Profumum Roma Eccelso Eau de Parfum opens with a zesty citrus, slightly bitter and tangy, that gets blended with earthy spiciness before tangling with fruity-floral sweetness. The musk comes in within 15 minutes and brings all the notes together. It was more linear for the first hour, then sweetened slightly with the floral notes, before becoming red and fruity with light woodiness and muskiness in the drydown.

Eccelso Notes

• top notes: bergamot
• heart notes: nutmeg, magnolia
• base notes: sandalwood, musk

What does Eccelso Smell Like?

It opened with a zesty burst of sharp lemon peel–slightly bitter but still recognizably lemon to my nose. Soon, an earthy, slightly spiced quality emerged (likely the nutmeg) that sat atop a musky background. A whisper of floral sweetness from the magnolia diffused into the musk and really wove all the notes together. It had characteristics of soft, sweet florals with a tangy fruitiness to it with an underlying musky feel. The nutmeg seemed to ground the fragrance, too, and later on, about 40 minutes in, there was a bit of a lift–something slightly green and branchy.

The floral quality intensified during the second hour, as did some of the sweetness. The sandalwood came through as a smooth and woody, mixed with the musk, and softened the sweetness of what had become red and fruity, and this seemed to make up the remainder of the perfume through the drydown,

Longevity

It lasted for five hours until it was a skin-scent and about eight hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the first hour of wear.

Testing Methodology

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime, so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Availability

Eccelso is available for $275/100ml., though there may be a $93/18ml smaller size available, often sold at non-US retailers.

If possible, I highly recommend trying a fragrance before purchasing a full bottle because fragrance can wear differently just because of skin chemistry. Skin chemistry can effect not just the longevity of a fragrance but also what notes are prominent or hidden.

Eccelso Samples

We recommend the following retailers for purchasing decanted samples (typically 0.7ml to 2ml in size). This is a fuller list, so individual availability may depend on inventory.

• Jovoy Paris
• LuckyScent
• Scent Split
• Twisted Lily

Where to Buy

• Jovoy Paris
• LuckyScent

Profumum Roma Eccelso Perfume Review

Profumum Roma Eccelso Perfume Review

is a crisp, cool, and earthy scent that was lightened by mint over patchouli, which was initially on the damper, earthier side and then gave way to a more unsweetened, cocoa-like powder smell later on. The drydown added some muskiness and tamped down the initial mintiness, which meant it was primarily patchouli. I found it to be airier and cooler, slightly drier, overall compared to Profumum’s Patchouly.

Thundra Notes

• top notes: mint
• heart notes: patchouli
• base notes: musk

What does Thundra Smell Like?

It opened with a light, airy mint and lemon, almost soap-like because it has fresh and “clean” aspects to it. There was a dryness that emerged after a few minutes that was accompanied by woodiness. The freshness of the mint added a crisp, cool, and drier feel to the woodiness; it made it seem more like it was outdoors with a light, but chilly, breeze.

The patchouli was cool, loamy, and earthy in the first 45 minutes, and then it was like the earth had dried out a bit, which gave it a dustier, drier aspect. This eventually transitioned into a slightly cocoa-powder aroma in the later hours.

The mint started to be overtaken by the musk after two hours of wear, which led to the fragrance becoming less crisp and cool, slightly drier and like slightly sweet, drier woods with underlying muskiness. I’d categorize the drydown as heavily patchouli with musk and little mint.

Longevity

It lasted for seven hours until it was a skin-scent and about 10 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the first two hours of wear.

Testing Methodology

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime, so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Availability

Thundra is available for $275/100ml, though you may be able to find a $93/18ml travel bottle at certain non-US retailers.

If possible, I highly recommend trying a fragrance before purchasing a full bottle because fragrance can wear differently just because of skin chemistry. Skin chemistry can effect not just the longevity of a fragrance but also what notes are prominent or hidden.

