Lorenzo Villoresi was one of the first niche perfume houses that I ever explored, and Teint de Neige ("the color of snow") was my immediate favorite from its line of fragrances. Six years later, I still wear Teint de Neige regularly, particularly during the winter months. A small decant of this scent accompanied me on my recent holiday travels; appropriately enough, I happened to be wearing it the day after Christmas, during an attempt to return home during a blizzard. On the long, slow ride back to the New York area, I had plenty of time to contemplate Teint de Neige and my reasons for loving it.
According to the Villoresi website, Teint de Neige evokes "the delicate rosy hue of a powdered face. The unmistakable scent of perfumed powders, the fragrance of face powder, the perfume of talc. . . . An aroma delicately permeated by the richness of the natural extracts of precious flowers, recalling the light, images and atmosphere of the belle-époque." The "sweet, powdery and floral notes" of its composition are jasmine, rose, ylang ylang, tonka bean, heliotrope, and musk. Teint de Neige really does smell like powder — not baby powder, but some fragranced dusting powder that might have been found on a woman's dressing table circa 1900. In its texture and its construction, it also feels like a Belle Époque gown: heavy, pale, and soft, but "corseted" into place.
Teint de Neige has a fleeting bergamot top note, but an intense talcum-powder accord emerges quickly as the heart and soul of this fragrance. It's a floral-accented powder, without the metallic musk note of i Profumi di Firenze Talco Delicato or the smoky leather of Molinard Habanita; there's an old-fashioned rose and jasmine blend behind all the dusty sweetness, but it never becomes the central theme of the composition. I can also detect a honeyed heliotrope note, some clean musk that establishes a base for the fragrance, and a lingering dry down that reminds me of the candied almonds given out as favors at Italian weddings. But really, it's all about the powder. I'm repeating myself, because Teint de Neige seems to be a love-it-or-hate it fragrance. I happen to love it, and it fits my personal style: vintage jewelry, floral dresses, and ever-present lipstick and facial powder. You don't necessarily have to wear those particular things to enjoy Teint de Neige, but it's certainly not a fragrance that would ever be described as "fresh," "youthful," or "sexy." I'm not even sure you could call it "seductive"; the best adjective for Teint de Neige might be "self-indulgent."
Teint de Neige has excellent staying power for an Eau de Toilette; it diffuses strongly during its initial hour or so, after which it stays a little closer to the wearer's skin. And if you end up loving Teint de Neige as an Eau de Toilette, you should be aware that Lorenzo Villoresi also offers this fragrance in a perfume concentration, as well as matching body products and a remarkably strong candle that would be perfect for scenting the air of a boudoir.
Lorenzo Villoresi Teint de Neige Eau de Toilette is available for $80 (50 ml). For purchasing information, see the listing for Lorenzo Villoresi under Perfume Houses.
Note: top left image is Giovanni Boldini's Portrait of Princess Marthe-Lucile Bibesco (1911), via Wikimedia Commons.
Teint de neige is always in my fragrance rotation too. Curiously I find myself wearing it the most during the summer, and I guess in some ways I can see a pecuiar “freshness” in it, in the sense of just bathed and pampered.
For me TdN is the exact perfume version of a specific talc, Borotalco, which here in Italy is one of the most widely known and popular talcs and has been so, as far as I can remember, for decades. I’m not sure if it’s known (or it’s known with this same name) elsewhere.
Delfina, Teint de Neige is definitely a “pampered” fragrance! and I actually *can* picture the Borotalco container with the green label, so I must have seen it at some upscale pharmacy in NYC (like the original C.O. Bigelow?) or on a website that carries imported products (like Smallflower). I’ll have to try it, if TdN is similar!
VERY similar. Even the Borotalco spray deodorant, which obviously is a much more recent product, is the cheaper version of Tdn (at least to my nose).
The only Lorenzo Villoresi I have tried is Sandalo, which I love. I should try more, including this one.
K, I remember liking Sandalo when I tested it. I’ve really enjoyed wearing Donna and Garofano, and I have friends who love Piper Nigrum. I just wish this line were a bit more widely available! It’s gotten harder to find in the US.
