I should start off  by saying that if you like big, blousy and heady scents this one isn’t for you. Colonia Pura is pretty much the epitome of a fresh and very modern fragrance. It’s not short on character (or dimension) by any means but it’s refined and understated as opposed to being intrusive and obvious.
It begins with a blast of biting citrus that’s an acidic mix of lemons, limes and bergamot. Citrus openers can often disappoint by reminding me of a freshly cleaned bathroom. Colonia Pura transports me directly to an Italian lemon grove. It really is a shining beacon to others in how good a lemony aroma can be. However, Acqua di Parma getting this so right is no surprise as they’ve been masters in the art of perfecting a natural citrus scent for over 100 years. After the crispness of the lemon, the orange and petigrain make an entrance and this sweetens things but only relatively so – there’s no comparison between this and a high street sweet and fruity concoction. The fragrance then opens up to reveal its heart which is a spicy floral. It’s hard for me to pick out single notes but it’s a beautiful blend that’s balanced equally between being flowery and herbaceous. The spicy floral element stays to the finish but is underpinned by musk and a woodiness.
The notes in full are:
Top: Bergamot, juicy orange and delicate petitgrain.
Heart: Coriander, jasmine sambac absolute and narcissus absolute.
Bas...