I have been spraying very rapidly through this amber vanilla fragrance from Carthusia since I purchased it some time ago and am at the point where I’m holding back from using it because I fear draining the entire bottle before getting a chance to review it. No more! I want to use it freely without hesitation or worry, especially now that we are in the colder months in which this fragrance shines.
Terra Mia was launched in 2017 and the nose behind this fragrance is Luca Maffei. This fragrance is a marked departure from its regular fare. Carthusia says of this scent,
“Our inspiration comes from velvety and captivating perfumes that taste as good as coffee and hazelnut, entwined with raw nature made of orange blossom, pink pepper, and jasmine. And a vibrant, ancient soul watching on idyllic sea and hearing earth echoes, our passion, My Terra – Terra Mia.”
The English is a little off there, I feel, but no matter, here are the notes:
- neroli, pink pepper, bergamot,
- coffee, rose, hazelnut, orange blossom, jasmine,
- vanilla, amberwood, ambroxan, musk
This is a beautifully blended, nuclear coffee and gourmand-note lover’s dream in a bottle. The first time you smell it, you might raise an eyebrow. It’s a little strange because it contains elements that don’t seem to go together naturally. It’s as if some of the notes in the fragrance have been coaxed to date notes they have never before blended with. You have a super sweet and nutty coffee element awkwardly trying to chat up some peppered white flowers and amber. And the rose, dewy and juicy and in full bloom, is right in the middle, orchestrating the interaction. The flowers, much to the delight and chagrin of all the other ingredients, have started to swoon at all the attention. They lift the other notes up so that they don’t follow their natural propensity towards sickly sweetness. It’s still sweet, though. Think of rose, orange blossom, and jasmine dipped in Nutella and then sprinkled with vanilla, amber sugar crystals, pink pepper, and a squeeze of bergamot.
It’s not listed here but I also get chewy sweet black licorice and chocolate. And we already know it has hazelnuts (hence the Nutella). I also feel that sometimes there is some sort of tangy fruit gum in here. Not citrus, but maybe something like grapes – the thick, juicy, and meaty variety. Finally, this is a slightly boozy and fizzy fun fragrance, if you like that sort of thing. I think it might be the bergamot and neroli at the top that give it this effect.
I love Carthusia packaging. For this one, Neapolitan artist Lello Esposito created and designed the exclusive Pulcinella for Carthusia, which gives a face to the packaging and communicates its essence. A Pulcinelle is a character in classic Neapolitan puppetry from the 17th century who represents the plebians, in a funny but negative way. He typically has gangly legs, a humpback, a crooked nose, a potbelly, and a very large mouth. And there is usually a pointy hat on his head. As rich and decadent as this fragrance is, it’s also very lighthearted and playful; not a fragrance to be taken too seriously. It’s very down to earth. It is “my land” after all, translated.
Who would not like this fragrance? It is indeed quirky as far as scent profiles go – there is little that is mainstream about this composition. Some people are going to find this one a little too weird. There is also some bitterness originating from the coffee bean that I think helps to balance the fragrance, but some may find it off-putting. But for others, the fragrance might still be too sweet. While the projection and sillage are great at the start, I wouldn’t say this lasts forever. When you do fall in love with it (and my guess is that if you love coffee you eventually will if you haven’t already at first sniff), you might be tempted to respray throughout the day. That’s how my bottle got so low on liquid so quickly.
Terra Mia works well throughout the year, but is better in the cooler months in my opinion. To me, this is the same type of fragrance as Montale’s Intense Café or Ristretto Intense Café – a very similar composition style actually, but drier. And it also reminds me of New Haarlem from Bond no. 9 due to the sweet and ambery coffee. Since those scents are some of my favorites, it’s not surprising that I am also in love with Terra Mia. It’s rich, warm, cozy, comforting, and sweet. I really enjoy it.
This EDP fragrance comes in 50 ml and 100 ml bottles, and the price, though it has gone up like everything else, is very reasonable. Thank goodness.