GIARDINI DI TOSCANA
BLU MARE

2024

PERFUMER
Silvia Martinelli

bergamot
lemon
grapefruit
pink pepper

aquatic notes
cypress

ambergris
oakmoss

Blu Mare goes down as one of my least favorite wearing experiences of 2024. This mostly comes down to my taste, and it doesn’t help in that case, that Blu Mare seems to last forever on my skin.

This is one of those ‘blue’ fragrances, that’s actually fully green to my nose. Bitter, green. Cypress, something resembling galbanum or ginger to my nose. It has the same harsh smelling bitter green hues that are found in fragrances such as Dusita Pelagos, which is somewhat similar overall, but also a Frederic Malle Uncut Gem or some Santal 33 alternatives. I’m not sure what type of note/molecule exactly is responsible for this scent, but it’s probably a form of amberwood that permeates throughout quite a few 2022-2024 releases.

It’s neon-colored, green, more than the citruses, although there is some acidity and brightness up top. I can definitely picture a sea breeze, briny facet in the opening, but once that acidity fades away, you’re left with an almost earthy, bitter green that becomes very linear and very powerful. I was close to scrubbing it off before going to bed, ended up sleeping for some hours and by the end of the morning, after a shower, I’m still smelling it.

The good news, is that if you do enjoy this type of fragrance, Blu Mare offers a lot of it, at a reasonable price. For me however, it was a chore, rather than a pleasure.