A’mmare by Carthusia

I am writing this because something strange happened with this fragrance. It is very rich, nothing like Acqua di Sale (which I love, but they are distinct). This one is vegetal, sweetened with a minty green and notes heading towards smoky water and moss. At first, when using it, it was noticeable but soft. I continued using it like that, but after fifteen days, on a hot spring or summer day, it exploded! I do not know what happened; it turned into an olfactory bomb. I had to apply less but better. Today I used five sprays and it comes out very punchy with great projection. I am recounting this because this forum is here to help. In the afternoon, as the sun sets, it smells incredible on the skin.

Super summery and luminous fragrance. If you have been in Southern Italy, you will understand instantly: I bought it in Naples and it is pure essence of that time, with that crazy sun, the slow rhythm and the joy of every day. Although it does not last as long nor leave a trail, it more than compensates for that lightness by evoking beautiful memories and transporting me back to those sunny days over and over again.

If I’m looking for a summer perfume (I fancy wearing it at night with a blue-and-white striped t-shirt), the salty marine-aquatic is undoubtedly this one. It is the most special I have tried, with Mediterranean touches of rosemary and herbs. It is not strident, but it lasts a very long time; it makes itself felt, and I have even perceived its scent on freshly awakened skin after applying it at 19:00. Quality-price-originality niche at 100%.

Strange opening and an evolution that doesn’t enchant, but after fifteen minutes it corrects the errors. Explaining the start is an odyssey: an animalic saltiness floods the beginning, the mint should be there but gets lost in tobacco and doesn’t return. The sweet and vanilla finish is common nowadays, pleasant but not novel. In summary: better to try it before buying.

Well, it has its resemblance to ADS and I agree with Vito, but this is more wearable and has its own character. It carries a green and aromatic touch that suits it perfectly, less salty than the PR and a little less soapy. As it dries down, a very subtle sweet base becomes noticeable. What reminds me most of ADS is the opening. I love the scent, although it happens with several fragrances, very occasionally. I have had a decant since last summer and it is still there. I suppose I will finish this one this summer, but the bottle would last me three lives. These are scents with a marked personality and very defined use. I like it very much, but not so much for its versatility to buy it. It performs very well for about 7 or 8 hours, projects well, and the price is just. Totally summery.

A’mmare (in Neapolitan ‘to the sea’, or ‘to the beach’ in Spanish) is an intelligent perfume that catches the wave of salty marine and algae scents and gives them their own twist, improving them. At first it doesn’t smell of algae, which is the least I like. Then it adds aromatics, Mediterranean herbs, and a sweet ‘a-pepinado’ touch. Very worthy of the Neapolitan house. It reminds me of Bleu Turquoise by Armani Privé, a hybrid between this and the classics. No matter how good it is, don’t think it smells different in the air; it follows a rare path. I’ve heard many people in Italy smelling that, fun for a while, but I don’t think it is attractive or interesting; it’s a smell, not a perfume. A marine air scent with nuances few will notice. Within this category, few things are better. If you want a sea/salt scent, I advise this one. I got rid of all of them, but I have a travel size for those three times a year.

The first thing that catches attention is the bottle, beautiful. But it is not a ‘pretty’ or easy fragrance. It goes in a different style to what Carthusia does, in its own way, and it is appreciated. It smells VERY differently on blotter and on skin, so don’t let yourself be carried away by the first impression. On blotter it is aromatic-aquatic with sweetness. On skin it varies depending on who wears it. I understand that the salty, aquatic and mint scent, combined with each person’s pituitary, can evoke beach sweat with sunscreen or thalassotherapy. As hours pass, it becomes more aromatic, reminding of bath salts with woods and musk. It seems to evoke salted skins, as in the Carthusia ad, making a match between land and sea. It achieves it. It requires testing, it is personal and changeable, it can tire. Projects for 2-3 hours, lasts 8 hours with two sprays. On blotter it smells more feminine, on skin more masculine. Aromatically, it goes in another line, like a Paula’s Ibiza by Loewe. It is not easy. Au revoir! PS: it looks like one of those ‘weirdos’ that ends soon and becomes cult.

Terrible… it smells like a footballer who played 60 minutes and then, without showering, applied Rexona deodorant over the sweat. Bad.