Aqua Sextius
Jul et Mad (2014)

I have been left indelibly scarred by too many strident yet ultimately banal aquatics that I must admit to a prejudice against this bossy family that screams at the top of its voice at the wearer (and usually poor suffering bystanders as well) to BE COOL. I dislike the overriding synthetic feel of such perfumes and the bad name they give to abstraction.
The opening of Aqua Sextius triggered this prejudice as it unleashed a wave of thin citrus carried on top of briny aquatic notes, but fortunately it receded quite a bit to reveal a much more interesting composition. As we move into the heart phase the saltiness of this fragrance combined with touches of fig bring faint echoes of Womanity but this not quite as sweet for one and has many dissimilar notes to the Mugler release for another. The citrus pickles nicely in the salt which sounds horrible except that the touch remains light throughout and the diffusive musks doing most of the work in this perfume bring their characteristic smoothness. Green fir-like notes of the earlier stages give way to a dry cedar note of the split-wood variety which brings a cool-warm feel to the base.
Having said all that, much of Aqua Sextius belongs squarely on the shelf marked ‘designer man cologne' and I can't picture myself parting with the bucks required for it.

Acqua Sextius
Jul et Mad Aqua Sextius gives me a huge confirmation (despite not being it ulteriorly necessary) about the real talent and uncompromising craftsmanship abiding behind this niche french maison (deriving source in to a professional great work of research, experimentations and alchemy). Aqua Sextius (performed by the talented perfumer Cecile Zarokian and inspired by the famous town of Aix-en-Provence, the city of 100 fountains) is a vibrant and joyful green-aquatic with a surprising figgy/musky silky-fruity soul, a touch of balminess and a cedary-musky final trail. This new generation "fleshy" aquatic ransoms the previous infamous genre giving it definitely back its previously (and too much often yet currently) lost dignity. The beginning is Heaven, pure spacious and cloudy Paradise with a fizzy, fruity, green, ozonic and all at once almost creamy/fleshy combination of citrus (mostly luxurious bergamot, aromatic green-musky patterns and mandarine), green peels, probably seaweeds, grapefruit, vetiver and tea/mimosa, an aromatic opening playing the game of contrasts appearing contemporary salty-sweet, fluidy-fleshy and milky-tart.
Fig flesh and airy boise fir resins counteract marvellously zesty-sparkling citrus and grapefruit balancing the initial fizzy tartness with a softening white paint of silk. This delicate (fluidy and balmy/fleshy at once) central accord of fig, amber, soft musk and mimosa provides a perfectly measured silky olfactory core which is so irresistibly salty-sweet, visceral and fruity to appear almost edible. The fig is irresistible in its link with balmy mimosa and the accord is masterly combined with the previous effervescent citric/salty and green beginning. The dry down is still salty ozonic, musky ambery, vaguely cedary but still remotely fruity, figgy and balmy (the starring musk joins nicely fruity patterns, amber and mimosa in an extremely satisfactory smooth accord). Incredibly balanced, harmonic and velvety this exquisite fragrance is ideated to celebrate the joy of life in the sunny season of love.