04/18/2020
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Colonia instead of Corona. No. 1: Smooth Bergamot
No, the CoViD comments will not be continued, neither with regard to the name, nor to the daily publication frequency, neither now nor in the future. But the topic is still a hot topic, unfortunately, and I'll continue to touch on it from case to case.
I think yes, if any scents are appropriate epidemic times, then cologne. Why is that? Before I come to that, but first to a preliminary question: What do I mean by colognes? The term is also used as a term for a mere (weak) concentration of scents, even below that of eau de toilette; seen in this way, there can also be gourmand and oriental colognes. And in America, "cologne" has a gender-specific impact and is sometimes used for almost every halfway classic men's perfume. But in the probably most classical European sense, which I take as a basis here, is a cologne, Eau de Cologne, Acqua di Colonia, Kolínska Voda, is in the European linguistic usage quite actually a light scented water with a high alcohol content, with predominantly citric and/or other fresh scents, which is usually without a distinct fragrance and of very limited durability. So it is nonsense for me if today hypermodern leather-niche colognes and similar cinnabar are offered: there I am no less traditionalist than Korianke and his Trudchen.
A cologne is therefore never a pure scented product; even if it is the finest and most expensive Italian or French beach water, if it wants to earn its name "Colonia", it can never make you forget its origin and kinship with the world of body care and hygiene. Even the oldest eau de cologne was used for cleansing and its fresh scents were supposed to ward off the plague. Anyone who 200 years ago made a long journey by coach or 75 years ago by train and had no access to water and soap in the morning washed their face and hands with cologne or "Wasch-Cologne". That also made sense because alcohol dissolves sweat and body fat well. This middle position between perfume and alcoholic washing solution is perhaps best lived on in Turkey, where the immensely popular "colonyas" are also appreciated and loved for their scent, but are also used for rubbing after a hot car journey, for greeting guests with refreshments or for washing the face of sick people. And it is not surprising that in the current corona pandemic in Turkey, the colonyas, whose production and sales have risen madly, are used as everyday disinfectants because the viral envelopes cannot withstand the alcohol concentration.
Our "Eau de Cologne Classique" from Alpa is in this sense the very best cologne, refreshing, citrusy and cooling. It starts out immensely citric; in the centre there is unmistakably the bergamot (although the macabre aspect cannot remain unmentioned that this fruit is named after the city that has become the epicentre of the epidemic in Europe today). I would also suspect neroli and lime. However, this citric, which is already clearly reminiscent of the classic 4711, has its own unique character, namely cool and refreshing, but at the same time soft, almost velvety, and also slightly sweet. Without having the serious (and necessarily misguided) ambition to become a perfume, "Classique" has a certain duration (two to three hours if used generously) and the beginnings of a progression. I first perceived the base as fruity-sweet when writing the statement, I'd identify it today more as vanilla-woody; at least they're not extremely classic cologne notes, but they continue very appropriately and harmoniously the somewhat feminine, soft, for a cologne rather gentle beginning. I liked this fragrance excellently when I first tested it, then it seemed too sweet to me, in the meantime I like it again very much. Very, very far away, I even think I can sense a kindred spirit with the Cologne Imperial by Guerlain. In its delicacy and elegance, it is like the boeuf bourguignon of a French star chef to Bohemian goulash with dumplings. But there are also very elegant bohemian dumplings. And 100 ml of this "classic" (I give 6 points for the name) can be bought in drugstores in the Czech Republic for about 1.50 Euro, in Germany for 9.95 Euro by mail order via Pomadeshop
I think yes, if any scents are appropriate epidemic times, then cologne. Why is that? Before I come to that, but first to a preliminary question: What do I mean by colognes? The term is also used as a term for a mere (weak) concentration of scents, even below that of eau de toilette; seen in this way, there can also be gourmand and oriental colognes. And in America, "cologne" has a gender-specific impact and is sometimes used for almost every halfway classic men's perfume. But in the probably most classical European sense, which I take as a basis here, is a cologne, Eau de Cologne, Acqua di Colonia, Kolínska Voda, is in the European linguistic usage quite actually a light scented water with a high alcohol content, with predominantly citric and/or other fresh scents, which is usually without a distinct fragrance and of very limited durability. So it is nonsense for me if today hypermodern leather-niche colognes and similar cinnabar are offered: there I am no less traditionalist than Korianke and his Trudchen.
A cologne is therefore never a pure scented product; even if it is the finest and most expensive Italian or French beach water, if it wants to earn its name "Colonia", it can never make you forget its origin and kinship with the world of body care and hygiene. Even the oldest eau de cologne was used for cleansing and its fresh scents were supposed to ward off the plague. Anyone who 200 years ago made a long journey by coach or 75 years ago by train and had no access to water and soap in the morning washed their face and hands with cologne or "Wasch-Cologne". That also made sense because alcohol dissolves sweat and body fat well. This middle position between perfume and alcoholic washing solution is perhaps best lived on in Turkey, where the immensely popular "colonyas" are also appreciated and loved for their scent, but are also used for rubbing after a hot car journey, for greeting guests with refreshments or for washing the face of sick people. And it is not surprising that in the current corona pandemic in Turkey, the colonyas, whose production and sales have risen madly, are used as everyday disinfectants because the viral envelopes cannot withstand the alcohol concentration.
Our "Eau de Cologne Classique" from Alpa is in this sense the very best cologne, refreshing, citrusy and cooling. It starts out immensely citric; in the centre there is unmistakably the bergamot (although the macabre aspect cannot remain unmentioned that this fruit is named after the city that has become the epicentre of the epidemic in Europe today). I would also suspect neroli and lime. However, this citric, which is already clearly reminiscent of the classic 4711, has its own unique character, namely cool and refreshing, but at the same time soft, almost velvety, and also slightly sweet. Without having the serious (and necessarily misguided) ambition to become a perfume, "Classique" has a certain duration (two to three hours if used generously) and the beginnings of a progression. I first perceived the base as fruity-sweet when writing the statement, I'd identify it today more as vanilla-woody; at least they're not extremely classic cologne notes, but they continue very appropriately and harmoniously the somewhat feminine, soft, for a cologne rather gentle beginning. I liked this fragrance excellently when I first tested it, then it seemed too sweet to me, in the meantime I like it again very much. Very, very far away, I even think I can sense a kindred spirit with the Cologne Imperial by Guerlain. In its delicacy and elegance, it is like the boeuf bourguignon of a French star chef to Bohemian goulash with dumplings. But there are also very elegant bohemian dumplings. And 100 ml of this "classic" (I give 6 points for the name) can be bought in drugstores in the Czech Republic for about 1.50 Euro, in Germany for 9.95 Euro by mail order via Pomadeshop
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