Florentine perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi came to the fragrance business in a rather round-about way. After studying psychology at the University of Florence, he spent a year in New York before returning to Italy to complete degrees in philosophy and religion. Subsequent travels in North Africa and the Middle East sparked an interest in spices and other fragrant materials, and eventually he was asked to create fragrances for friends, and then scented candles for Fendi.
He officially launched his own business in 1990, and continues to create custom perfumes in addition to his ready-made line. His next fragrance release will be Alamut, an oriental scent that should launch in February or March of next year.
I understand that you have a degree in philosophy, and I am wondering what career you would have pursued if you had not become a perfumer?
Theoretically I would have become a kind of Academic, a researcher in Ancient Philosophy or perhaps I would have moved rather towards the Ancient past: Sumerian or Acadian culture, Semitics, Ancient Minor Asian Thought or even Anthropology.
And do you think your studies in philosophy have influenced the way you work with fragrance?
Not directly those in Philosophy: much more the Ancient Greek and Mesopotamian culture and mythology, and only with regard to the choice of suggestive names for our fragrances (like Dilmun — a Mesopotamian Paradise or Alamut — a legendary place).They do not necessarily affect the way I work with fragrances. Perhaps they influenced the pleasure in using certain ancient resins, like opoponax, galbanum, styrax, myrrh and frankincense: the fragrance Incensi, for instance, is almost entirely based upon the resins of Ancient times.
Do you think there is an Italian style of perfumery that is distinct from the French style?
Unfortunately I do not think that at the moment there is an “Italian style” of perfumery — distinct from the French or from other styles — as much as I don’t think there is an Italian tradition in perfumery.
There used to be an Italian tradition during the Renaissance, starting at the end of the XVI c. till the end of the XVIII c. I am thinking about the tradition of Italian courts like the Medici, the Este and the Borgia families, to name but a few.
Modern perfumery is deeply influenced by the French style. Also the so called English style has been (and still is) very important, particularly in the world of Artistic perfumery, which represents somehow the continuation of the important tradition of the Art of perfumery which touched its apogee in France between 1890 and 1930 (the Golden Years of Lalique, Baccarat, Gallet – Coty, Guerlain, Chanel, etc).
Perfumery Houses like Penhaligon’s, Floris, Czech & Speake or the various “Tailors” of England for the English style and L’Artisan Parfumeur, Creed and Annick Goutal for the French style, represent at the same time the inheritance of the ancient Art of Perfumery and a very strong influence on contemporary Artistic perfumery .
In my opinion, in contemporary perfumery, a revolutionary event was Jean Laporte’s L’Artisan Parfumeur, where the concept is that behind the “Maison” there is an Artisan, a Master Perfumer, that creates the scents, as opposed to the industrial perfumery linked to fashion brands and multinational companies that we are all too familiar with.
In this context even if it is not possible to talk about an Italian style or tradition, the new development of the activity of Santa Maria Novella in Florence (almost 800 years of tradition), and the beginning and quick development of our own activity starting from the beginning of the 1990s, do indeed represent a different approach to perfumery, in comparison with the French and English styles.
Santa Maria Novella represents the precious medicinal, pharmaceutical and convent inheritance, transmitted along the centuries for a variety of cosmetic and perfumery products, from soaps to creams, from Eau de Toilettes to essences, extending its offer to alimentary products, liquors and elixirs of medieval origin. In this sense its approach is original and substantially different from the one of the English and French Houses.
As far as Lorenzo Villoresi is concerned, it is perhaps possible to talk of Italian style with regard to the large use of raw materials typical of the Florentine and Tuscan tradition which made "Made in Italy" famous in the world. These materials are mainly used for the containers — leather, silver, and crystal for the bottles, caps, cases — and for the accessories: porcelain, Carrara marble, travertine marble, alabaster and olive-wood for accessories, to contain potpourris and scented waxes.
As to the heart of Lorenzo Villoresi’s activity, this is mainly represented by fragrances, the Eau de Toilettes, which are not particularly influenced by the Italian tradition, not even the Ancient one, neither for what concerns the source of inspiration and the names, nor for what concerns the contents and the choice of the ingredients.
