Over 90 years old, Acqua di Parma’s Colonia (no doubt tweaked over the decades) still smells ‘modern’ and its packaging designs are both decorous (black-and-white labels with simple lettering and the royal coat of arms of Parma, Italy) and lively (easy-to-spot, bright golden-yellow boxes and wrappings). These days, Acqua di Parma touts its rich and famous clientele — royalty, film stars and ‘aristocrats’ of the business world — but such name-dropping is unexpected from a company that once prided itself on its elegance and discretion. (LVMH bought the Acqua di Parma company in 2003.)
Acqua di Parma Colonia contains Sicilian citrus, lavender, rosemary, verbena, Bulgarian rose, sandalwood, vetiver, cedar and ylang-ylang; it starts off sharp with pungent citrus and verbena…
