Ah, that's funny. I've been searching for days, if not weeks, for the new scent from Valentino Uomo, the Acqua, as I was particularly interested in it because of the tomato leaf note. Then I receive a sample from one of you fans of my cat (aah, that rascal is so popular…!) which also contains tomato leaf, according to the pyramid. I hope this note can be well detected, as I actually quite like the distinctive scent of tomato leaves, especially after brushing my hands through the leaves of this plant.
Aside from that, I have previously had a scent from Huitième under my nose, which left a very good impression on me. But do you really want to smell like tomatoes? Well, we’ll find out shortly.
So, here we go. And as always, thanks to the lovely Parfuma, who seems to be preoccupied with my cat again… *sigh* :DD
The scent:
The scent starts off quite fresh, although it initially gives off a Barbar-shop-like aroma, which smells classically masculine (like oak moss with lemon and such). Then, gradually, you can detect the individual kitchen herbs… um, I meant fragrance notes.
There’s basil, unmistakable and despite its kitchen herb image (by the way, it goes well with tomato-mozzarella :D), very suitable for summer fragrances, which is why you encounter it in many scents (like Acqua di Gio Essenza by Armani, which I think is also a very nice summer fragrance). Rosemary is also present a bit. You can smell the tomato leaves, although they blend a bit too quickly with the other herbs; still, they come through well and are recognizable, which should please anyone who likes the scent.
In the background, I faintly smell sweet roses, but I have trouble finding the blackcurrants here.
Towards the base, the herbs become more pronounced, and I now have difficulty deciding which note smells best or strongest. I think the rosemary comes last. The tomato leaves seem to be equally strong as the basil. The roses recede even more into the background, and a light, oak moss-like note reappears, which pairs well with the herbs (or this note arises from the combination of all the herbs).
However, the Barbar-like scent becomes stronger, which I could have done without, but it’s not that bad. Additionally, the background of the scent is faintly greenish.
The sillage and longevity:
The sillage is okay, not strong, but also not too weak; still, one would wish for a bit more power here.
The longevity is quite okay; the scent lasts seven or eight hours on the skin, although it naturally becomes weaker over time.
The bottle:
The black bottle is rectangular in shape but has strongly rounded edges. On the front, you can see two eye-shaped forms. The horizontally positioned eye is curved outward, shiny, and displays the name of the fragrance. The vertically positioned eye is made of dark glass, allowing a small glimpse into the bottle's interior.
The cap is shaped like a semicircle, is also black, and has indented grip areas that create a nice look. From a distance or in photos, the bottle may appear simple, but it has been beautifully crafted.
So, I find the scent quite successful, as it smells of lovely kitchen herbs that I think are quite summery. The only thing that bothers me a bit is the Barbar-shop-like aura that surrounds the scent, especially in the later base, if you know what I mean. It makes the scent seem more classic, which isn't really bad, but it's just not entirely my thing. Although it initially smells more like a kitchen (but without the scent of grease or other food being prepared or anything :D), later the mentioned Barbar note becomes more intense.
In my opinion, this note also makes the scent appear a bit more masculine than unisex. As I said, it is well-suited for summer, as it comes across as fresh and has a sort of cleanliness image (one could wear such a scent freshly groomed and shaved) and is suitable as a daytime fragrance.
So, it’s definitely worth trying out; some might find it quite nice!
Tomato leaf
Geranium
Blackcurrant
Orange jessamine
Rosemary
Basil
Itchynose
Bielwenass
Luwa
Yatagan
SchatzSucher
Kovex
Stulle
Atanarjuat
Chizza
Mörderbiene
