Francesca Bianchi never fails to deliver a sensual and bold fragrance, and in this case, she takes inspiration from the very spirit of Italian. The first word that comes to mind when I smell this is "Sprezzatura," which means "a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it." If you are wearing this, you don't care if others like you or not, you like yourself, and this is a very brave statement to express in a perfume. The mix of fresh citrus and dry labdanum and oakmoss is intoxicating, and in my opinion this is exactly why it's perfect to wear in the summer season. I am usually the type of person who can't stand summer fresh scents, but I've to admit it's hard to pull off spices and heavy notes in this season, so this is just perfect to me. Others have said this fragrance is not very animalic to them, but for me, it is so from the very beginning, and I honestly don't mind how sexy those notes come off in this scent. I also think the leather note gets lost in the animalic part. It does last almost a whole day, but I find the projection to be kind of mild after 2 hours. I've also only used this scent in very hot weather, so that might be the reason for that too. When I wear this fragrance, I feel so powerful. It's a daring choice that exudes confidence and self-assurance. I wouldn't wear it every day, but on those special occasions or days when I want to make a statement, it's the perfect choice.
I’ve been keen to get my hands on Libertine Neroli for a while now, and it has definitely met my expectations. Neroli is not a favourite note of mine, I’ve often found I struggle to find one I enjoy, but this is easily one of my favourites - likely due to the pronounced chypre style it adopts, which speaks to my heart. The neroli is light and airy, gently cleansing the air around you like the finest French soaps, but it is grounded heavily by a dense overdose of oakmoss and leather. The petitgrain and bergamot balance this dichotomy between light and dark, giving the scent a much needed freshness. It’s the oakmoss which draws me in further, tending my love for the scent. This scent epitomises what I love about Francesca’s work, that is perfume which is heavily inspired by classical French perfumery. This scent has a strong association with old white floral chypres, yet retains a dense powdery facet, characteristic of her creations.