Megamare by Orto Parisi

I have always had a splinter stuck in me regarding Megamare. I saw it in reviews and forums with that halo of a cursed legend… and finally, I had it. I tried it, used it, and faced it. The raw truth, without adornments: Megamare is not a perfume; it is a warning. I thought they were exaggerating the intensity, but they were not joking. It is not ‘strong’ like a poorly applied Sauvage; it is a concentrated oceanic storm. It is seaweed, salt, oxidised metal in an abandoned dock, the breath of Poseidon after smoking a cigar out at sea. It lasts like a tattoo, projects like a scream in a cave. It invades, crushes, dominates. Fresh? WHAT FRESH!? Where? It is not for a picnic or a casual afternoon. It is for a beach wedding during a storm, wearing a wet leather suit. Summer? Run, it is not for you. Without sweetness or caresses. The musk hits with rudeness, the sea spits out seaweed. It can make you dizzy, repel you, or cause nausea if you are not prepared. I am not joking: it can make you feel like vomiting if you are sensitive. This is not a criticism; it is a fact. Do not buy blindly. I know the hype seduces, but it could be your worst financial mistake. Buy a decant, try it with respect. Megamare is not ‘unisex’; it is brutally masculine, dark, marine, and defiant. It is not flirtatious. If you wear it to attract women, you will probably scare them off. It is a statement: ‘I am here and I do not care’. Did I like it? In my way, yes, there is fascination in its rarity. But it is for very few occasions. Perhaps an eccentric wedding or a ritual by the sea. Not for the office, a date, or mother-in-law. In summary: it is a wild creature. Not for everyone. If you dare, do so with humility and a decant. Scent: 5.5 👃 Originality: 10 🌟 Sillage: 10 💨 Projection: 10 🔭 Longevity: 10 ⏳ Versatility: 1 🔄 Formality: Formal 👔

What can I say about Megamare that has not already been said? After seeing it in countless forums and reviews, I decided to buy it, and this is my experience: Yes, it is a unique fragrance. It has a very peculiar smell. The truth is that around here many have painted it as something that smells bad (below there is someone who claims it smells like ironed sepia 🤣). And there is a truth in all this: there are better scents, of course, but it is pleasant. And yes, its longevity is brutal but it is curious that it is not a dense scent… it is very rare for it to be even subtle. But it is there and everyone smells it. Two compliments from two people in the two days I wore it. In the end, I concluded that to receive compliments from third parties, the fragrance has to be practically a beast mode for others to perceive it, and not being an unpleasant smell (this one is not), the compliment falls almost certainly… and that is why I love it. Wear it where you want and when you want, Summer or Winter… As for the smell, I notice a lot of licorice although it is not declared but it is evident, also the musk and some citrus. The bottle is nice, the price for the quality of perfume you buy seems acceptable to pay 140€. And it does evoke the sea for me… In one word, excellent: Scent: 7.5, Longevity: 10, Projection: 10, Presentation: 8, Price: 7.5, Total: 8.60.

Bottled sea, Megamare, is a radical oceanic experience. Within the aquatic universe, it distinguishes itself by representing the sea water note in a hyper-realistic way. The opening combines soft, mature citrus that quickly yields to the marine accord. On skin, the calone is perceived as natural and refined, without the synthetic note that usually bothers in other aquatics. The evolution maintains the marine presence, accompanied by clean accords and light woods that give it structure and elegance. The result is an intense fragrance, with great power and projection, that differs from the typical ‘blue’ fragrances on the market. The emotion it conveys is total immersion in the ocean, fresh but sophisticated, ideal for those who want to stand out with a unique marine profile. Although it can be associated with summer, its versatile character allows it to be used on different occasions, always with the security that it will not go unnoticed. My note: 9.5/10. It is not a blind buy, but if you want a different and elegant blue fragrance, Megamare redefines what it means to be aquatic.

This perfume has made me rethink the veracity of all the reviews I have read. The fragrance is sweet but with a fresh touch, which makes it quite bearable for a warm daytime climate. Although I live on the coast and winters are around 30 degrees, I would consider it more for the evening, even with the heat. On my skin, the musk, bergamot and ambroxan predominate. It did not cause me anosmia (four triggers), and the sweetness of the fragrance still reaches me constantly. Despite the hype, I did not find the most challenging notes mentioned, such as the condom note. In my case, there is a slight ‘plastified’ note, but it rather resembles the smell of a sweet soda or soft drink, like a popsicle. The opening is delicious, with a marine nuance that is perceived instantly. After four hours, the cedar persists, reminding me of some incense I brought from Patagonia. I recommend it widely. I have never heard it on other people nearby, so it will make you stand out.

