A Man's Silver and Blue Summer
By Bill Ervolino
A slender hunk dives from a cliff in the promos for Bvlgari Aqva Pour Homme Atlantiqve, the latest incarnation of Aqva, a fragrance developed 12 years ago by Jacques Cavallier. This version was reportedly inspired by the Atlantic Ocean, a body of water that I spent a good part of my childhood wallowing around in and, trust me, it never smelled this good.
The silver and blue bottle is beguiling, fits easily in your hand and travels well. Slide it into your overnight kit or your pants pocket, for that matter. Its portability is a plus, although you won’t need to refresh it too often. It’s a fragrance with plenty of staying power.
Like the ocean it mimics, Aqva Atlantiqve reminds me of summer – but that’s just my opinion. Try it for yourself and see where it takes you. Each whiff delivers a heady, hardy blend of Calabrian bergamot and Sicilian lemon. The base combines sandalwood, patchouli, benzoin and vetiver. (I’m not a fan of patchouli, but in this supporting role, it sparkles.)
It’s enticing without being flowery or overpowering. As Bvlgari dutifully explains, it is “made up of two accords that oppose and magnify each other: the fragrance pulses with the ‘Sea Amber accord’ and contrasts with the “Ocean Energy accord.”
Are we in accord? Oh, yeah.
I love my beards until I tire of them, but shaving is such a drag, isn’t it?
Through the years, I’ve found a handful of after shave balms that manage to soothe and refresh – two missions that are essentially at odds with each other.
But the Aqva Pour Homme Atlantiqve after shave balm is – dare I say it? – the best I’ve found.
If you open the tube and drop a small amount into your hand, you might not be impressed. (I wasn’t.) But when you use it for its intended purpose…well, I predict you’ll be bowled over. (I was!)
For some reason, it smells differently on your freshly-shaved face, but the scent doesn’t linger, anyway. The real joy of this balm is how perfectly it does what it’s supposed to do. It soothes and refreshes and it does its job as effectively on your scalp (should you need it there) as it does on your face.
I don’t really hate shaving. But Aqva Atlantiqve actually makes me look forward to it.
