Hello again,
I’m back with another review, and with summer just around the corner, I thought today would be a great day to discuss Neroli Portofino Acqua by Tom Ford! I purchased the fragrance at Lord & Taylor in the fall of last year when it was only available in limited quantities and at select stores. Thankfully, you can now find most of the Neroli Portofino Collection at Sephora!
Alongside its analogues Sole di Positano, Fleur de Portofino, Costa Azzura, and – my personal favorite – Mandarino di Amalfi – the entire NPC lineup is worth sampling as each has their own unique take on the classic neroli-based summer fragrance. As a unisex subset of the unisex Private Blend line, NPA is a great fit for anyone looking for a fun, yet assertive signature hot-weather-scent.
From its first misting, Neroli Portofino Acqua bursts forth with bergamot, neroli, and orange that quickly turn into a powerful bouquet of bright amber, lemon peel, and a light musk. On my skin, this remains the profile throughout its drydown whilst the lemon disappeared rather quickly, on my clothing. However, having worn Neroli Portofino in numerous environments throughout the year, I think it is fair to say some could wear it in most temperatures.
- Concentration: Eau de Toilette
- Primary: Bergamot, Neroli, and Orange
- Secondary: Lemon Peel and Amber
- Tertiary: Powdery Musk
- Sillage: For the first hour, NPA is a projection powerhouse, shining brightly with neroli, orange, and lemon. During the drydown, a more powdery musk appears alongside the ever-present bergamot.
- Longevity: Even with NPA’s strong Neroli accords presenting throughout its drydown on my skin, it simply does not last more than a few hours, at best. Whether it is on my wrists, neck, chest, or clothing, it simply… disappears, after a bit.
- Versatility: While this fragrance performs best as a hot-weather scent, it can be worn in most any setting and environment as its neroli and musk notes give it strength to stand-up to colder temperatures.
- Originality: As far as neroli fragrances go, I think this is one of the better I have tried as it doesn’t drydown into an ultra-sweet citrus-bomb nor does it remain an overly-bitter neroli bordering on patchouli.
- Bottle: Nothing has really changed in the Private Blend collection’s packaging, outside of the addition of lotions and body sprays, and I believe these bottles will stand the test of time – I truly enjoy their weight and aesthetics.
- Price: For its cost (~$125/50ml), Neroli Portofino Acqua simply doesn’t have the overall performance I am looking for in a summer fragrance. As an EDT, the fragrance it simply doesn’t have enough parfum for me to justify the price, whereas the original Neroli Portofino and its sibling Neroli Portofino Forte both offer phenomenal performance – albeit at the expense of sweetness during the drydown.
- Overall: I absolutely adore Neroli Portofino Acqua and its ability to bring both brightness and strength to an afternoon, but its lack of projection after an hour makes it a difficult re-purchase decision, for me. I would wear it all day, if it made sense to, but then a bottle would only last me a week – I would love an EDP version of this!
- Score: 7/10
Thank you so much for reading!
