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Thursday, July 26, 2007

Perfume Review: Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Fico di Amalfi

Review by Tom

With all of the postings about the top tens of summer, I thought I would post one that did not make the list. Added in 2006 to the seemingly endless series of Blu Mediterraneo series from this venerable house, Fico di Amalfi opens with an initial soapiness, which is immediately shoved aside by the light citrus peel: one can smell bergamot, orange and meyer lemon. Although it's not listed, I smell a faint greenness in there, like parsley. They insist that there is fig in there, I suppose that the slightly sweet green scent that I am identifying as "parsley and inoffensive" could be construed as fig. Well, if you'd never eaten one. They also mention jasmine, musk and woods, but the scent pooped out before it ever got to that phase. I got a vague aquatic base in the drydown that was, er, nice.

Well, I am perfectly willing to admit that I am a hard sell: I am jaded and spoiled by the fact that I have stores from Barneys and Neimans to ScentBar and All Purpose to feed my jones for the ever more outre. Tell me that your perfume smells of Tiare flower, yak urine and sea mud and I am right there saying "gimme". I am perfectly willing to accept that it's unfair for me to judge the house by the brilliance of the original Acqua di Parma. Having written that, if this was the latest CKwhatever I would be singing its praises. As it is I will mark it as "pleasant", but no, I will not be tempted to purchase a full bottle.

Fico di Amalfi is available at the sellers of Acqua di Parma: where the original, divine Colonia is $111 for 6 ounces. Fico is available at $92 for 4 ounces. Fico is nice. The original is brilliant to the point where you will want to bathe in it. The original is Cary Grant. Fico is Cary Elwes. Cary Elwes is yummy. Cary Grant was way yummier. You be the judge.

33 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

That guy in the ad looks like a sleazy rent boy! LOL

11:04 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Oh dear, and that is a picture of Mr. Elwes. (artwork courtesy Columbina). He is fairly yummy in his roles, which as I remember pretty much went in the vein of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., who he resembles. I am perhaps doing him a disservice in the comparison: he is a fine actor and by all reports an all around nice guy, and i would be pleased if he showed up at my doorstep with a bunch of daisies, or a bottle of the original Acqua di Parma. Fico di Amalfi would engender a rather less lively response. Just in case Mr. Elwes is taking notes.

11:32 PM EDT  
Blogger Kelley said...

That is Carry Elwes from the motion picture "Princess Bride". He is dressed as the Dread Pirate Roberts! It's one of my favorite movies (very funny I might add).

OK Tom, which is your must have Summer citrus? I read your recent top 10 but which is your favoritest?

12:44 AM EDT  
Blogger Gail S said...

I haven't tried this one yet, but I just had to comment because you put up a picture from my favorite movie in the world!!!!

Hello!!! My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father! Prepare to die! hehe.....

Back on point, I do like Arancia di Capri, but the lasting power is atrocious. Is that common to to this line?

1:54 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi, Tom, I haven't tried this one. Mandorlo di Sicilia is very pleasant. I suspect that my favorite from the Blu Mediterraneo line will always be the discontinued Foglie di Basilico, which really smelled, without a doubt, like basil. I haven't tried the original Colonia. I must put it on the list.

2:00 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I haven't tried this, so I'll talk about Cary Elwes instead. Not a great photo, but a genius film. His career went downhill rapidly, didn't it? Then he attempted a bit of a relaunch into gorenography by sawing off his own leg. Yuk.

4:32 AM EDT  
Blogger chayaruchama said...

HEY !
WATCH IT !
I AM the Dread Pirate Roberts.....

The last role I actually tolerated him in, was in 'Cradle Will Rock' [dollars to doughnuts very few cared to see one of my favorite films- sniff, sniff...], in which he was Orson Welles' nemesis in the WPA days.

Oh, well.
I'm figgin' out with MH these days.
Figue Amere has the less coconutty edge for me- musk, violet, cedar.
Me likee.

Thanks for the beefcake, Tom.
All I want are his lips, actually....

6:44 AM EDT  
Blogger elle said...

I definitely prefer Cary Grant and the original AdP. Fico was just a yawn.

7:30 AM EDT  
Blogger lilybp said...

I haven't tried this (although I do like the original very much), and I never even heard of Cary Elwes (he does look sleazy)! So, good morning Tom, great read!

