Top Notes 
Aquatic notes
Grapefruit
Lime
Lemon
Mandarin orange
Heart Notes 
Laurel
Clary sage
Clove leaf
Rosemary
Nutmeg
Cardamom
Base Notes 
Cedar
Amber
Vetiver
Parma
277 Reviews
Translated · Show original
Parma
Top Review
29
Cutting Freshness or A cheap goodie for the freshies
You can think what you want about cheapies, but the chance of a great price/performance ratio is always subtly present.
This candidate here is a prime example.
100 ml can be obtained for under €20. The ingredients are certainly (mostly) from the lab, but of such quality that there is no bothersome synthetic scent, just a well-balanced olfactory impression.
Monotheme is an Italian brand from Venice that - as the name beautifully suggests - really creates monothematic fragrances (see "Background Information"). And they seem to do it quite well. At least, I have been very pleased with the two I have tested so far (Verde d'Arancia and Aqua Marina). There is no playful frills here, just essentially what is written on the bottle.
In this case: Aqua Marina (Seawater)
The citrus and aquatic notes disappear quickly, leaving essentially this complex herbaceous-spicy, mint-like note. Over time, the spiciness increases somewhat, but it never becomes overwhelming compared to the ethereal herbaceous components. This complex spice note is wonderfully intertwined and very well balanced. The ethereal components maintain a slightly cool and fresh feeling throughout the entire duration.
Towards the base, green notes of a more mossy nature join in, giving the overall very masculine scent, especially due to the bitter spices, a nice rich, classic foundation. But even here, the ethereal quality does not run out of steam and continues to provide the initially established penetrating freshness even after a long wear.
The overall scent impression undoubtedly evokes associations with a very fresh-spicy shower gel, as hinted at in a statement below. At least, that’s how it is for me. But that doesn’t matter at all in this case, because good shower gel smells good, and the composition of the various ingredients creates such a beautiful, cutting herb-fresh fragrance aroma that truly amazes me. I have not encountered anything like this, which maintains its consistency throughout. No Menthe Froide or Erolfa can compete with it. It most closely reminds me of Blenheim Bouquet in its freshness level, although without its medicinal-sterile orientation.
You can certainly tell that this fragrance is not a Chanel or Guerlain, but I dare to boldly claim that these brands would not have done it (much) better with the ingredients available here. My previous reviewers have also had the impression that there is a lot of scent for little money here.
I am definitely very enthusiastic about this perfume, which combines so many things I like. And the price positively influences that, of course. I can’t completely free myself from that.
I cannot yet assess how it behaves in the cold season.
The parent company is Mavive SpA, which also markets brands like The Merchant of Venice, Pino Silvestre, Replay, and Police.
The Monotheme fragrances are grouped into the following categories:
Classic Collection, Il Libro degli Agrumi (Book of Citruses), Black Label, Bio Line, Earth Collection, and fragrances that do not belong to any of these families.
Aqua Marina comes from the Classic Collection.
The perfumers for Monotheme are Lorenzo Vidal and Pierre-Constantin Gueros, who has developed fragrances for Odin New York, Carolina Herrera, and Wiener Blut, among others. There is a collaboration with Symrise, the third-largest manufacturer of aroma and fragrance materials in the world, based in Holzminden, where, among others, Geza Schön was trained (back then it was not yet called Symrise, but Haarmann & Riemer; after the merger with Dragoco in 2003, the new name was created).
(Sources: fragrantica.com, mavive.it, yelp.com, parfumo.de)
This candidate here is a prime example.
100 ml can be obtained for under €20. The ingredients are certainly (mostly) from the lab, but of such quality that there is no bothersome synthetic scent, just a well-balanced olfactory impression.
Monotheme is an Italian brand from Venice that - as the name beautifully suggests - really creates monothematic fragrances (see "Background Information"). And they seem to do it quite well. At least, I have been very pleased with the two I have tested so far (Verde d'Arancia and Aqua Marina). There is no playful frills here, just essentially what is written on the bottle.
