Luna Rossa Carbon
Eau de Parfum, Prada (2026)

If you’re expecting something unique and challenging from Luna Rossa Carbon EdP you’ve found the wrong fragrance. Despite the marketing materials claiming this is a new futuristic gourmand scent it there isn’t anything new or futuristic here. Instead it’s a return to form or return to the houses roots.

Carbon EdP does open with a strong licorice note, but it only stays gourmand for a minute or two. After that the licorice turns more “sweet fresh”. The licorice adds warmth, depth, and a subtle sweetness that gives the scent a darker Luna Rossa Black but for day time vibe.

This scent really should be called Luna Rossa Black Carbon edition because it shares more similarities with Black than it does Carbon and would also fit in with sailing aesthetic Prada is going for (black carbon sails are used by the Luna Rossa team).

This is a very well done scent and Daniela Andrier clearly borrowed (or was forced to borrow) some of the basenotes from other L’Oreal scents of recent years. The cypress / warm woods are similar to the ones in MYSLF Le Parfum and L’Absolu (not a bad thing).

8 years later Prada managed to make Luna Rossa Black for day time / warmer weather use.

Luna Rossa Carbon Eau de Parfum by Prada (2026) is pretty standard fare, and nothing groundbreaking nor terribly bad. At least L'Oréal had the sense to bring back original "unofficial" Prada house pefumer Daniela Andrier, who had made everything for Prada under Puig and had a unifying theme for every release utilizing Miuccia Prada's favorite notes of amber and iris. When L'Oréal took over the license for Prada from Puig while Miuccia focused on her premium label Miu Miu, they ditched Daniela in favor of oil house perfumers that competed for briefs based on their market successes (Anne Flipo and Carlos Benaim in this case), in the most banal, soulless corporate profit-optimized way possible, leading to a litany of lifeless Prada Luna Rossa Ocean (2021) flankers, among other things.

Being the first Prada Luna Rossa flanker in a long time that feels like it belongs in the line. Carbon Eau de Parfum simply isn't a stronger take on the original competitor to Dior Sauvage (2015), but rather an in-between of sorts that places itself halfway from the original Prada Luna Rossa Carbon (2017) and Prada Luna Rossa Black (2018), with some soft plush tones that recall other Prada masculines, arguably tying in this Luna Rossa closer to Prada's house aesthetic than even the 2012 flagship scent. Soft lavender and anise mix with some of the thick ambery tonka of Luna Rossa Black, also adjacent to L'Oréal's own Armani Code by Giorgio Armani (2004), a black-tie formal scent structure the conglomerate has spend two decades perfecting by this point. Luna Rossa Carbon Eau de Parfum is another one of those, but a good one.

If you're a longtime enjoyer or collector of the line, you don't need Carbon Eau de Parfum, as it will feel redundant next to Luna Rossa Black, so much that I worry L'Oréal may try to replace the latter with the former at some point; I hope they don't because Luna Rossa Black is my preferred presentation of their "black tie" style that they've snuck into one range or another over the decades, not much liking the original take found in Code, or any subsequent flankers of it. Even before L'Oréal there was Avon literally being the origin of the species with their Avon Intrigue (2001), which is such a deep cut it almost doesn't matter. But, if you're someone who uses Carbon and only Carbon from the Luna Rossa Range, then the Eau de Parfum version may have a home in your wardrobe as a plush night-time alternative to the workhorse scent. Thumbs up

Prada Luna Rossa Carbon is a game of merging concepts—first the original idea of Luna Rossa Carbon, then a dance between the ideas of Prada Luna Rossa Sport and Prada L’Homme.

If you like Luna Rossa Carbon because of its “more refined Sauvage” approach and expect that from the Luna Rossa Carbon EdP—you won’t find it here. In this version, you might catch hints of Sauvage Elixir—just hints, and only if you really pay attention. No, it won’t serve as a replacement for Dior Sauvage Elixir, and I say this because I’ve seen some YouTubers and reviewers suggesting otherwise.

It’s understandable that the licorice note—known from the old Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin, recently renamed Homme and put in a different bottle—is recognizable here. The licorice is quite intense and at times slightly reminds of Lolita Lempicka Homme, but not to the point of copying it. This is still Prada, with its distinctive treatment of lavender that is characteristic of the house, so you can’t really say “wow, they’re identical.” The list of notes is quite minimal—there are definitely more nuances here.

Conclusion: a rounder, creamier, slightly sweeter, and spicier version of the original, but it doesn’t make the original Luna Rossa Carbon redundant in your collection. Prada Luna Rossa Carbon is suitable year-round and for daily use, while the Luna Rossa Carbon EdP version works for summer evenings, winter office settings, and even nighttime—especially for dating. If you have clubbing in mind, this fragrance won’t leave a strong impression.

*Originality: 4/10
Scent: 8/10
Longevity: 8/10
Projection: 6/10
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Overall impression: very positive 7/10