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When in 2003 the formidable collaboration of perfumers Jean Claude Ellena and Bertrand Duchaufour came up with the original Colonia Assoluta for Acqua di Parma the feat wasn't announced with fanfare. But now that the classical Cologne has re-emerged from the attic as the eternal sine qua non of Southern European elegance and proper grooming, when totally modern spins on this time-honored genre, such as GS03 (Biehl Parfumkunstwerke), as well as more traditional ones, like Chanel Eau de Cologne, draw our attention, rediscovering this refined gem in a gorgeous presentation for its 10th anniversary is occasion for rejoicing.
The bottle design for the Colonia Assoluta 10th anniversary isn't just random: This special edition decorated with graphic signs is inspired by the moving spokes of a bicycle. The original pattern was designed by Acqua di Parma to convey the contemporary feel of this particular Eau de Cologne and its users, modern men around town, atop their bicycle. The original motif is reproduced in the bottle and case with the spokes stretching across the surface in silver hues, the distinctive colour of Colonia Assoluta. It is through a special craft that the spokes are engraved on the glass surface in order to create light and dark contrasts serving as an elegant expression of the sophisticated scent itself. Light contrasts keep changing with every motion of the large sized 180ml bottle, offered in the refillable version to last in time.
Notes for Acqua di Parma Colonia Assoluta:
Top: bergamot, bitter orange, sweet orange and lemon verbena
Heart: jasmine, vetiver, ylang-ylang, cedar, cardamom, pink pepper and paprika
Base: patchouli, oakmoss, white musk, sandalwood and resins
Please note this isn't the first special edition for Colonia Assoluta: there is also Editione Riviera (2007), Editione Speciale 2011 and Colonia Assoluta in Villa (2009). This 10th anniversary edition is code-named Colonia Assoluta Editione Speciale 2013.
To make this 180ml/6oz bottle you see in the picture yours, please post a comment saying whether you bicycle or not (and why) and if you have any favorite associations with bicycles. Mine will forever be Ladri di Biciclette by Vittorio de Sica.
Draw is open internationally till Sunday 10th October midnight and the winner will be announced on Monday.
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When I was a school boy, I used a bicycle all the time. But that was long ago, and since I haven't used any bicycle for decades. However, I have very fond memories of this Colonia Assoluta of which I used up a bottle some years ago. A great comforting cologne that seems to recall an era of a happy youth.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the draw.
I have a cute/funny/comfortable three wheel adult tricycle on which I love to tool around from time to time, but do not own a bicycle at the moment. Unfortunately, all of my strongest two-wheeled memories revolve around terrible falls or near misses. As a teenager, I was reckless and always wanted to go very fast down the steep hills in our neighborhood. Of course, no one wore helmets back then, so the "you could have been killed" moments were fairly frequent. Nevertheless, I still can feel the glorious wind in my hair as I flew down those hills. Thanks for causing me to remember... Judy
ReplyDeleteI never learned to ride a bicycle. No reason except my total inability to balance. At my advanced age, I would have to make the attempt to learn in the dark to avoid ridicule :) Excellent review, thanks for the draw!
ReplyDeleteI don't bicycle because I'm a fraidy cat who is scared I'll get hit by cars as I bike around the city. Don't know that I have any particular associations with biking. Thanks for the draw!
ReplyDeleteI do cycle! Why? because I moved to Belgium, and I feel it is sort of mandatory ;) I am also Southern European, and I most definitely didn't learn to cycle before I learnt to walk, like the folks here, but I do my best, which is admittedly not very good :)
ReplyDeleteHi Elena
ReplyDeleteThank you for this draw. It's very kind of you . Hugs !
The only kind of bike I use now is a spinning bike at the gym. I had a bad accident on a road bike when I was a child and have never been back on a bike since then - on the road . maybe I will get back to cycling on the road one day but I think the stationary bike is a lot safer ! *LOL*
Have a great weekend !
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ReplyDeleteAll of my bicycle memories usually end with me crashing into something very hard. Some people just aren't for bicycles and we have the scars to prove it.
