The house and its idea
The name comes from the Certosa of Capri. The house draws on a perfume tradition handed down since the time of Queen Joanna of Anjou, and on one clear idea: every fragrance starts from Capri's nature. Even the names in the range point back to the island: Via Camerelle is a street, Corallium is coral, A'Mmare means the sea in dialect, and Ligea la Sirena is one of the sirens of Ulysses.
The fragrances in the range
The island classics
The house's first perfume is Fiori di Capri. Corallium weaves marine and woody notes together. Via Camerelle, named after the island's best-known street, pairs lemon and bitter orange with sea musk and cedar.
Citrus and aromatic
Mediterraneo is built on lemon leaves and green tea, fresh and clean. A'Mmare is aromatic, with bergamot, rosemary, a salty accord, mint and cedar. More masculine is Numero Uno, with orange, lavender, rosemary and musk, and then there is Io Capri, which combines wild fig and tea leaves.
Floral and warm
Among the florals, Gelsomini di Capri puts jasmine at the center with sweet, fruity notes. Tuberosa joins the white flower with ylang ylang and cinnamon over a base of vetiver and vanilla. Aria di Capri is made of mimosa, orris, citrus and peach, and Carthusia Lady of rose, gardenia and camellia. Ligea la Sirena pairs chypre-like opoponax with mandarin. 1681 is built on incense and inspired by the church and military settings of the era it recalls; Prima del Teatro San Carlo, created with the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, combines bergamot, mint and rose with oud oil. Essence of the Park opens with a Mediterranean breeze, has a heart of magnolia with citrus and a woody, amber base. Finally, Forget Me Not is inspired by the Capri of the second Belle Époque, the late 1960s.
The Intenso collection
In the Intenso collection, Intenso di Basilico opens with bergamot, mandarin and pink pepper. Intenso di Mirto starts with juniper berries and davana, and Intenso di Ginestra with neroli, bergamot and lemon leaves.
How to choose a Carthusia perfume
If you want something fresh, Mediterraneo and Via Camerelle put citrus up front. If you prefer flowers, you can go for Fiori di Capri, Gelsomini di Capri, or Tuberosa for white flowers. For a men's fragrance there are Carthusia Uomo, which the house describes in terms of open sea, fruit, leather and cashmere, and Numero Uno. If you love resinous notes, you'll find incense in 1681 and oud in Prima del Teatro San Carlo.
Body, home and shaving
Many of the fragrances also come in a body version. The scented body cream is available for Corallium, Fiori di Capri, Mediterraneo, Via Camerelle, Gelsomini di Capri and Carthusia Uomo, and the shower gel for Corallium, Mediterraneo, Via Camerelle, Gelsomini di Capri, A'Mmare and Carthusia Uomo. A'Mmare also includes a shower oil and a roll-on scented oil based on jojoba oil, to smooth over legs, arms and décolleté. For the face there is the Lemon Garden line, with the day cream with lemon water and prickly pear, the velvet-effect cleansing gel with fermented rice water, the brightening serum with sour cherry extract and the anti-aging night cream with an active ingredient derived from oregano leaves and hyaluronic acid. For the home there are reed diffusers with refills, room sprays and linen sprays, and the Oud fragrances, Infinity, Mediterranean and Secret, also as candles. The shaving line that goes with Carthusia Uomo includes shaving soap, shaving fluid, beard oil, aftershave, a badger hair brush and safety razors, among them the Fusion razor with an olive wood handle, designed for Gillette Fusion replacement blades.
Frequently asked questions
Which Carthusia perfumes are floral?
The Carthusia florals include Fiori di Capri, with wild carnation and lily of the valley, and Gelsomini di Capri. Tuberosa joins the white flower with ylang ylang and cinnamon. Carthusia Lady has rose, gardenia and camellia, and Aria di Capri mimosa and orris. Ligea la Sirena shifts the floral toward chypre, with opoponax and mandarin.
What was the first Carthusia perfume?
The first Carthusia perfume is Fiori di Capri, a floral with wild carnation, lily of the valley and oak over a base of amber and sandalwood. The same fragrance also comes as a scented body cream and a room spray, as well as a reed diffuser with its refill.
What does Carthusia Corallium smell like?
Corallium is a marine, woody perfume inspired by the sea around Capri. In the home version the house adds citrus and floral notes, along with woods and aromatic herbs. It comes as an eau de parfum, body cream and shower gel, and for the home as a room spray and a diffuser with refill.
What is the difference between the eaux de parfum and the Intenso collection?
The difference is the concentration: the Intenso collection is extrait de parfum, while Fiori di Capri, Mediterraneo and Via Camerelle are eaux de parfum. Intenso di Basilico opens with bergamot, mandarin and pink pepper, Intenso di Mirto with juniper berries and davana, and Intenso di Ginestra with neroli, bergamot and lemon leaves.
Which Carthusia perfume should a man choose?
For men there are Carthusia Uomo, which the house describes in terms of open sea, fresh fruit, leather and cashmere, and Numero Uno, with orange, lavender, rosemary and musk. Carthusia Uomo also has its own shaving line, with soap, shaving fluid, beard oil and aftershave.
What is Carthusia A'Mmare?
A'Mmare, Neapolitan for "to the sea," is an aromatic, salty fragrance with bergamot, rosemary, mint, cedar and patchouli. Besides the eau de parfum, the line includes a shower oil, the roll-on scented oil, also in a set, a shower gel and a home diffuser.
Does Carthusia make home fragrances?
Yes, Carthusia has a full home line with reed diffusers and refills, room sprays and linen sprays. The scents are those of the island, such as Corallium, Fiori di Capri, Mediterraneo, Via Camerelle, Frutto di Bacco and Gemme del Sole, plus the three Oud fragrances, also as candles and in a set of three diffusers.
Which Carthusia perfume has fig notes?
The Carthusia perfume built on fig is Io Capri, which combines wild fig, ripe and sweet, with tea leaves. Its name is dedicated to the goddess in whose honor Tiberius had the island's most important imperial villa built.
