If I can’t drag myself to Sardinia and the beautiful Mediterranean sea, I can jolly well pretend! At least I can try to ease myself into this mindset of glorious blue waters and bright sunshine with fragrance; and when I want that mindset, my fingers find themselves reaching for the crystal clear blue glass bottle of the Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo scents.
One of my favourite perfumes is the citrus whiff of Arancia di Capri that brings to mind sun-ripened oranges. Friends I’ve introduced it to have happily embraced it as well, which makes me happy of course. I have a rather strange nose for scents and what I like doesn’t always sit well with everyone.
The newest inclusion in the Blu Mediterraneo range of scents is Ginepro di Sardegna or Juniper of Sardinia. I’d tried a juniper based scent before this from Penhaligons and I can safely tell you I ran screaming in the opposite direction. So I approached Ginepro di Sardegna with a lot of trepidation. But my fears were for naught because I love this one!
Ginepro di Sardegna proposes to conjure up the scent of Sardinia but as I’ve never been there, it’s hard for me to know or imagine what it does smell like. I’m guessing not the smog-filled, smokey haze I can expect from living in a city right? If you live in Sardinia (Oh lucky you!) please tell me how it smells down there! 😀
When I first sprayed Ginepro di Sardegna on my skin, I get a fairly warm feeling, like warmed, slightly powdery wood. Generally, I’d shy away from powdery scents but this one’s light enough to not irritate my nose or overwhelm, because it’s fairly light.
It’s supposed to start out with a burst of citrus and bergamot, but I don’t really get that. Instead, my nose seems to skip the whole top note altogether and the scent stays quite true to itself all day for me. I find it fairly warm with a hint of woods and spices, yet fresh on skin.
The notes are said to contain pepper, nutmeg, bergamot, juniper, cypress, sage and Virginia cedarwood and cedarwood which might have you thinking that this is one heavy, masculine scent. But you’d be wrong. Unlike the other woodsy and spicy fragrances I’m used to, Ginepro di Sardegna is, I can safely say, the least offensive to the nose.
It’s fairly unisex so both men and women can wear it (and smell quite different) and it isn’t noticeably masculine. In fact, I find that the warm powdery scent gives it a feminine slant that also grounds it and makes it smell more pleasing to the nose than the usual sharp scent of spices and woods.
Wearing Ginepro di Sardegna makes me happy for some reason. It makes me feel warm and loved and comforted. Unlike Arancia di Capri that uplifts the spirit but is fleeting like so many bursts of happiness, Ginepro di Sardegna lasts much longer, rounding down to a gentle scent that takes me through most of my day. It is like a warm, comforting blanket that holds you close and assures you that you’re safe and secure.
That said, I do not find Ginepro di Sardegna particularly special in a true sense. It’s not a scent that will irritate the people around you, nor is it one that will make people stop you and ask you what it is. But it warms me and settles me when my spirits feels uneasy and it cocoons me in a comforting, warm blanket of scent and for that reason, I love Ginepro di Sardegna 🙂
Have you tried any of the Blu Mediterraneo fragrances? Do you have one from Acqua di Parma that you like?
I’ve tried 2 so far and I like them both. I wear Arancia di Capri when I’m not fussed about longevity of scent which is generally if I am out on a weekend but for a work day or when I’m feeling a little down, I wear Ginepro di Sardegna so I feel comforted, and I’ve been wearing it a lot lately so yes, I’ve been needing a lot of comforting 🙂
Paris B
Acqua di Parma Ginepro di Sardegna EdT Price: RM290/75ml | RM450/150ml Availability: Parkson Pavilion
I love the Arancia di Capri. Smells so good! I’m definitely going to check this one out as well even though according to your description it’s not really my sort of scent. But hey, you never know, fragrances are so subjective. I recently picked up the Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt. I never thought it would be the sort of scent I’d go for but when I sniffed it, it was love at first sniff.
Yes, I absolutely agree about fragrances being subjective hence I’ve learned not to place any score by fragrance reviews! LOL I like reading them though, and finding out what’s out there that I could take a look at but after one bad experience, no more buying fragrance unsmelled, for me! 😛 I’ve been seeing the Jo Malone one everywhere but I can’t say I’m sold on Jo Malone scents. Just not very me 🙁
Ah you guys and your sophisticated noses. My nose is a very simple one, and I’ve never been adventurous with scents. Such envy when I read reviews on scent though. I’d have no idea how to describe them. LOL!
Well, now that you’re pregnant, your sense of smell would be heightened. It’s the most perfect opportunity to sniff out the different notes in all the scents ??????
Haha hardly sophisticated. I can barely smell half the scents I’m supposed to and sometimes I smell some that aren’t even there! LOL I used to not write about scent coz I thought I couldn’t but then I realised I could, just not about the scent, just how I liked it – give it a go 😉
I think I’d like this one! I love masculine fragrances, but in the summer they can be a bit much. This sounds like a good one for warmer months.
Yes! This was targeted at warmer months although maybe in the dead of winter, it could bring to mind warmer months? LOL Honestly, I have no idea how different things smell in winter 😛
You know, you got me Arancia di Capri one year for my birthday and I\’m hooked! I wore it religiously for Kbbw and each time I use it, it brought me back to the crazy mad days of rush! Giving a fragrance as a gift was a massive risk, one I\’m glad you took with me 😉 it\’s about time I venture out and be a little more adventurous with my perfume choices. PS- remember our conversation years ago about you not knowing how to write perfumes? See how far you’ve come now! Wishing you all the beautiful rainbows and blue skies with no more need of comforting!
Oh yes I did didn’t I? 😀 I’m glad it worked out for you because it’s such a gamble buying fragrances as gifts. You just never know if it’ll be love or hate 😛 And thank you re: writing about perfumes. Once I shook off the idea that I didn’t have to “review” the perfume, it was plain sailing all the way! 😀