Villoresi Sampling

[Johnny_Ludlow]

During the last two decades I have worn LV Uomo more than any other fragrance. I only wear vintage with white sticker. It's painful to find but worth it. Current version is seriously watered down. Concept of beginnners luck obviously has nothing to do with luck, but about absolute disregard for rules. This is Villoresi with open and inventive beginnners mind. Absolutely natural and rustic combination of citrus, herbs, spices, neroli, vetiver and patchouli. Note separation is superb. It simply works and one cannot get tired of it. It feels real and substantial.

Vintage Acqua di Colonia is more or less best of its genre. I also own and love frosted bottle Piper Nigrum and vintage Vetiver.

 

[HMan]

During the last two decades I have worn LV Uomo more than any other fragrance. I only wear vintage with white sticker. It's painful to find but worth it. Current version is seriously watered down. Concept of beginnners luck obviously has nothing to do with luck, but about absolute disregard for rules. This is Villoresi with open and inventive beginnners mind. Absolutely natural and rustic combination of citrus, herbs, spices, neroli, vetiver and patchouli. Note separation is superb. It simply works and one cannot get tired of it. It feels real and substantial.

Vintage Acqua di Colonia is more or less best of its genre. I also own and love frosted bottle Piper Nigrum and vintage Vetiver.

I just wore my Uomo sample today, and think it's great, but of course, haven't tried vintage, maybe that's a good thing. I can see it becoming a favorite as well.

 

[fearless comrade]

I haven't tried anything from Ortigia Sicilia. I'll keep an eye out. Not being a fan of amber, I'm skeptical that something with "Ambra" in the name is going to be sex magic in my case, but I'm willing to give it a try.

Ambra Nera is a midnight snack of dark chocolate, speculaas, and cognac, shared in bed with a musky, muscular lover whose locs are annointed with myrrh and patchouli oils.

It is my holy grail amber, and the best of it's genre i.m.o. It surpasses all of the Tauers, Lutenses, and my previous favorite, Ambre Fetiche by Goutal (I've emptied three bottles). Amber was indeed the gateway to my perfume addiction.

Nevertheless, I do understand your skepticism. I wonder whether the scourge of Ambroxan has ruined the whole genre, even those ambers that don't include that molecule, or predate its ubiquity? I recently bought a small bottle of L'eau d'Ambre Extreme, which I remember loving even a few years ago, but now I am unenthusiastic about.

All the Ortigia scents are organic, and such a relief from the chemical stews which have all started to smell the same to me (not only Ambroxan, but also Iso E Super, blech). Ortigia perfumes smell organic, natural, real. The tradeoff is they don't last long. But theyr'e worth that price.

 

[slpfrsly]

What have you tried, if anything, from Villoresi? And what did you think of it?

Basically all of them. Good brand, good house, probably one of my favourites overall. There is a definite house 'style' which eschews many modern tricks or templates - which has its upsides as well as downsides.

The opening of Yerbamate is something incredible but it doesn't last, the drydown becomes powdery and sweet. If you like the floral-powder-soap style that dominates many of Villoresi's bases, then Musk may be the perfect fragrance.

Many of his oriental fragrances are lovely but I'm not sure they stand up to scrutiny against the likes of Serge Lutens, who is the other obvious reference point for 'original niche perfumers of the 90s' that have fallen out of fashion with the rise of nouveau-niche (PdM et al).

Still, one of the few niche brands worthy of the title and the price...sort of.

Uomo is decent but I thought Acqua di Colonia was better at doing a somewhat similar thing.

The brand feels somewhat dated, selling accompanying toiletry products. It feels, and in some ways smells, quite 1980s. That has its charm, and perhaps an overt appeal as well, but I wonder how difficult it is to survive in this manner considering the competiton. There's a general air of pot pourri to some of his scents that takes me back to the smells of 30 years ago.

It's interesting to read criticisms of current formulations, it doesn't surprise me.

 

[Andyjreid]

Over the years I've pretty much tried everything that Villoresi has to offer yet I've only ever returned to Uomo and Piper Nigrum for full bottles. I'd maybe get a small bottle of Theseus too but Uomo is my favourite.

 

[Monsieur Montana]

A few years ago I was given the chance to test almost all of the Villoresi perfumes.
The person who offered me the samples was the giant Colin who I miss more than anyone else in this forum. Without his contribution Basenotes has become significantly poorer and I hope that he is healthy.
Colin was a great fan of Uomo which I think is the best perfume of the line.
Nevertheless it wasn’t that good enough for me to make me buy a bottle. The rest of the line is ok, good perfumes but nothing exceptional.

