Everybody needs a fragrance that makes them feel fancy, and my current fancy-making fragrance of choice is the gorgeously bright Aqua Vitae by Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris. Interestingly, this is a scent suited to both sexes and it’s one of the very few fragrances I’ve come across that genuinely captures the gender-neutral balance; this is a beautiful fragrance that would smell amazing on both men and women equally.
Aqua Vitae opens with bright and sparkly citrus notes of lemon, bergamot and Sicilian mandarin which are quickly sweetened by the vanilla and Tonka Bean. If you like jasmine but often find it too sickly or synthetic, here is an example of jasmine done really well, alongside Hedione, which is apparently a jasmine-like ester that can give a scent it’s sex appeal and make people feel attracted to the wearer – I’m yet to experience this myself, but I’m wearing it every day and remaining cautiously optimistic…
Presumably the Hedione is what cancels out the OTT effect that a jasmine note can often create – not for me, as I personally love jasmine, but I know other’s don’t necessarily agree – so the result is a gentle hint of white florals which perfectly balance the citric notes. The citrus and floral notes (which also include Ylang Ylang and orange blossom water) are grounded with cinnamon, cardamom, pink pepper and sandalwood, all of which give the fragrance a slightly more masculine tone that mingle with the top notes to keep the fragrance neutral. This is a lovely scent that I really enjoy wearing as it smells and feels luxurious, plus it’s just different enough so that it’s unlikely you’ll find yourself wearing the same scent as anyone else in the room. I also have to mention the fantastic packaging, which is almost “Russian Doll” like in that the bottle is housed in a box that slides down into another box – I recommend keeping it in the packaging as it makes the whole experience extra special! A 70ml bottle of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris Aqua Vitae costs £165 and is available here – link.
*PR Sample