Description
Francis Kurkdjian creates and launches a new, stronger version of Aqua Vitae as a sort of meeting between water and sun. The fragrance was named AQUA VITAE FORTE and unlike the first unisex version from 2013, the new version will contain richer, fuller floral and citrus notes enhanced with hot spices creating a bright and solar composition.
Top notes of the fragrance are based on luminous citrus notes among which the main role belongs to Sicilian mandarin and Calabrian bergamot and lemon embellished with a spicy trio of Ceylon cinnamon, Guatemalan cardamom and Sichuan pink pepper. The heart encompasses Tunisian orange blossom extract and Madagascar ylang-ylang, while the base is constructed of woody notes of Mysore sandalwood and Haitian vetiver.
Fragrance Aqua Vitae Forte can be expected in sales starting from August 15th 2015 and will be available as 70ml Eau de Parfum.
NemtulgeZem – :
Edit: the powdery drydown (a few hours in) of Aqua Vitae Forte reminds me a lot of Eight & Bob’s.
серёня777 – :
Highly sophisticated French aromatic floral constructed as a modern “chypre”. The perfume begins with a fresh aromatic citrus burst encompassing lemon, bergamot, mandarin, cardamom, pepper and cinnamon. It proceeds to a floral heart comprised of ylang-ylang and orange flower, and finally dries to a powdery base of vetiver and sandalwood. Unisex (slight feminine leaning) with moderate to strong sillage and excellent longevity. A very safe work scent that is likely to offend no one. Enjoy!
etensepainY – :
Sharp, citrusy, floral, sweet sublimity.
Aqua Vitae Forte is a very unusual neroli + ylang ylang + citrus combination. The main notes seem simple but there’s an exceptional hidden blend of sweet vanilla, benzoin, and cinnamon in the background paired with some light woods that makes it incredible.
Even though it turns too sharp and almost astringent on my skin, I’ve smelled it on paper and on women and it’s absolutely lovely.
This fragrance made me appreciate ylang ylang and its tart, beautiful, tropical smell. And it is this note what really blurs the the line between the citrusy sourness and the spicy sweetness of this scent to the point where you can’t pick up any individual notes.
It’s clean, bright, sharp, pretty, and a bit feminine. A beautifully refined fragrance that will make you smell gorgeous and unique.
sirius1981 – :
Longevity is great, I applied it about 20 hours ago on the back of my hand and I can still smell it. Projection is probably a bit above average.
A bit too feminine.
TRACCINNY – :
Really very special – as opulent and multi-layered as any of the other offerings from MFK (king of the ultra-rich sweet and woody barnstormer) – but with a sharp spank of citrus and flowers that blossoms into the essence of summer. Smells like a sunlit morning walk through the most beautiful seaside garden, which has a mini citrus orchard of its own; I don’t mean that it’s “aquatic” smelling, but that it has an amazing mix of outdoor freshness with luxuriant sweetness.
The ylang is *very* prominent on me, so steer clear if that note turns you off – try Aqua Universalis instead if you want something more purely citrus – yet it’s cushioned in well enough not to get overpowering. This one also has hidden depths; the spice is very definitely in there too, somehow not warming the mix up, but giving a deeper, shadier crook of nuance to things as well (in some whiffs it gets so spicy I thought ‘cumin’ but relax – there is none – it must have been a vetiver aura.)
The sweetness and floral edge make it lean feminine but I think any male wearer who loved this enough could carry it off. Longevity is not quite up to the astonishing stamina of Aqua Universalis Forte, but it’s still leagues ahead of most things in the summer-citrus category – easily still pumping away up to 6h after first application on me, which is amazing for a freshie.
What more can be said? It’s just beautiful. Further proof this is a house that justifies the hype, and goes a long way towards justifying the (frankly scary) price as well.
oleg050oleg – :
MFK’s Aqua Vitae Forte is beautifully thought out and unreservedly sensual. Desire in a bottle.
Lemon peel with tart bergamot and sweet, almost honeyed Sicilian mandarin marry vibrant cardamom, cinnamon and pink pepper to form Aqua Vitae Forte’s thick, golden citrus-spice opening. Kurkdjian’s treatment of the citrus here is smolderingly warm rather than fresh – quite unique and very beautiful.
Slowly the citrus fades, revealing as it does the middle’s permeating floral bouquet of creamy, fleshy ylang-ylang and heady orange blossom wrapped in the spices’ still persistent golden warmth. The effect is intoxicating, mesmerizing even. The eventual dry down matures with vetiver radiating its nutty earthiness, and sandalwood adding to the composition’s overall creaminess with the spicy floral bouquet still evident right to the very end.
