Colonia Intensa
Acqua di Parma Colonia Intensa Eau de Cologne is for the buyer who likes the house manner but wants something with more grip to it, and it is the most assertive thing the Colonia name has been put on. Cardamom opens it, which tells you immediately that this is not a straight citrus. It is dry, slightly green and a little soapy, and it sits over bergamot, lemon and ginger so the first few minutes are bright and prickly at the same time. The heart turns herbal and faintly bitter. Myrtle is cool and resinous, artemisia is dry and almost medicinal, and neroli keeps the two of them from going austere by adding a sweeter, powdery white floral lift. Then it darkens properly. Leather is the material that gives this its name and its character, smoky and a touch animal, supported by cedarwood and patchouli for dryness, benzoin for a resinous sweetness that rounds the leather off at the edges, and musk to smooth the base down.
Alberto Morillas and Francois Demachy are credited with it, and it dates from 2007. Despite the eau de cologne label it behaves more substantially than that format usually does, holding five or six hours and keeping a dry trail well into the evening. It is aimed at men and reads that way. Cooler months suit it best, and it is better at dinner than at breakfast. If the lighter colognes in this range are morning scents, this is the one that works after dark.
Acqua di Parma was established in Parma in 1916 by Baron Carlo Magnani as a lighter alternative to the heavy perfumes of the era. Under LVMH ownership it has grown into candles and home fragrance, and its hat box packaging remains one of the most recognisable in the category.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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