For this warm Sunday on Long Island I went with something a little different today — Acqua della Regina from Santa Maria Novella. One of the things I have come to love about fragrance is that sometimes I’m not simply wearing a scent…I’m wearing a little bit of history. I tend to really enjoy Heritage houses and their stories. And this one has quite a story. Santa Maria Novella traces its roots in Florence all the way back to 1221, when Dominican friars began cultivating herbs and preparing remedies. Acqua della Regina came later, in 1533, when it was created for Caterina de’ Medici and taken with her to France for her marriage to the future King Henri II. That is nearly 500 years of history in the fragrance I put on this morning. 😎 The fragrance itself feels remarkably appropriate for a warm summer Sunday. It starts with a beautiful combination of Italian citrus, neroli and petitgrain, but there is also lavender, rosemary and clove underneath that gives it a fresh herbal and slightly spicy character. What I like most is that it doesn’t smell “modern” in the usual sense—and I mean that as a compliment. There is something wonderfully clean, elegant and restrained about it. The citrus isn’t particularly sweet. It feels greener, brighter and more natural, with the herbs and spices giving it just enough character as it develops. It’s one of those fragrances that reminds me why I enjoy Heritage houses so much. I certainly appreciate new fragrances and new ideas, but there is something pretty special about enjoying a composition whose story reaches all the way back to Renaissance Florence. A quiet Sunday, beautiful weather, nowhere I need to rush… Acqua della Regina feels just about perfect today. 😎🇮🇹

Picked this one up recently, and I like it way more than I thought I would. The EDP is good, but there’s lots of other freshies I prefer over it. This one has a great balance of fresh and sweet. It’s not ground breaking and it’s not unique. It reminds me a bit of Ralph’s Club NY but with more amber and less black currant. Definitely deeper and richer than the EDP. Perfect for fall, winter, and date nights. Good office fragrance as well, just don’t go too heavy on the trigger. Performance is pretty good- I get a solid 7-8 hours on skin and much more on clothing. Projects well for the first 3-4 hours too. Really liking this one.

One of my all time favorite DNAs that’s deeper, richer, and more masculine. A must have it you like this DNA!

This one needs no introduction. Haven’t worn it in a long time, but it’s a chilly morning and I’ll be driving around today with a client from the Middle East. He’s commented before on how much he likes fragrances, and this is one of his favorites in cool weather. Going to be a nice surprise for him today.

the last 2 weeks was a perfect summary ok UK weather. 5 days back it was a high of 38°C. Today its 20. Got to juggle between summer and winter frags. Also picked up coral fantasy. Don’t have a picture because my housemate is hogging and rinsing the bottle. He doesn’t care much about frags but loves this one. There’s already a noticeable dent in the bottle. Got to wear it twice. Still the best from valentino imo. Got to revisit BBP and sailing day. Probably picking up a full bottle of sailing day. Smells nice on my skin.