5 Fragrance Recommendations For July 2021

Why choose Colonia Pura: It had to be one fragrance from the great house of Acqua di Parma on this list. It is summer, and no one does citruses better than them.

To avoid confusion about how it even made this list when Acqua di Parma’s tend to cost above $100 bucks retails. You can find Colonia Pura 100 ml testers for just below $50 on the fragrance discounter websites.

Those in fear of smelling like people from the 1910s fear not. Colonia Pura strips down most of the DNA from the original Colonia and introduces modern and bright citruses in combination with ozonic notes (aldehydes).

The floral narcissus note plays a semi-important note and keeps the fragrance contemporary. The dry down is clean, woody, and soapy, but not as soapy as Colonia Essenza.

For hot, and sunny summer days, classy Colonia Pura is hard to beat, and what’s even better, it is often compared to the much more expensive Renaissance from Xerjoff.

• Perfumer: Francois Demachy
• Perfume Oil Concentration: Eau de Cologne
• Fragrance Type: Citrus Floral
• Release Date: 2017
• Most dominant notes: Ozonic Notes, Orange, and Narcissus
• Age Group: 25+
• Seasons: Spring, Summer, and Fall
• Occasions: Any occasion
• Longevity and Sillage: 5 – 7 hours with moderate projection
• Uniqueness: 4/5
• Value for money: 10/10
• Perfume Color Palette: Yellow, Blue, Green
• Holy Grail Scent Rating: A

Why choose Man Eau Fraiche: I don’t know what kind of magic master perfumer Olivier Cresp used when he created this masterpiece, but my God, this smells just like the swimming pool in the scorching heat of the summer.

To put in perspective just how good this smells like, and how Eau Fraiche is an important fragrance to Versace, they even discontinued the original Versace Man, which is now one of the most wanted discontinued fragrances in the perfume community, and arguably, the best Versace release of all time.

Put the blame on me, but as time goes, and my experience with perfumes grows more, I often ignore the affordable gems like these, for more expensive fragrances, which rarely reach the stars like Eau Fraiche, and each time I return to try it out, the smile on my face goes from one ear to another.

Man Eau Fraiche is sunshine in a bottle. Citruses, woods, and musks dominate the scent along with that swimming pool vibe coming from the carambola aroma chemical. For me, this is probably the best beach scent ever made.

• Perfumer: Olivier Cresp
• Perfume Oil Concentration: Eau de Toilette
• Fragrance Type: Citrus Woody
• Release Date: 2006
• Most dominant notes: Lemon, Carambola, and Cedar
• Age Group: 18+
• Seasons: Spring, Summer, and Fall
• Occasions: Any occasion
• Longevity and Sillage: 4 – 6 hours with moderate projection
• Uniqueness: 4/5
• Value for money: 10/10
• Perfume Color Palette: Yellow, Green, Brown
• Holy Grail Scent Rating: B

Why choose Aqva Marine Pour Homme: Why is no one talking about Aqva Marine anymore? Now almost forgotten release from the Aqva series from Bvlgari is actually, one of the best. Everyone’s now chasing the discontinues Amara and Atlantiqve which are good, but the trends those two are chasing are in the decline.

From all 5 fragrance recommendations for July 2021, you should get your nose first on Aqva Marine, and see what a marine fragrance(no puns intended) should smell like.

With Aqva Marine, perfumer Jacques Cavallier tried to evoke the natural freshness and the strength of the ocean, and boy, how spot-on is he. The prominent grapefruit and floral touches on neroli, and petitgrain in the opening resemble the easy-going walks on the beach when the sun is still not too high on the horizon, while the seaweed and watery notes give a sense of salty wind gently passing through.

Highly recommended for those who live in hot and humid parts of the world. If the Versace Man Eau Fraiche is the smell of the pool, this is your alternative for a great ocean-smelling-like perfume. You’ll thank me later.

• Perfumer: Jacques Cavallier
• Perfume Oil Concentration: Eau de Toilette
• Fragrance Type: Citrus Aquatic
• Release Date: 2008
• Most dominant notes: Water Notes, Grapefruit, and Seaweed
• Age Group: 18+
• Seasons: Spring, and Summer
• Occasions: Casual
• Longevity and Sillage: 5 – 7 hours with moderate projection
• Uniqueness: 4/5
• Value for money: 9/10
• Perfume Color Palette: Yellow, Blue, Green
• Holy Grail Scent Rating: B

Why choose Mandarine Basilic: Same with the Aqua di Parma, you can get a tester bottle of Mandarin Basilic for under $50 bucks if you do your research well.

It is a simple, uplifting citrus aromatic fragrance with high-quality ingredients. The sublime combination of mandarin, bitter orange, and orange flowers works like magic in combination with basil, and gentle sandalwood in the base notes.

Sometimes, when the temperature is so high that you can’t wear anything else, Mandarine Basilic is one of the best choices. Invigorating, clean, and fresh.

You can’t get a better mouthwatering combination of bitter citrus rind, and woods at this price point. Also, it’s perhaps the most unisex fragrance of the line, together with Herba Fresca. The best alternative would be the more affordable 4711 Acqua Colonia Mandarine & Cardamom.

• Perfumer: Marie Salamagne
• Perfume Oil Concentration: Eau de Toilette
• Fragrance Type: Citrus Aromatic
• Release Date: 2007
• Most dominant notes: Mandarine, Basil, and Orange
• Age Group: 18+
• Seasons: Spring, and Summer
• Occasions: Any occasion
• Longevity and Sillage: 3 – 5 hours with gentle projection
• Uniqueness: 3/5
• Value for money: 9/10
• Perfume Color Palette: Yellow, Green, White
• Holy Grail Scent Rating: B

Why choose Cool Water Wave: The most affordable of the bunch, and the only Cool Water summer flanker worth owning. The Intense version is a better perfume, but sadly, it does not work so well in the heat.

I’m going to be straight here. What you are getting is an affordable version of Paco Rabanne Invictus, and the target demographic is younger lads. The opening is a burst of salty grapefruit, but it gets fruitier but less sweet than Invictus.

In the heart notes, I can smell whiffs of juniper berries, and it does have just a touch of the original Cool Water in the dry down, but more appealing. All in all, this could be potentially used as a sport fragrance along with relaxing in the bar by the beach.

The uplifting and relaxing nature of Cool Water Wave will put a smile on your face every time you use it. And yes, one of the perfumers is Francis Kurkdjian, which is just another bonus to check this one out.

• Perfumer: Francis Kurkdjian, Antoine Lie and Jean Jacques
• Perfume Oil Concentration: Eau de Toilette
• Fragrance Type: Citrus Aquatic
• Release Date: 2017
• Most dominant notes: Sea Notes, Grapefruit, Juniper
• Age Group: 18+
• Seasons: Spring, and Summer
• Occasions: Leisure, and Sport
• Longevity and Sillage: 4 – 6 hours with moderate projection
• Uniqueness: 3/5
• Value for money: 10/10
• Perfume Color Palette: Green, Blue, Yellow
• Holy Grail Scent Rating: B