Don’t let the retro packaging fool you: Eva is one of the newer fragrance releases from Santa Maria Novella. It came out in 2002, and has notes of citrus fruits, Italian bergamot, black pepper and vetiver.
There is nothing much to Eva; it is a simple unisex rendition of a traditional citrus-based cologne water, but very nicely done. It starts with crisp, dry citrus, and quickly takes on a nicely dusty pepper note, mingled, I would guess, with some other spice notes that I can’t identify. It settles into pale dry woods underscored with earthy (but not overly so) vetiver.
That is the whole story, but it is probably just the right amount of a story for a hot summer day when you need something crisp and light and dry, something along the lines of Acqua di Parma Colonia or Hierbas de Ibiza, maybe, but not quite so sharp or herbal. Perfume Posse included Eva in their Best of 2005 fragrance list, noting that it “feels like fresh meadows and hay and outdoors and young love and a roadster heading south from Firenze”. I’m not having quite that kind of a day so far, but hey, I can hardly blame the Eva.
Eva is available in 60 ml spray ($65) or 250 ml splash ($160) bottles of Eau de Cologne. For buying information, see the listing for Santa Maria Novella under Perfume Houses.
16 Comments
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I love the retro look of this bottle.Very nostalgic.
well, this one we are gonna HAVE to try it, at least for sharing my name with it…
Hmm, I tried it, I am sure, but I have no recollection of it at all.
as you know, I lurve this thing with a mindless passion.
I think it is the well-done simplicity of it that makes me so happy.
Agree, it is very cute!
Then you will! I don't think there is a “Robin” perfume anywhere…
It is sort of a sleeper, I'd say, too simple maybe to make a huge first impression. But nice.
P, thanks for writing about it, I don't know that I'd ever have tried it otherwise.
Robin, you already know I love this (thanks to Patty). A throw-it-on summer citrus with better lasting power than most and that slightly woody undertone that makes it a little interesting but not heavy.
Yep to all of that
Thank you for your review… For some reason this fragrance makes me think of the 40's 50's – not quite sure why but I do know the name seems all wrong.
I like to call this one…
“Tweed Gris” or “Grey Tweed”
I think it much better than “Eva”
do you not think so too.
I was thinking about the name too…primarily that if I was going to market something to men in the US, I wouldn't name it Eva. Wonder if “Grey Tweed” is too far in the other direction — would women buy it?
Thier was a fragrance that my Mother wore called “Tweed” and it was very popular in certain circles… so if you put grey to it I dont think it would matter after all the woman of yesterday is no more and the woman of today “calls shot” out loud taking the mystery away.
I call it Grey Tweed because of the memories of a by gone past.
If it did not work – you could always have it written in French – “Tweed Gris”. Kind of catchie like “Gris Clair”
Grey Tweed – Clear Grey
I understand Clear Grey is selling quite well.
Cg
Ok, point taken! Grey Tweed it is.
“I'm not having quite that kind of a day so far, but hey, I can hardly blame the Eva.” Hee! You know, your taste is so hard to pin down, R. I'm afraid there is nothing about Eva to make me curious, but I too have to mention that the bottle is too durned cute. It looks like an old label on a 50s style jacket, doesn't it?
Yes, the packaging is perfect