The fragrances of the Eau de Toilettes are influenced, on one side by the great Classics in Perfumery, especially the single-theme fragrances such as Sandalo, Patchouli, Vetiver, Garofano, Wild Lavender, Musk; and on the other side by subjects and inspirations of different cultures and different times. Teint de Neige, the sophisticated beauty and the atmospheres of the French Belle Epoque; Dilmun, a Mesopotamian Paradise; Yerbamate, with the wild nature and old rituals of South America; Piper Nigrum, with African markets of spices. Alamut, the new fragrance appearing soon, is inspired by legendary place in Middle East.
Anyhow, all we just said for both Santa Maria Novella and ourselves, even considering the importance of brands like Etro in Artistic Perfumery, is not enough to allow to talk about an Italian style or tradition. Nevertheless, the important echo which Acqua di Parma had in the whole world in recent years, allowed the creation of a new image of Italy in perfumery, that is the idea that it is possible for an Italian House of Perfumery to exist and also become fairly important. Anyway I still think this is not enough to really talk about an Italian style and Italian tradition, not even after the birth of several new Italian perfumery brands, most of which cannot yet be considered as real Maisons.
How do you think your own approach to perfumery fits in? Or would you say that the Middle Eastern tradition has been a more important influence on your work?
My own approach to perfumery, besides what stated above, is very free: we are not inspired by any style: we do not wish to belong to any kind of tradition, we feel ourselves as being part of the Art of perfumery, of the important tradition of the Maisons of the beginning of the 1900, who were studying each part of their products, from the bottle to the cap, from the box to the trademark, to the accessories; and especially with a Perfumer really inside the Maison. My approach is the freedom of an artist who does not particularly care about trends, who works trying to develop “smelling visions” out of his desires, no matter what they are, theoretically in every possible way and with no regard to their cost. For example, if to obtain a specific fragrance one should take a handful of ground, or break a stone, or press ice or distill sand, I would certainly do it.
Sometimes it is possible that a hidden desire or vision represents a totally personal matter or something belonging to a small number of people: but it may also happen that some kind of “immaterial link” suddenly creates a connection between the perfumer’s hidden world and the one of many other people. In the past I sometimes couldn’t, or felt I wasn’t in time, to seize these intuitions and translate them into something real. Some other times though, more recently, I felt I managed; in the future I hope to be more organized in order to be able to realize the hidden desires — mine or of many people — which I happen to perceive here and there, not only in terms of fragrance but also, for example, in terms of new ways and means to conceive, use and “live” the fragrances.
We feel particularly international and multicultural, not only in the choice of names for the fragrances, but also in the selection of the ingredients and in the choice of the materials for the accessories. It is true though that we have a Middle Eastern part, not only cultural, that is related to the inspirations of A Thousand and One Nights, the Arabia Felix and the mythical ingredients of the Middle Eastern tradition, but also in the choice, for instance, of offering perfumes in oil among our regular products; the love for incenses and incense-diffusers made in different materials; the desire that we have for the future to develop solid perfumes and special balms to enrich our collections and of course some new fragrances like Alamut and others to come, again inspired by Middle Eastern tradition. So besides the Middle Eastern tradition it is more a Middle Eastern way of doing things that influenced and inspired me: the way to take care of the single person, the sense of hospitality, the desire to personalize as much as possible the fragrance for a person; the warm and welcoming atmospheres, totally opposed to the cold and impersonal atmospheres typical of most Western countries’ perfumery stores. The tradition of perfuming even cigarettes (like amber cigarettes) and tobacco, and even the water for the narghiles: the sensuality of using raw aromatic ingredients, whatever they are, from sandalwood to jasmine, without taking into consideration if they are for men or women; the strong presence, importance and richness of spices and herbs — from mint in tea to cardamom seeds in the coffee etc. All those spices I started to use at the same time for cooking, for potpourris and for distillation.
Are there any notes or smells that you are particularly drawn to, and are there any that you dislike intensely?
Yes, I am particularly drawn to woods and woody notes (like patchouli, sandalwood, cedarwood and vetiver), citrus and spicy notes. I like much less conifers (pine, fir, spruce), anise-like essences (estragon, anise, fennel, etc.) and fruity notes. On the contrary I particularly like the smell of galbanum — a green note which reminds me of the smell of freshly crushed poppies — and of fresh laurel leaves (not bay leaf); I adore the smell of tomato leaves and of freshly pressed olive oil, of osmanthus flowers and cardamom oil. I use all these ingredients and many more in different fragrances. I intensely dislike citronella, eucalyptus and spearmint. Anyway, my level of appreciation of an ingredient has a lot to do with its quality: whenever an essence or a substance is of good quality, I like it, even the strangest ones such as chaulmoogra, atractilis or certain animal notes.
