Francis Kurkdjian Acqua Universalis Laundry Washing Liquid Darks

Never before in the industry have I ever encountered prestige washing liquid, but there is no other brand I would expect it from more than Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

Acqua Universalis lives up to its name as it’s now a fragrance I can truly use anywhere. Not only is it delicious on my skin as a light day scent, but on my sheets, cushions, even my curtains, it’s magical.

What do you expect from a washing liquid? Lavender? Clean cotton? Even when Bold et al release a new infusion fragrance, they’re always pretty flat and predictable so I’ve learnt never to expect much. So how about an open and multidimensional blend of Sicilian bergamot and lemon as well as fresh, green Lily of the Valley with a slice of sweet mock orange all propped up on a base of light woods.

There’s a version for lights and a version for darks. Now I’ll be very honest I’ve been using the dark formulation for everything. All my clothes are dark hence why the dark version is more suited to me, but with my white sheets, they still come out crispy white and particularly so as I always throw a big scoop of Vanish powder in the tray.

So, my sheets were needing a wash. I’m a boy. They always need a wash! So the bed was stripped, bundled into the washing machine and a generous amount of Francis’ washing liquid was poured into the tray. You should expect around 20 full loads from a bottle.

On pulling the sheets from the machine there’s a mouth watering burst of lemon and bergamot! It’s only after the sheets have dried that you begin to feel the full effect of the intoxicating cloud and if you iron your sheets, oh my word; the smell of freshly ironed cotton weaving and underpinning the Acqua Universalis is to die for.

Jumping into bed with freshly washed and ironed sheets is a treat anyway, but when they smell this good, I didn’t want to leave! Candy Perfume Boy asked me on the Twitter machine whether the smell was relatively strong, to which my response was that it’s actually not, it’s distinctive but very gentle with great depth. On clothes the scent is delicate and a perfect base for any perfume, done worry that it’ll replace your fragrance, it’s not overly powerful by any means.

You can pick up Francis Kurkdjian Acqua Universalis Laundry Washing Liquid Darks here from Liberty London where they’ve made a rather hilarious spelling mistake under features (mashines?). It’s £32 which isn’t as expensive as I thought it would be but still definitely a luxury. Give it a go!