ReplyDeleteI don´t bike but I did when I was a teenager. At the time I broke off a front tooth and since then I have avoided this sport. Fortunately I make many other sports. Thanks for an attractive draw.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I used to ride all the time. Where we currently live is a very bike unfriendly place so I haven't ridden in several years but I do miss it. My mother was hit intentionally and has had limited mobility for years because of it so I tend to be very cautious of where I ride.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite bike related memory is of a bicycling trip my parents took to Ireland when I was a child. My uncle and I drove the backup van and had a great time taking ferry rides and visiting every historic site and cemetery we found. I wish I still had the gorgeous headstone rubbings they took (and mine, in crayon).
thank you for the lovely review and giveaway!
ReplyDeletei love biking, but havent done it in a while. perhaps my favorite memory is simply learning to bike with my father - tiny bicycle with pink and purple tassels on the handles - my dad would follow me holding onto my seat when one day he didnt! and that was when i learned to ride :)
I love to rent bicycles on vacation. It allows for a leisurely exploration of an area, or a way to explore.
ReplyDeleteIn the early mornings, I often take my bike around the marshy areas where we live. As a child, I used my bike to get everywhere I wanted to go. It was freedom.
ReplyDeleteYour review, as always, is stellar. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
Living in the centre of Athens, riding a bicycle around would be really unconvenient and possibly dangerous. But I have fond memmories of bicycling, the best of which was managing a full tour of my hometown's lake (Ioannina, Lake Pamvotis). I'm not likely to repeat that soon though, effects of smoking start to show...
ReplyDeleteWhen I was an undergraduate I used to live beside a farm, and we would go biking there almost every day. It was a beautiful, old coffee farm, with huge trees, a lake and amazing horses. Even if the owners were not very keen on us (they would release the dogs! At a bunch of girls!) it was totally worth it.
ReplyDeleteThank's for this incredible draw, E!
I do bicycle for just one reason: I'm Dutch and live in Amsterdam. Cycling is what we Dutchies do and it's the best way to get from A to B.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any pariticular associations with it, for me it's like walking.
Thank you for the draw.
I used to love bicycles when I was little and ride for hours with my younger sister. Now, many many many years later, living in NYC, I actually do not like bicycles at all. I have been run over twice by cyclists that don't respect the right of way (one of them knock me so hard my arm bled for ours). I have a green sign that says pedestrians can walk but somehow in the city, bicycles dont care about it. As much as I think bicycles are an excellent way to help in the elimination of pollution I think there needs to be some biking etiquette to be uphold and respected. Thanks for this draw!
ReplyDeleteIs this the moment to admit, shamefully, that I don't know how to ride a bike?
ReplyDeleteI'd love to try this colonia assoluta.
Thanks
I love riding bikes, but I can't do it right now for health reasons. My favorite association is my wife, who loves cycling.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, I rode my bike all the time. My favorite thing to do was roll down the (not very steep) hill in the middle of our street without pedaling, just letting the bike gather momentum. I "won" if I made it all the way to the corner on one roll.
ReplyDeleteI do own a bike and ride from time to time, but not as much as I'd like. There is so much else going on that the habit fell by the wayside. It's such a pleasant way to travel, I should make the effort to do it again.
Thanks for the drawing, I'd love to try this!
Cycling for me is the stuff of every day. I ride my bicycle to work in the morning, back home for lunch, back to work and then back home again. (It is only a five minute cycle!) I have also managed to fall off my bike and break my wrist!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the lovely draw.
When I was in high school I used my bike to go everywhere. Oh those days!!! I looked back and it was so cool to ride. I don't do it these days but I'd love to. Colonia is one of my summer staples. Love it.
ReplyDeleteI used to love riding bikes in the early morning in the summer on Ocean City, NJ 's Boardwalk. I would love to try this fragrance.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
When I was younger I often used a bicycle, but today I prefer walking or using the tram. But my boyfriend loves cycling and he tries to convince to use it more often.
ReplyDeleteHi! My favorite association is when I tried to teach my great aunt how to ride my bicycle. I held up the seat while she tried to balance and pedal. I think I was in the third grade. I never really got into the more adult ten speed style of bike. maybe I will try a cruiser style one day. Thanks for the draw!
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ReplyDeleteMy favorite association with bicycles would have to be the paper route I did everyday back when I was younger. Riding bicycles is great. Nothing better than the feeling of wind in your hair
ReplyDeleteMY favorite memory of riding a bicycle would have to be when my grandmother and I would ride down the beaches every summer on my breaks from school. She is very athletic even during her old years. We still enjoy a long ride every now and again.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite memory that pertains to riding bicycles would have to be during the summer of '69. My friend Connor and I took our bikes and road all the way from New York to Texas. It took us weeks, but I will never forget it. Connor was never such a good rider, but at least he smelled good!
