Acqua Wood Collistar 2015

The reviews for Acqua Wood sounded promising. Citrusy freshness, aromatic herbs, elegant woods. The fragrance was even compared multiple times to Brioni Man. The most common criticism: insufficient longevity and sillage. Today, this problem seems to be solved. Unfortunately, not necessarily in favor of the fragrance.

What I smell here has little to do with the older descriptions. Instead of lemon leaf, lavender, and clary sage, I am greeted by a piercing, peppery sharpness - less spice and more of its synthetic simulation. Alongside this is an artificial citrus note that merely claims freshness without truly delivering it.

Beneath this lies a smoky-woody accord that also appears distinctly constructed. The closest resemblance is to incense. However, not in its dry, sacred, or resinous form, but rather like flavored incense blends from the Advent market: sweet, diffuse, slightly irritating.

Perhaps even more ironically: The "incense" that seems to be the most natural here is technically not incense at all, but labdanum - precisely the ingredient that is supposed to provide that resinous-smoky warmth.

Since I actually appreciate black pepper as a note, I eventually began to doubt my perception. So I conducted a self-test: This Is Him! by Zadig & Voltaire. A quick sniff - and it was immediately clear: pepper can be dry, spicy, and pleasant. Here, it is not.

So I waited for development.

It did not come.

Hardly any change, hardly any movement, hardly any fading.

At some point, I reached the point where I no longer wanted to "test" Acqua Wood further, but simply wanted to get rid of it. Not out of curiosity, but out of self-preservation, I reached for Terre d’Hermès Eau Givrée.

The idea: to ground the piercing pepperiness with real citrus. I could always wash it off afterward. In fact, this worked surprisingly well. Eau Givrée brought exactly the clarity that Acqua Wood completely lacks.

And at that moment, something became clear: I was no longer waiting for the progression of the fragrance. I was trying to fix it.

As Eau Givrée faded, Acqua Wood returned. So Plan B: wash it off. The result was sobering. Eau Givrée disappeared. Acqua Wood remained.

And when I washed off Acqua Wood, Acqua Wood also remained.

This point is perhaps the most interesting: While older reviews describe a rather weak longevity, the current version seems almost indestructible - only unfortunately with exactly the facets one actually wants to get rid of.

If there has indeed been a reformulation, it seems to have solved a problem that apparently was not the actual problem.

Sometimes a fragrance disappears too quickly.

Sometimes you would be glad if it had stayed gone.

Warm-blooded spice, soft forest woods + blissful citrus = comfort transformer, wellness-effective.
I don’t want to piece together the entire text with words starting with W, but I truly felt good while sniffing this fragrance, which transforms over time. It has a sunny citrus note supported by warm pepper. A slightly sweet-herbaceous combination of sage and lavender complements the "southern" impression. Together, this acts like a mood enhancer.
Woods, selected from various climate zones, ultimately provide a dual impression of being both familiar and exotic. Western and eastern. By the sea and in the mountains. First a vacation in the Orient, then holidays on "Balconia" in the local Odenwald. And the namesake of the latter, Odin, a Germanic chief god, also has a say: for the Acqua Wood later develops dark-woody nuances that remind one of the "sacred forests" of the pagan Druids and their believers. Slightly smoky, resinous, and "tinty." In between, I believe I perceive something like "marine notes." This is probably due to the muscat sage and (previously unmentioned) rosemary. A reoccurring flash at irregular intervals. But always a bit different. Sometimes with a woody intent like pines on the beach, sometimes bright and citrus-like, like a grove near the sea.
Those who attentively open their olfactory senses can truly perceive interesting and exciting transformations. However, the fragrance does not break from its concept but cleverly uses it for delightful surprises. In my opinion, it is quite underestimated!

For a small amount of money, here is a brother to the completely overpriced Brioni. Citrusy (sandal)wood, modern, pleasant to wear for every day and all occasions, straddling the line between mainstream and niche. Collistar shows what is possible for 29 euros, including shower gel and bag. I had to jump on it. The good Daphné shows Brioni how it's done. I've been trying to convince myself the whole time that Brioni smells more natural because I paid a multiple for it. Grrr...