NiPis98

The fragrance starts with a beautiful mint combined with lime juice and a subtle sweetness.
Now and then, a fresh grapefruit flashes through. White flowers blend with sweet tea.

After a while, the grapefruit dominates, and the mint takes a back seat. The scent then has a cooling effect and becomes slightly dry.

The rose is only perceived very subtly and sweetly in the background. In contrast to the other notes, this one seems slightly synthetic.

The fragrance does not have a significant progression once the individual notes have settled on the skin or the scent strip. However, this is not necessarily required for a summer fragrance and is therefore absolutely not a problem :)

Unfortunately, I see the longevity of the fragrance as a negative... it is really a major drawback. But unfortunately, this is also a common characteristic of fresh scents.
Only a few fragrances of this kind last very long, such as Torino21 by Xerjoff.

Despite the relatively short longevity, Pomelo Sorrento is one of the best summer fragrances overall. Especially at high temperatures, it unfolds beautifully and refreshes in a very special way.

Perfect for short trips or going out on a summer evening. Or just always take a sample with you for re-spraying :).

If you can get a good price, it is definitely worth it.

Xerjoff is a great fragrance house and I love (almost) all of their creations.
Unfortunately, Erba Pura falls into the "almost" category.

It comes without a case, but with a rather cheaper packaging.
It belongs to the Velvet Collection and is therefore delivered in a velvet bottle. At first glance, it looks quite nice, but the velvet can detach and become greasy with use. As far as I know, Erba Pura will also be released in a lacquered bottle in the future.

Erba Pura starts with a load of synthetic fruits. You can't really discern anything specific. Maybe peach? Maybe tropical fruits? Sweet orange? I don't know. Along with that comes an extreme sweetness that really reminds one of a fruit cocktail.
The scent is also very powdery. It has something overwhelming about it and is pretty much the opposite of subtle.

For me, the scent is boring. It has no twist, no unique feature, no special note. It is sweet and shrill and will certainly appeal to many in the younger generation who also prefer fragrances of this kind in the designer sector.

The scent itself is probably the epitome of beast mode. It fills rooms, it is loud and shrill, and everyone will notice that you are wearing it.
It lasts forever and has an extreme sillage.
Whether one wants all of this in a fragrance is, however, questionable...

I personally steer clear of Erba Pura... for me, it’s nothing.

The Marzocco by Roberto Ugolini is one of the most popular fragrances from the house, and rightly so.

The scent comes with a great story; in general, the marketing of RU is very successful. A shoemaker from Florence, who lends his name to create perfume in the spirit of the Italian Dolce Vita in Florence, is truly a fantastic story. Additionally, there are the beautiful bottles, which with their leather labels and horn caps are simply eye-catching and remind one of the theme "High-Quality Shoes".
Furthermore, the names of the fragrances are always inspired by Florence. 17 and 4 Rosso are the old and new addresses of the manufactory, and Marzocco is the famous lion that watches over the city. Also, the violet color of the bottle is the city color of Florence. By the way, the fragrance was developed by and with Herbert Stricker.


But enough about the whole background... now to the scent itself:

All the marketing means nothing if the content is not right... but fortunately, that is not the case here.
The Marzocco starts wonderfully sweet and fresh. Mandarin is supported by other citrus fruits, yet it remains smoothed out and never becomes piercingly fresh. Here, a certain gentleness is already evident, which the fragrance exudes. The whole is nestled in a delicate floral note.
The orange blossom pleases me very much... just like with the Orange Flamingo, it gives the fragrance a noble undertone without becoming feminine or disturbing the freshness.
The combination of these aromas can indeed remind one of the scent of ice candies. But of course, much more high-quality and elegant.

The fragrance fits perfectly into spring and also into summer up to 25 degrees. Interestingly, it can even score points in winter with its vanillic sweetness.

This composition is simply addictive... this delicate freshness with the beautiful floral notes and the vanillic sweetness makes the fragrance a wonderful overall package. It also reminds me of something from my youth... but I still can't quite say what it could be...

The longevity is really decent for a fresh fragrance. It lasts through my workday and in winter on clothing, surely all day.
The sillage is dosage-dependent, but overall really fine. It is simply great as an uncomplicated daily scent.

It is a beautiful, rounded, and pleasing fragrance. Not a beast mode scent or a shocker... on the contrary. It fits in everywhere, never stands out negatively, yet I am happy with every breeze when I smell it again.

...that is also the theme: The fragrance makes me happy.

It is rare for a bottle to have found its way into my heart as quickly as the Marzocco.

You are special... my Marzocco

By now, after a few years of my fragrance journey, I have become somewhat cautious with designer fragrances... too often I have been disappointed and too often a big brand has slapped a fancy name on a cheap chemical brew to cash in.

But they do exist... great designer fragrances where perfumers create an amazing scent from the available materials with the right time and dedication at a relatively affordable price.

One of these discoveries is Givenchy. Alongside the equally good Boisé, the Réserve Privée is a prime example of a fantastic fragrance for little money.

Similar to Dior Homme, there is a strong focus on iris here. This comes through very clearly. At times, it can have slight "carrot-like" tendencies, which is normal with strong iris.

I perceive the whisky note only as a subtle alcoholic sweetness, and in combination with the mentioned chestnut, it often reminds me of roasted almonds/chestnuts from the Christmas market.

For me, it is a great daily scent for autumn and winter and has respectable longevity and sillage.

Personally, I find it even a notch better than Dior Homme and it will surely find its way into my collection one day.

One might enjoy getting lost in niche fragrances, but now and then there is still a little designer gem.

I think we might have one here... give it a try :)

Here we have Aaron's response to the very well-known Lost Cherry by TF.
In stark contrast to the original, Aaron takes a different approach to implement the idea and makes the scent significantly better for me.

The fragrance starts with a very lovely and authentic, ripe cherry. While the TF scent is more reminiscent of a synthetic maraschino cherry or a sweet cherry juice, the Raw Cherry is much less shrill and rather darker and more subdued... more authentic.

The alcoholic note in Lost Cherry has always made me think of Amaretto in connection with the bitter almond. In this fragrance, it's more of a pleasantly sweet cherry liqueur that soon blends with chocolate. Almost a modern and very high-quality Mon Cheri?

You actually don't smell the oud and the rose, but what stands out is that this scent is significantly more niche than Lost Cherry and also leans more towards a masculine direction. The fragrance is much darker and more authentic compared to LC, while also being sweet and tempting.

Deep down, there it is, the Amaretto :D But even here it's more subdued and totally pleasant.

The scent is strong without being intrusive. It is more mature than Lost Cherry and can therefore be worn for occasions or in a professional setting. It's simply "uplifted".

The longevity of this fragrance is extremely good, typical for ATH.

The new bottle, adorned with Swarovski stones, is truly eye-catching, and the sprayer... you just have to try it. Nothing comes close.

I like it very, very much and I've often been close to buying the fragrance... but I'm just not the type for cherry scents at the moment. As an alternative, I went for the Baraonda by Nasomatto.

However, anyone who loves cherry scents should definitely test this wonderful fragrance here! :)