Mediterranean

Laboratorio Olfattivo Salina

Salina
Laboratoria Olfattivo (LO) is a not very well known Italian brand which deserves much more attention. It was founded in 2009. Many of its fragrances are worth a try. It’s price (30 ml/40 euro and 100 ml/100 euro) are quite reasonable compared to prices from other perfume houses and some of its scents are fabulous. I also like the modern design of their bottles and packaging. My personal favorites are Kashnoir, Decou-Vert and Salina. Perfumers Cecile Zarokian and Pierre Guillaume have made fragrances for LO. Last year LO introduced 30 mls spray bottles, which can only be applauded.

Salina is a small Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea, north of Sicily. The word salina means salt lake. Salt lakes were used on the island for the production of salt by evaporating sea water salt was produced. In certain parts in the world salt is still produced this way. The island was the inspiration for the eau de parfum.

Salina Eau de Parfum evokes the scent of salty skin after a dip in the sea at a secluded warm sandy beach. The herbaceous wormwood and lavender giving the impression of a natural beach with low bushes where one can retreat in the shadow under some pine trees. It is a fairly modern and invigorating scent. At times it is almost as if I get a whiff of chlorine, which adds a contemporary and clean touch to the fragrance.

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Reviews on fragantica, basenotes and from some bloggers are very mixed. Some found Salina horrible and too intrusive. I like Salina and own a 100 mls full bottle. But I can imagine people finding it too  aggresive especially its chlorine note. Personally Salina reminds me of visits with my parents and their friends to a solitary Mediterranean natural beach in Southern Spain. A beautiful quiet place to swim and sun. I only use Salina when I crave for the beach on a very warm day and I am not able to go. It cleanses me like sea salt and water do. In other days it can be too intrusive for me as well. I would recommend to sample before you buy.

Have you tried fragrances from Laboratorio Olfattivo? If so, which one is your favorite?

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Notes: (according to official website)
Top: Lemon Peel, Marine Salt, Pine Needles
Heart: Hot Sand, Myrtle, Wormwood, Marine Spurts, Lavender
Base: Vanilla, White Musk, Cedar

Release: 2013

Perfumer: David Maruitte ( who also made Heeley Menthe Fraiche, the re edition of Le Galion Whip and Especially for Gentleman)

Family: Marine/Aquatic

Origin of bottle/sample: own acquisition

All photographs were made by me.

 

Lorenzo Villoresi Aura Maris Mare Nostrum

 

Last friday I had the pleasure to meet the Italian perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi at the Perfume Lounge in Amsterdam. His line never appealed to me but I wanted to meet him nonetheless. I am glad I did. Lorenzo Villoresi told us about his latest eau de toilette Aura Maris and let us smell some of its pure ingredients.

Meeting Lorenzo Villoresi made me realize how serious he is about his perfumes and how much work and effort his perfumes have  taken him to create. While telling us about exploring the Middle East for good quality raw materials he took us back a moment into ancient times of spice trade. One could almost imagine camel caravans travelling through Middle Eastern deserts transporting golden spices.

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Aura Maris is the first perfume from the Mare Nostrum Collection and means sea breeze. Mare Nostrum is latin for our sea, the Mediterranean Sea. Although a perfume inspired by the sea fortunately, it is not an aquatic scent. The top citrus notes made with mandarin, lemon and bergamot are exquisite. This is a reason on its own to buy this eau de toilette, which I did. The citrus notes are very uplifting and are favorite notes of Lorenzo Villoresi. In the heart notes hedione and narcissus are used which we scented as ingredients as well.

 

The Mare Nostrum Collection is a tribute to the Mediterranean Sea with its rich cultural, historical, mythological history. What does Aura Maris capture ? Lorenzo Villoresi told us Aura Maris captures a light breeze and the scents the sea breeze brings from the trees next to the sea, wood and some herbs. The image I get is from a bright sun shining on the Mediterranean Sea. It reminded me personally of the Mediterranean in Southern Spain during summer holidays.

Aura Maris suggests an eau de cologne due to the citrus notes but it stays longer on the skin. It is not a very original scent but captivating due to the sparkling citrus notes. Longevity is not very long so you have to reappply during the day. image

It is an excellent perfume to invite spring into our lives for those of us who do not live near the Mediterranean Sea and are still having a very cold winter.

March 2013