofarlig, förutsägbar, linjär och på så sätt egentligen lite tråkig. Hållbarheten under dagen är bra. Men eftersom den passar så bra på mig blir det ändå ett bra betyg.

Betyg 4

Kommentar: Gala de Dia ligger nästan kvar på betygsskalan. Den är en bra doft i segmentet floral-aquatisk. Den är rund och blommig, inte så där kemiskt stickig som en del i gruppen lätt verkar bli. Betyg 2011: 3+.

Midsommardoften

.....blev en av de beskrivna midsommardofterna, nämligen den  havsinspirerade Eau Pure från Caron. De salta noterna blev extra tydliga i värmen den här gången. Très bien!