Sophisticated and enticingly warm with a beautiful velvety smoothness, there isn’t another citrus fragrance like it.
Entirely unisex. Longevity is good at 8-10 hours on skin, days on clothes. Sillage is moderate.
9/10
mentos1 – :
Lovely fragrance! Oh JOY! Oh SUMMER! Oh HAPPINESS! Such a beauty closed in a bottle!
afa1940 – :
Fragrance -Aqua Vitae Forte Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Bottle from – 2016
This fragrance reminds me of a sparkling eternal waterfall of magical healing water in a hidden paradise,just like in the elven realm Rivendell,you’re not allowed to visit.Aqua Vitae Forte opens with illuminated,bright,fresh and citrusy notes with dominant lemon mingled with warm spices,followed by charming ylang-ylang in the middle,that give way to a woody,earthy,creamy and sophisticated mix of sandalwood, vetiver and ylang-ylang with a wisper of magic in the drydown.It is a beautiful and amazing fragrance.
Longevity – 7/10(7+ hours)
Silage/Projection – 6,5/10(moderate projection and silage for the first 1-2 hours)
Weather – best in spring and summer
Age – 22+
Compliments – 9/10
Scent – 10/10
Main notes according to me –
ylang-ylang,lemon,cardamom,orange blossom,cinnamon,pepper.
The drydown is nice and creamy and i get some –
ylang-ylang,sandalwood and vetiver.
Emotions -eternal waterfall,magical healing water,bright,
hidden paradise,illuminated,sophisticated.
Occasion – For more or less any ocasion.
You’ll get compliments and LOVE with this one.Nice for signature scent.
WCHohjard – :
Believe it or not, there are hints of CdG Odeur 53/71 in this…. The last thing i expected this to remind me of
angelochek21 – :
I get strong blasts of ylang-ylang in the opening with hints of pepper and mandarin. The dry down is more sandalwood and vetiver, but the ylang-ylang is still noticeable throughout. This is a totally feminine fragrance, in my opinion, I wouldn’t class it as unisex (maybe in the dry down only). The longevity is amazing, I put it on at midday, played football (soccer) at 9pm at night becoming covered in sweat and I could still smell it before getting in the shower. I gave my sample to my wife because it is too feminine for my liking, but still a great scent.
Casper78 – :
WOW! I went on an MFK sample spree this week and picked up a decent amount of MFK samples, so I am reviewing this one first.
So, to me, this is definitely unisex but feminine leaning. I would never choose to wear this scent for any occasion but I need to talk about how beautiful this fragrance is.
I sprayed a nice blast on my hand and the opening is a burst of bright lemon (quality lemon, not synthetic in the slightest) ylang ylang, and orange blossom. As it starts to dry down, the citrus fades and the blossoms start to take center stage (ylang ylang and orange blossom followed by sweet spices (cinnamon) a faint hint of cardamom, and creamy sandalwood, this is a sweeter milkier sandalwood as opposed to the dry sandalwood in some other fragrances.
There is a sweetness here too, it plays throughout the fragrance coming and going just enough to let the spices and florals come through. I’m assuming that the cinnamon and mandarin are contributing to that.
This is really, really well done. Francis Kurkdjian seems to be one hell of an artisan when it comes to creating fragrances, this is the 3rd one I’ve tried and despite me never wanting to wear this, I can’t say anything bad about this fragrance. It’s balanced, it smells amazing, it projects, but it’s not offensive. It’s really exquisite. Definitely summery/spring and daytime for sure….it’s bright, I could see this fragrance cheering someone up too, that’s how bright and uplifting it smells.
Truly wonderful.
eldegotte – :
Aqua Vitae Forte, the water of life. It certainly does have a water-y vibe to it, but even more so – woody. I get a lot of creamy sandalwood and a bit of citruses with cardamom (both of the later ingredients fade out quickly to me). This scent is very elegant and classy, smells like an aristocrat (the price fits one as well). Other than that I do not get much more going in it. The sillage is modest, though the longevity is great. This would definitely be in my spring/summer rotation, if I could afford it. Maybe some time in the future. All in all, a great fragrance by Mr. Kurkdjian.
tusShoste – :
Wow… This is absolutely gorgeous. Opens with a sour, but very smooth citrus, and transitions quickly into a creamy floral (with a touch of vanilla? I dont see that listed) sandalwood dry down. It’s so so so ridiculously smooth.
I would not have guessed this is something I would enjoy if I looked at the note breakdown on here before trying it, but man does it just make me feel a certain way that is hard to describe. Warm. Comforting. Soothing.
