Eau d'Italie is the signature scent of La Sirenuse, the five-star hotel and spa in Positano on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. In 2004, they wanted to do something special to commemorate the hotel's 50+ years of existence, so they created the Eau d'Italie brand. In 2008, they launched Eau d'Italie EDT, the first fragrance in the line. Eau d'Italie opens with a surprise – frankincense, usually used as a base note, but here it’s at the top shouldered by brisk bergamot and fruity, green, black currant buds. Resinous, citrusy and green – this is where I yield to the fragrance and let it take over. As it blooms, I smell clay tiles warmed by the sun – something I’ve never experienced in a fragrance before. It takes me back to summer in Tuscany. I don’t know what chemistry or magic is involved here, and I don’t care. There is also a watery, metallic note that Duchaufour coaxes from tuberose, giving Eau d'Italie a salty skin/sea scent. It’s nearly too much – too sharp, too acrid until magnolia shows up and gives it a floral soul. It is citrusy and sweet, preventing Eau d'Italie from becoming unpleasantly odd or weird while preserving its character. But the real magic is at the base where lichen, cedar, honey, patchouli clover and musk combine to make the drydown sensuous and enticing. This is one siren call I won’t try to resist. Eau d'Italie is a chic scent that smells of summer by the sea – perfect for summer but with enough character that it can be worn in cool weather, too. Notes: Bergamot, frankincense, black currant buds, clay accord, tuberose, magnolia lichen, cedar, honey, patchouli clover and musk.
