Cedro di Taormina is the newest addition to join Acqua di Parma’s Blue Mediterraneo fragrance collection, in which each scent is inspired by an ingredient that encapsulates a place, region or landscape.
Echoing a walk through the Sicilian city of Taormina, the scent whisks you right there: from the salty swell of water that caresses the beach so constantly to the citron groves that line the coastline, via the smoking volcano, Etna – which sits atop, watching over this paradisal place.
The first sniff bursts with a potent citron – a citrus fruit, akin to a particularly sculptural lemon – which is refreshing while retaining depth, and enhanced with aromas of herbaceous basil and petitgrain.
The heart sparkles with a black pepper that’s not only spicy but clean and soft, with almost a hint of cacao. After an enlivening dose of lavender, the fragrance trails on to earthy vetiver, rich Virginian cedar and a cistus labdanum whose smokiness takes you right to the foot of the volcano.
The flacon of fragrance, akin to the other scents in the collection, is dazzling blue – reflecting the divine colour of the ocean waves that crash against Taormina’s shoreline.
Frankly, Acqua di Parma should be on a commission from the Sicilian Tourist Board: we’re looking at flights as we type…
Cedro di Taormina £61 for 75ml eau de toilette
At John Lewis
By Carson Parkin-Fairley