Luna Rossa
Prada (2012)

Prada Luna Rossa is a largely forgotten fragrance but a good one nonetheless. It follows the pattern of clean, safe male fragrances Prada put out through the 2000s and 2010s, entirely eschewing the blue craze of the decade. Long taken off the shelves off Ulta and Sephora, Luna Rossa was overshadowed by Amber Pour Homme which has a small cult following as well as Luna Rossa Carbon, which got attention being an alledged Sauvage rip off.

Luna Rossa is the epitome of a clean, soapy scent. It smells like a bar of soap. Whereas the likes of Amber Pour Homme and Mugler Cologne are often billed as luxury or hotel soap scents, to me Luna Rossa smells closer to a bar of Ivory soap. In the opening, we get a zippy citrus, dry lavender, and a touch of mint. This is pretty much it! The opening accord is joined by a clean powdery note and a well-executed ambroxan. This extends the life of the scent and gives it a clean and mineralistic touch.

This is good stuff. Rumors of this line’s discontinuation has pumped up the price a bit, but it can still be found on the grey market for under $70. No one is going to buy up all remaining stock any time soon, but consider picking it up if you want a clean fragrance.

Prada Luna Rossa EDT (sample) -


The sound of silence

is all the instruction

You’ll get

- Jack Kerouac



2 / 5 stars

This is a very pleasant easy going lavender/powderey/fresh herbal type scent.

I just feel at ease having this on, sutch a easy going smell, i would put it under the fresh/sport type scent, can be used at daytime, but also a summer/spring evening for casual events.

it is abit syntetic, but i dont mind it here.

defiently a thumbs up, even if not the most complex scent out there.

A fresh crisp orange with a whiff of bergamot greet me in the opening blast, followed soon by a lavender that is bright and uplifting.

The top notes merge with the drydown that starts very soon on me, dominated by a spearmint that takes on that takes on ozonic characteristics with whiffs of saltiness also present at times. The bright nature of the mix is preserved so far.

The base is a bland ambery concoction of ambroxan and ambrette, with touches of cashmeran adding to the formulaic and superficial character that can be expected from these components.

I get moderate sillage, good projection and six hours of longevity on ma skin.

The opening of this summery scent, which is named after a sailing team, is pleasant and this continues into the heart note. The base is a formulaic, synthetic and generic trough of boredom, like a wood-coloured plastic table compared to a real wood product. Overall 2.75/5

The very first fragrance I ever purchased by Prada and I this was the one that ultimately influenced me to purchase Prada L'Homme. I haven't been let down on either purchase. I smelled this at Dillard's one day and I loved it. If you can utilize the note of Lavender well, you've got me hooked. I sniffed it and was immediately at the checkout counter asking for it. I got into my car, tore the box open, and sprayed like 3 sprays on me. Here's my take on it:

The Scent: When I first spray it on, I'm hit with citrus but that quickly fades away to introduce the star of the show - Lavender. This fragrance is all about the Lavender. That's primarily what you'll get throughout the life of the fragrance. It is very linear, meaning it does not change much at all. I get a little bit of the mint, but it does not last long. It's a lavender/amber vibe. Overall, I like what they did with the scent. Great work.
Rating: 8/10

Projection: Luna Rossa is not a loud fragrance. It does project, but it's not up there with the likes of Nasomatto, Profumum Roma, or Montale. If I had to grade it, I would give it a B+. Better than average.
Rating: 6/10

Longevity: 6-8 hours. I've had a couple of wearings that it's lasted about 9 hours but that was the best I've gotten from it. I have found that it lasts longer in the warmer months. Looking at the note breakdown, I can see how it would be more effective in the warmer months. 6-8 hours is what you would come to expect from a designer fragrance.
Rating: 8/10

Versatility: This stuff is versatile. I have worn it to work, casual, on a date, to basketball games, and to the gym. It is a very non-offensive scent that works just about anywhere you can imagine.
Rating: 10/10

Final Rating: 8/10. Prada Luna Rossa is a good designer scent. I'd argue and say it's one of the best releases in the past 3-5 years. Luna Rossa probably won't be reached for as much, especially with everyone talking about L'Homme. With so many flankers to Luna Rossa out there, I would suggest if someone is new to the fragrance world, I would recommend smelling Luna Rossa before smelling the flankers. Definitely give it a try and let me know how it works for you!

The original that set the stage for the future, very enjoyable flankers that I tend to like better!

On its own merits, Prada's Luna Rossa is a love-it or hate-it scent for sure. Some may find it to be medicinal and odd, others will love its bright spicy-herbal-sweet goodness.

I've enjoyed wearing Luna Rossa several times before the Sport edition came on the scene, which took the "gotta wear it" baton for a long, long time thereafter for me. The Extreme version was a bit much for me, and I stayed away from it. Then the Eau Sport took my breath away with its marine appeal, Carbon with its metal-sweet oddity that actually works, and the Black version which is okay but not good enough to supplant my faves.

With all those choices being offered by Prada, there is definitely a variant of the Luna Rossa scent if that's the way you want to go.