Aqva Amara / Bvlgari — diving back into the vault today whilst prepping for the start of my work week and a long forgotten Bvlgari gem : Aqua Amara. The opening is aquatic, citrusy, and fresh. The primary notes I get are Sicilian mandarin, watery notes, neroli, and Indonesian patchouli leaf, the Indonesian patchouli leaf lingers in the background as a subtly sweet and earthy accord, giving the opening just a touch of "dirtiness", but in the best way possible; similar to Terre d'Hermes. The dry down is still citrusy, aquatic, and fresh, and the primary notes are still the Sicilian mandarin and watery notes. In fact, the dry down is very similar to the opening. … if you want a decent clone/dupe look towards Paris Corner Amorist or for something “similar” but unique unto itself Mancera’a Aqua Wood

A lot of people want validation in their fragrance choices because fragrance is personal. We are not just buying a smell. We are buying a mood, a style, confidence, and sometimes even the feeling that we made the right decision. When someone buys a fragrance, especially if it is expensive, hyped, niche, discontinued, or a blind buy, they naturally want to feel like they made a good choice. Nobody wants to feel like they wasted their money or got caught up in hype. So when people post their bottle, SOTD, or collection, sometimes they are not only sharing — they are also looking for reassurance. This is also why it can be hard to take anyone else’s reviews too seriously. A review is not always just an honest breakdown of the fragrance. Sometimes it is mixed with hype, buyer’s remorse, personal bias, a desire to justify a purchase, or a desire for other people to agree with their taste. Some people review something right after buying it, while they are still excited about it. Others may overpraise a fragrance because they paid a lot for it. After all, the community already hyped it, or they want to feel validated in owning it. The same thing happens with clones and inspired-by fragrances, but from the opposite side. Because clones are usually much cheaper, some people want to validate them as being “just as good,” “better than the original,” or “not worth paying for the real thing.” Sometimes that may be their honest opinion, but other times the lower price becomes part of the review. Instead of judging the fragrance completely on quality, depth, blending, performance, and how close it really is, the review turns into proving they made the smarter financial choice. I understand why clones are popular. They let people experience a similar scent profile without spending hundreds of dollars. They can be useful for testing a DNA, wearing something casually, or enjoying a style without using up an expensive bottle. But price can create bias. If someone only paid $30 or $40, they may be more forgiving of rough edges, weaker blending, missing depth, or differences from the original. On the other hand, if someone paid $300 or more for the original, they may want to defend that purchase too.