Acqua di Scandola • Parfum d'Empire

The basil and lemon open so sharp and green that for a second I forget this is a marine scent at all. Once the water notes and aldehydes settle in it turns into something that smells like cold ocean air on rocks, and I've been wearing it almost daily since spring.

The seaweed and juniper give this a genuine salt-air quality that most marine fragrances fake with melon or coconut. On my skin the lemon fades within an hour and leaves the patchouli and oakmoss base, which I actually prefer. Wore it on a windy coastal trip and it held up all day.