Profumum Roma Reviews: Acqua E Zucchero, Battito d'Ali, Dulcis in Fundo, Gioiosa, Sorriso, Vanitas
My latest craving for sweeter, vanillic scents and my interest in Profumum Roma recently coincided, and I ordered decants of six sweet scents from the brand from Scentsplit.
Here are my reviews so far...
Acqua E Zucchero
- Rating: 8/10
- TLDR: elevated Pink Sugar
On initial spray, I get a sugared cotton candy made juicy with some fruity tones--the fruits aren't distinct but they are definitely in the direction of lemon, orange, and strawberry or raspberry vs. say, apple or peach or plum. Then some white florals emerge, creamy and a little soapy, but not green at all, also indistinct but reminds me of orange blossom. The whole fragrance is smooth and rounded, and the scent has the temperature and weight of a cool breeze, and the sillage is a soft, airy blend of candied fruits and flowers that has a creamy aspect from the florals.
This fragrance is definitely similar to Pink Sugar but I find it more understated. If pink sugar is a bright pink, then AeZ is more of a creamy pastel shade of coral. It's youthful and pretty but not juvenile. The sweetness is not sickly or cloying but rather nuanced and balanced. Longevity and sillage is moderate. I love this scent, but I'm not sure how often I would wear it.
Battito D'Ali
- Rating: 7/10
- TLDR: clean girl creamsicle
This fragrance starts as a sweet, angelic, orange blossom creamsicle that is bright, ethereal, and clean with milky facets. It's somewhere in between orange sherbet and a clean, floral lotion, giving off an angelic, calm, feminine vibe. I struggle to pick up cocoa powder or myrrh but I can absolutely see the reference to angel wings. It's a lovely scent that I enjoy smelling but not sure it's one I would reach for often.
Dulcis in Fundo
- Rating: 6/10
- TLDR: lemon patchouli cake
This one was confusing to me because I expected a lemon and vanilla fragrance, and while I do get a lovely sweet lemon cake scent, there is an equally strong earthy, patchouli-like component that comes out shortly after spraying. The fragrance is well-blended and doesn't smell bad, but I was looking for something that was more of a pure sweet scent, whereas this one has a prominent earthy side.
Gioiosa
- Rating: 3/10
- TLDR: coconut plastic
This was such a disappointment to me! From the get go it was off-putting. It's a sweet coconut vanilla scent that has some citrus facets, but I get a strong plasticky, popcorn-y undertone that makes it smell synthetic and unpleasant, almost like a rubber doll. I immediately regretted spraying it on my hand.
Sorriso
- Rating: 6/10
- TLDR: chocolate martini
This fragrance opens as chocolate liqueur with orange bitters. At the beginning I get a lot of the boozy and bitter orange notes, as if this were a chocolate martini. As it dries down, it become a warm, slightly powdery cocoa scent. The booze is still there but more secondary, and the bitter orange completely subsides after a while. You're left with a smooth cocoa powder cloud enriched with booze, woods, and vanilla. Think a warm, wood-paneled bar where you're having a not-too-sweet drink dusted with cocoa powder and vanilla sugar. The scent is smooth, balanced, and deep, well-done but as I don't love fragrances with boozy notes, probably not something I would personally reach for. I could see this being a cozy fragrance for the kind of person who enjoys a piece of chocolate with their nightcap at the end of a day.
Vanitas
- Rating: 8/10
- TLDR: bougie pink hard candy
This is a super sweet hard candy scent with some floral nuances. Off the bat you get a bubblegummy fruitiness, like a pink hard candy, unabashedly sweet and playful and addictive. Then you also get a soft, slightly powdery floral note and a pure white sugar that round out the initial brightness. The overall sillage evokes pink hard candy with in powdered sugar with flower petals. The vibe is sweet and flirty and a bit demure. Not something I would personally wear but I do like smelling it!
There were three clear winners in this batch of samples: Acqua E Zucchero, Battito D'Ali, and Vanitas. While I'm not sure any of them will turn into full bottles for me, I'm looking forward to spending more time with them and finishing the decants.
Overall I found myself really enjoying Profumum Roma's style of perfumery. I find their fragrances to be high-quality, unique, and well-blended. The underlying DNA is wearable and doesn't have any sharp or synthetic components. The descriptions from the website are a little sparse, which makes it hard to know exactly what to expect with their fragrances, but I'm looking forward to trying a wider variety of their scents!