CHAPTER No.2, The Saga Continues

About two years ago, in 2021, ZARA launched the first men’s collection for spring-summer, known as CHAPTER No.1, made up of four different fragrances, all fresh but apparently without a common thread. Instead, a few weeks ago, ZARA launched four new fragrances whose common theme is surfing, and famous surfing spots inspired the name of the fragrances. Three of these fragrances are blatantly aquatic, while one stands out for its sunny, floral tones. Hence, ZARA has come with a new collection, which deserves a fair assessment. This is why I decided to dive into CHAPTER No.2.

Surfing Cape Saint Francis

The fragrance is classified as fougére-marine and opens fresh, with citrus, bergamot and grapefruit leading the first minutes. I get creamy lavender and balmy cypress; the bland is aromatic and balsamic. I am facing an aquatic essence. The cypress wood is full of dewy nuances. It is an aquatic fragrance that recalls the smell of a stream, a glacier, or a lake. It is not salty or brackish like the sea and ocean water might be. It is something so particular, yet simultaneously so familiar, already known, already seen. For the entire fragrance duration, a resinous and balsamic background note remains, perhaps the characteristic of this perfume.

Continue reading … Minty But Ain't No Mint

Surfing Shipstern Bluff

When I tested the four brand new scents of the CHAPTER No. 2 collection, Surfing Shipstern Bluff immediately struck me for its mentholated facet. My skin amplified that minty balsamic note more and more, which I wouldn’t define as ordinary mint, for instance, that one used in a long drink like a mojito, but instead a gentle mint. I found a delicate and floral variety of mint known as “mentuccia romana,” “nepitella,” lesser calamint, or pennyroyal. Of course, I’m unsure, but I suspect this mint note is deeply hidden in the concoction.

Continue reading … Endless Summer

Surfing Puerto Escondido

This was the one I should have noticed from the start despite it firmly deviating from the other three. Then, as the hours wore on, it glistened on my skin, catching my attention to the point of making me want to have it in my spring rotation. Puerto Escondido is floral, I would say, the most floral of the collection. It smells very similar to a creamy white blossom. The presence of coumarin and jasmine is remarkable. Despite the flowers riot, the fragrance stays in the masculine area. Still, I see it as unisex, neither too virile nor too feminine.

Continue reading … Golden Sands And Crashing Waves

Surfing Mullaghmore Head

This fragrance is too similar to the various #invictus and its flankers, a genre that doesn’t drive me crazy. Therefore, I didn’t buy it.

People have not given these little gems the attention they merit; little feedback is available. Are you aware of any of them? I’m curious about your thoughts and would be delighted to read your comment.

Take care,

-Elysium