Profumum Roma Arso, Ambra Aurea and Acqua e Zucchero Review + 3 You Should Be Wearing Draw

January 19, 2019January 20, 2019

Variety is the spice of life, insists the belabored adage – hackneyed but truthful in every way imaginable, especially when it comes to perfume. It’s a joy to recommend a trio of well-composed wearable fragrances which swirl about one like a benevolent zephyr. This time we’re exploring Profumum Roma, an Italian line of considerable refinement. Profumum Roma is a family affair, a fragrance house established by four siblings (Giuseppe, Luciano, Maria and Felice Durante) in 1996 who are jointly referred to as the noses for their abundant creations (I’ve not been able to determine the precise nature of which ones lay claim to any particular scent). Those who are passionate about perfume may find themselves sorely tempted by the sheer variety and unmistakable quality of Profumum’Roma’s prodigious body of fragrant work: there is something for everyone amidst myriad solid glass-encased offerings. With an eye to this aspect, I’d like to suggest three very different scents which might pique your interest and provide olfactory cosseting this long winter.

Gratutiously sexy photo of Kit Harington via Vogue©

Profumum Roma Arso (2010):

Sylvan murmurings: where there once was fire, smoke follows.We have found ourselves besieged by über-woody, extra-singed scents recently; Arso is NOT among them, thankfully. You can spirit yourself off to a cabin in the woods and that granite fireplace piled high with pine and cedar logs for a much-needed retreat in short order. Thoreau and Emerson would have enjoyed this, I think – the chimney works and you won’t be suffocated by clouds of acrid smoke (unlike some other perfumes). Thoughtful conversation with treasured companions, the lingering aroma of a well-weathered leather jacket hung by the door. Or you may be all by your wild lone, like the cat who walks by himself (Kipling). If you dab, this will be more discreet but it has excellent longevity regardless of method of application. It received big thumbs up from my dear husband who is rather fussy about his likes and dislikes; the nature girl in me loves Profumum Roma Arso. Notes: leather, incense, pine resin, cedar leaves

Via Vogue China©

Profumum Roma Ambra Aurea (1998):

Amber as Art for Resin Aficionados. When it was released it was the first Profumum I ever purchased (but not the last). At that time, the cost seemed high but it was a BIG Bottle (100 ml) and despite multiple decants for the faithful over the years, it feels as if I’ll never be able to drain it. It was a good investment. Profumum Roma Ambra Aurea bespeaks depth; it is an unending wellspring of amber wed to the dry myrrh and incense which temper its sweetness. It has sung to bus drivers, dear friends, family and the grieving merely by its comforting presence transmitted through embrace and/or ambient sillage. A little goes a long way with this, so my choice is to dab (flacons are capacious and come with atomizers included as an option, not an imperative: the choice is yours). It feels like an aromatic holy vestment, if such a thing makes sense to you. Notes: ambergris,incense, myrrh

Monica Belluci and Vincent Cassel Ellen Von Unwerth 2005©

Profumum Roma Acqua e Zucchero (2002):

You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar (translated from the Italian, the name means "Water and Sugar"). Those who wear this fragrance garner attention via subversive subtext. Our Editor-in-Chief rocks this particular perfume; it drives men wild and women stop her and ask "WHAT is that fragrance you are wearing". Anything with orange blossom and vanilla is sure to delight her, and the addition of several varieties of berry only sweetens the pot. There is a tangy edge to it which is alluring and prevents the composition from being cloying. I have sweet-amplifying skin so I have to dose it accordingly – but the Boss has blown through three bottles in two years, a ringing endorsement if ever I heard one. Acqua e Zucchero is sexy and fabulous in the winter with cashmere or wearing nothing at all. Notes:orange blossom,wild berries, vanilla

Samples provided by Tracy Tsefalas of Fumerie P arfumerie – many, many thanks! My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Senior Editor and Natural Perfumery Editor

~ Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

Thanks to the generosity of Fumerie P arfumerie we have sample of Profumum Roma Acqua e Zucchero, Profumum Roma Ambra Aurea and Profumum Roma Arso for a registered reader in The USA. To be eligible you must be a registered reader. Please tell us what you enjoyed about Ida’s reviews and if you have a Profumum Roma favorite. Draw closes 1/22/2019

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like ÇaFleureBon and use our Blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.