 

[slpfrsly]

OP, or anyone else - it's been a while since I sampled Musk. I wonder if anyone who owns or has recently tried this can comment on the level of sweetness in this fragrance? I have a 'scent memory' (is there a term for this phenomenon? if not, there should be) of the opening and mids, and there's some sweetness from the rose. But I specifically mean any sort of vanillic or amber accord after several hours of wearing. I'm interested in revisitng this as it was as much about sandalwood as musk or rose, but I'm wary about he level of sweetness.

 

[naylor]

Vetiver has long been my favorite creation from this house. The opening blast is killer, with that heavy, earthy vetiver and pactchouli punch like no other.

 

[otterlake]

I've been sampling Ambra and find it to be in that "as good as it gets" tier (alongside Sandalo and Atman Xaman EDT).

Shame that it seems to be hard to get a bottle in the US at the moment.

 

[Bavard]

any sort of vanillic or amber accord after several hours of wearing. I'm interested in revisitng this as it was as much about sandalwood as musk or rose, but I'm wary about he level of sweetness.

From my sampling, "Musk" is a sweet amber.

Vetiver has long been my favorite creation from this house. The opening blast is killer, with that heavy, earthy vetiver and pactchouli punch like no other.

I think Vetiver was my favorite. I've had some amazing moments with Uomo in the base, but it doesn't happen every time.

 

[Jay-Lux'eau]

What have you tried, if anything, from Villoresi? And what did you think of it?

Musk. Reminded me of baby powder. With some musk.

 

[slpfrsly]

From my sampling, "Musk" is a sweet amber.

Thanks, that's annoying, but good to know!

 

[rum]

Musk. Reminded me of baby powder. With some musk.

That's exactly the impression I got from it. Nothing special in my opinion; a little annoying if anything.
Uomo is the one I am most curious about right now.

 

[Andy the frenchy]

[...]
Uomo is the one I am most curious about right now.

I saw you are selling LV Sandalo. I doubt you will appreciate Uomo if Sandalo was not for you. Imo, Uomo and Sandalo are two variations of the same song using the same sandalwood/rosewood base, with Uomo amping up the citrus and herbal notes, while Sandalo will (as expected) focus more on the spicy/creamy woods. But who knows... sampling is the only way to be sure!

 

[naylor]

I think Vetiver was my favorite. I've had some amazing moments with Uomo in the base, but it doesn't happen every time.

For what it's worth, Uomo is probably my second favorite from the house. But Vetiver is the easy winner for me between the two.

 

[Andy the frenchy]

Just got Aura Maris. A very nice citrus/floral. Full impressions in my updated post.

 

[PStoller]

Just reviewed Uomo briefly in the Sample of the Day thread. I have no special insights: others have described it well. It’s very good of its type, and I’m a fan even though it drops to a skin scent too quickly for my liking. I wonder if that was true of earlier bottles.

 

[Tonyprince]

I love Villoresi and own most of them. Given the comments, I'm really curious about how much the "vintage collection" Vetiver is like the actual vintage version. I can't imagine anyone calling the original one a "light vetiver." It was very dark, earthy and intense. Who out there has tried both versions?

My overall favorites are Piper Nigrum, Vetiver, Yerbamate, Spetzi, and Ambra. I also have a strange fondness for Garofano. (I'm talking about the 90's versions of all of these except for Ambra.)

 

[Andy the frenchy]

I love Villoresi and own most of them. Given the comments, I'm really curious about how much the "vintage collection" Vetiver is like the actual vintage version. I can't imagine anyone calling the original one a "light vetiver." It was very dark, earthy and intense. Who out there has tried both versions?

My overall favorites are Piper Nigrum, Vetiver, Yerbamate, Spetzi, and Ambra. I also have a strange fondness for Garofano. (I'm talking about the 90's versions of all of these except for Ambra.)

I'm also curious about the comparison, since I have only tried the actual vintage one, that I own. Also very curious about Garofano and Wild Lavender (fka L'Inglese).

 

[naylor]

I'm also curious about the comparison, since I have only tried the actual vintage one, that I own.

Was going to post this exact same thing ... I've only ever smelled the vintage version of Vetiver, but was always curious how faithful the "vintage collection" formulation was.