You have said of your custom work: "I am merely an interpreter, the person who knows the alphabet of smells. I translate words into scents; I serve as a mediator between their desires and the fragrance phial." I am curious to know if you are ever surprised by what you develop for a client, that is, do you ever create something wonderful that you would not have thought of on your own?
It happens sometimes. For example last year I made a personalized fragrance in an unusual way: it was for a lady who was on the phone with me from Argentina, while her husband was in front of me in our studio in Florence. She asked for a violet fragrance and we all know that violet is a classic note, sometimes particularly sweet and powdery, like the Parma violet. But then the lady specified, speaking French, that it shouldn’t be for a woman, but “pour un etre” (“for a being”)…After the phone conversation I made the first violet, a rather classic one, using traditional ingredients with touches of green leaves and powdery notes. But I was not satisfied. So I started again and the second violet was made using the absolute of violet leaves, the absolute of wild violet, some special notes recalling the green undergrowth of the woods were violets thrive and others ingredients used to obtain a less “cosmetic” effect, that is more natural, more herbal-floral-“transparent”, not sweet and powdery, but rather deep floral-green- herbaceous– and not “embellished”, as violets are. The result of this second compound was quite impressive even for us: both violets were sent to the lady but the latter was the chosen one.
Or something that you find unpleasant but that suits the client?
Not exactly but sometimes it happened that the request of something that I personally find banal (for example lily of the valley or honeysuckle) was quite the right ingredient to suit the person in front on me.
Which of the perfumes in your ready-made line is your own personal favourite, and why?
My own personal favourite is Uomo, our first Man fragrance made in 1992.
Can you tell me a few perfumes from other lines that you particularly admire or like to wear?
I like to wear almost exclusively my fragrance Uomo. “Almost” in the sense that often — and without intention — I wear many other fragrances, for the simple reason that I use them all the time! But years ago I particularly admired Eau de Rochas, that I think was made by the renowned French perfumer Edmond Roudnitska. I was also impressed by Jean Laporte’s Mure et Musc and by Calèche, Madame Rochas, Dioressence, Amouage, Equipage, all made by the famous French perfumer Guy Robert. Generally speaking I like “daring” fragrances and I am often disappointed by the many, dubious, dull and scarcely significant existing fragrances.
Bonus reading: You can read a synopsis of Lorenzo Villoresi's first book on basenotes. Much of the background information in the first two paragraphs is based on an article which appeared in Departures magazine.
It is interesting how these national identities pervade international product brands. Perfume is so very French, but shoes and handbags are so very Italian. I've only smelled LV fragrances in passing in Tak, but only really put on Piper Nigrum, which (as I mentioned on Luca's blog) turns out not to be the fragrance I hallucinated it was when I tried my sample. Robin, do you wear any Villoresis?
Thinking of the Italian perfume lines SMN, Etro, and LV, it seems like they have that emphasis on solid referentiality: this is Vetiver, this is Sandalwood, this is Patchouli, this is Musk, etc. I see a lot of inoffensive, tasteful variations on familiar themes, but I don't see as many flights of fancy and inventiveness, but I could be wrong. (I'm not really into SMN or LV or Etro, aside from buying Etro shower gels, so I'm not talking from a position of extraordinary familiarity, here.)
I am star-struck. And my thoughts are all over the place. Firstly, Alamut goes on my wishlist. Secondly, isn't he handsome …:-) And so very intelligent, gave such long, comprehensive answers…And I would love to smell that violet fragrance he made for a lucky woman. And how right he is when he sayd that LOTV and honeysuckle are banal…
Was LV replying in English?
Thank you so much for this treat, R!!!!
What a good interview … what I always love best about your work is your ability to become transparent and allow the individual to come through, apparently unfiltered. and he is fascinating. Especially interested by his brief soliloquy on “Teint de Neige, the sophisticated beauty and the atmospheres of the French Belle Epoque …” *validation* Thanks for your substantive work, R. xoxo
Thank you for an interesting interview. I particulately liked his mini history of Italian perfumery. LV is very articulate. It's not surprising that he's written a book.