Sillage is not huge, but it’s there. Longevity is very good. 12 hours or so.
kia2008 – :
The spices are what make Aqua Vitae Forte. That magical, golden trail of cinnamon, cardamom and pink pepper is simply heavenly and thankfully completely unisex. The scent is fleshed out with full fat creamy florals that pour like velvet over subtle sandalwood and vetiver. An utterly beautiful scent which is surely one of Mr Kurkdjian’s best. It lasts a long time and sillage is perfect for a summer scent.
Aquarya – :
For this price … Make something that last all day. What a disappointment. Beautiful smell… perfect really. But the performance is like a dude who was just released from prison and sees his girlfriend. Pop….fizz.
Droxerz – :
My husband makes a signature lemon meringue pie: gorgeously sweet thin-skinned meyer lemons with a hint of floral nectar, dark Mexican vanilla in dense egg whites and pure heavy cream, and a deliciously rustic, buttery crust.
Although not a gourmand perfume, this is what Aqua Vitae Forte reminds me of — my sexy man, in the kitchen, baking a treat just for me. But I can’t put a picture of him in his apron in the “reminds me of” box above, so I’ll attempt to describe Aqua Vitae Forte as follows:
The fragrance itself opens with a beautiful floral lemon note, realistic, sweet, mouthwatering. Ylang ylang adds an irresistibly creamy heady floral essence with orange blossom enriching the citric budding beauty.
The sandalwood and cinnamon add richness and warmth in the base and a balmy, humid sun-kissed vibe. Pepper, cardamon and vetiver add some balance that keeps the mood dynamic while still being incredibly smooth. It really does feel like walking on a tropical beach with your partner at sunset.
I’ve tested a few MFKs and haven’t been compelled to purchase a full bottle yet, but Aqua Vitae Forte may well change that as I spend some time with my sample.
NatplotoCak – :
Imagine smelling the highest quality sunscreen on a stunning sun-kissed woman lounging on a perfectly warm day on the coast.
kvin22 – :
عطر جميل وينفع حق دوام من اجمل العطور الرجالية لهذه
الدار منعش مع لمسة حلاوة اليلانق
wow the best perfume for men by kurkdjian
citrus ylang sweet
10/10
тыны – :
A simply stunning fragrance. Aqua Vitae Forte takes the lemon and mandarin opening of the original and pairs it with fruity, creamy, sunscreeny ylang ylang. Hints of spice, notably pepper and cinnamon, add warmth to the composition without dominating the top notes. The base eschews the guaiac wood that was so dominant in the original, with sandalwood and vetiver taking its place. The overall composition is incredibly well balanced, and much more unisex than the overtly masculine original – one could even say it leans feminine. The effect is sunny, creamy and utterly mesmerising. One of Francis Kurkdjian’s best.
OwMile – :
I like this one better than its predecessor, and thankfully got rid of the oud, but still too many notes duking it out at the top. Dizzying.
misterkadr – :
Captures the emotion of when you and your lover are lying next to each other on a beach or a resort and looking at the sunset.
You both just got out of shower, crispy clean and fresh. Your muscles are relaxed after a massage or a spa and you lie there, with the breeze blowing at both of you and the orange sun provide you with the warmth.
Then you, or you lover rests on his/her chest and watches the sundown. No complicated thoughts, no words said. Complete and content.
The freshness of taking a shower, being without tension after a massage or meditation, the warmth of glowing daylight, and the sensation of clean, yet slightly salty skin.
Aqua Vitae Forte – 10-12 hours of bliss
cqgypmuygqj – :
Worth every penny.
10/10 without one single “but”.
Starts with bergamot and lemon, backed with accords of cardamom and pepper.
Peaks at the perfect time (projection wise) when the ylang ylang and sweet mandarin make a grand entrance.
5 hours in and a superb creamy sandalwood appears, making the composition feel “solar” and warm. If you want to know what this scent is all about, this is the part to wait for. Heaven!
The vetiver is barely noticeable in the drydown but that’s expected with such brilliant blending. If it was too obvious, the composition would fall apart at the end in my opinion.
A role model in smell, beauty, blending and performance.
eyq481speagoessenda – :
Scent – mandarin, lemon cinnamon, orange blossom & cardamom.
Season/Time of Day – I prefer to use this one in the warmer months, day or night.
Projection – I did get noticed, I didn’t get a compliment.
Longevity – I get 24hrs consistently.
Gasesoamb – :
What a beautiful mixture of citrus,flowers and woodsy notes.
Opens up with a somewhat bitter soure and fresh spicy citrus.Within five minutes sweet bright ylang comes in and takes this blend to a whole new level.