I bought it purely because of the hype, and fortunately, it was only a partial letdown. The opening is brutal, very aggressive: salt and metallic notes that genuinely hit the nose. It’s not a gentle or easy-to-wear opening. I applied three sprays, which was more than enough for my wife to start feeling unwell: nausea, even a desire to vomit. That’s when I realised it wasn’t going to work. At work, someone told me it smelled like ‘wet wood’, and honestly, they weren’t far off. Definitely not for me. I ended up selling it. It’s not a fragrance to buy blindly. And to be honest, I don’t consider it enjoyable in a normal setting. It is a good fragrance, yes, well-made and characterful. But it’s one of those that is probably enjoyed more in your personal space, practically alone.

It doesn’t remind me of the sea especially; it takes me more towards a rich alcoholic drink, a cocktail or similar. It is synthetic but rich, with some nuance of algae and white musk. I like it. It lasts a madness, 24 hours on skin in winter, very projecting. The price is good: 50 ml that can last as long as 100 ml of others with good performance and as 150-200 ml of what we usually find on the market; it is not expensive at all. With two sprays, one at the nape and another on a shared wrist, you are covered, if you do not want to overwhelm the crowd. With four, you are going to be all over the place. It can cause anosmia; the first time I put it on a dryer, I didn’t smell almost anything for a while, then I started to perceive it.

My first ‘ultra niche’… To be honest, I do not understand the comments that it is unusable. Megamare, my first ‘difficult to use’ perfume… I do not understand these comments towards this gem of perfumery. It is the fragrance that has given me the most compliments, sincerely. Note, the part about abusing sprays is correct. I only apply a maximum of 3 sprays, maybe 5. Longevity 100/10, Projection 10/10, Scent 9/10 (after a few months you learn to appreciate it more and it goes up to 10), Versatility 8/10, Price 8/10 (3100 Mexican pesos), Sillage 10/10. A total beast mode. Special for outdoor events.

I’ll win another balloon burrito for this. Megamare, which is more of a mega-playground, opens the nose with something that only recalls young white wine, with notes of fermentation and alcohol. Fortunately or unfortunately, that lasts an hour and a half; afterwards, for over 12 hours, it smells of clean but intense seaweed. It doesn’t evolve further. Honestly, I expected more from something that has blown so many people’s minds. For me, I’d stick with Black Sea by Pazzaglia, which, despite having fewer similarities, offers more, although its opening is slightly sharp.

The opening is a horror: a bilious, leathery scent that reminds me of vomit on car upholstery, though after months in the sun it has dried out. As it evolves, that gastric acidity loses its bite and something beautiful begins to emerge beneath. There’s a fleeting citrus freshness and running water… but only for a second, because ultimately it smells like ironed sepia, with all its lemon and everything. It even whets my appetite. But let’s not delude ourselves: it is sepia overwhelmed by the iron, as resilient as leather or a shoe sole.

It is very expensive but, for those who like to go to the beach and smell of that place, it is exceptional. The longevity lasted two days on my arm even with typical showers, and on clothes it lasts up to a week. It smells of sea salt, citrus, and woods. Personally, I would not wish a woman to wear it, but it could be unisex. I had it in a 5ml decant and the full bottle cost me 40 dollars; it is available for around 500 dollars, very expensive, but it is the experience of having a portion of ocean scent in a bottle.

A perfume with extreme longevity and power, a brown beast from Orto Parisi. It is a dark mariner, smelling of marine depth, of seaweed, but at the same time it is sweet, with a fresh part and very musky. A very peculiar and very addictive blend. Be careful with the sprays, with two or three it is enough; you walk and they can follow you just by the scent you leave behind. And they say it has been reformulated, if so, I don’t even want to know how the first version was, it was brutal.

I must say that as of today, this perfume has been reformulated; that beast of performance is no longer even its shadow. I have tested different batches and compared them with the latest, and there is no colour. The good thing is that it is a much more enjoyable perfume, but the part that was noticeable as tanned leather by the sea is almost much lower, with more citrus on top and an abundance of musk. I like it, yes, but it is no longer what it was. A pity.

A pleasant salty marine aroma. I always had a fear of trying it because they said it smelled like a rotten dock. The longevity? In my case, zero projection. Sometimes I felt the smell of my Ariel laundry detergent and not Megamare. With that I tell you everything. I know there are beastly brown batches and others that are better, I suppose I got the one that doesn’t project anymore.

I tested it on blotter paper and the opening brought me citrus notes and a salty alga that won me over, so I bought it. However, with further testing, it evolves into a salty licorice, leaning towards gourmand. The longevity is at least two days, but the problem is the projection: nobody in my circle notices it.

It refers to its name. Perfect in what it wants to convey. A very marine and blue scent but with a strong presence of algae. Personally, I do not like it and would not wear it, but it perfectly conveys the message you wish to send. An ultra-niche in my opinion.