The only LV scent I have is Teint de Neige. Whenever I wear it, I feel like I should be dressed in an ornate ballgown with powder in my hair. Sigh, in my fantasy I am.
T, Interesting, I think of SMN that way, but not Etro or LV. Even his single notes don't strike me as in the inoffensive/tasteful category — try Sandalo on skin, for instance. It is much more complex that what SMN tends to create.
My favorite is probably Dilmun, but I don't think many people share that feeling. Teint de Neige & Garofano are both lovely scents, I think maybe his nicest, but I don't like powder (Teint) and I just can't wear carnation even though I love the smell and it is beautiful with the green notes (Garofano). Yerbamate would get my vote for the most flight-of-fancy-ish.
M, That was my first thought too — give me the violet fragrance!
The interview was done by email, and yes, the replies were in English but I don't know if someone translated them for him first.
M, As I just said to you on MUA — you are really too kind. I am transparent because I'm really not there, since I do all my interviews via email. “Apparently unfiltered” really is unfiltered 😉
But thanks for the nice compliment anyway!
I do wish I liked powder more. I just can't wear Teint!
Wish someone would translate that book.
Guess I should go back and try them, but by the time I get to Tak I'm always so burnt out I never feel like I can smell anything! I should hit it first one of these days. I couldn't get into Teint de Neige or Garofano before, but I just sprayed them on paper.
I have tried LV Sandalo, come to think of it, and it didn't really get me. The Etro, Creed, and LV sandalwoods all struck me as similar, but I'm weird with sandalwood, and I like the raw nakedness of the Diptyque one better than these more complicated versions.
T, I like the raw nakedness of Tam Dao better too — it has ruined all other sandalwoods for me — just meant that I wouldn't characterize Sandalo as tasteful & inoffensive. Like many self-taught perfumers, LV's scents seem outside of the norm to me, which I appreciate even when the individual perfumes don't work on me.
Fascinating interview dear R!
I visited his atelier in Florence last November around this time and met his charming wife who showed us all his gorgeous creations from their characterful apartment by the Arno. It was fascinating. I wish I had gone on my own, I could have spent hours there. My DH got a bit impatient after 45 mins. 🙁
I too find his perfumes complex. Sandalo is not what say SMN or IPdF or even AF would create. Etro is also fantastic. I enjoy some of his perfumes and he does with inventiveness.
BTW – OT but I tried Carnal Flowers today at the FM boutique near my place. Not bad at all – rather interesting and I may cave in.
Hope you are well. Hugs!!
Wow! 🙂 Thank you so much for this wonderful, fascinating interview with my favorite perfumer! Totally fascinating…and like colombina, I am positively starstruck. My all-time favorite scent is still Piper Nigrum, and Mr. Villoresi's Incensi and Vetiver are not far behind. I even love Teint de Neige–it's too powdery for my personal tastes, but my dear friend wears it beautifully.
I particularly found this interesting: “So besides the Middle Eastern tradition it is more a Middle Eastern way of doing things that influenced and inspired me: the way to take care of the single person, the sense of hospitality, the desire to personalize as much as possible the fragrance for a person; the warm and welcoming atmospheres, totally opposed to the cold and impersonal atmospheres typical of most Western countries’ perfumery stores.” What a wonderful approach!
I am dying to know more about Alamut.
Not only is your writing fantastic, but your interviewing is perfect, Robin. Thank you again!
N, Lucky you, that must have been a fascinating visit, even with an impatient husband in tow. I would love to have him do a custom scent, especially after reading about the violet one.
On the Carnal Flowers — it must be better than “not bad at all” if you're about to cave 😉
Yes it was fascinating and I enjoyed my time in his apartment. It is such a warm home – not flashy but real. I loved the fact that it was not cold like most French perfume houses are going – cold interiors. They do not warm my heart as much as warm and historic places like SMN, the colours in Etro's boutiques (I am a great fan of his clothes) and LVs style.
Excellent job Robin!! Really captured what this perfumer is like.
LOL!! Yes I try to be quite even and unenthusiastic and then I go – I MUST HAVE SOME!! ;D
Oh and if I do get one you know the fate of the bottle when I am bored – right? It will get to a deserving home.
Mwah!
I am trying to locate an english translation of his book, Il Porfumo, does anyone know where I can get one. If needed, I'll break down and buy it in the orginal language.
