The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
For Acqua degli Dei, Cariddi is a fragrance built around the irresistible call of the sea: fresh, spontaneous, and cheerful, with Calabrian citrus at its center. Launched in 2019, it frames that marine pull through bergamot, lemon, mandarin orange, and cypress in the opening, followed by black pepper and wild lavender. The composition then settles into cedar, vetiver, sandalwood, guaiac wood, and incense. Citrus gives the scent a lively, sparkling character, while cypress contributes a green, aromatic edge. Pepper adds a dry, gently piquant accent, and wild lavender brings an herbal floral note into the heart. Cedar and sandalwood lend themselves to the woody character of the base, where vetiver contributes earthy depth.
The composition becomes most distinctive where bright citrus meets pepper and incense. Bergamot and mandarin bring a sparkling, sunlit surface, while black pepper keeps the opening from feeling soft or predictable. Wild lavender introduces a herbal floral register, while cypress adds a green, aromatic presence. Bergamot, lemon, and mandarin orange supply the fragrance with its fresh citrus character, creating a lively contrast with the dry warmth of pepper. Wild lavender softens the notes around it with an aromatic herbal quality. The composition then rests on a substantial woody base.
The evolution
The first impression is a clean coastal flare: citrus brightness, mandarin sparkle, and the green snap of cypress. Soon, black pepper introduces a fine-grained heat, sharpening the fruit without turning the composition heavy. Wild lavender softens that edge with an aromatic herbal hush, as if sea air has passed through coastal scrub. Together, the citrus, pepper, lavender, and cypress form a lively opening that balances fresh fruit, dry spice, green notes, and herbal softness. As the bright character of the citrus becomes less prominent, the woody notes come forward. Cedar, vetiver, sandalwood, guaiac wood, and incense reveal a quieter, smokier side of Cariddi. This is the most surprising turn. The scent moves from cheerful and sunlit to earthy, smoky, and grown-up, while the different note families continue to interact rather than separate into distinct stages.
Cultural impact
Cariddi expresses the house's Mediterranean character through scent rather than spectacle. Its name evokes the mythic pull of the sea, but the experience is immediate: bright citrus, aromatic woods, dry pepper, herbal lavender, smoky incense, and earthy vetiver. Calabrian citrus gives the fragrance a vivid opening, joined by bergamot and green cypress. Black pepper and wild lavender add spice and an aromatic herbal dimension, while cedar, sandalwood, guaiac wood, and incense provide a warm, woody base. The result is direct and atmospheric, offering a distinctive expression of Italian perfumery.
