Prada Luna Rossa Eau de Toilette cologne review

         There's a new cologne that's been making quite a 'splash' this year! Prada Luna Rossa Eau de Toilette is Prada's newest men's fragrance. It's inspired by Luna Rossa (Red Moon) Challenge, an Italian sailboat racing syndicate that competes in the America's Cup. You might already be able to appreciate the maritime inspirations in the sleek metal and glass bottle above! Mr. Lovey and I have been enjoying a press sample of this sailboat inspired cologne. I'm excited to share my review with you today!

Notes: Lavender absolute, Bitter Orange, Clary Sage, Spearmint, Ambrette Absolute, Ambroxan

          Prada Luna Rossa Eau de Toilette is a fresh splash of herbs in a smooth marine base. The cologne opens with an aquatic blast, like a high wave splashing over the bow. However as quickly as the water arrives, it rolls overboard and gives way to an even keeled lavender. A strong herbal sage steps in like a seasoned skipper to command our immediate attention. A hefty bitterness opens and eventually develop into a recognizable, albeit still bitter, orange. Concurrently a spearmint builds and delivers an overt cooling sensation , with just a hint of dry mint leaf. The spearmint's icy coolness combines with the bitterness of the orange for a sharp, yet complimentary effect, like salt spray whipping the sails in arctic winds; this combination persists for some time.

           Over time, the ambrette, a cool and almost sour metallic note (that you can almost taste at the back of your throat), makes itself known. Its similarities to the prior cool mint and bitter orange combination make such a natural transition that you might not even notice it. An amazing smooth dry wood with a subtle creamy marine sweetness --- which I assume to be Ambroxan, a molecule used to approximate ambergris --- permeates the base, binding the scent together like the classic teak and lignum planks that have braced marine hulls for centuries. The dry down is calm and less tumultuous than the fast moving water and herbal openers; one can't help but appreciate the finesse of the Ambroxan base with threads of ambrette and bitter orange weaved throughout.

             Before sniffing Prada Luna Rossa, I had imagined it to be simple sea-inspired scent; however I found that it was indeed a sailboat-inspired scent as promised. The cologne has marine tones, mainly due to the beautiful, permeating thread of ambroxan, however it's not a mellow wafting water scent a la Armani's Aqua di Gio. Instead we get a feel of waves hitting a hull, in the form of sharp splashes from sage and a cool spray from spearmint. Finally, the contribution from the metallic ambrette combined with the bitter orange imparts the feel of sleek metal and composite hulls of modern racing yachts.

         Overall, Prada Luna Rossa Eau de Toilette ($54 for 1.7 fl.oz.) is a sporty and fresh combination of marine tones with a twist of herbs and metallic notes to keep it light and buoyant. This adventurous new cologne is now available at Sephora for Father's Day and beyond! Thanks for reading! Have you tried Prada Luna Rossa? What Prada fragrances have you tried? What kind of scents do the men in your life enjoy?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. For more Prada, check out my reviews of Prada Infusion d'Iris and Prada L'Eau Ambrée!
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