Thundra Samples

We recommend the following retailers for purchasing decanted samples (typically 0.7ml to 2ml in size). This is a fuller list, so individual availability may depend on inventory.

• Jovoy Paris
• LuckyScent
• Scent Split
• Twisted Lily

Where to Buy

• Jovoy Paris
• LuckyScent

Profumum Roma Thundra Perfume Review

Profumum Roma Thundra Perfume Review

Profumum Roma Acqua Viva Eau de Parfum is for lemon lovers; it starts with bright, zesty lemons with a hint of greenness before citrus blossoms emerge. The lemon turns almost candied at times, which lasted for four hours, and then the citrus florals started to takeover until they were the star in the drydown, which had light powderiness. The notes are listed as:

• top notes: lemon
• heart notes: broom
• base notes: cedarwood, cypress

Scent Development

Bright yellow, ripened lemon in its tart, zesty glory, just cut from the tree, opened the composition. It was bright, light, and aromatic with lemony blossoms in the background, compounding the intensity of the lemon facet. It sometimes felt almost candied, as the broom blooms added a floral sweetness to the lemon. After a half hour of settling on my skin, it was definitely candied lemon, sweet on the outside, tart on the inside but no woods in sight.

After two hours of being a more linear scent of candied lemons with floral sweetness, the citrus florals bloomed bigger and even sweeter with amorphous woods underneath. The woods did not seem to have a discernible effect on the fragrance for me, even in the drydown. Acqua Viva’s citrus florals started to smell slightly soapy and more powdery after four hours with the candied lemon facet dissipating in equal measure. The drydown was lemony, citrus blossoms that were sweetly powdered.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for five hours until it was a skin-scent and about eight hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the first hour of wear.

Personal Thoughts

I was impressed by how much it smelled like real lemons in the beginning, and then when the lemon turned more candied, it was sweet without being cloying, and the sweetness made it more gourmand and less “clean” (lemon very much reminds of liquid dishwashing soap, as we’ve used lemon-scented all my life). The florals end up a little stronger on me than ideal in the drydown, so I don’t think I’d be rushing to get a bottle for myself, but I’m passing along the remainder of my sample to mom to see how she likes it.

Available Sizes

• 100ml for $275
• 18ml for $93 (harder to find size in the US)
• 0.7ml sample for $6

Where to Buy

• Jovoy Paris
• LuckyScent
• Twisted Lily

Profumum Roma Acqua Viva Perfume Review

Profumum Roma Acqua Viva Perfume Review

Profumum Roma Acqua e Zucchero Eau de Parfum is a sweet affair of sticky, syrupy red fruits and caramel-vanilla that took awhile to decide which direction it wanted to dry down in. There was a whisper of citrus florals, but they came and went, sometimes sweeter and airier, and other times, almost bitter behind the fruit and vanilla.

• top notes: orange blossom
• heart notes: red fruits
• base notes: vanilla

Juicy, sugared fruit cocktail swirled and spilled over, so intense that it seemed syrupy, before getting lighter and airier as the orange blossom added another layer of dimension instead of sweetness. Soon, it was like a dollop of fresh whipped cream was folded into the fruits, which made the fruit smell more like strawberries and cream.

Within 10 minutes, lightly spiced, boozy vanilla emerged from the fresh cream and strawberries and gave it some bite from the spice and chewiness from it seeming to caramelize around the fruits. It vacillated between syrupy-sweet, fruit cocktail juice with a muddled floral quality to caramelized vanilla sugar with a hint of spice. Caramelized sugar with lightly spiced vanilla won in the end, as it made up the majority of the drydown, which arrived after four hours of wear.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for five hours until it was a skin-scent and about eight hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the first hour of wear.

Personal Thoughts

A lot of people who had this and reviewed it on various retailer websites suggested it was very similar (too similar for the price) to Aquolina Pink Sugar, which I have not tried, but I figured it was worth mentioning for those who have experienced that scent (whether in a pleasant or off-putting way!). The way the berries sweetened seemed overly syrupy and synthetic, and I like my fruits more photorealistic in their scents, otherwise they seem cloying to me.

