Artisan Acqua

Artisan Acqua presents itself as a peculiar beast—simultaneously herbaceous and citrus-driven, yet caught somewhere between fresh cologne and green fougère without fully committing to either camp. Rodrigo Flores-Roux constructs an opening dominated by mandarin and tangelo that feels almost medicinal rather than gourmand, a dryness imparted by the galbanum and angelica root that prevents the composition from ever veering into fruity sweetness. The paradisamide—that synthetic aquatic molecule—hovers throughout like a phantom, lending the fragrance a faintly ozonic quality that never quite gels into a cohesive "fresh aquatic."

What emerges is a restless aromatic composition, one that treats its herbals as primary players rather than supporting cast. Clary sage and basil possess a slightly soapy edge when paired with coriander and geranium, whilst jasmine sambac and palmarosa add a subtle floral-herbal warmth that prevents the composition from becoming purely aromatic and detergent-like. There's a curious tension between the aquatic pretensions and the decidedly terrestrial base—moss, fir balsam, and patchouli anchor what might otherwise float away entirely.