Thank you K! I did try to find out more about Alamut, but no luck 😉
Yes, the quote you chose struck me as well. If you go to the basenotes link at the bottom of the interview, you can see pictures of his atelier, which I think illustrate those words perfectly.
As I understand it, it has not been translated & that is the reason that Marcello Aspria posted that synopsis on basenotes.
I DO enjoy your interviews, R! I got very close to buying Garofano this summer, and then had a flirtation with Sandolo. But all the others I tried dried down a little odd and herbacious on me – I think it's a chemistry thing. TdN starts out sweet and pretty, then turns into a raging Powder Monster that's too much even for me! I must get round to trying some of the others. BTW, he doesn't seem to have mentioned iPdF in his round-up of Italian parfumery?
Thank you N! I wish I could make myself wear carnation as Garofano is really a beautiful fragrance.
iPF is a tiny little apothecary in Florence that has become popular here through the efforts of Isabella Imports. I don't think that is even the name they use there, and would not be at all surprised if they are better known in the US than they are in Italy.
One of your best interviews ever!
*prepares deserving home*
LOL — j/k N. I am sure you will love it.
Thank you!
Fab interview, R. I just want to add that I love Lorenzo Villoresi's work and highly recommend his beautiful creations to anyone interested in truly unique, artful blends–my favorite so far is Piper Nigrum which I smelled at Lafco and thought I smelled a gloriously soft and fleshy white floral note in it. I think I may have to get some PN in his honor now.
Ah yes – there is a different name on the packaging, isn't there? I think it's just how huge Ambra del Nepal looms in my mind that makes it seem like a major company!
A fabulous interview, in fact it is one of the best that I have ever read with a perfumer.He certainly comes across as highly intelligent and definately in charge of his destiny.
Can't wait to smell his new scent. Pity that there doesn't seem to be an outlet for his perfumes in the UK anymore.
Barry
I really enjoyed reading the LV article & I've been enjoying wearing several LV fragrances. I own Yerbamate edt & the shower gel. YM is more of a warm weather fragrance: lovely & longlasting. Sandalo was a recent purchase. I find myself going into stealth ninja mode on my husband with this one. Let me explain, my husband doesn't wear scent. Sooooo, I spray myself & hug him. Works for me!
Dillmun was wonderful but something in that & Garafano gave me headaches.
Donna is supposed to invoke “the Fracas effect” but I swear I couln't smell anything in my sample of Donna. Nada. Weird but true.
Piper Nigrum is WONDERFUL, especially for the holidays. Spicy, hot pepper in a fragrance. Thankfully, it does not “burn” the skin.
Incensi was “ok” but not as inventive as I'd like.
We had friends visiting from Milan just last week. I took the oportunity to ask if they had ever heard of LV. Neither of them had. This was very puzzling to me because the gentleman works as a designer in the cosmetic & fragrance packaging industry. He immediately recognized my Chanel duo lip gloss as something he had worked on.
Think I'l send him a link to your article.
Thanks, Robin!
Thanks S. Would love to visit the Lafco shop one of these days, they seem to get limited edition LVs that I don't see elsewhere.
B, thank you. Mr Villoresi took a long time to answer, but it was worth it as he obviously gave the questions some serious thought.
And really, not in the UK at all? That is too bad.
C, that is interesting. It is funny when these lines become all the rage on the fragrance boards — I always assume they are “famous”, but many of them are probably little known outside of the world of serious fragrance fans.
What a great interview! I know that I will return to read it again and again. I love the progression of your questions, especially the one on the style of Italian perfumery (and whether such a thing exists). Like you, I like Dilmun, although my favourite is Vetiver. It is close to vetiver perfection, as far as I am concerned.
R, wonderful, interesting interview! LV has created my favourite perfume of all time: TdN 🙂 – I know, it´s not among your favourite ones 😉
I love Musk, too, I don´t get that usual “clean” rather one-dimensional smell, but a warm, comforting scent, just wonderful 🙂
I don´t like Dilmun that much, it´s not bad at all, but I don´t feel like wearing it. Yerbamate is a pretty scent, too, perhaps I´ll get it some time next year, I think it´s better suited for warmer weather.
Unfortunately I still don´t know Vetiver & Sandalo, but I hope to test them as soon as I get the possibility. I was told that they are too masculine for a woman, but since I read many good things about the two & regarding the fact that I have nothing against more masculine scents I ´ll try them anyway.