It’s carried online by The Perfume Shoppe. They are even featuring him this month.
That’s good to know! Thank you!
I love Teint de Neige too. I wear it often, especially in Winter, when I feel like being a little ‘self-indulgent’, that description fits perfectly 🙂
I’m using the word in a positive way… it’s very much a fragrance that I wear for *myself.* 🙂
Sounds like it may be a bit too cultivated for me – though until its under the nose one can never quite tell!
Merlin, It’s very true: you never know!
I love powdery fragrances, but Teint de Neige turns into pure baby powder on me. After hearing several strangers around me sniff the air and ask their friends where the baby powder smell was coming from, I stopped wearing it. Maybe I’ll try again when my toddler is older and powdered baby butts aren’t a part of my daily routine.
Oh dear! Funny. I’ve gotten a range of responses. But I can see how recent, real-life experiences with baby powder might interfere with your enjoyment of this fragrance. Any new mother probably needs a break from the powder. 😉
Jessica, this sounds lovely. Have you tried the most recent version of L’Interdit (which strikes me as also retro and powdery in an ultra-feminine way) – if you have, how do they compare?
Dzing, I tried the version that was released about ten years ago… have they reformulated it yet again? If so, I should check it out. I love retro, ultra-feminine fragrances, as you can tell.
I love your review, but I am sad to say that Teint de Neige is one of the few fragrances that make me actually feel nauseous. I only sniffed it once, I’ve got a sample stashed in a drawer somewhere, I don’t even want to go near it again.
I do share your love of rose fragrances though!
Oh, well! It seems to be a fragrance that inspires strong reactions… no one is “eh” about it! And don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll be reviewing and recommending more rose scents before long. 😉
This sounds beautifully luxurious, and the bottle looks like it would make a handsome addition to any dressing table.
I love the combination of white frosted glass and the silvery cap!
I remember testing this once a few years ago and thinking, this is too powdery and sweet! But my tastes have changed since then so I think I must retry. Thanks for the reminder 😉
It’s very powdery, but still nowhere near as sweet as Keiko Mecheri’s Loukhoum! That’s a sugar-powder bomb, with cherry-almond syrup. Actually, I like it, in *very* small doses on chilly nights at home.
I have and enjoy a small decant of KM’s Loukhoum, actually! It is very sweet. Might need a root canal.
Oh, Jessica, I’m so frustrated! Your review is making me crave this fragrance. Went to get my sample out only to remember that I gave it to someone who was interested in powdery fragrances. I am making do with Stephanie de Saint-Aignan Le Pot Aux Roses, which also has a nice face-powdery note. Enjoyed your review!
H, I know that feeling of looking and looking for a sample, then realizing that I gave it to someone else…! Hope you can get your hands on a little bit more Teint de Neige soon.
Jessica, I might have to get a decant. It’s powerful stuff, so I don’t really need much, do I?
Oh, a decant would last you for a while!
I think the powdery epoch of my life may be behind me (the Body Shop White Musk years), but I love two VL’s I have tried — his Sandalo is my favorite sandalwood, when I’m not up for Bois des Iles; and I also love Garofano. I was thinking just the other day that I should try his other scents, since these two are in my top 10 rotation, members of the elite corps of FBW perfumes. Not sure about TdN, but will try.
Annunziata, I also remember that some friends of mine really, really liked the Musk (it’s woodsy!) and the oil form of the Musk, so you might want to check those out, too.
I love it so much! It was love at first “sniff” when I tried it three years ago and I went crazy. This smell is so ME!
As I once read, Teint the Neige is a sepia photo. It’s so vintage and romantic!
I would have skipped the heliotrope, however.
I own L’Erbolario Iris, which smells almost the same and it’s cheaper. And lasts longer.
Isa, I like that comparison with a sepia-toned photo!
Les Senteurs in London also stocks the Villoresi line, which can be ordered online, I think. Thanks for reviewing a Villoresi perfume. It’s a seldom spoken about line I find and as you say, harder and harder to find these days for some reason.
Michael, I do like this line very much, overall… and it has disappeared from a few NYC stores that used to carry it (and/or the stores closed), so I miss “visiting” it from time to time. Ah well!
