Colonia Intensa
Leather is the whole argument for Acqua di Parma Colonia Intensa Eau de Cologne, and it is what separates this bottle from everything else the house puts the Colonia name on. The opening gives no warning of it. Cardamom comes first, dry and faintly soapy, with bergamot and lemon behind it and ginger adding a sharp, slightly fizzy heat. For ten minutes it behaves like a spiced citrus. Then myrtle and artemisia take over and the mood changes, both of them cool, resinous and a little medicinal, with neroli softening the pair by bringing in a sweeter white flower lift. Only after that does the leather appear, smoky and faintly animal, with cedarwood and patchouli keeping it dry, benzoin lending a resinous sweetness at the edges and musk smoothing the whole base down.
Alberto Morillas and Francois Demachy are both credited, and the fragrance dates from 2007. It outlasts the cologne label, giving five or six hours with a dry trail that stays detectable long after the citrus has gone. Two sprays on skin will do; on a jacket collar it will still be there the next morning. It is a men's fragrance by intent and by feel. Autumn and winter suit it, evenings suit it better still, and it is the right choice for anyone who likes Italian cologne structure but wants a darker finish than a morning splash provides.
Acqua di Parma itself was founded in 1916 in Parma by Baron Carlo Magnani, whose complaint about the perfumery of his day was that it was too heavy. The business is owned by LVMH, has expanded into candles and home fragrance, and continues to use the hat box packaging that announces it from across a shop floor.
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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