Essence of the Park

The Essence of Central Park

Carthusia 2015 Profumo

So far, I have always found the Carthusia fragrances to be very, very appealing, but their longevity left something to be desired. 1681 is the best example for me! The historical story with the island also makes the brand very likable.
When I was looking for a fresh scent that could hold up even at 40 degrees four weeks ago, I came across this fragrance at the Schlossparfumerie in Stuttgart, or rather, the lovely saleswoman held it right under my nose. She seems to know me quite well! Because Central Park is simply superb, this scent is absolutely worship-worthy! My knees are already quite sore, as there are so many wonderful new fragrances out right now! Central Park is one of them, at least when it comes to summer scents!
CP grabbed me from the first spray, it has everything I love in a fresh fragrance. With its zesty, citrusy, and floral freshness, it easily dispels any sticky humidity and instantly lifts the mood. Okay, many citrus scents can do that; after all, it’s said that sour makes you cheerful, but many of the related fragrances often lose their potency after just 15-30 minutes. Here, CP can keep going. Namely, with a great salty/aquatic note reminiscent of Oltremare or 40 Knoten. It has also taken on the slight sweetness of both fragrances in the background. Similar to the new Panorama, where the fig was responsible for the light sweetness. Here, I can't yet identify any suspects among the many fragrance notes; they are too perfectly intertwined.
I suspect lily of the valley and musk with minimal vanilla/tonka. Yes, CP is also wonderfully green-floral, but less grassy than Panorama. I can also detect a light spiciness from pepper and resins. I would also mention saffron, even though it is not listed. For a fresh fragrance, CP really comes across as exceptionally elegant and high-quality. It’s not a hastily thrown-together water, but rather crafted with great love for detail...almost like it’s been refined by hand. CP is not easily forgotten like many of those shower gel fresh scents that all smell the same; it stands out miles ahead and absolutely deserves its high rating here. I wouldn’t have necessarily expected such elegance and beauty from the brand. 92€/50ml for an Eau de Parfum in this fragrance direction is certainly not a Nice Price either.
And here we come to the only "small" weak point: for an Eau de Parfum, the scent does not last extremely long. Four weeks ago, I thought this was due to the extreme heat and constant sweating, as it lasted only about 3 hours then. But in the last few days, with significantly cooler temperatures, it was only about 5 hours, starting with very good sillage, later then just barely above skin level. This is the only drawback of this fragrance that prevented it from receiving the highest rating. Everything else about this scent is wonderful!!! Next spring, it’s a surefire candidate for me!

A scent like a down.
A scent like a whisper.

In delicate streaks, it gently settles
on the skin.

Tangerine, shimmering and clear.
Jasmine, airy and bright.
Alongside allspice, stripped of its sharpness, accentuated and earthy.
In gentle complement, fragrant blossoms.
And finally, in harmony with you,
soulful and warm,
tonka bean and emerald green
milky musk.

A small jewel, sensual and fine,
created for angels
more than for humans.

Carthusia has succeeded in capturing the aromatic scent and atmosphere of a summer morning in the park with "Essence of the Park - The Essence of Central Park".
One summer morning that I can still remember well, but unfortunately has faded a bit.

This scent certainly evokes nostalgic feelings for me. How lovely it used to be to stroll through green spaces or parks in the morning hours and to delight in the awakening nature.
Large meadows and clearings, which consisted not only of grass but also of many wild herbs, invited barefoot walking; the dew under bare feet was another pleasure of those summer hours.
Today, much is trampled, littered with burn holes from "wild grilling" and covered with a lot of trash and food scraps.
Many parks and green spaces remind me in the early morning of the zoo after the legendary "Love Parade"! Certain paths also become self-evident: they are used as public toilets, and you can smell that too.

Thus, "Essence of the Park" vividly reminds me of the past and of morning walks in one of the large public cemeteries around the corner.
Due to the wall construction, large areas still lie fallow today, where anything that wants to grow is allowed to do so. Since the sprinkler regularly runs, this "wild growth" is only occasionally trimmed by targeted mowing. The different grave plantings and an old tree population give this place something enchanting, harmonious, which is naturally also united in the scent.
Here, I collect my wild herbs (sorrel, dandelion, and many others) on Sunday mornings, which I use for salads or dressings. Freshly cut and untreated, they offer the senses a pure aroma explosion.
The almost untouched flora and fauna in the middle of the city (even woodpeckers and squirrels live there) is a refreshment for body and soul, which I greatly appreciate.

