JOVOY
Aqua Memorabilis

2024

PERFUMER
Vanina Muracciole

clementine
grapefruit
pink pepper
bitter orange

black pepper
clementine
violet

cedarwood
ambergris
sandalwood
Vetiver
musk

‘The delicacy and roundness of Italian clementine opens this powerful, harmonious fragrance. A warm, spicy heart reveals the nobility of sandalwood and vetiver, accompanied by an overdose of cedar. A touch of raspberry and oakmoss add sparkle to this volcanic accord’ – Vanina Muracciole

Aqua Memorabilis is not really up my alley, but more so than I was expected given the ‘aqua’ in the name, which’ significance escapes me.

In my opinion, this is another spicy, masculine-leaning type of fragrance that we’ve seen a surprising amount of from niche brands in 2024. It’s one of the better ones (better than a Carner Helix for example, although perhaps my favorite so far is Goldfield & Banks Mystic Bliss).

Aqua Memorabilis opens more citrussy, but I do find other reviews I’ve seen for this to lean into that citrus-ness a lot more than I would. As you would expect from citrus, it’s there for the opening. As it dries, this becomes so much more spicy and woody and as mentioned, ‘traditionally masculine’ for lack of a better way to describe it. Perhaps a hint of a men’s shower-gel, which is the closest thing to aqua for me here.

To me, it’s a modern take on that style. You get this nondescript spicy-amberwoody mix, rather than smelling any of the natural ingredients. But given that, I find it pretty smooth to wear nonetheless. It’s like a drydown of an aftershave, where it’s just a skin scent. Like a white noise, rather than separate loud noises.

Not a style of scent that I can get too excited about and perhaps a bit of a change of direction compared to the Jovoy fragrances that I’ve tried so far, but I wasn’t let down for what it was.