Creed is a perfume house that has legions of fans. After a number of years of passing by the counter, nervous of the price tags, I have found several Creed fragrances to love and own after some mindful exploration. When I was attending Esxence, I noticed a new series of bottles in the Creed booth and inquired about them. The Acqua Originale collection, consisting of Iris Tuberose, Geranium Vetiver, Aberdeen Lavander, Asian Green Tea, and Cedre Blanc, is a new line of lightweight, fairly simple fragrances in the ever-expanding category of the modern cologne. When I paper-tested them, I realized that they were quite interesting, and wanted to explore them.

"Tuberose and Seeded Eucalyptus" by Lisa Warninger

My favorite of the collection was Iris Tuberose, with a sharply green, lush tuberose opening, surrounded but not destroyed by a magnificent earthy iris. Wafts of the sensuous tuberose peeked out for the full wearing of the fragrance. This perfume is sheer and transparent, but far from boring or shy, and a wonderful trace of tuberose remained on my skin after a full day. I have a number of tuberose perfumes, but would gladly add this to the collection. It’s neither too va-va-voom elegant nor innocent, just engaging and lovely.

Notes: Galbanum, Orange, violet leaves, tuberose, lily of the valley, lily, musk, orange blossom, vanilla

"Scented Rose Geranium" by Chris Carter

As soon as I sprayed Geranium Vetiver on my skin, I made all the right yummy noises. The tartness of the apple, which fortunately smells real and not like candy, brings a wonderful liveliness to the rose geranium, which is one of my favorite notes. Rose geranium is used in aromatherapy for good reason. My mood was instantly lifted. Vetiver was not listed as a note on the press sheet, which is surprising, but the cedar makes up for it, and actual vetiver may have overwhelmed the delicacy of the scent. The herbal rosiness of the geranium has nice pull throughout until the woody far drydown.

Notes: Granny Smith apple, bergamot, lemon, geranium, cinnamon, rose, patchouli, cedar, musk, amber

Art Deco postcard by Edward Gross

Lavender has been popping up as a headliner in more perfumes lately, it seems, or maybe I'm just noticing them more, and I'm glad for it. A well-done lavender can be equally soothing and bracing, and Aberdeen Lavander is a nice example. Although women could wear this with ease, and I would enjoy wearing it, for one, I think it would be wonderful on a man in the summer. It has a crispness that is like a fine cotton shirt, but this one has rolled sleeves. The lavender is soothing, and is blended well with the supporting notes through to the warm drydown. This man isn't afraid to plop down on the grass and relax. Nicely done.

Notes: Absinth, bergamot, rosemary, lemon, lavender, lily, tuberose, rose, patchouli, leather, vetiver

"Green Tea Girl" by tiffatron/"Atlantic White Cedar (Cape Cod)" by Bill Wakeley

Looking for something truly clean and fresh? We all need at least one of those in the collection for hot weather and Asian Gren Tea is a good one. Crisp citrus over a subtle tea note and light florals, with just a touch of cassis, and you pretty much can’t go wrong. The longevity is not quite as good as the others, but it’s nice while it lasts.

Notes: Bergamot, mandarin, lemon, neroli, violet, heliotrope, green tea, rose, blackcurrant, sandalwood, musk, amber

Cedre Blanc is a fresh woodsy citrus. It has a touch of leafy green up top, and is quite refreshing, with a soft clean drydown. It may be my least favorite of the bunch, only because I feel it isn't quite as interesting as the others. It is certainly well-done, and I'm sure it will find an audience.

Notes: bergamot, cardamom, galbanum, laurel, geranium, lily, jasmine, cedar, sandalwood, vetiver

I was impressed by the longevity of the majority of these fragrances, and it's lovely to find something relatively ethereal that doesn't go away in an hour. The Acqua Originale scents are reported to be coming to Creed boutiques in September, which seems like the wrong season, like the swimsuit displays in the dead of winter. Fortunately, once a perfume is on the shelf, it tends to stay there for more than a brief season, and we should be able to truly enjoy these next summer.

I received my samples from Creed, which required light espionage and a lovely assistant, for which I am grateful.

Tama Blough, Managing Editor