"Essence of the Park" leads one into fragrant urban greenery on an early morning; whether it necessarily has to be Central Park is left to each individual.
The freshness of citrus fruits - lemon leads the scent parade here lightly - is wonderfully accompanied by the herbal aroma of lavender. This already creates a certain Mediterranean touch; a light sea breeze adds to it.
Artemisia adds a slightly bitter note to this mixture; it is no coincidence that wormwood belongs to this plant family.
Perhaps these are the bitter substances that NikEy mentioned in response to my statement: they appear quite strongly in this scent composition and are also very persistent!
So far, this scent landscape is beautiful, although perhaps a bit strong for sensitive noses.
A quite pronounced spiciness of pepper (apparently not only pink but also black) and clove surrounds a late spring floral mixture.
The somewhat tart rose geranium dominates this, while magnolia's fine scent falls a bit to the side; however, neroli and the ever-bold lily of the valley clearly make their presence known.
The base also offers a very nice conclusion to the walk in the greenery: vetiver, dark green and earthy, harmonizes excellently with the bright highlights that vanilla, tonka bean, and white musk conjure into the green. The cool, somewhat austere scent impression becomes warmer, lighter, and softer.
Smoky-golden resins - here the tree resin elemi and amber - set an elegant final point.
Thus, this fragrant walk gains depth and is skillfully led towards the climax.
Perhaps to a beautifully located bench that invites you to linger, or a small park café?

"Essence of the Park - The Essence of Central Park" brings green experiences and spicy freshness into everyday life, and for me, it lasts for several hours.
However, the quite strong bitter and spicy scent notes prevail and remain on my skin until the end.
This scent friend is not delicate and fine: it is strong, but precisely because of that, on certain days, a very pleasant companion.
And it awakens memories of primal nature that I, as an older woman, was fortunate enough to still experience.
Therefore, I especially thank Heikeso for providing this fragrance sample.

Or after the hearty potato salad-sausage mix. Depending on one's Christmas genealogy. The combination of heavy culinary delights and similarly substantial winter, gourmand, or spicy fragrances will surely prompt some perfumer here, at the latest by December 27, to want to "lighten" themselves in every sense.

Perhaps this Carthusia comes just at the right time, as it is pretty much the opposite of bombastic, filling, or exhausting. "Essence of the Park" lives up to its name, as it beautifully and harmoniously combines much goodness from the garden and nature.

Citrusy, also slightly sharp and cutting at the beginning, soon a wonderfully green, slightly shrub-like, invigorating-wiry undertone joins in, which indeed - altruism already draws a very fitting comparison below - embodies something of Joop's probably best men's fragrance ever created, "What about Adam".

That richly used tomato leaf does not appear here in its entirety, but a wonderfully balanced green-stemmed base aroma builds up, which may well evoke Artemisia, Magnolia, Tangerine, and Geranium.

This very beautiful, clear, clean green-cut aroma forms the middle phase and gradually transitions after about an hour into a slightly sweeter blend of plant stems and a hint of vanilla, crafted so skillfully that one must explicitly praise the perfumery expertise in building the scent.

Not quite as brilliant as the good old "Adam", which still manages to impress a bit more with volume and longevity, but still very close.

I was recently at the Duftkontor in Oldenburg. A store that exclusively offers niche fragrances.
The ambiance is rather cool and simple, with fragrances from various manufacturers lined up on the wall shelves.
A "self-service" approach to the testers is not welcome, so one must patiently wait for assistance. Well, different fragrances, different customs ;-)... When I finally had my turn and expressed my desire for grassy-green scents, a small selection was presented to me. Among others, Carthusia "Essence of the park." A spritz on the wrist and the fragrance journey could begin: A citrusy-green freshness tickled my nose, while something sweet and dull lurked in the background. Hmmm, somehow this feels familiar, I thought. But where from? While I was pondering and occasionally sniffing my wrist, I noticed how the fresh-green aspect was already fading and the perceived vanilla sweetness was becoming more prominent. Here and there, a few delicate, lovely flowers appeared, but they could not hold their own against the clearly emerging base. Quite quickly, the fragrance settled into the base, where primarily tonka bean and vanilla set the tone, with a slightly herbaceous-green hint, beautifully cozy. However, I would have wished for more persistence in the top note and more strength in the heart note. By now, it also occurred to me where I knew this from. In the '90s, Joop! had already pursued this concept with "What about adam." Unfortunately, this fragrance was discontinued due to lack of success. It was probably too specific for many at that time. What a shame, as it was one of my favorite scents. All the more, I am pleased that with "Essence of the park," I have found an equally worthy successor that certainly does not represent a 100% dupe, but skillfully implements the concept of fresh-green, subtly floral, and sweet vanilla from back then.
For me, the fragrance weakens to skin close within 4-5 hours. Personally, I don't find this too bad, as there is a strong sillage at the beginning.