Felce Azzurra Paglieri 1923 Eau de Toilette

Felce Azzurra - the blue fern. An absolute classic, and not just in Italy. Nowadays, it seems to be rather unpopular and out of fashion. What a shame!

The scent has been familiar to me since childhood. Grandma, Grandpa, Dad, everyone used shower gel, bath foam, body powder, lotion, and so on. (Yes, they also stereotypically come from Trieste). I didn't know until recently that the blue dream is also available as an Eau de Toilette. And now I've been struck by the blue fern fever. It's gone so far that I've even started to use Felce Azzurra fabric softener for my laundry. (Yes, there is also fabric softener) And since I've been constantly approached in the last few weeks with "Oh, you smell so wonderful!" by all kinds of people, I finally have to pay a little tribute to the blue fern here. It would be too bad if it were forgotten.

First of all: All, really all Felce Azzurra products have the same, unmistakable scent. At the forefront is a super clean talc note that stands out. Behind it, there's an ethereal spice: thyme. I can also imagine cedar needles, but that might well be because I associate the scent with camping memories on the Adriatic.
The fragrance is classic, powdery, and slightly bitter. Especially on hot days, it's wonderfully refreshing, clear, and unobtrusive. It is wearable by everyone, appears exceptionally well-groomed, and yet very individual. Combined with sea salt on the skin, it's an olfactory dream. So head to the drugstore shelf! This scent is also more than affordable. In short: I am absolutely addicted to it. Anyone who likes "Eau Dynamisante" should definitely give this a chance.

My best friend in my teenage years used the Felce Azzurra body powder, and when I moved back to Germany and realized that you can buy it everywhere here, I bought it and have been using it to stay dry at work ever since. That sounds wrong. I use it on workdays. That sounds better. I really like the scent of the powder, so I just had to test the Eau de Toilette. On the manufacturer's website, I find no information about the fragrance notes. "100 ingredients from around the world" are said to be included, and the formula is a secret, "handwritten between the pages of a notebook." I suspect violet, galbanum, cinnamon, and clove, as well as musk and patchouli. I don't recognize the other 90+ ingredients, and maybe I'm guessing wrong.

The top note of the Eau de Toilette corresponds exactly to the scent of the powder. It is even just as powdery. Unfortunately, the powdery scent disappears from my skin after a very short time (really very short, seconds or one to two minutes) and makes way for a synthetic-green-bitter smell that reminds me of something completely different. M (fam. Tester 1) called it toilet stone. I know I shouldn't insult perfumes in my comments, even when I'm disappointed. But unfortunately, I had to agree with M. Let's call it artificial musk compounds for use in sanitary devices.

Earlier, I realized that just like there are optical illusions, there are also olfactory illusions. Scents that smell like what they are supposed to smell like and at the same time like something completely different. A perfume can smell like pepper and roses while also smelling like menthol even if there's no menthol in it. Felce Azzurra is also an olfactory illusion.

However, the Eau de Toilette quickly becomes weaker, and a quarter of an hour later, I find it more pleasant again. It then smells spicy-fresh with a more or less bitter note. However, it never returns to being like the powder. After 4 to 5 hours, the last blue fern on my arm has also disappeared.

Conclusion: I will continue to use the powder, and the deodorant stick also smells really good. The Eau de Toilette just had to be tested, but in the best case, it will end up in the perfume box in the basement.

Recently, I treated myself to the EDT from Felce Azzurra. But instead of reminding me of charming Italian getaways, it took me back to a rather special outing.
At the time, I asked my ex, a forestry contractor by profession, to take me on a "forest walk." Said and done. The trusty Range Rover bumped us along incredibly uneven and muddy forest paths deep into the woods.
It was pouring rain, and at our destination, I tumbled out from the lofty height of the SUV right into a primeval forest of ferns. But what a wonderful, primal aroma surrounded me there! A blend of damp forest floor, wet ferns, and mildly spicy herbs. Something sweet lingered in the air as well. Could it have been wild strawberries? I was soaking wet, but I couldn't get enough of that glorious mix. So, the beautiful Italian Felce transported me to the lovely German forest. Who would have thought? Grazie!

It knows that something is not right.

So sits, beside spicy freshness
there's surely musk, but no fern at the table.

Its twin is called 'Old Spice'
I know;

I just want to keep it brief here
and not let any fern into the pyramid.

I first encountered Felce Azzurra over 30 years ago with my father-in-law. He used the talcum powder as deodorant, and it worked well.
A few months ago, I discovered on Parfumo that there is also an EdT available, and I ordered it from a retailer.
Felce Azzurra has a pleasant, slightly spicy opening; however, I can only faintly detect the cinnamon mentioned by some commentators. Throughout its duration, the fragrance does not change significantly, and after about half an hour, a slight sweetness emerges.
Felce Azzurra has a moderate sillage, and its longevity for me is about six hours.
The fragrance is suitable for both women and men.
The bottle is designed like a deodorant spray and is very easy to use.
I enjoy using Felce Azzurra now in the cool season in the evening while relaxing.