Woodsy notes are dancing along with mildly sweetened citrus and freshly cut pepper grains.
Marvelous is the word suited well this perfume.
Great presentation.
ixuedcmdkb – :
MFK is not your typical clean citrus. The spices are dominant through out the fragrance , I can certainly say the fragrance is non linear and complex citrus scent with ecent longevity of 6-8 hours .
Typical French Perfumery not loud but skin scent with whiffs of fragrances as the body heats up.
More suitable for European Summers . Fantastic
butkor916 – :
Awesome fragrance that again shows the clear difference between mass oriented generic stuff (invictus, eros, 1 million, azzaro wanted, etc) and the NICHE parfumery. This house offers highly versatile and sophisticated fragrances…it is a few steps ahead of others like Diptyque, Mancera, Montale, Annick Goutal, Etro, Penhaligons, etc….
This is slightly different to the original…denser to be honest, perfectly suited for summer COLDER nights, spring, fall and even winter…This, the original and both versions of A. Universalis have the same undertone or MFK DNA…
Scent 8-9 out 10
Performance 9 out of 10 (a projection monster that last well over 10 hours)
Versatility 7 out of 10 (it is to high class to be worn while in the supermarket or the office…)
Overall a nice 9
19921968 – :
There’s something behind the citrus that gives this a masculine bite. Beautiful stuff.
Week 4 edit:
Ok – so unfortunately this wore me out. While I found a masculine quality at first, it quickly became quite feminine to me. There is a decisive floral note – possibly freesia, that messed it all up. Since this is very well blended, it’s hard to pick out certain notes. I gave my travel atomizer to a female co-worked, who loves it. Not for me.
maf-maz – :
I’ve ordered a few samples from MFK and this is, by far, the one that got me. It’s a bit masculine, but I would’t consider this a masculine scent. It’s more of a strong woman scent, empowering one. It’s crisp, fresh yet sparkling, like a good champagne. The lime gives a bitter note to the whole composition and this balances the scent which is citrusy and spicy, but also a bit sweet underneath. It’s a very warm scent, I love how orange blossom and ylang-ylang sit on the woody notes. Uplifting and rich. Has an artistic vibe, which I love in scents (the spirit of Aqua Universalis Forte reminds me of one of my favorite fragrances: Givenchy Extravagance d’Amarige, minus the green tone).
sipunya – :
6/10
Адриан – :
Under the family woodsy spicy, this scent of fresh citrus versatile nature with predisposition and very unisex power is hidden.
Admission is radiant and bright, very nice, with citrus and spices foreground seconding producing the effect of sunlight on the skin. a soft orange blossom embracing the pleasant scent of ylang here does not feel burdensome or overwhelming: floral once installed. After this a very sweet aroma body lotion is installed. As !! Kurkdjian adding his signature to all your fragrance (yes, somewhat strange and out of place), this effect disappears soon.
Drying is very durable, they feel the sandalwood well and also a nice vetiver anything heavy and very airy. To top off the trail a light and powdery skin musk very nice effect.
Overall I liked, I feel better than normal and Aqua Vitae Apom. The easy to use as meeting Eau de Toilette fresh for daily use (if you do not like intrusive fragrances) and also for warm seasons.
Good quality, with a very good length and smooth wake, added to a correct execution.
Rating: 6
комуро – :
I’ve never liked citrus fragrances…i mean not that much to purchase this kind for summer.Why?Cause fresh scents is all i sense when i meet people,when i pass by them on the sidewalk or when i go for a coffee.Same happenned with Aqua Universalis Forte,MFK’s summer best hit.Nope!So when i got near Aqua Vitae,same thoughts crossed my mind.Why on Earth would i want to test another lemony potion?And the miracle happenned!Right in my face Aqua Vitae opened up in a most wonderful cool breeze scent that blew my mind and my nose!The Santal baby,the santal makes it all worth it!mixed with just a small amount of red pepper and all the exotic flowers together with the fruits themselves makes it worth the whole 70 ml.Techicalities are great also.Amazing projection,and really longlasting,i mean 20 h on my skin!Highly recommended!
reziesc – :
It’s a lovely light sweetish citrus fragrance. Lasts long on the skin !
vorotakazan – :
Opens with dirty lemon and spices, cardamom and cinnamon mainly. As it starts to develop, the way the citrus of the mandarin, lemon and cinnamon blend create a ginger bread man type cookie feel, like a bakery. Sweet and warm..
After 5 minutes I get the Ylang Ylang, which is soft, smooth, slightly sweet and acts like a blanket over the fragrance.
From there on the spices have left, as have the citrus..
and you have a slight floral feel, smooth, creamy scent.