In this case: Aqua Marina (Seawater)
Scent Development:
The top note starts with a super refreshing mix of citrus, aquatic, and herbaceous/spicy minty nuances that give you the feeling of diving into the cool sea with a dolphin leap. Delightfully zesty and invigorating! This marine impression has little to do with natural salt, seaweed, or algae scents, but it is also distinctly away from a synthetic Calone character. It comes across surprisingly natural and oscillates in between. I prefer it over both mentioned alternatives.The citrus and aquatic notes disappear quickly, leaving essentially this complex herbaceous-spicy, mint-like note. Over time, the spiciness increases somewhat, but it never becomes overwhelming compared to the ethereal herbaceous components. This complex spice note is wonderfully intertwined and very well balanced. The ethereal components maintain a slightly cool and fresh feeling throughout the entire duration.
Towards the base, green notes of a more mossy nature join in, giving the overall very masculine scent, especially due to the bitter spices, a nice rich, classic foundation. But even here, the ethereal quality does not run out of steam and continues to provide the initially established penetrating freshness even after a long wear.
The overall scent impression undoubtedly evokes associations with a very fresh-spicy shower gel, as hinted at in a statement below. At least, that’s how it is for me. But that doesn’t matter at all in this case, because good shower gel smells good, and the composition of the various ingredients creates such a beautiful, cutting herb-fresh fragrance aroma that truly amazes me. I have not encountered anything like this, which maintains its consistency throughout. No Menthe Froide or Erolfa can compete with it. It most closely reminds me of Blenheim Bouquet in its freshness level, although without its medicinal-sterile orientation.
You can certainly tell that this fragrance is not a Chanel or Guerlain, but I dare to boldly claim that these brands would not have done it (much) better with the ingredients available here. My previous reviewers have also had the impression that there is a lot of scent for little money here.
I am definitely very enthusiastic about this perfume, which combines so many things I like. And the price positively influences that, of course. I can’t completely free myself from that.
Longevity and Sillage:
On my skin, the scent lasts surprisingly long, so that after more than 10 hours of movement, I can still perceive the scent character. The realistic duration, meaning the time in which it is consciously perceivable wafting around me, is about 3-4 hours. The sillage is quite noticeable in the first half hour and then quickly retreats to skin level.Usage Possibilities:
Due to its absolute freshness, it is of course ideal for high summer, as well as suitable for all warm phases. Additionally, due to its well-groomed, uncompromising masculinity, it can be worn effortlessly by men in both casual and more exclusive situations.I cannot yet assess how it behaves in the cold season.
Conclusion:
Aqua Marina is a straightforward, cutting fresh scent, masculine and herbaceous-spicy-ethereal, which especially at the beginning reminds one of a shower gel, but ultimately far exceeds it in its overall composition and balance. With this scent, I feel that invigorating sensation that arises when I walk along the coast through the spray mist of the waves, albeit without the natural scent of salt and seaweed. For lovers of truly fresh fragrances, in my view, it is an absolute must-try candidate! It stylishly clears your head ;)Background Information:
Monotheme is an Italian perfume brand based in Venice, founded in 2003. So far, it has released 66 perfumes. The fragrances are, as mentioned above, predominantly monothematic, meaning dedicated to a specific scent ingredient.The parent company is Mavive SpA, which also markets brands like The Merchant of Venice, Pino Silvestre, Replay, and Police.
The Monotheme fragrances are grouped into the following categories:
Classic Collection, Il Libro degli Agrumi (Book of Citruses), Black Label, Bio Line, Earth Collection, and fragrances that do not belong to any of these families.
Aqua Marina comes from the Classic Collection.
The perfumers for Monotheme are Lorenzo Vidal and Pierre-Constantin Gueros, who has developed fragrances for Odin New York, Carolina Herrera, and Wiener Blut, among others. There is a collaboration with Symrise, the third-largest manufacturer of aroma and fragrance materials in the world, based in Holzminden, where, among others, Geza Schön was trained (back then it was not yet called Symrise, but Haarmann & Riemer; after the merger with Dragoco in 2003, the new name was created).
(Sources: fragrantica.com, mavive.it, yelp.com, parfumo.de)
17 Comments
Goro
SaGa
Stulle
Ergoproxy
Heikeso
Parma
Kovex
Zauber600
Yatagan
NeonNoir
