Prada
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Bergamot hits with sharp, almost aggressive citric brightness, immediately tempered by mugwort's herbal-green undertones and pink pepper's subtle prickling sensation. This opening feels slightly cold and clarifying, like splashing face water on just-woken skin.
The synthetic aquatic accord softens everything considerably as iris and lavender emerge with powdery restraint, whilst saffron's warmth and sage's savoury quality deepen the composition's character. A barely-there spice mingles with that creeping suede note, creating an almost tactile quality against the skin.
Haitian vetiver's woody earthiness becomes prominent as the aquatic synthetic fades to shadow, leaving a soft musk-and-patchouli foundation that's more intimate than projecting. The fragrance clings close to skin now, a gentle, almost skin-scent warmth that lasts perhaps four hours before dissolving entirely into nothing.
Luna Rossa Ocean arrives with a contradictory personality: simultaneously bracing and intimate, it's the fragrance equivalent of plunging into cold seawater that gradually reveals hidden warmth. Anne Flipo's composition opens with a deliberately austere bergamot-and-pink pepper combination that feels almost medicinal, cut through with mugwort's slightly green, herbaceous bite—not the gentle floral mugwort you might expect, but something with genuine mineral edge. The heart then pivots into quieter intrigue: iris and lavender establish a powdery restraint, whilst saffron and sage introduce a creeping spiciness that prevents the composition from ever feeling wholly fresh or innocent. That suede accord is the true architect here, absorbing the synthetic aquatic base notes and converting what could have been a generic marine scent into something with subtle skin warmth and fabric-like softness.
This is a fragrance for those who appreciate subtlety bordering on near-invisibility. It's distinctly unisex—neither pushing florality nor overdoing aromatic herbs—with an intellectual quality that rewards attention rather than demanding it. The wearer is someone comfortable with restraint, perhaps standing at a window watching rain against glass, or wearing understated linen in muted tones. It performs best in quieter moments: morning ablutions, afternoon office work, evening on a balcony. There's an almost Scandinavian minimalism here, a belief that less should never be confused with less interesting. At EDT strength, it's a whisper rather than a declaration, which is precisely the point.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
3.5/5 (92)