They have it at LAFCO NY in Nolita, along with Santa Maria Novella and other Italian lines. It’s a gorgeous store, by the way.
Yes, I love Lafco! But I miss Takashimaya, which used to carry LV, and a few other places…
I will be trying to source this when I have read the rest of todays perfume news- I do so hope they have it at TPC!
Debbie, they seem to carry plenty of Villoresi, including TdN!
Ordered! Now the long wait for it to arrive!
I hope you’ll enjoy trying it!
Jessica, it’s a common mistake, but Teint de Neige does not mean ‘The Color of Snow’; it means ‘Snow-white Complexion’. Teint = complexion
Teinte = shade, colour
As for the fragrance, I used to like it very much and then one day it made me nauseous and that was it: couldn’t stand it any longer.
Bela, I was curious about the translation and went to Villoresi’s web page and sure enough he translates it as ‘color of snow’ at the beginning of his description/marketing promo.
Onyxode, you’re right — I was going by the text on the Villoresi website! J, thanks — “snow-white complexion” makes even more sense.
Yes, it does, Jessica. That’s why they go on about a powdered face.
Could you amend the translation in the body of your article, please? Otherwise, people will carry on making that mistake. TIA
Well, what can I say: they are wrong: ‘Teint’ means one thing, and ‘Teinte’ another. I know it’s only a question of one small vowel on the end, but they are two completely different words.
Lorenzo Villoresi is an Italian perfume house, not a French one, is it, so…
This is the scenario in this case:
The Italian company employs an English-speaking person to translate its website. That person has knowledge of Italian but not of French; they believe that ‘teint’ is the same as ‘teinte’ (probably because they pronounce the word wrongly and sound the ‘t’ on the end) and therefore mistranslate it as ‘colour’. The Italian people know that ‘Teint de Neige’ means ‘Snow-white Complexion, but they don’t have enough English to work out that ‘Colour of Snow’ is wrong. They believe their English translator implicitly and don’t think to check with a French person who is also fluent in English, i.e. someone like me. 🙂
Just wanted to add: the translation of Teint de Neige is not a matter of opinion (as translations sometimes are). It cannot mean anything but Snow-white Complexion. Even if the company meant for their perfume’s name to mean The Colour of Snow in English, they couldn’t have used the word Teinte because The Colour of Snow would never be translated as Teinte de Neige anyway.
Jessica –
Villoresi was one of the first niche lines that I explored as well (it may have been the VERY first…..), and I have acquired quite a few of the fragrances in the past few years – Garofano is my go-to carnation scent during the Fall and Winter and I adore Musk (which, by the way, is the only fragrance I’ve ever run out of and replaced since I started collecting). So what did you think about Luca’s take on Villoresi? I was pretty shocked that he didn’t appreciate Villoresi’s artistry, but what do I know? (except now there is more Villoresi for the rest of us….)
Marko, I remember reading reviews of several Villoresi fragrances (but not all — I don’t think they covered Teint de Neige) in Perfumes: The Guide. True, L Turin and T Sanchez didn’t seem to like the overall LV style too much. Still, I always enjoy their writing, even when I don’t share their opinions about particular fragrances. It would be a dull world if we all agreed on everything. 😉
Jessica, I’ve always been fascinated with the Belle Epoque and, although I don’t have a huge attraction to powder scents, your graceful description makes me want to try this. A little self-indulgence and pampering is essential in the winter!
Nozkoz, a little self-indulgence is always essential, but *especially* in the deep of winter! Oh, and Dilmun is a really pretty white-blossom floral from LV. I keep forgetting to mention that one.
Dilmun! I tried that recently. Gorgeous orange blossom with an herbal, resinous aspect. Loved it!
Lovely review,Jessica
I had the honor of receiving a fb of TdN in a swap as a newbie and have kept it close to my heart ever since.
This is my ‘comfort’ scent….also the perfect bedtime scent.
Lady, what a nice way to come across this fragrance! and it is a lovely bedtime scent.
