Ichnusa Profumum Roma 2000

We are calendar-wise in autumn, times are changing - everywhere there is advertising for "transition," whether for clothes, food, or cosmetics. But what should one wear fragrance-wise during this period? By mid-August, I was already eagerly anticipating my favorites for the colder days, including Black Orchid, Chanel's N°5 Eau Première, or L'Eau de Tarocco by Diptyque. When it's freezing cold outside and thoughts revolve around the next mulled wine, I don't make a distinction with such amazing scents whether it's day or night. My craving for Black Orchid was so intense a few days ago that I sprayed it on for a study day at university - a big mistake. I love the gem from Tom Ford, but to truly appreciate it, all the circumstances must align perfectly. Perhaps it was just the unromantic library of cultural studies that threw a wrench in my olfactory plans, as our first date this year turned out to be rather sobering. So what does a perfume lover reach for when neither the weather nor their own mood can make a decision?

Ichnusa! The Italian traditional house Profumum Roma, founded by Celestino Durante and his wife Luisa, has been on my radar for a long time. It must have been about three years ago when a sample of Battito D'Ali landed in my hands. With charming label backgrounds, I can always be won over, and when a lovely and very knowledgeable saleswoman in a stunning perfumery told me that each perfume from Profumum Roma has a little story behind it, I was hooked. As a child, I loved it when my parents read to me in the evenings before bed; it was a real ritual for us. Even today, I associate so many scents with memories, experiences, and travels, which made this company's approach incredibly appealing to me! My first full-size bottle from Rome is named Ichnusa. The Sardinian inhabitants call their island Ichnusa (and there is also a beer by the same name), and immediately the story came back to my mind. I spent three weeks of summer vacation on Sardinia at ages 15 and 16 with my best friend, and to this day, the thought of that time brings me immense joy, and a broad smile crosses my lips. But how does this Mediterranean piece of land smell? Sardinia is my absolute favorite island in the Mediterranean; I fell in love with the crystal-clear and light turquoise water on the very first day. The barren mountain slopes are full of dry laurel bushes and huge cacti, and above it all hangs the salty scent of the sea. It smells of ripe tomatoes, sunscreen on tanned skin, grilled sardines, and Fior di Latte ice cream. Sardinia is a paradise for the senses, and in all its facets, it is so incredibly natural that I find myself wondering why I didn't just stay there? Time ticks differently there; people grow their own vegetables and milk their own sheep, from whose milk delicious Pecorino is later made. When I set foot on this island, it felt as if I had experienced it all before. Wonderfully familiar and so natural, and even today, I feel the warm summer night breeze on my face as we stepped out of the plane and embraced each other so honestly in our enthusiastic youth upon our long-awaited arrival that a warm thrill of joy runs down my back. I smell the spicy olive groves stretching for miles along country roads and feel the gentle afternoon sun on my cheeks. Ichnusa imitates this feeling almost perfectly. Essences of fig, myrtle, herbs, and a hint of strawberry blend into an adventurous symbiosis that couldn't smell any clearer. It is the beach, it is the air, the sand, and the crashing waves.
My sixteen-year-old self and the leather espadrilles bought at the market. Loads of fresh basil with a slight touch of white wine acidity, and the fig leaf balances all components on the scale of love for balance towards the center. I would love to bathe in Ichnusa and wish this perfume had accompanied me on my journey back then. Because it was one of my most beautiful trips, but the matching scent, I had left standing in Germany. For those longing for refreshing warmth, warm woody accords, and herbaceous indulgences, I wholeheartedly recommend this memory-laden little bottle.
The puristic glass bottle fits perfectly with the ideal mood inside, allowing so much room for interpretation and filling in one's own world of thoughts. A perfume like a vacation - light and agile but so heartwarming that it will never let the wearer go.