Review: Prada Luna Rossa Extreme

When I was a child, one of the experiences I looked forward to was waiting for my grandmother to come home after her trips to the U.S.. She would bring back an entire box filled with toys, and taking that first look inside was equal to, if not greater than, my anticipation for Christmas day. Except that there was a whole buttload of goodies all packed tightly together and revealed in a flourish of the cardboard lid.

Along with that awe-inspiring sight would be the identifiable scent of anything coming from the States. That airy, piney sort of scent that emanates from freshly opened luggage and unpacked clothes. Even now, it's something that I associate with quality and class, of bright, cool, and slightly unfamiliar air, and uplifting memories of my childhood.

Enter Prada Luna Rossa Extreme.

Offered to me by a very enthusiastic sales assistant while I had my mind set on something completely different, I had no expectations trying it out. But that initial burst of fragrance immediately brought me back to the memory of opening boxes from abroad, that feeling of setting my eyes on something foreign and new and delightful. I blinked in surprise and did a mental double-take before burying my nose in my arm again, previous thoughts lost in the smell of this new, yet familiar fragrance. I bought a bottle a couple of days after.

A strong, fizzy, vanilla syrup vibe

Luna Rossa Extreme opens with a surprise of spicy pepper and vanilla sweetness, with a twist of cool, slightly medicinal pine from the juniper berry. Nose to skin, it has a strong, fizzy syrup vibe that reminds me of root beer during that opening period, but for me the best way to enjoy it is to spray from a slightly farther distance to allow a bigger scent cloud to land on your body. That fragrance, projected and suspended in the air, immediately takes me back to my days of childhood excitement and joy. I wish that bright combination would carry the fragrance to the end, but alas, it is short lived and burns out quickly.

A medicinal wood gives sophistication and character

After the initial freshness dissipates and Luna Rossa Extreme settles down, more of the darker, woodier aspects come to the fore. The cola syrup makes way for a more herbal, piney sort of woodiness that lends sophistication to the scent. Now and then a church incense-like vibe would peek out, which has tone of maturity and mystery that is personally very surprising and welcome.  From that point on, it slowly fades into a vaguely woody, soapy, and sweet spice on the skin.

To me, Prada Luna Rossa Extreme is a very safe scent when applied with moderation. It is complex enough for an enthusiast to appreciate its development over time, yet polite enough not to set brows and noses furrowing when you wear it. It is definitely something that I would enjoy in cooler weather and in air-conditioning. I can imagine wearing it casual or formal, but the darker, more mature nature of the fragrance with its lack of prominent fruit or citrus requires slightly more confidence and dressing up to complete the image it projects. Personally, I would not wear it with a t-shirt.

Fragrance Name: Prada Luna Rossa Extreme
Release Date: 2013
Perfumer: Daniela Andrier
Notes: Bergamot, Black Pepper, Labdanum, Juniper Berry, Lavender, Vanilla