Growing up in South Florida I spent my share of mornings on the beach watching the sunrise. As the chill of the night fled the breaking light it always carried a special scent, too. The last vestige of the night blooming flowers overlaid the slightly woody smell of the pines and the crashing surf. The between times of twilight and dawn seem to carry a special magic. The Versilia series from Profumi del Forte is meant to evoke the different facets of the Tuscany beach coast. Forte del Marmi is centrally located on the Versilia and it is also the city where Profumi del Forte is from. The beachside of Versilia is backed by the Apuan Alps behind them giving a unique mix of geography.

 

 

Profumi del Forte Versilia Aurum was created, according to the press release, to “evoke the spirit of that most noble of metals, gold. A fragrance that is necessarily rich and precious, but not insolent or over the top, not just for the lucky ones. In the end, I believe I found the true path with this mix of sweet and warm, a delicate balance of fruits and flowers, woods, resins, marine breezes and aphrodisiac memories. My Aurum is a jewel for the olfact, to be worn with style on summer´s sweetest evenings."

Upon reading that I was worried about the fruity aspect as the note list has orange, strawberry and plum listed but those notes never appear on my skin. Instead of a fruity floral Versilai Aurum acts more like a Floriental on my skin and as I like that style better I am happy that that is the way it wears on me.

 

 

As I said above on my skin I barely detect any fruit. The only one of the listed notes that sort of appears is the plum. Truthfully it is the tuberose and jasmine which carry the early going for me. Rose, iris and lily of the valley all eventually appear. The lily of the valley adds a bit of olfactive alpine quality to the florals. Vanilla is the central note of the base. It is contrasted with balsam, musk and ambergris. The ambergris adds the beach quality which reflects Versilia. Versilia Aurum starts with flowers and eventually warms up.

Profumi del Forte Versilia Aurum has above average longevity and average sillage.

I reviewed Profumi del Forte Versilia Platinum and found that was more Alps than beach. Versilia Aurum turns that formula around and is more beach than Alps. Which as someone who spent too many early mornings on the beach suits me fine.

Disclosure: This review was based on a sample provided by Intertrade Europe.

We have three samples of Profumi del Forte Versilia Aurum to giveaway to one winner, courtesy of Luckyscent. To be eligible for the draw leave a comment below naming your favorite beach smells and or your favorite Profumi del Forte fragrance. The draw will close June 7, 2011.

–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor