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Colonia Collection

Colonia Pura Acqua di Parma 2017

7.4 / 10 441 Ratings

A perfume by Acqua di Parma for men, released in 2017. The scent is citrusy-fresh. It is being marketed by LVMH.
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Main accords

Citrus

Fresh

Floral

Woody

Green

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Italian bergamot

Paraguayan petigrain

Italian orange

Heart Notes

Jasmine sambac absolute

French narcissus absolute

Russian coriander

Base Notes

Musk

Indonesian patchouli

Virginia cedar

Perfumer

François Demachy

Videos

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Ratings

Scent

7.4441 Ratings

Longevity

6.2386 Ratings

Sillage

5.9385 Ratings

Bottle

7.6370 Ratings

Value for money

6.8209 Ratings

Submitted by OPomone, last update on 10/29/2025.

Interesting Facts

The fragrance is part of the Colonia Collection collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Cologne

Basil & Neroli Cologne

Neroli 36 Eau de Parfum

Colonia Eau de Cologne

Echt Kölnisch Wasser Eau de Cologne

The Ghost in the Shell

Reviews

23 in-depth fragrance descriptions

06/19/2018

5Scent 6Longevity 5Sillage

Darkbeat
386 Reviews

Darkbeat

Very helpful Review 3

A cool colony too expensive for what it offers.

Today I am testing this Pure Colony of Acqua Di Parma, thanks to a sample, and that's it, a cool colony with an inflated price.

The output I love, it is a floral citrus aroma, quite pleasant, cheerful, fresh and sparkling, perfect for the heat of today, but, with how good the output is, in a matter of 20 minutes, it has given me a turn, that It has left me with a shrunken stomach, highlighting a pungent note of musky narcissus, which has stirred my guts, and it's a shame, because the start is fantastic, a pretty jovial and fresh aroma, incredibly nice to cool next summer, but its development, from the start, is deadly to my nose.

The perfume feels quality, but its performance is very loose, staying on my skin between 5 or 6 hours, with a moderate low projection, and although it sticks to the skin almost from the beginning, the narcissus got into my nose , and I was dizzy, smelled continuously, but only me, because I told my family members to smell me, and they told me that it smelled soft, but very well, in short, things of each other's chemistry.

It is a perfume of warm and temperate climates, and for day use, for casual outings and morning walks is a good candidate.

Being honest is a perfume that smells good, but I would not recommend it, especially due to its high cost and poor performance. It is one of those perfumes that I highly recommend a test before buying, to avoid disappointment, and once tested, if you like it, you yourself will know if it is worth the disbursement or not.

Sorry for my bad english.

03/27/2024

6.5Scent 7Longevity 6Sillage

Smeriglio
72 Reviews

Smeriglio

1

Forced ventilation

Bergamot and orange with an aldehyde edge kick off this fragrance. The aldehyde note remains and forms an aura that persists throughout the development of the perfume. At the center of the pyramid, narcissus and jasmine flowers contrast with the spicy note of coriander and quickly leave the scene to make room for a blend kept fresh by aldehydes, composed of cedar wood, patchouli and white musk.
A composition that makes use of good raw materials, but which is too focused on aldehydes.

10/10/2025

5.5Scent 7Longevity 6Sillage

joelajackson
4 Reviews

joelajackson

1

Modern take on classic 4711 profile

I went on a mission this summer to try neroli-forward traditional colognes. I hoped to find something fresh that fits a casual T-shirt vibe for Westside LA. I grabbed 5 ml decants of Neroli Portofino, Mandarino di Amalfi, Colonia Essenza, and Colonia Pura and wore them throughout the heat. Pura ended up my favorite of the bunch. The twist is that the whole “neroli cologne” lane ended up reading formal to me. Pura is less formal, which leaves it in a tricky spot. When I want a dressy cologne, I would reach for Mandarino di Amalfi, and for truly casual, I would go outside the lane. I’m sure I’ll finish off the decant next summer, but won’t re-buy.

TL;DR: Easier-going Essenza energy with an ozonic, airy opening, then a smoother floral-citrus where orange shows more than expected, finishing in a clean woody-musk that sits close. Clean, modern, polite. Casual feel in a traditionally formal genre. It does evolve from opening to heart to drydown; not wildly, but enough to feel like a journey. Probably a good wardrobe piece for someone who likes this scent profile, less so for me.

