Etruscan WaterCitrus Chypre Extrait de Parfum

Etruscan Water by Francesca Bianchi is a niche unisex perfume extract that is chypre, citrusy, and aromatic. A citrus fragrance with a heart of caraway.

A perfumer with a background in art history

Francesca Bianchi is a self-taught Italian perfumer. After graduating with a degree in art history in Florence, she worked in art book publishing before founding her house in Amsterdam in 2016, inspired by a book on natural perfumery. She creates each formula by hand in her laboratory—a process that can take from six months to four years, and sometimes even longer—before commissioning production from a small Italian artisanal company. The house operates without investors or a marketing plan. Her fragrances are nicknamed “Liquid Emotions”. The name refers to the Etruscans, and thus to the Italian heritage of the perfumer.

An opening of bergamot and grapefruit

Bergamot, green mandarin, and grapefruit open with a crisp, bitter citrus accord. Petitgrain adds its green leaf, preventing the fragrance from feeling like a cologne.

A heart of basil and caraway

Basil extends the aromatic greenery, then caraway enters the scene: anise-like, warm, and slightly earthy, it completely changes the fragrance's direction. Immortelle, jasmine, and iris root complete the heart with a honeyed, powdery touch.

A base of oakmoss and ambergris

Oakmoss and labdanum establish the damp, resinous chypre structure. Ambergris brings mineral saltiness, vetiver adds dry root, and musk provides longevity on the skin.

The house's signature

Caraway at the heart of a citrus fragrance. A citrus accord usually calls for fresh herbs, neroli, and clean musks. Caraway, however, is a full-bodied, anise-like seed related to cumin, more commonly found in the kitchen than in perfumery. Its presence here transforms a fresh fragrance into something decidedly less conventional—and decidedly more interesting.

For whom and for what occasions?

Chypre, citrusy, and aromatic, this extract is for those who love citrus fragrances but find them too smooth. From spring through summer, by day. It is the freshest fragrance in the collection and the easiest to wear at the office.

With Etruscan Water by Francesca Bianchi, a kitchen seed makes a fresh fragrance decidedly less conventional.