Jewels of Blu Aqaba 2007

...came to my mind from the very first moment, from the very first breath, after the very first spray of "Jewels of Blu" on my skin.
"The Blue Lagoon," that romantically kitschy cult film from 1980, which drew millions of people around the world to cinemas to admire the touchingly innocent, sensually sweet child-woman Brooke Shields alongside the equally innocent Christopher Atkins, whose scant loincloth revealed more than it concealed.
I was twelve that year, just old enough for a 12 rating, yet far too young for "adult stuff" in the eyes of my parents, who simply forbade me from watching the film in theaters - a ban I resented deeply, though I never dared to circumvent it.
And so I secretly pined for all the images that could be seen from the film - the turquoise-gold sparkling sea, the snow-satin white beach, the flattering soft light on apricot-like skin.
I dreamed myself into the soft waves of warm water, felt the tingling of the sun, the crunch of the sand, the silky gentle wind with its scent of bright blossoms, of ripe fruits still high in the tree somewhere.
I was twelve - my dreams did not go much further, not in that time.
That changed over the years, with the boys, with the men along the path that was mine and carried me further, ever further away from the blue lagoon, from its gentle sensuality, from the innocence of those days, which Brooke and Christopher also could not hold onto for long.
And at some point, I forgot them, forgot the beautiful young people and the island of Nanuya Lailai, that little paradise, forgot my dreams of scents and colors -

- until "Jewels of Blu" unexpectedly made me whirl backwards through time and space, I was twelve once again for the duration of this test.
Until the fragrance allowed me to indulge in light and air and ease, wrapped in a gossamer-thin cocoon of delicate flowers, ripe fruits, juicy yet not sticky sweet, not cloyingly sugary.
Lightly tanned skin, silky shimmering, gently creamed.
Water that is just water, no shower gel blue, no sea air salt, no brackishness, no fish, not even driftwood.
Sensually gentle tenderness, almost childlike still.
And close, so very close to my skin, in my hair, only perceptible to the "we."

"Jewels of Blu" is a clear fragrance, straightforward, uncomplicated, without being unpretentious, cheap, or banal.
It is catchy, yet not simplistic - it reveals itself to its wearer very soon, it is friendly, open, unpretentious.
A fragrance that welcomes me, again and again, day after day, that does not impose itself, does not push me aside, entirely foreign to pressing and overwhelming.
A "I feel good, you do me good," that wants exactly this and nothing more.
An island in the hustle and bustle of this time, a refuge from the madness of some days - a blue lagoon, just for me alone.
And for those who are close to me, very close.

PS: Bigalchen - thank you!

Head to the left. Arm outstretched. Head to the right. Foot out. Foot in. Arm bent - aargh, I can't fall asleep! OK, focus thoughts. Think of something beautiful, your perfume collection. Hmm,... aah, purr... oooh.. wait, what is that, Jewels of Blu, I almost forgot about it, from Michelangelo's sale. But now, now I'm ready for it. Duvet back, barefoot scurrying to the bathroom, grab the bottle, back, two sprays on the pillow, lie back down, cover up, press my nose in and try to sniff out the components until I’m tired.

But instead of revealing the secret of its ingredients, it transports me to a place that is very foggy. Steamy. And warm. A little further away, a couple is chatting in a foreign but melodious language and laughing. We are all naked and sweating. But completely relaxed.
I am in Aqaba, the city by the Red Sea, sitting in a steam room and lazily lounging on a heated reclining bench made of beautiful turquoise mosaic tiles. The room is hexagonal. Between the couple and me stands a gilded fountain that splashes loudly. On the whitewashed stone walls, I can see paintings of exotic flowers and fruits through the steam. Tropical ferns and blossoms hang down from flower pots in the niches. Above us is a black dome, adorned with many small white, yellow, and blue LEDs, creating the feeling of sitting directly under a starry sky.
However, the starry sky is dripping because a tiled stove that matches the interior emits so much steam. The steam smells good. Very oriental, but not heavy, rather fresh. Fruity, citrusy, and watery-spicy, very light. The watery aspect has nothing to do with an “Axe Ocean fresh” or something similarly blue; the scent should actually be called “Jewels of turquoise.” Turquoise and apricot. That’s how it smells. An oriental wellness fragrance, clean and, as I find, ethereal. Not one that smells like what we Europeans probably imagine the Orient to be, but like one that actually comes from the Orient.

And so I let the Orient keep its secrets; instead of analyzing, I breathe in indulgently, ever slower and deeper, allowing myself to be filled with turquoise from the inside (which, by the way, is a meditation mantra for inner cleansing) until I fall asleep.

With the wellness association, Jewels of Blu is also great to wear in the cold season when sauna and steam bath temples are in high season. Although it smells light, it is powerful and creates a decent sillage. When I wake up the next morning, I can still clearly recognize the base note on my pillow, although it now becomes clear that the citrusy Ylang-Ylang is the ruler of the land. But it does its job well. There is peace in Jordan.

Addendum: Unfortunately, it has since been reformulated. What a shame. Why? The reformulated version smells like all the other Aqabas, just somehow more watery. Before, it was something special. R.I.P. :o(

For Jewels of Blue, almost the same floral and fruity notes are indicated as for the original Aqaba classic. But what a difference! Jewels of Blue is much brighter, sweeter, and fresher than Aqaba. Here, you can clearly feel that jasmine is in charge. The fruits are used more sparingly here. I like that a bit better! After a while, jasmine is beautifully complemented by the slightly citrusy ylang-ylang.

The floral top and heart notes are underlaid with a base of light musk and vanilla. There is at most a hint of patchouli. I find the base note exceptionally well-crafted and balanced. Above all, the vanilla remains subtle and transparent. I believe it is the ylang-ylang, with its light citrusy nature, that takes away the heaviness from the vanilla. In any case, it is an exceptionally delicate vanilla accord. Not a Dr. Oetker pudding, but a very light, airy whipped cream with a bit of grated lemon zest.

A beautiful, light perfume for spring and summer.

Since I unfortunately do not know the exact notes of this fragrance, I can only very vaguely identify what I am smelling. It definitely contains selected spices. This perfume smells light and pleasant. At first glance, the bottle appears rather Eastern. I would also categorize the perfume in this direction due to its blend of spices.

Finally, an oriental fragrance that doesn't overwhelm!
The perfume feels exquisite, it is definitely worth the money.