ReplyDeleteI love bicycling but don't always have time to do much of it lately. Cycling always reminds me of my childhood, riding the bike with a basket in the front. Good times.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the draw
I always loved riding my bike as a child and teenager, but somehow became more afraid of falling as I got older. I think it is good exercise and I should take it up again. Thanks for a great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteAs a child I would spend my summers on an island off the coast of Belize and I loved to ride my bike up and down the island. I can still remember the feel of the salty wind and warming rays of an island sun warming me as I rode by bike like an island bird looking for treasure. Thank you for entering me in the draw I would love this prize it even fits my memory of those summers! -thanks from Island Princess (Tatiana)
ReplyDeleteI cycle as a from of cross training for my main sport,inline speedskating.I used to race on a bike team as well.And living in NYC riding a bike is still the best way of getting around...no traffic delays...no waiting for subways...fresh air...complete freedom! Thanks for the generous draw!
ReplyDeleteI used to love bicycling when I was younger and taking peaceful rides in the country. Now that I live in a more urban area, i just don't enjoy it anymore.
ReplyDeleteI had a bicycle when I was little. I'd ride to the library and be swept away by lots of stories about Italy, France and Spain. In my mind I lived an artist's life on the Mediterranean.
ReplyDeleteI used to bicycle to work when I was younger. I would love to do that now, but the traffic in the city is horrendous and scary. Biking on trails was also a great time.
ReplyDeleteI love to bicycle in the fall, though it is hard to find the time. My favorite path runs through bright red sumac and fragrant sassafras, and reminds me of digging the sassafras root in my childhood. Thanx for the draw.
ReplyDeleteI rode a bicycle for years as a child around our large farm. I rode to the barn to feed the livestock and rode through the dirt roads just to get out in the sunshine. I loved that old blue Schwinn bike!
ReplyDeleteRecently my cycling has only been in Spin class. However, now that SPring has made it to Melbourne, I'll be dusting off the ol' deadly treadly and riding along the Maribyrnong river. Whenever bicycling is mentioned my mind swings to a gorgeous French animated film "The Triplets of Belleville" - I think the triplets would really have appreciated Acqua di Parma Colonia Assoluta!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the fabulous draw! Colonia Assoluta is quite something...
ReplyDeleteI hadn't a bike as a kid and learned riding one rather late - never was really good at it. I love to walk.
This sounds beautiful, and love the bottle.
ReplyDeleteI used to cycle to school when I was a bit younger, but now we have nanny laws that state we must wear helmets, even on the bike path. Do you know what that does to ones hairstyle???
No, I do not ride any more.
Yes i ride a bike, a cute teal and [ink one now. As a kid thats all i had to get around I used to be great at it as i recall,all the way across town with no hands.I have no scent association but the fresh air and fall was my favorite scent season.This is a wonderful drawing, thanks for the opertunity! and review!
ReplyDeleteWeather permitting, I cycle everyday. I love the feel of the air rushing over your body. My favorite rides are leisurely ones along the bay. There is nothing like the briny salt air.
ReplyDeleteI like cycling, although it's not always feasible due to the weather conditions (I don't like riding with weatherproof clothing etc, so bulky and uncomfortable). So I only take the bike out on the milder days. But I enjoy feeling the air wash over my face, especially when riding on scenice roads alongside woods.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the very generous draw and good luck everyone!
I love to cycle, but mostly at the gym, where I can chat with my friends, and not have to pay too much attention to the road!Thank you so much for the draw.
ReplyDeleteI love to ride my bicycle with my dog as my copilot. He is a small black poodle and as he runs beside me his ears trail behind him like a scarf and his tongue flaps merrily. It always makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteI used to ride my bike everywhere as a teen. To school, to meet my friends and especially to get to the stables to go horseback riding.
ReplyDeleteThat is probably my favourite memory..to get there so I could spend hours with the horses....
I grew up on a bike and rode everywhere, all through college. Not so much now, but I have lots of wonderful bicycling memories! Thanks for the draw!
