Acqua di Cuba Santa Maria Novella
4
Helpful Review
Acqua Di Miele Animale
Before Naxos, it was Santa Maria Novella’s Acqua Di Cuba.
One thing is certain: not many use aromatic herbs and citrus quite like the Italians. Apparently, it goes beyond cuisine. Oh, and they also know how to do Patchouli. But when it comes to Tobacco, there’s not much to brag about (although let’s not forget Villoresi’s excellent Atman Xaman). For tobacco, the North Americans set the bar. As you can already infer, in my opinion, there’s no tobacco to be found here. Maybe if I press my nose into the skin and force myself to “see” it I get some hints of a tobacco accord, but the truth is, after you get used to the smell of tobacco absolute and perfumes that make excellent use of it or play around with proper tobacco accords, perfumes like Acqua Di Cuba, Naxos, Chergui, Fumerie Turque, and other “fantasy tobacco” fragrances in that vein seem more like a dream about tobacco than an actual whiff. So, if you are looking for a proper tobacco perfume, you can safely skip this one.
What Acqua Di Cuba does, however, is to beautifully blend one of the most animalic honey accords I have come across with a citrus-aromatic fouger-like structure. It is a rustic fougere drenched in honey. But don’t be fooled into thinking this is your typical sweet-gourmand honey accord either. This is a very urinous attempt at a honey accord that could rival the likes of Absolue Pour le Soir and overshadow Miel du Bois. I assume they used a high amount of Phenylacetic Acid, which greatly contributes to the animalic facets found in honey, and to a lesser extent, the molecules responsible for the more powdery, vanillic, and floral ones(Vanillin, Heliotropin). The honey note here is more on the dry side, acidic, and pissy. It is the main player, and for that reason, I consider Acqua Di Cuba to be a honey-based fragrance first and foremost. On top of the honey accord, you get a blast of citrus and aromatic herbs like clary sage, rosemary, and lavender. Beneath it, there is a soft base of musks, blonde woods, and suede leather. To me, this fragrance feels like a Fougere because of the strong herbaceous facets and the citrus notes that last forever, intermingling with the honey and the woods. In that regard, it is very similar to a very popular perfume from another Italian house, Xerjoff, called Naxos. And I can see how Santa Maria Novella paved the way with this composition for all the other “Honeyed Fougeres” in that vein, which came after. Compared to Naxos, this one smells more natural, higher quality, and devoid of the “commercial appeal,” annoying cashmeran, and excessive sweetness. And Naxos is the only Xerjoff perfume that I ever owned, enjoyed, and was able to wear for more than two hours without getting a migraine or a nosebleed. So for me, Acqua Di Cuba is a perfect replacement; a more rustic and masculine take on that DNA. And now that I ponder it, I think I love it as it is, without the conspicuous tobacco note. The mix of clean and fresh aromatic nuances with the dirty honey provides a beautiful contrast, while the soft leather and woods in the base offer enough anchorage. It is substantial but never cloying. Clean but also dirty and animalic. And forever addictive.
Like all the other Santa Maria Novella perfumes that I tried or own, it is another great example of pairing a few but high-quality materials to create a timeless “scent profile” that offers in character what lacks in complexity. They showcase a few major accords, but do them justice. With this one, if you like the more animalic and pissy honey accords, it is worth trying. Or, if you like that Naxos DNA but want a “serious” version of it.
IG:@memory.of.scents
One thing is certain: not many use aromatic herbs and citrus quite like the Italians. Apparently, it goes beyond cuisine. Oh, and they also know how to do Patchouli. But when it comes to Tobacco, there’s not much to brag about (although let’s not forget Villoresi’s excellent Atman Xaman). For tobacco, the North Americans set the bar. As you can already infer, in my opinion, there’s no tobacco to be found here. Maybe if I press my nose into the skin and force myself to “see” it I get some hints of a tobacco accord, but the truth is, after you get used to the smell of tobacco absolute and perfumes that make excellent use of it or play around with proper tobacco accords, perfumes like Acqua Di Cuba, Naxos, Chergui, Fumerie Turque, and other “fantasy tobacco” fragrances in that vein seem more like a dream about tobacco than an actual whiff. So, if you are looking for a proper tobacco perfume, you can safely skip this one.
What Acqua Di Cuba does, however, is to beautifully blend one of the most animalic honey accords I have come across with a citrus-aromatic fouger-like structure. It is a rustic fougere drenched in honey. But don’t be fooled into thinking this is your typical sweet-gourmand honey accord either. This is a very urinous attempt at a honey accord that could rival the likes of Absolue Pour le Soir and overshadow Miel du Bois. I assume they used a high amount of Phenylacetic Acid, which greatly contributes to the animalic facets found in honey, and to a lesser extent, the molecules responsible for the more powdery, vanillic, and floral ones(Vanillin, Heliotropin). The honey note here is more on the dry side, acidic, and pissy. It is the main player, and for that reason, I consider Acqua Di Cuba to be a honey-based fragrance first and foremost. On top of the honey accord, you get a blast of citrus and aromatic herbs like clary sage, rosemary, and lavender. Beneath it, there is a soft base of musks, blonde woods, and suede leather. To me, this fragrance feels like a Fougere because of the strong herbaceous facets and the citrus notes that last forever, intermingling with the honey and the woods. In that regard, it is very similar to a very popular perfume from another Italian house, Xerjoff, called Naxos. And I can see how Santa Maria Novella paved the way with this composition for all the other “Honeyed Fougeres” in that vein, which came after. Compared to Naxos, this one smells more natural, higher quality, and devoid of the “commercial appeal,” annoying cashmeran, and excessive sweetness. And Naxos is the only Xerjoff perfume that I ever owned, enjoyed, and was able to wear for more than two hours without getting a migraine or a nosebleed. So for me, Acqua Di Cuba is a perfect replacement; a more rustic and masculine take on that DNA. And now that I ponder it, I think I love it as it is, without the conspicuous tobacco note. The mix of clean and fresh aromatic nuances with the dirty honey provides a beautiful contrast, while the soft leather and woods in the base offer enough anchorage. It is substantial but never cloying. Clean but also dirty and animalic. And forever addictive.
Like all the other Santa Maria Novella perfumes that I tried or own, it is another great example of pairing a few but high-quality materials to create a timeless “scent profile” that offers in character what lacks in complexity. They showcase a few major accords, but do them justice. With this one, if you like the more animalic and pissy honey accords, it is worth trying. Or, if you like that Naxos DNA but want a “serious” version of it.
IG:@memory.of.scents