Aqua Celestia Cologne Forte Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2021

I sometimes can't help myself, but I keep circling around the stands of Maison Francis Kurkdjian. I can't even say exactly why. Surely, it's those uniform, chunky cube bottles that have caught my eye, all lined up so neatly. It's definitely the big name that some perfume enthusiasts mention with reverence. The fragrances themselves are not the main draw, as only "Amyris Homme" has found a home with me so far.

With "Aqua Celestia Cologne Forte," Maison Francis Kurkdjian has introduced a blue, a light blue bottle to their portfolio for the first time. It looks beautiful as it emerges from the bright white box adorned with golden letters. The beautifully faceted cube bottle is a real feast for the eyes, and in this watery blue color, it is very appealing; the light catches beautifully in it. However, having to top it off with such a flimsy plastic cap in the cheapest version is truly undeserved. I hope that at least the chief controller at LVMH had a serious fit because he managed to save 2 cents per package here. No! This is unacceptable! That’s how you quickly alienate loyal customers!

The fragrance starts off with a very fine spray mist in a familiar citrusy way. The bergamot notes are recognizable, perhaps because the slightly artificial note has already come up too often. But soon, bright floral notes join in, softening things up a bit, brightening the scent, and distracting the senses. Soft musk notes appear after a few hours; they become soft but are never intrusive or sweet. Unfortunately, I can't perceive the promised fruity notes.

It's a quite successful fragrance. Because it’s a cozy scent, a familiar scent. A modern interpretation of a clean scent. It smells like a good, subtle fabric softener. Or like freshly ironed laundry, though more like light summer blouses than business shirts. Yes, this fragrance has a clear feminine connotation for me.

As close to the body as "Aqua Celestia Cologne Forte" is, it is also quite ephemeral. It may accompany you well for half a day, but then you should reapply. Heavenly it is truly not, to stretch that pun, but with a cologne that carries the word Aqua and then adds Forte... but let’s leave it at that. One should have long stopped falling for the marketing jargon of some perfume names or trying to read something into it!

Overall, "Aqua Celestia Cologne Forte" is a good and very pleasant, albeit not particularly strong, feminine clean scent. Nothing more, but also nothing less.