ReplyDeleteCarla
HAHAHA!! Can`t ride a bike well due to not athletic-inclined - not into scrapes!! :-0 Fave song is Queens` ``Bicycle Race``, hands down :-) thank you for the draw!
ReplyDeleteI would love to bicycle more, but I live in a town, sadly, where it is just not all that safe to do so- I've been hit twice in the last few years, and well.... thank you for the draw.
ReplyDeleteI don't cycle because people here drive on the wrong side of the road and even after 9 years in London I'm still too scared to try.
ReplyDeleteI haven't bicycled in a few years, after having multiple bikes stolen. That said, I love the feeling of cycling through the neighborhood streets of Boston in autumn, with the crisp air enlivening everything. That feeling is my favorite bicycle association. Perhaps it's time I get a new bike!
ReplyDeleteNo I don't ride a bike now, but when I was a kid I got my foot caught in the spokes and really tore the skin up.
ReplyDeleteI love riding my bike in the fall and winter here in Orlando. I am very lucky, in that I can travel back roads from my house and never have to bike in traffic. It is also super good exercise for my bad right knee, so I get double rewards when I hit the trail!!
ReplyDeleteI love biking, I love the beautifully rounded firm derriere of men that cycle and the rock hard calves earned through endless miles and steep climbs. I just wish that cell phone use and absent minded drivers did not threaten the experience of the 'open road'.
ReplyDeleteGreat giveaway and always an expanding experience to read your blog.
Pat
For French cycling entertainment, watch the film Les Triplettes de Belleville.
Here in Canada it's a bit dangerous to ride your bike in winter, so I always forget how much I love to until spring comes. Then I jump on, do my thing, and BAM I'm there! Crazy how much faster biking is than walking. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteBicycle? Ouch. If I get on a bike I quickly end up in a heap in the nearest ditch or gutter.
ReplyDeleteThere's some weird process that involves me vaguely thinking about how narrow the strip of rubber is that is in touch with the ground at any given moment and then, splat!
As I am not designed for bicycling I am a dedicated pedestrian instead.
Well done to all cyclists, though: I shall admire you from afar.
cheerio, Anna in Edinburgh
I don't bicycle nowadays, but I remember learning how to ride a bike as a kid on a very heavy red bike that weighed a ton. I associate bicycles with vacations at the beach where people can leisurely ride a bike along bike paths. Thank you for entering me in the drawing.
ReplyDeleteI learned to bike at very late age something like 18. Then I stopped biking at all. However I re-learned it at age 45 finding it so difficult to master.
ReplyDeleteI guess I am hopeless......
However I always associate bicycles with vacation in the countryside.
I don't bicycle now, but loved it when I was a child - don't know why this didn't carry over to my adult years.
ReplyDeleteI don't bicycle, what with my health, but the freedom they give you as a child - the first time to travel fast & free, anywhere in the world - it's a heady feeling.
ReplyDeleteI cycle everywhere! There is not a day goes by that I am not on my bicycle. I live in a very compact city, so cycling is the easiest way to get around. I ride an adapted mountain bike, the large tyres are ideal for the bumps and potholes that seem to litter where I live. Thanks for the draw!
ReplyDeleteI bicycle occasionally when my friend takes me out. I associate bicycles with being young and free, although I do have a nasty scar to go with it.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough I have a strong connection to the bicycle thief as well, it's one of those films I had to search forever to finally get to see. So it forever had romantic nostalgic notions even before I got to see it.
yes, i bicycle, and so does my husband...i would love to be able to surprise him with a bottle of this lovely, classic yet modern cologne.
ReplyDeletemy own associations with bicycles are mixed; as a toddler, my ankle was broken by being caught in the wheel of the bike my papa was peddling on a family outing. (i'm one of the reasons baby bike seats now have wheel guards!) i bear a small chip in one tooth and a tiny scar on the side of my nose from an over-the-handlebars accident when i was in elementary school. but bicycles were (apart from horses) my first taste of "freedom"---long before you can think of driving a car, you can ride a bike fairly far afield...
the husband loves cycling, and he's very good on a road bike. one of my happy memories is of the two of us watching a couple of stages of the tour de france, a mountain finish in the pyrenees and a time trial in bordeaux.
thanks!