Available Sizes

• 100ml for $275
• 18ml for $93 (harder to find size in the US)
• 0.7ml sample for $6

Where to Buy

• Jovoy Paris
• LuckyScent
• Twisted Lily

Profumum Acqua e Zucchero Perfume Review

Profumum Acqua e Zucchero Perfume Review

Profumum Roma Battito d’Ali Eau de Parfum was a blend of soft cocoa powder with orange blossom and creamy, almost milky, vanilla. It evoked the fading aroma of a baked chocolate-and-orange cake–not so sweet that it was cake-like, because there was a sweet, lightly spiced woody undertone that kept it from being an actual dessert. Profumum listed the notes as: cocoa powder, myrrh, orange flowers, and vanilla. Some retailers also list coconut.

It opened with sharp, bitter citrus that smoothed out with a honeyed sweetness over the first few minutes. There was a delicate whisper of orange blossom, but the sharpness of bergamot came through more readily with the floral quality being quite airy and light. As the resinous sweetness and almost clove-like spice of the myrrh and vanilla combined, the sharpness dissipated and let the fragrant orange blossoms take centerstage.

There was a dusting of cocoa powder underneath it all, and at very brief intervals, it smelled like sweet, creamy lotion over clean skin. The myrrh seemed to be a stronger component compared to the orange blossom, and the vanilla and cocoa created a creamy, almost milky, quality that blurred everything together to the point where individual aspects were particularly hard to discern after an hour of settling on my skin.

I was surprised that the florals seemed to bloom a second time after a half hour on my skin, which reduced some of the honeyed sweetness and introduced a subtle, bitter orange peel. Battito d’Ali was candied orange pieces with cocoa powder and folded into vanilla cream over an undercurrent over spiced, sweet, woody myrrh. It was less like a dessert as it was the aroma that lingers hours after baking something with chocolate and orange together.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for six hours until it was a skin-scent and about 10 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within two hours of wear.

Personal Thoughts

While I don’t enjoy the taste of chocolate and orange so much, I have found that I’m not opposed to it as a note combination in a fragrance! I don’t know if it’s something I’d readily reach for, but I have enjoyed the few fragrances I’ve tried with the duo. The orange here was more floral, and I’d probably go for something a little more candied without the floral aspect at all.

Available Sizes

• 100ml for $275
• 18ml for $93 (harder to find size in the US)
• 0.7ml sample for $6

Where to Buy

• Jovoy Paris
• LuckyScent
• Twisted Lily

Profumum Battito d'Ali Perfume Review

Profumum Battito d'Ali Perfume Review

Profumum Roma Neroli Eau de Parfum is ode to neroli! Warm, fragrant orange blossoms that were lighter and airier initially and then headier, more honeyed as the myrrh married with the neroli. The notes are:

• top notes: neroli, orange blossom
• heart notes: bitter orange, petit-grain
• base notes: myrrh

It smelled of sweet citrus blossoms that just were blown off the trees, fluttering as they descended to the ground, which added a bitter, earthy, and woody undertone but that ground was overrun by the blooms, so it was a mere undertone. There was little in the way of anything green, and bitterness was subtle, there to add body and fullness to the scent but not take away from the inherent floral sweetness of neroli.

It sometimes made me think of honeyed lemon, especially in the earlier part of wear, when there was a more notable level of bitterness underneath the citrus, floral bouquet, and made it seem a little soapy at the end of an inhale.

The impression was warmer, denser, and headier compared to Orangea, which was more focused on citrus peels and is cooler, more effervescent. The addition of myrrh in Neroli brought out the honeyed sweetness that shifted the citrus from lemon to more orange over time.

Some of the floral character diminished as the myrrh moved from a mere hum in the first hour to conversing comfortably with the floral citrus notes. The myrrh added a more resinous, honeyed quality that added warmth and sweetness to the florals, which made up the drydown.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for five hours until it was a skin-scent and about eight hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the first hour of wear.

