Young Hearts (Pure Essence) Bruno Acampora 2019
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Forest Disco
It is initially strange that the somewhat aging, traditional Italian company Bruno Acampora, founded in the mid-1970s, has taken the risk of launching a seven-scented series called "Acampora 54", which evokes the glamorous pre-Aids disco era of the excessive and legendary New York nightclub "Studio54". As soon as one knows that Bruno Acampora himself was a regular guest on the dance floor of Studio54 and somehow belonged to the sprawling haze of Andy Warhol, the connection becomes a little more obvious. According to this, fragrance number one also bears the name "Bruno" as a homage to its founder.
In the visuals that belong to the series (which includes a video entitled "Acampora 54" on YouTube, which I think is lukewarm rather than hot), Disco Inferno is celebrated in a rather orderly, tame and easily digestible way in chic images with pretty young people, including the inevitable disco ball.
To commission a Miguel Matos, self-taught perfumer and Fragrantica reviewer with a penchant for experimentation (see the "Scents of Fail"), to create the fragrances was probably the more daring step. This choice has turned out to be a possibly right one, at the latest after his "Young Hearts", part of the series, was chosen as the winner in the Independent category of the annual Los Angeles "Art and Olfaction Awards" in the middle of the month.
Young Hearts it is.
At the heart of the fragrance are the resins and balms of deep green boreal pine forests with their majestic radiance and tranquility. This has nothing to do with excessive nightclubbing, but it is at least as beautiful. The fragrance returns to this strong, calming mood over and over again during its many hours of fragrance development. The concentration of scent in the Extrait, which I'm testing, is sheer madness. A few molecules, dabbed onto the arm with the plastic stick from the specimen, and the scent can be perceived throughout the room. My family, contrary to other habits, commented loudly on all the scents (including "Robin" and "Relight my fire", and a small note below), which is unusual enough in itself, since my scent preferences don't usually bother anyone at home, so there are hardly any comments on scents. I have to say that I use scents sparingly, as I find a second shell of scent around me rather unattractive for outsiders. This time it was different, the booth smelled like a Scandinavian witch's forest. And just to be clear: Young Hearts was the clear favourite of all.
Young Hearts have a density and quality and urgency of aromas that I have so far only known from Annette Neuffer and some perfumes by Francesca Bianchi. The opening is a veritable green explosion of galbanum, bergamot and coniferous forest aromas, with bergamot ensuring that the overall impression remains fresh without drifting into galbanum-typical oily-bitter realms. The distinct presence of galbanum and, next to it, oakmoss, which forms the backbone of the fragrance along with the coniferous forest balsams, creates affinities with galbanum-infused chypre like Scherrer and Bandit, but looks much more modern compared to these old giants (both of whom I like very much).
In the course of time, other aspects become clearly visible: leathery, cool saffron, which creates a dusty, spicy grounding and darkening, and a deep dark red rose, over which other floral northern lights wander. Dark patchouli (this time without chocolate/hippie or flowerpot colouring) remains discreetly in the background, until finally, after more than 6 hours in the fragrance, the oak-mossy base comes up with what I think are clearly animalistic, but very attractive aspects through musk. Musk has a warm, sexy, somewhat grubby quality, which suits the drydown very well.
The fragrance combines warm and cool aspects, boreal freshness that plays with intimacy and skin warmth, as if you were snuggling up in a warm sleeping bag under the stars somewhere in Scandinavia's forests. And that is incredibly attractive and cosy and peaceful and beautiful.
Meanwhile, the others are welcome to wander around the clubs.
PS: I have only tested three of the 54s, and during the "Relight my fire" the dancing leg itched a lot. A retro floral-aldehyde firecracker, as if Grace Jones had just pulled up in a taxi. Gimme, gimme, gimme!
In the visuals that belong to the series (which includes a video entitled "Acampora 54" on YouTube, which I think is lukewarm rather than hot), Disco Inferno is celebrated in a rather orderly, tame and easily digestible way in chic images with pretty young people, including the inevitable disco ball.
To commission a Miguel Matos, self-taught perfumer and Fragrantica reviewer with a penchant for experimentation (see the "Scents of Fail"), to create the fragrances was probably the more daring step. This choice has turned out to be a possibly right one, at the latest after his "Young Hearts", part of the series, was chosen as the winner in the Independent category of the annual Los Angeles "Art and Olfaction Awards" in the middle of the month.
Young Hearts it is.
At the heart of the fragrance are the resins and balms of deep green boreal pine forests with their majestic radiance and tranquility. This has nothing to do with excessive nightclubbing, but it is at least as beautiful. The fragrance returns to this strong, calming mood over and over again during its many hours of fragrance development. The concentration of scent in the Extrait, which I'm testing, is sheer madness. A few molecules, dabbed onto the arm with the plastic stick from the specimen, and the scent can be perceived throughout the room. My family, contrary to other habits, commented loudly on all the scents (including "Robin" and "Relight my fire", and a small note below), which is unusual enough in itself, since my scent preferences don't usually bother anyone at home, so there are hardly any comments on scents. I have to say that I use scents sparingly, as I find a second shell of scent around me rather unattractive for outsiders. This time it was different, the booth smelled like a Scandinavian witch's forest. And just to be clear: Young Hearts was the clear favourite of all.
Young Hearts have a density and quality and urgency of aromas that I have so far only known from Annette Neuffer and some perfumes by Francesca Bianchi. The opening is a veritable green explosion of galbanum, bergamot and coniferous forest aromas, with bergamot ensuring that the overall impression remains fresh without drifting into galbanum-typical oily-bitter realms. The distinct presence of galbanum and, next to it, oakmoss, which forms the backbone of the fragrance along with the coniferous forest balsams, creates affinities with galbanum-infused chypre like Scherrer and Bandit, but looks much more modern compared to these old giants (both of whom I like very much).
In the course of time, other aspects become clearly visible: leathery, cool saffron, which creates a dusty, spicy grounding and darkening, and a deep dark red rose, over which other floral northern lights wander. Dark patchouli (this time without chocolate/hippie or flowerpot colouring) remains discreetly in the background, until finally, after more than 6 hours in the fragrance, the oak-mossy base comes up with what I think are clearly animalistic, but very attractive aspects through musk. Musk has a warm, sexy, somewhat grubby quality, which suits the drydown very well.
The fragrance combines warm and cool aspects, boreal freshness that plays with intimacy and skin warmth, as if you were snuggling up in a warm sleeping bag under the stars somewhere in Scandinavia's forests. And that is incredibly attractive and cosy and peaceful and beautiful.
Meanwhile, the others are welcome to wander around the clubs.
PS: I have only tested three of the 54s, and during the "Relight my fire" the dancing leg itched a lot. A retro floral-aldehyde firecracker, as if Grace Jones had just pulled up in a taxi. Gimme, gimme, gimme!
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