Aquaman by Rochas

I’m not sure if it’s still in production; it’s an aqua-colored cologne that amused me at the time. What I disliked most was the heart phase, a mess of grapefruit and coriander that brought out smoldering depilatory wax notes I hate, and sometimes juniper, that smell of boiled egg also found in Miyake’s Aqua Blue and the Essenza version of Acqua di Giò. Aquaman was a tame aquatic; instead of going for a pure clone, it let in herbal and mountainous facets with a nice sweetness. I loved the drydown: the laundry-basket-scented grapefruit faded to leave a calm, slow, aromatic water sweetness. That ultra-cliché scent I love—others find banal, but here it was delicious thanks to its floral and herbal finish from sage, cardamom, and cedar. The eucalyptus was also delicious without being sharp or smelling like fluorine. Aquaman gave a sense of calm, tranquil, comforting water. It’s a perfect example of perfumes you either hate or love; if you don’t like this genre of men’s lotions, you’ll see it as repetitive and unnecessary. I’m a fan of these waters, so for me, Aquaman was a must-have representative. PS: I remember the duration was quite acceptable.

Aquaman by Rochas was definitely a wonderful surprise for me, a perfume that has little to do with its name, with oceanic and aquatic hints, but that actually leans toward luminous green without dismissing certain doses of sophistication. Jacques Cavallier really shined. It seems he leveraged the artistic spirit of early-millennium men’s perfumery to create a fragrance with niche aesthetics, sharing that ethereal quality with other current stars (Kenzo Air, Gucci Rush, Nemo by Cacharel, etc.), with Japanese subtlety and minimalism giving meaning to olfactory poems. The opening fits right into the era of its birth, setting itself apart from almost any other trend perfume to chart its own course. An aroma emerges that is very herbal and slightly fruity, where eucalyptus takes center stage. Not so much balsamic or infused, but in its dry version, like gathering tree bark from the ground on a mountain hike. Add herbal notes and geranium, and you get a green energy boost, reinforced by a very subtle aquatic tone, just as was done, for example, in Horizon by Guy Laroche or Escape by Calvin Klein. Wood emerges gradually as cedar, beautifully wrapped by cypress and what I believe is vetiver (though not declared), and it stays on the skin for many hours, with excellent longevity, especially since it’s not a perfume with major projection (though this happened often with those wonders from the 2000s). It’s hard for me to understand why Aquaman isn’t included in the ace of spades, among the holy grails of the early decade, although this is somehow a blessing since, even though it’s discontinued, it’s still possible to find it at a reasonable price.

The opening is distinct with a soft grapefruit, cypress, and eucalyptus. After two hours, heat brings out the sage and coriander. By six, I still detect sage, a touch of geranium, and something musky, perhaps amber. By eleven, it’s cedar and amber until the end. The trail from a 1.5ml spray was heavy for a couple of hours, then moderate and skin-scented, lasting past twelve hours. It smells deceptive: despite the name and marine color, it’s a soft, spicy woody fragrance for intermediate days. The amber drydown isn’t deep enough for night, and the curious opening can spark interest without overdoing it, preventing the metallic sage from dominating.

I owned this years ago; it seems discontinued or hard to find. It has potential and smells great but fails miserably on performance. It suits winter better. It’s a peculiar aroma like dry eucalyptus with citrus and an unknown bitter note, perhaps from mixing citrus and spices. There’s also a sweet herbal note from the sage that reminds me of bath herbs or irrigation herbs against bad energy, or wet herbs after a cold, rainy day with a gentle melancholy. When applied, it’s dense and enveloping but loses its trail in minutes, sticking to the skin—it’s almost a joke for the nose and wallet. It promises much but delivers little: it’s very ephemeral. If it had better projection and longevity, it would be a great fragrance with a strange, unique personality. Scent: 9/10 Longevity: 2/10 Projection: 4/10 Price: 7/10.