It´s pity that he didn´t want to tell more about Alamut – I´m so curious about it!!!
V, I am completely ashamed to admit I've never tried the Vetiver despite reading that it is his best. Am waiting for a sample of it & hopefully will have it soon!
S, I would guess that TdN is one of his biggest sellers, so it is I who is out of step and not you 🙂
I think Yerbamate is such a cool scent. Am going to review it this week & hope I will finally fall in love with it — for now I love it from a distance.
This is your best interview yet. He was so generous with his thoughts. I am so glad you asked about the concept of “Italian perfumery.”
Out of sheer idle curiosity, I wonder what he thinks of things like the British J&E Atkinsons company completely relocating to Italy.
What a delight to read! Thanks for this wonderful interview, R!
K, Why did they relocate?
M, thank you for the wonderful synopsis on basenotes. I would dearly love to read that book!
Robin, I believe you're a fellow incense fan… how do you feel about Incensi? Can you compare it to something?
I just remembered that I tried the Creed Santal Imperial, the Etro Sandalo, and the LV Sandalo all around the same time, and they all struck me as very similar. The LV didn't stand out one way or another. The only one I liked was the Etro, because it came in a shower gel, which I got as a sample, and I liked having sandalwood hair.
I wish Tam Dao came in a shower gel. Dammit.
Robin, you are so good at this! Great interview. 🙂
That was an absolutely superb and extremely well thought out interview. You gave him perfect questions for those lengthy answers. Thank you! I'm a hopeless fan of his. Love the original approach he takes w/ his scents and the way they work w/ my skin chemistry. Love his approach to life as well – always nice to be able to actually like the creator of favorite scents as well as the scents themselves. I have to admit I have and regularly wear nine of his scents and would be hard pressed to pick a favorite. Thanks also for posting the links for the book synopsis in Basenotes and the Departures article. Great further reads. I may have to get that book even if it is in Italian and try to muddle my way through it.
It is often described as cold, but I find it warm, sweet, spicy-rich, and very resinous. Am trying to think of something to compare it to, but can't. It is church incense, but in a far richer vein than say Etro Messe de Minuit. It is beautiful but really too rich for me, and has a dash of cumin which is more than a cumin-phobe like me can wear.
Thanks L!
Wow, 9 of them! I wish I knew enough Italian to even muddle through, but I suspect that I don't. Marcello's synopsis is wonderful though.
Hiya, Robin, great job as usual!
My two favorite LV frags are Spezie, which reminds me of being in a summer herb garden, and the newly-discovered (well, for me, anyway) Musk *oil*, which is profoundly different from the EDT or EDP or whatever it is. It costs more, but it so seduced me this summer that I cracked open my rusty wallet because I *had* to have it. And I am not much of a musk fan, either. It's the perfect fragrance when you don't want to project any kind of image except that of yourself. I have heard the phrase “your skin but better.” I think that would aptly describe LV Musk Oil.
Mahhhhhhgwet
I'm presuming it has something to do with their association with Unilever Italia? I know that Atkinsons does distribution through Unilever in some South American countries, so I wonder if it may be due to simplifying operations and streamlining their operations. And their whole product line character seems to have changed from the past as a “English” perfumery/soapmaker into something that deals nearly entirely with orientals. Perhaps they are aiming for something that seems more exotic? This is all conjecture on my part of course. I just happen to find it strange that a company with such roots in England and English history would up and leave for another country.
Cumin? Yeesh. I think I'll pass. Just ordered Etro MdM decant (my closet's starting to smell like a cathedral!), thanks for the tip. So far Passage d'Enfer is my favorite, I'm wearing it right now…
Thanks K, I know very little about the line and it all sounds odd.
Really, it is just a little dash of cumin. I have special cumin-magnifying skin 😉
Maaahhhhgwet! So nice to see you. I have not tried any of the oils & must do that one of these days. Was very interested to hear LV say they may do “solid perfumes & special balms” in the future. That might get me to crack open my own rusty wallet 🙂
When I first tried a sample of Donna, I couldn't believe what I was smelling. It was like being in a sunny garden when conditions are just right for the scents of roses (Damask, perhaps) and scores of double white spicy pinks to blend and mingle and create an even greater richness. I just ordered the parfum and I know I'll be in heaven…
Donna is a simply beautiful fragrance, and you have described it perfectly.
So glad you find it beautiful too.