Personal Thoughts

I prefer the zesty feel and smell of Orangea, as Neroli is really quite floral. They may both cover citrus territory, but they do so in different ways for sure.

Available Sizes

• 100ml for $275
• 18ml for $93 (harder to find size in the US)
• 0.7ml sample for $6

Where to Buy

• Jovoy Paris
• LuckyScent
• Twisted Lily

Profumum Neroli Perfume Review

Profumum Neroli Perfume Review

Profumum Roma Orangea Eau de Parfum is a highly aromatic, zesty take on citrus with an emphasis on the pith and rind, rather than the juice. There was the unmistakable scent of orange blossoms in the air, but they were one component that was highlighted. Orangea felt like the full picture of fresh citrus, not just their blooms but the rinds and piths and branches the blossoms emerge from. The notes are:

• top notes: petit-grain
• heart notes: mint
• base notes: bergamot, cedar leaves

It opened with zesty, sparkling bitter orange under a trail of the fading orange blossoms, which added such, floral sweetness. The petit-grain added body to the orange, made it more like the entirety of an orchard of citrus trees after most of the blooms have fallen away with the leaves, trunks, and branches. Orangea was incredibly aromatic with aging orange peels, green cedar, and a kiss of mint.

The journey through Orangea changed by millimeters over time with the most notable shift was that it increased its bitterness, and unlike some citrus-driven fragrances on the market, there was little in the way of sweet notes to counteract the bitterness. This made the composition fresh, aromatic, fizzy, and cooling. I felt like the mint brightened, while the dry, woody undertone rounded out the bitterness without adding sweetness. The drydown was soft, bitter orange with a hint of freshness.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for five hours until it was a skin-scent and about 10 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the first hour of wear.

Personal Thoughts

I liked how bright and zesty this one while still smelling of orange and citrus, slightly of orange blossom but not as full in its floral capacity as some neroli/orange blossom scents can be.

Available Sizes

• 100ml for $275
• 18ml for $93 (harder to find size in the US)
• 0.7ml sample for $6

Where to Buy

• Jovoy Paris
• LuckyScent
• Twisted Lily

Profumum Orangea Perfume Review

Profumum Orangea Perfume Review

Profumum Olibanum Eau de Parfum is an ode to incense, myrrh, and sandalwood with citrus that weaves in and out of the composition, sometimes asserting itself as tarter, more lemon-like and later on, more like orange blossoms with a sweet floral quality. Incense was the strongest player for most of the wear until the drydown where the creamy, smooth sandalwood brought it down to tendrils of smoked pine.

• top notes: incense
• heart notes: myrrh, orange blossom
• base notes: sandalwood

It opened with effervescent citrus and smoke that billowed across freshly sanded pine and kicked up its sawdust piles and pine needles strewn on the floor, giving the opening a dry, somewhat aromatic feel with a hint of lemon, though just managing not to call to mind cleaning products. It had a lighter, airier feel that eventually grew heavier, though never a dominating, heavy scent during its wear.

The incense was smoky and woodsy with resinous pine that had undertones of citrus and felt crisp. The intensify of the pine lessened as creamy, smooth sandalwood and more floral citrus came through and added a thin layer of sweetness.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 1ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. I purchased my sample January 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for six hours until it was a skin-scent and about 12 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within two hours of wear.

Personal Thoughts

It felt like a “cooler” scent than I normally wear, which is something that fascinates with scents being “warmer” or “cooler” by scent alone. This was a much more wearable smoky fragrance for me, since it smelled more of resinous pine than blackened smoke. I enjoyed wearing it as a sample but don’t think it struck a chord with me to consider purchasing in the future.

Available Sizes

• 100ml for $275
• 18ml for $93 (harder to find size in the US)
• 0.7ml sample for $6

Where to Buy

• Jovoy Paris
• LuckyScent

Profumum Olibanum Perfume Review

Profumum Olibanum Perfume Review