Luna Rossa Extreme Prada 2013

Anyone who has been involved with Parfumo for a while knows that the community experience often follows a similar path. Sometimes you buy way too many samples, then you discover sharing options and swaps, and before you know it, your cabinet is way too full. I speak from experience (as a quick glance at my folder "Samples" reveals).

Another temptation that is very easy to fall into once you really dive into the subject is blind buys. Those damn blind buys. I confess, I have made quite a few myself. "Aqva Amara (Eau de Toilette)", "CH Men Grand Tour", and several others. Especially at the beginning, I regretted these purchases, as I wasn't very knowledgeable and the fragrance pyramids didn't mean much to me. However, I did get lucky with many of them.

One such fragrance is Luna Rossa Extreme. I had already done a bit of reading on fragrance pyramids and was confident that the scent would align with my preferences. Added to that was the pressure of the production being discontinued, and before I knew it, I had it in my hands.

With the first spray came the first big disappointment. This can't be it, I thought to myself. A huge blast of pepper, followed by a lavender-citrus mix that smelled somehow uncoordinated and, quite frankly, uninteresting. Not long before, I had purchased "Le Mâle Terrible" from Jean Paul Gaultier and noticed quite strong parallels between the two fragrances. I was a bit disappointed and regretted the blind buy.

I then set the bottle aside and focused on my daily tasks. Over time, I realized that the scent was becoming more pleasant. The pepper gave way to vanilla, and a certain velvety background emerged. More and more, I liked it, and it began to differentiate itself from "Le Mâle Terrible". The fragrance becomes sweeter and warmer as it develops, until it fades into complete vanilla.

That was also the moment I learned to give fragrances a bit more time. Especially in the designer segment, the top note is often very short and quickly gives way to the subsequent scent development, which is either linear or only features a few notes in the drydown. In this fragrance, the transformation takes a bit longer and is truly noticeable.

The scent is neither too strong nor too weak. I particularly enjoy wearing it on warm (not hot) evenings in summer, late spring, and early autumn. What I find especially interesting about Luna Rossa Extreme is the contrast between the harsh and cool opening and the later inviting, warm scent progression.

For a fragrance from Prada, it is really very interesting and could easily pass as a niche fragrance under a different name. Hence my disappointment that the fragrance has been taken off the market. My assumption is that the fragrance struggled to sell well due to the top note. Many potential buyers base their purchases on top note tests, often still from the paper strip, and Luna Rossa Extreme definitely doesn't impress in that regard. This likely contributed to weaker sales figures.

Unfortunately, there are no alternatives to this fragrance. "Le Mâle Terrible" goes in a similar direction but lacks the depth in the drydown; "Luna Rossa Black" has a similar DNA but is completely different.

At the end of the day, I do not regret this blind buy, but I have definitely become a bit more cautious. Congratulations to those who were able to snag the fragrance. One of the many discontinued gems from the designer segment.