Rating:

Opening: 3.1/5
Drydown: 2.8/5
Overall: 5.9/10

Opening
Early ozonic hit. Petitgrain pushes a clear soapiness on my skin, stronger than I prefer. I had hoped that skipping neroli would avoid that effect, but petitgrain plus white musks and airy florals creates the same “Cheap McDonalds Soap Dispenser” vibe (how my nose reads heavy neroli). It feels like a softer, friendlier Essenza that stays in the classic cologne mold, just airier. As the soapiness settles inside the first half hour, a gentle orange facet unexpectedly comes forward.

Heart
From about 60 to 120 minutes, it is an easier floral-citrus that is smooth and tidy, with a light herbal thread. The coriander note blends with the florals and reads greener than Essenza. It is pleasant and feels purposefully “traditional cologne” while clearly offering a unique take.

Drydown
By hour 5, you are in a clean woody-musk of cedar, soft patchouli, and white musks. It does not project much, but it has more presence than the airy opening suggests. Quietly masculine and easy to carry into evening. The core trace lingers to about 7 hours, mostly at skin level.

Performance on me
Polite, but strong for the genre. About 1.5 to 2 hours of aura, then close to skin. Roughly 5 to 7 hours total, with the last stretch as a subtle skin scent. I’d catch scents of it through the day if I applied it to my wrists if I was hand talking.

Versatility
High in theory and trickier in practice. The DNA says formal, but it wears casual on me. I would use it for a T-shirt-and-shorts creative meeting, although I still prefer other summer picks for that slot.

Use cases
Office days, client coffees, brunch where you want the first hug to smell clean. School events and travel days, anywhere conservative etiquette helps.

Vibe
White tee, good jeans, fresh haircut. It’s clean and modern, but not “too cool”. This is the well dressed guy who's wearing a white t-shirt tucked into jeans with a crew cut. He looks good, smells good, but doesn't have too much main character energy. The cooler dude with messy hair who may be stealing your girl is probably wearing Neroli Portofino.

Blind-buy safe?
No. I think this whole genre requires testing. Won’t perform well enough for some. Florals won’t land for others. Too mature for yet others. Give it a decant if you want a clean, modern feeling cologne that replaces some of the “Floral!” with ozone and aldehydes.

Comparisons
Colonia Essenza: Sharper, dressier, more neroli-forward snap and more obvious soapiness. Pura is softer and airier, a modernized take.
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino: Louder orange-blossom soap. Next to NP, Pura reads less soapy and more airy and orange-clean. Less floral, more white-musk and ozonic.
Tom Ford Mandarino di Amalfi: Juicier mandarin and grapefruit with *mint, basil, and thyme. More sparkly and aromatic in the heart; less overtly soapy than *Pura. Dries down to light citrus-aromatic over musks and woods, while Pura turns cleaner and more white-musk polished.
Dior Homme Cologne (2020): Brighter “iced-lemonade” citrus and better early projection. Pura trades fizz for tidiness.
Le Labo Bergamote 22: Greener, grapefruit-tinged bergamot with a diffusive *musky-woody* halo and a clearer vetiver and cedar second act. B22 radiates more, while Pura stays closer and cleaner. It still has a three-phase evolution, just subtler.

Conclusion

Colonia Pura threads the needle between classic Italian cologne polish and modern, low-key cleanliness. It was my favorite of the group, yet it is the least “me,” because it lives between dressy and casual. If you want that perfect just-showered aura without orange-blossom drama, this nails it. If you want sparkle, volume, or a signature flourish, reach for Bergamote 22, Dior Homme Cologne, or Mandarino di Amalfi. For hot days when you want to look put together without trying, Pura delivers exactly what it promises.

Context for review: Multiple wears from a 5 ml decant, warm weather, moisturized skin, mostly indoors with brief outdoor breaks.

03/15/2018

7Scent 5Longevity 5Sillage

loewenherz
916 Reviews

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loewenherz

Top Review 33

Chnuddelchatz

Once a week, I have a regular meeting in a completely different, unfamiliar hallway. And because I like a colleague who is also a fixed part of this group, and her office is on the way to this meeting, I occasionally pick her up on the way there. Recently, she was still sitting briefly with her boss and signaled to me that she would be finished soon - and that I should wait for her for a moment. So there I stood among unfamiliar desks, and on one of them sat - still in its original packaging - a bottle of Acqua di Parma's Colonia Pura. And suddenly it dawned on me: that's for Chnuddelchatz!

