Notes: Pink grapefruit, black currant, mint, Jasmine, Rose, Lily of the Valley, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Amber, Musk, Civet.Pros: Rich oriental with subtle fruity floral overtones and and incredible long-lasting drydown. Easily wearable by a man.
Cons: Ummmm, I can't think of any! hmmmm.....
Longevity, development and sillage: All are excellent - never really veers too much towards the floral category, instead, the scent really focuses on those great basenotes. Civet, folks!
Reminds me of: It doesn't - this one is truly unique. Similar in tone to the Men's counterpart, Roma Uomo, in that the sweet floral and fruity opening remain, but Roma is more opulent with the rich amber, vanilla and civet notes.
Where can I buy it? $31.99 for a 100ml edt spray at ImaginationPerfumery.com
Bottleworthy? Heck, yeah!
The Bottom Line: A well-blended oriental where none of the notes really take centerstage. The grapefruit and currant blend effortlessly with the florals to accent the lower basenotes. The civet makes a presence, warming and adding a touch of "earthiness" to the composition. The mint never really makes much of a presence, but the choice of the vanilla, amber and sandalwood base create an incredibly rich support for the upper notes. One of my all-time favorite scents, it's always a staple (along with the men's version) in my wardrobe. Great for cooler weather, and completely incomparable! Guys, you gotta try this one - trust me!
Rating (out of 10): 9
What are your favorite Italian scents?
14 comments:
I really love Roma Uomo,which I probably never would have chosen if not for a very pushy Indian Perfume salesman. Italian scents I like: Versace Dreamer, Acqua di Parma, Carthusia Mediterraneo, Lorenzo Villoresi Yerbamate, and probably a few more but I can't think.
Mark - have you tried Venezia for Men by Biagiotti? Another winner!
I am Italian and have never, ever, smelled an Italian fragrance that I liked. Their musks are weird-to-unpleasant, their florals cloying, their 'foody' and 'gourmand' fragrances are too, well I find those revolting in general. The only Italian fragrance I have ever found 'pleasant' is Pino Silvestre. I tried Villoresi's musk recently and it smelled like it was trying to be the classic Ombre Rose but, not quite. Aren't I awful?
Rue - really? One of my faves is Mariella Burani and I've been trying to track down a bottle for months! Her Rosee is also stunning!
I love Roma and have been waiting for a bottle that was promised to me in a swap.
Etro is Italian, right? Love Ambra, Heliotrope, Shaal Nur, Etra, Magot, etc, etc ...
yes yes ETRA is very nice, I always forget about ETRO's fragrances. I gave my best friend Viccolo Fiori last year for Christmas.
Shannon - I alos love Etro scents, but found I rarely wore any of them and so swapped them all away...all except one - Heliotrope. But I'm still a fan of many of the others!
mark - Etra was one of my faves of the line...though I also have soft spots for Sandalo and Gomma!
Ahhh, Roma.... my favourite summer scent since it came out. I remember slinking about the perfume counter day after day, letting the SAs spritz me and then pondering whether this really, really suited me - hey, I had only worn men's scents (yes, "Pino Silvestre" - my very first perfume, and still a favourite) or very light citrus scents (whatever became of Laroche's "Eau Folle"?) until then. And Roma is not a perfume for girls (or boys), I have always felt it was a WOMAN'S perfume (no offense meant, gentlemen), a scent for a woman who can take the ups and downs of life and live them to the full. Well, I finally cracked - and haven't been without it since!
Other Italian scents: oh, I agree with Etro: Shaal Nur, Messe de Minuit, Gomma, Mahogany.... and the wonderful Bulgaris, of course. Villoresi's Piper Nigrum, which I love... SMN's Marescialla. Fendi Theorema Parfum d'Extrait. Versace's Dreamer (another summer favourite, even if I only discovered it last year). I'm rather intrigued by Armani's Bois d'Encens, but haven't made up my mind about it yet... There seem to be lots of great Italian fragrances around, once you think about it!
For me, Bois d'Encens was almost 100% linear with frankincense. Thats not to say I didn't love it, because I did, memories of Easter mass and, well, funerals...but you know what they say, once a Catholic...
I could never justify the pricetag for any of the Prives, if they were 3.4 oz I might think about it. But for only 1.7??? Who does he think he is?
That said, how could I forget about the BVLGARIs?? Omnia, The Vert, Black...love at first sniff.
Laura Tonatto's fragrances are pretty wonderful, in my opinion. I am also just wowed by her career.
dinazad - I love that you feel Roma is "a woman's perfume"...I feel it is extremely masculine in tone! versace and Bvlgari - two of my favorite houses!
Mark - I know what you mean about the Armani Prive series...I actually went halfsies with a friend on a discounted bottle of Jade and even that was just too much, though it is a beautiful scent...
Cait - I still have yet to fall in love with any of her fragrances. Closest I've come is falling in like with plaisir which basically reminds me of L'Heure Bleue...
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