Carthusia - Corallium EDP

Corallium has a tag line of “a refreshing essence born of the sea, made to enchant”.  In my opinion this tag line belies the true nature of this juice which is by notes and by experience a woody aromatic.

Corallium opens with a mandarin-bergamot blend.  On first sniff, it is bright, clean, soft, and lightly orange-citrusy.  Almost immediately notes of myrrh, bay, and sage make their presence known along with a soft musk.  The fragrance takes on an herbal quality with a hint of spice.  The notes feel like a familiar barbershop accord. 

About an hour into wear I get a dry cedar and a barely detectable patchouli.  The woody notes play background to the aromatics.  There is a soft, peppery undertone that I can only assume comes from the tree goldmoss stonecrop.  As the juice begins its drydown there is a refresh of the woody character of the fragrance by emerging woody notes.  Unlike the initial introduction of cedar, these notes cannot easily be identified as a particular wood.  In addition to the woods, musk becomes slightly more intense. 

At no time during wear do I get the sense that Corallium is “born of the sea”.  In my mind that language equates to an aquatic.  And, while there are certainly notes that may reflect a Spring stroll through a market, the majority of the wear has the barbershop vibe we’re all familiar with overlaying a woody base.  As such, Corallium better takes its place as a wonderful woody aromatic fragrance and, in that sense, is enchanting. 

Corallium wears on me with moderate projection for roughly 6 – 7 hours. 

Notes: Ethopian myrrh, bay leaf, Italian mandarin, Calabrian bergamot, Indonesian patchouli, Texas cedar wood, fine wood, French sage, tree goldmoss stonecrop, white musk