Your review really makes me want to try it. I absolutely love being and feeling self-indulgent. A secret little smirk has apparently appeared on my face, making the perceiver of said smirk, sit up in wary attention wondering what will happen next. I didn’t realize I was that scary. It is only perfume, my darling! Must. Get. Sample. NOW.
I hope you’ll enjoy it! 😉
I think I’ve only ever tried Donna from this line, and it was too much jasmine for me to handle (though it wasn’t much.)
I’m weary of powder scents because I’m not too wild about aldehydes, though I gather aldehydes can smell like powder, but you can still have a smooth/creamy powder scent without it being a nose-tingling aldehyde? If that question makes sense.
I noticed mostly rose and carnation and currant in Donna, but you’re right, it can be overwhelming — a little goes a long way! To answer your question, I don’t find TdN particularly aldehydic…
I just looked at the Perfume Shoppe’s website, and it looks like it is the 50 ml size that is $80; the 100 ml size is $120. Darn it! Now I may have to sample some of this line. Your review really makes me want to smell this, as I love a little powder in my perfume, but I tend to avoid sniffing anything that is only available in 100 ml, as I seldom want that much of anything. Is it really twisted that I would rather get only 50 ml for my $80 than 100 ml?
50, you are correct! I’ll ask Robin to correct this. I own the large size, believe it or not; this is one of the few cases where I splurged on the larger bottle (and then repurchased it, worse yet). But! it’s a pretty concentrated scent, so the 50 ml bottle would probably be enough for most non-powder-crazy people (after sampling first, of course).
Thanks for this lovely review. Can anyone comment on how this compares to “Love, Chole,” which has also been described as a cosmetic powdery scent? Happy New Year to all!
Rosewater, Here’s a link to Robin’s review of Love, Chloe:
https://nstperfume.com/2010/11/09/love-chloe-by-chloe-perfume-review/
I haven’t tried it myself, yet, because it’s still exclusive to certain stores, which I’ve been avoiding because they were too crowded during the holiday season! 😉
I just can’t deal with this one – it’s powder overload on me, one of the worst ever, like being smothered in baby powder. I tried several times, but no.
Oh well… as I noted, it’s often a love/hate fragrance! 😉
one of my all time loves…
Mine too, as you can tell!
It’s funny, but when I tried TdN, I was struck by notes of myrrh and frankincense, as well as a similarity to 2 other “Italian” perfumes — Laura Biagotti’s Roma (the old formulation) and Paestum Rose.
So much so, that I tried all 3 simultaneously… and sure enough, even together, all 3 had similar notes. Roma was the most brash and loud, TdN did smell like face powder, and although reading as “soft” had strong silage and was long-lasting. Paestum Rose was the most interesting, complex, subtle and long-lasting. I completely fell under its spell, and am on my third (or fourth?) bottle already, since it is in heavy rotation.
Would be interesting if anyone else would repeat my little test, and find that they too find the notes are very similar….
Interesting! I wonder what the common denominator could be. I’ve never tried the old Roma, and I haven’t tested Paestum Rose in a while, but I remember it as being quite spicy.
The note I smelled in all 3 was myrrh; love myrrh!
What a marvellous review. Teint de neige is my go-to fragrance for cold days when I just want to wrap up in cashmere (ok, my one cashmere cardigan!) and lie on the sofa with a novel. Self-indulgent, yes, also profoundly comforting for me.
Self-indulgent *and* comforting… so true!
I’ve been reading the Turin/Sanchez review book, and it seems Turin has a very low opinion of SIgnor Villoresi! He doesn’t hold back the negativity!
No, L Villoresi is not a particular favorite of LT/TS… although they did give positive reviews to a few fragrances from the line, e.g. Uomo.
This is one of my favorite perfumes ever. It suits my personal style, eclectic and also very classic sometimes, and a hippie in soul.. It slowly blends in with my skin and creates this beautiful crisp clean scent. It is an all time favorite.. Great review Jessica, very well put!!
So glad you enjoyed the review, Pearly!
Don’t you think Love in White by Creed could fall into the same category of Musky perfumes?
Actually, I remember Love in White as being a mix of sharp citrus and soapy white florals… not powdery!