7:34 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Tom,
Great review! I am leaning towards the Cory Grant fragrance too, mostly because I don't love green, woody figs like the ones in Fico.
It just occurred to me that Cary Elwes might be in Coppola's Dracula, playing ...whatshisname...Lucy's fiance.

9:30 AM EDT  
Blogger Kelley said...

Marina...Yes! He was in Dracula and was totally HOT!!! I think he played a Texan with a big moustache and a big gun.

10:23 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Kelley,
I imdb-ed him, he was Lord Arthur Holmwood in Dracula. I can't remember the name of the Texan character, but it's a different one. Gosh, I only watched Dracula 2367 times (and read the book 3000 times) and I don't remember?? Scary. Was Texan's name Quincey P. Morris? If so, he was played by Bill Campbell

10:32 AM EDT  
Blogger Gaia said...

Tom, I love love love the photo. And I'm in full agreement regarding the Cary issue. Dread Pirate Roberst was good, but give me Cary Grant circa 1939 and I'm a happy soul.

I know what you mean about being jaded. Living 30 minutes away from Bergdorf, Aedes and all the others has definitely spoiled this schnoz of mine.

One last thing: the newest CKwhatever- I highly doubt you'd be singing its praise. I'll be nice and won't use the word "vile", but seriously...

11:50 AM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Kelley-

I think if push comes to shove it will have to default to Hadrien. It's perfection

12:09 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

gail-

First- love the avatar!

Second, it seems to be a these with these that they are not what one could call tenacious..

12:10 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

maria-

Foglie di Basilico was my favorite too! I cannot think why it was discontinued unless some people thought it smelled like pesto..

I thought it was a divine scent of garden-fresh basil, and I was so annoyed when they took it away.

12:13 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

lee-

Mr. Elwes is a very nice looking man. Can't think why he wasn't a bigger star. If it were 1940 Leslie Howard would be chain-smoking nervously in a corner somewhere (to steal from Marina)

12:15 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

chaya-

MH and Satellite both have better figs than this, if you're in a figgy mood.

12:16 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

elle-

Fico is pretty much a snooze.

12:16 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

udith-

He really isn't a sleaze, but he isn't Cary Grant either..

Then again, who is?

12:18 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Kelley, Marina-

That is so funny, I remembered him as the Texan as well, but yes it was Bill Campbell who played him. Another yummy man, who's also very nice in person (unlike Mr, Elwes, I've met him, so I can say that from experience)

12:20 PM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Tom,
I am very impressed but not as jealous as I would have been if you said you met Gary Oldman. ...Don't tell me if you have met him. Just don't. :-)

12:22 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

NB-

Were in the same boat!

I agree with you about CG, and I agree with your post about todays stars- I don't think in ten years anyone will remember Lindsay, but Bette, Joan, Marilyn and Kate will be remembered in 100.

12:25 PM EDT  
Blogger NowSmellThis said...

LOL at "parsley and inoffensive"! I liked FdA much better than you, although it isn't my favorite fig at all and do agree the fig is rather light in this one.

1:28 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Marina-

I have never met Gary Oldman.

1:29 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

nowsmellthis-

I didn't hate it, I just didn't think it was a worthy one for this house. I haven't gone gaga over most of the Blu Mediterraneo's though..

1:42 PM EDT  
Blogger Kelley said...

Marina!!! Hah, of course. I knew he was a hot guy but mistook him for Cary Elwes. It's all coming back to me now. I loved the movie. Oh, it was so romantic in a bloody sort of way. I will have to watch it again.

6:06 PM EDT  
Blogger Kelley said...

Do you know that I think I love Fou D'absynthe (sp?) because of "Dracula"? Oh, the scene where Gary/Dracula is wooing Wynona Ryder. MMMMMMM.

6:17 PM EDT  
Blogger Kelley said...

sorry, I should have added...

wooing Wynona Ryder over a goblet of deep green absynthe and sugar.

6:19 PM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

OMG, Kelley, you are my long-lost twin :-) That is exactly why I loved Fou too and that is why I keep searching for another absinthe scent to live :-D Are we nerds? I think so :-)

6:56 PM EDT  
Blogger Kelley said...

Yep, nerds!

9:05 PM EDT  
Blogger Unknown said...

Since when did Matt Dillon become the face of Acqua di Parma ?

9:50 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

omg, I'm days late & dollars short & I have nothing to say about the scent but omg, the Princess Bride! lol ... one of my favorite movies, too, for personal reasons involving my bf, the l--- word, and the phrase "as you wish" :)

6:24 PM EDT  

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