Peonia Nobile
Acqua di Parma (2016)

Four components stand out in the initial moments: there is a somewhat artificial but not unpleasant raspberry impression that expresses its fruity character very well. Then there is the peony that gives this creation its name. It is an agreeable peony that is, however, out-powered by the raspberry here. I also get a rose throw in; not a bad rose of medium brightness and with a bit of the green and woodsy side of the stems and leaves - but is is not a very vivid or convincing rose impression. And all this is covered by the restrained and gently spiciness of a white pepper note.

The heart notes add mainly florals, freesia, a bit of geranium and transient whiffs of a muguet. Again, they are struggling to make themselves heard under the onslaught of the fruity berries.

The base sees the fruitiness retreating gradually, and replacing it with an ambery, soft, and smooth patchouli, which is embedded into some white musks.

I get moderate sillage, good projection and six hours of longevity on my skin.

The first half is not bad, albeit the raspberry in itself not being exciting enough to warrant such a dominant role. The base is a demonstration of generic-synthetically predictability. Overall 2.5/5.

I'm not one to like florals, but this one surprised me once the lady at the store sprayed it on me. It made me smile. She gave me a sample and I'm using it sparingly because I'm going to run out soon. The more I try it, the more I like it. I may end up buying a bottle eventually, but it's very expensive. Talking about expensive, I would presume that being such an old house, Acqua Di Parma would have more lasting power (at least on this specific fragrance). I would think that through many years of development and innovation, they would have made this perfume last longer. This is my only complaint about it. Otherwise, this is a very pleasant perfume. I recommend it to those that like florals.