Aura Maris is a Florentine, niche remake of the melancholy Eau De Rochas – a depressive citrus of Mediterranean shrubs, flowers, and waves. It is an unremarkable, but quietly attentive and well crafted scent for introversion and solitude. The saline cliffs. The deserted beach. The open water. Private, unintrusive; intelligent, sad, and genderless. Sel Marin is a more pronounced marine perfume, yet repressed; an aspect that creates tension. Iodine, antiseptic opening notes show to a dour yet sensuous smell – masculine and insistent – with lemon, Sicilian bergamot, oceanics, sea algae, and a taut cedar and vetiver base. Despite its rudimentary execution, the salt spray stays close here. 
I like these brief little reviews you have been doing recently. Although they are very concise, they are helpful and one gets the full picture.
Thanks. Although I am a ludicrous maximalist, sometimes I feel like being a bit more brief and subdued. And these scents suited that approach I thought.
I love the illustrations. Who is the artist? And yes, the words and the images awaken curiosity. Going to see the sea again And feel the salt on your skin and smell it when you cross the dunes
Exactly.
And Edvard Munch.
hi,
thanks for the great blog – my first comment here 🙂
I have actually bought a full bottle of Aura Maris recently and I think your description of it as a ‘scent for introversion and solitude’ captures it perfectly; unobtrusive but addictive in a quiet way – and well crafted, with a quality drydown, which performs well even in the heat of south Italy.
Sel Marin, though interesting / not bad, is somehow too insubstantial for me; i wonder if you’ve tried Sel de Vetiver from The Different Company? it packs a bigger oceanic punch (without calone references…)
Of the two I would also prefer Aura Maris as I think that Sel Marin is a bit harsh and simplistic (although I can imagine it smelling very sexy on someone).
Sel De Vetiver I have always quite liked and feel like revisiting it again actually. Maybe next time I am in Tokyo I will.
Interesting reviews. I am intrigueded by marine based scents, yet they never work well on me. I probably would veer away from anything that echoes of solitude though, seeing I feel enough of that already.