That colleague - a rather prosaic and sober, but by no means misanthropic person - has been telling me for months about a colleague in her team who calls her partner twice every single day - once in the morning and once in the afternoon. She doesn’t address him by his name and doesn’t simply call him 'Schatz', but 'Schnuddelschatz'. And she talks to him in baby talk, where the 'sch' is pronounced like 'ch' in 'ich', so: 'Chnuddelchatz'. And my colleague never knows whether to quietly break down in her bag or go around the table and give the cooing lovebird a gentle headbutt.

Chnuddelchatz will soon be fifty, as the whole hallway has known for weeks. And as a very special gift, they are going for a long Chnuddel weekend at a totally romantic Chnuddel hotel, probably to snuggle from Friday to Sunday evening. But since just the Chnuddel card with the voucher looks a bit meager - and Chnuddelchatz could also use a new Chnuddeldüftchen - she has now considered that she could buy him such a Chnuddeldüftchen. It has turned out to be Colonia Pura. Nice that I’m finally up to date!

I don’t know Chnuddelchatz personally, but I’m sure he will like Colonia Pura. Almost everyone should like Colonia Pura - okay, FabianO not so much, I just noticed - it is harmless enough not to displease anyone. A really nice, zesty, hesperidic top note, a playful, sweet Chnuddel heart, and a warm woody musk base. It has worked countless times, and it will work again. For a house like Acqua di Parma, which has a true classic in its portfolio with Colonia, it actually offers a bit too little. As a cash cow for spring/summer 2018, it will still suffice.

Conclusion: a Chnuddel scent for Chnuddelchatz. And now I’m going to wash my mouth out with soap.

08/06/2017

7.5Scent 6Longevity 6Sillage

DaveGahan101
535 Reviews

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DaveGahan101

Top Review 17

Like a wine tasting..

...one should ideally test perfumes in the early morning/forenoon, as palate, nose, and tongue are still unburdened. Said..done! Yesterday at Breuninger, I was quite surprised to encounter Pura, as I had been told two weeks prior that it would only be released in September. It wasn't even prominently displayed on a special presentation tray, but rather inconspicuously next to the cash register. The joy was even greater that it was already available for purchase and not just for testing purposes. Sprayed a little, took a city tour, bought it:-)!
I have done 3 test rounds so far, and today's test deviates a bit from the others.
But let's go in order...
Colonia Pura starts extremely fresh and zesty, freshly squeezed lemon with a splash of orange. It's fresher and more citrusy than all the Colonias combined. Wow.. I wouldn't have necessarily expected that from the listed notes. You immediately know you have THE Colonia - the original - under your nose, fresh, tart, and typically masculine. This is exactly the difference for me compared to many Atelier Cologne scents, which are "only" the world champions of top notes; a contrast, a (masculine) counterpart is often missing, they are often one-dimensional (still often smell good!). The original Colonia is immediately "there," and yet the scent feels new, fresh, modern, and somehow clean.. maybe that's what "Pura" is meant to convey!? Clean not in the sense of dirty, but tidy, slim, transparent, and each individual note can be clearly detected, except for coriander. Green stuff from the herb kitchen, yes, but coriander.. no idea, doesn't matter.
In the extremely muggy 30 degrees yesterday, only the citrus notes came to the fore during the first two tests, along with the slightly soapy-creamy musk base. This morning, for the first time, I picked up the flowers and a hint of sweetness. Mainly, I could recognize the enchanting jasmine, which is often difficult in men's fragrances because it takes on a feminine direction, but not here. Even the Hermes-worthy Narcisse can't change that. Well dosed and still thoroughly a men's fragrance, but certainly wearable by women, although it will probably still be too tart for many.
The fragrance passes through the individual phases at a gallop; after 30 minutes, you've experienced everything. The highlights for me are clearly the top note and the even more beautiful floral heart note, as the scent has a certain depth in this phase. The patchouli in the base can be neglected; it's more of a hint than something that gives the fragrance a base or foundation.
Even though Pura isn't extremely different (except for the mono-club), I like it best with the original and it can still be wonderfully worn for the next 4-6 weeks; I find it a bit too refined for autumn and winter. It is the same yet so different from its brothers. Those who own the others probably don't need to have this one. If Colonia was too old-school for you, you might find joy in this one.
Longevity and sillage are Colonia-like. I do not regret the purchase; however, the fragrance came to market 2-3 months too late, like Cedro di Taormina back then, as it is a perfect spring and summer scent.

A beautiful, fresh variant and facet from the original classic theme, which is absolutely successful.
Not a must-have, but a very good fragrance!

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