When I Wear This Perfume Brand, I Might as Well Be on the Amalfi Coast
When it comes to perfume, I love fragrances that evoke a specific feeling. My favorite fragrances of all time don't just smell like the notes they're filled with—they evoke a memory, a person, a place, and sometimes, they even feel like bottled déjà vu.
Acqua di Parma fragrances each make me feel like I'm adventuring through a different part of Italy. A whiff of one could bring me to brunch in the Tuscan countryside, while another could make me feel like I'm driving a convertible down a windy road on the coast, hair wild in the wind. These fragrances smell wonderful on both men and women, which to me is the mark of a truly well-rounded scent.
I have five favorite Acqua di Parma fragrances that whisk me away to Italy whenever I smell them. One of my favorite things about the brand is that it doesn't just do fragrance well—it also makes irresistible candles, lotions, diffusers, and more. Order one of the incredible scents as a cologne, or opt for a body product or diffuser.
#1: Blu Mediterraneo Arancia di Capri
Key Fragrance Notes: Orange, mandarin, lemon, petitgrain, cardamom, caramel, and musk.
This fragrance smells like how I would imagine having breakfast across from Elio in Call Me By Your Name smells. It's citrusy, breezy, and has a huge burst of grapefruit.
Get it as a candle:
Get it as a soap:
#2: Colonia Futura
Key Fragrance Notes: Bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, pink pepper, lavender, clary sage, and vetiver.
A green and fresh scent that opens with citrusy bergamot, grapefruit, and lemon. This fragrance is balanced by spice from pink peppercorn.
Get it as deodorant:
Get it as shower gel:
#3: Colonia
Key Fragrance Notes: Lemon, sweet orange, calabrian bergamot, lavender, rose, verbena, rosemary, vetiver, patchouli, and sandalwood.
This fragrance almost reminds me of walking through a French pharmacy, in the best way possible. Notes of citrus blend together with a splash of subtle floral notes to create an intoxicating, timeless scent that smells good on everyone.
Get it as a cube candle:
Get it as a hand soap:
#4: Blu Mediterraneo Fico di Amalfi
Key Fragrance Notes: Bergamot, lemon, grapefruit, citron, fig nectar, pink pepper, jasmine petals, fig wood, cedarwood, and benzoin.
If sunlight could be bottled, it would be found in this fragrance. This scent is super energizing thanks to juicy citrus notes, but woodsy accents give it a masculine edge.
Get it as a room diffuser:
Get it as a candle:
#5: Rosa Nobile
Key Fragrance Notes: Sicilian mandarin, Calabrian bergamot, pepper, peony, violet, lily of the valley, rose, cedarwood, ambergris, and musk.
This is a rose fragrance for people who love rose fragrances but are sick of the usual one-note rose scents. It's floral while being fresh and spicy on the nose and woodsy at the base.
Get it as a hair mist:
Get it as a body cream:
Shop our favorite Acqua Di Parma sets so you can try all its fragrances…
Katie Berohn is the associate beauty editor at Who What Wear. Previously, she worked as the beauty assistant for Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, and Prevention magazines, all part of the Hearst Lifestyle Group. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a major in journalism and minor in technology, arts, and media, and earned her master's degree at NYU's graduate program for magazine journalism. In addition, Katie has held editorial internships at Denver Life magazine, Yoga Journal, and Cosmopolitan; a digital editorial internship at New York magazine's The Cut; a social good fellowship at Mashable; and a freelance role at HelloGiggles. When she's not obsessing over the latest skincare launch or continuing her journey to smell every perfume on the planet, Katie can be found taking a hot yoga class, trying everything on the menu at New York's newest restaurant, or hanging out at a trendy wine bar with her friends.