I live in NYC and work in DUMBO, where Citibike racks rule the land. It is heartening to see individuals with their own bikes, towing small children (or dogs)up the steady inclines. I wish I had the determination to ride to work from Canarsie, but it is entirely too temperamental and lengthy of a terrain to attempt daily. I am always going to be a bike-oriented person, having started on one pre-birth. My mother, having been born and raised in the former British Colony of Guyana (South America) recounts using her state-licensed bike (everyone had to be registered to ride) to get to and from the marketplace, school and work in Georgetown. She even rode up to eight months gestation with me in the early eighties. Only today did she tell me a tale of her 14 years elder brother, who was stopped by local police one night on a citation for riding without a safety light on the dimly-lit dirt rode. Uncle complained, as teenagers do, about all the other riders that the policeman wasn't stopping for the same offense. When the officer turned to observe, Uncle took the opportunity to "pump" and push off with all his might into the anonymous Equatorial evening. fond memories of the freedom and wonders of bicycles.
ReplyDeletei'd probably like to think of myself as a semi-professional cyclist but the reality is i'm probably more the consumate commuter who stubbornly refuses to take (and pay for) the public transport.
ReplyDeletei love cycling and i love my road bike, a too good for its price, allez specialised 2013 which makes my 11.5 miles one way a lot easier and enjoyable to commute. of course, london traffic is an absolute nightmare and you have to keep all your witts and sense ultra sharp but i wouldn't give it away (or up) in an 1000 years.
when i was a child, i watched quite a few times 'the bicycle thief'. i still think it's one of the most heartbreaking movies i've ever seen. every time i hear of someone having their bike stolen, i think of that movie.
I ride my bike to the library--most of my other commutes are a little too long to consider cycling. I have to admit that I hate wearing a helmet, which is another reason I stick around the neighborhood. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the draw!
I remember when my brakes suddenly stopped working and I had this crazy idea of cycling faster and faster to see what would happen...
ReplyDeleteBroken arm is what happened, lol!
Acqua Di Parmi
ReplyDeleteA legend what can I say. I look forward to the day that I take in its classic aroma .....
Actually, I love bicycling but never do it anymore. :( Any reason I would use to explain this phenomenon wouldn't really be a good one. I believe laziness would apply best. ;)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite bike association - Paris. :)
Thank you for the draw! I don't own a bicycle, but once my infant is older I'd love one with a seat on it. We live in a small town and could bike anywhere!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this generous draw! Yes I do cycle a lot; in Cambridge, almost everyone does - in the mornings you see men in suits cycling to work followed by a little train of small children in brightly-coloured helmets, to be dropped off at school - v cute! I'd love to win the bottle, it's gorgeous stuff and I don't yet have any cologne in my collection.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful opportunity! In my 20s I lived with bicycle couriers and attending the first international Messenger Race in Berlin in '93. I'm too fearful of city traffic to ride downtown anymore; but nothing compares to that marvellous feeling of freedom.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the draw!
ReplyDeleteI ride my vintage Peugeot Mixte around NYC. I love this bike because it reminds me of my mom as she had this same bike in the 70's. I ride as long as the weather cooperates! It's the best way to see & smell everything around me
I've started biking a bit, two+ years after surviving acute heart failure. It's a joy to get back to feeling normal again, to ride around my very congenial neighborhood in Durham, NC.
ReplyDeleteAnd in the past year learning about the wonderful world of fragrance has enhanced my love of life's simple delights.
"Breaking Away" was another sweet movie of its time (1979) that involved bicycling.
I used to bicycle a lot in the summer when I was kid. I loved books and the library was 10 km away from our home, so I biked there almost every day. I think I biked hundreds of kilometres that summer - and read dozens of books. :)
ReplyDeletethank you perfumeshrine,
ReplyDeletewhen i was a kid i always wanted a bicycle and i had to wait until i was 12 to get one..talk about patience. unfortunately i dont cycle any more cause where I live at the moment i am scared for my dear life (as long as people are in a car they dont care about pedestrians or cyclists). my favourite association with bicycles (very spot on at the moment) is the greek saying ''μου έκανε τη ζωή ποδήλατο'' (you made my life so difficult like driving a bicycle=literal translation)..lol
I do not ride bikes - I ride horses! My favourite association is the cocktail bicicletta.
ReplyDeleteDraw is now closed, thank you everyone (and for the French cycling film rec too!!), and winner announced on Home page.
ReplyDelete