Which to me, smells like a lightly scented body cream.
I get a soft/weak projection. With 5 to 6 hours in Longevity – at the 6 hour mark I am struggling to detect anything but skin. Over all it smells like a clean / creamy / hand cream with a nice introduction.
In my opinion, over priced for the scent and performance.
kostenko41 – :
A great and stunning one from MFK. Actually, this house is slowly becoming one of my favorites maisons. It’s a floral/cardamom/citrusy/cinnamon combo, and these ingredients were so well crafted together,as it was mentioned above: a bright and solar composition. A solid and great fragrance from Kurkdjian!
papasha – :
It was a complete blind buy for me…..NO REGRETS AT ALL !!!
lemon, cardamom, a hint of cinnamon and this banana fruit scent, which i didnt know but read that it comes from ylang-ylang, plus a gorgeous creamy sandalwood drydown!!! Such a beautiful fragrance perfect for spring time
ETERWIN – :
This is a must have, one of the best citrus scents out there. No, I don’t know all of them, haven’t tried many because somewhere between being a teenager and a grown-up I’ve grown out of them and moved to a more mature feminine perfumes.
And such is MFK Aqua Vitae Forte. It is not your ordinary fresh sharp citrus perfume, it’s much more subtle, much more sophisticated. This is the best, the most gentle and comforting citrus perfume that I know of. A perfect blend of citruses as top notes with softer middle and base notes that make the perfume something special. It’s not only for sunny spring and summer days, I’m wearing it today on a rainy fall day and it’s lifting up my mood.
Try and fall in love.
dredd24 – :
Beautiful!! It really like the opening,immediately reveals fresh,lively,full of life and color! Lemon dominates the opening … Perfectly balanced and unisex! this is fantastic. The sillage is moderate and longevity very good (12+ hours). This parfum go in my collection! . As time goes proves really beautiful, with a floral touch, thanks to orange blossom and ylang-ylang. Which blend with the other notes becoming something exceptional, almost intoxicating dream ..very beautiful enjoyable. Highly I recommend it!.
Sillage: 7.5/10
Longevity: 9/10
Scent: 10./10
Overall: 10./10
rvy920speagoessenda – :
OK my review on this is much less sophisticated than the others here, but I received samples of this with some cosmetics purchases from Neiman Marcus and fell in love with it. The lemon opening note is a sophisticated citrus and although I don’t see it in the list of notes, I detect a vanilla somewhere in the drydown. I believe the SA from Bergdorf told me there was vanilla. This is a lovely fragrance-I don’t usually buy fragrances at this price and I had to have a bottle! I didn’t even think twice about the price, it seemed that special. I do feel that it leans feminine but could go either way.
dimapen – :
SPICEY FLORAL
Yes, this shares a similarity with the non-forte Aqua Vitae – but they are different enough that a name change would have been more than acceptable.
Aqua Vitae is the subtle, sophisticated, unisex sibling to AV Forte’s flower and spice bomb.
No doubt, top notch ingredients are used, but with a heavier hand.
I am not adverse to wearing a fragrance with a dominant floral note. However, AV Forte leans too far female for my taste.
_sva_ – :
He’s done it again. Like a rich golden island sunset.
Dochkin_95 – :
The original ‘Aqua Vitae’ was inspired to create a scent which evoked a “celebration of life” as well as a “feeling of the first time” according to its creator, Francis Kurkdjian. If ‘Aqua Vitae’ is a playful day at the beach, ‘Aqua Vitae forte’ is a carnal romp in the sand at sunset. Kurkdjian has definitely turned up the heat and sex appeal with this second outing. The result is a sensual and more seductive fragrance, a so called “fragrance of desire”. Calabrian citrus notes of bergamot and lemon join forces with sweet Sicilian mandarin to open the fragrance with a hesperidic accord. This lively citrus blending is matched by a trio of warm and piquant spices. Guatemalan cardamom, Ceylon cinnamon, and Szechuan pepper render a spicy dynamic which feels rushing to the senses and quickens the pulse. The opening is truly intoxicating and reminiscent of the invigorating effect of summer’s warm sunlight hitting the skin. A permeating floral heart composed of Madagascar ylang-ylang and Tunisian orange blossom eventually bursts forth. It is a heady, narcotic, and sweetly floral arrangement, taking its wearer to distant exotic locales. The floral heart seems to last the longest in the evolution of the fragrance’s dry down, providing with it an alluring and sultry charm. Slowly the warm woody nuances of Haitian vetiver and East Indian sandalwood are revealed in the base. Overall the effect is irresistible.
Read my complete and in-depth review at my personal blog:
Fragranceemergency.blogspot.com