Villoresi Sampling

[rum]

Slightly surprised you didn't get on with Uomo, especially considering how similar it is to Acqua di Colonia. Theseus is definitely one of the more understated fragrances in the line but could easily be a signature scent. It has an "old suede jacket" feel to it, something that just fits the right person without effort.

I think Uomo has been reformulated recently and not in a good way.
I tried it from an in store tester a while ago now and liked it. But when I finally managed to get a sample of it, I was truly shocked. Didn't have a 'natural' feel at all and all the aromatics were toned right down, if not completely removed.

 

[GWM]

I think Uomo has been reformulated recently and not in a good way.
I tried it from an in store tester a while ago now and liked it. But when I finally managed to get a sample of it, I was truly shocked. Didn't have a 'natural' feel at all and all the aromatics were toned right down, if not completely removed.

TBH it smelled like that in 2019 as well.

 

[the_good_life]

Work has brought me to Italy recently and I was fortunate enough to get to Florence over a weekend. Naturally, the Villoresi boutique was one of my first stops. This is a house I held in high regard before visiting (mainly on the strength Sandalo, Vetiver, and Patchouli), and trying some of the newer releases only reinforces my opinion.

Of particular note, in terms of new encounters, I found Kamasurabhi and Dilmun particularly impressive. The former is a lovely jasmine & tuberose-driven woody/floral with a touch of incense, the latter a citrusy orange blossom number. Theseus I need to spend some more time with but it also made the noteworthy list.

For older releases, I'd only tried Acqua di Colonia in passing, years ago, and thought it pleasant and quickly moved on. I've since become quite a fan of classic style Eaux de Cologne and I fell in love. I recently finished off a 15ml bottle of Guerlain EdC Imperiale and I'll almost certainly pick up a 50ml of the LV Acqua.

Uomo I didn't quite connect with. I did walk away with a few samples of it, plus the bar soap which I've been using and thoroughly enjoying.

Will post some more thoughts in the coming weeks. I'm terrible about taking photos of cool stuff but here's a fairly shabby one of the absolutely fantastic boutique...or the back half of it, at least.

View attachment 337397

Oh you lucky man. My daughter was in Florence for a week and I impressed on her to visit Villoresi and Santa Maria Novella, but as a sixteen-yxear old she's more in to Marc Jacobs Daisy, so it didn't happen. Atman Xaman is one I've been eyeing for a while. I suspect it's based on the template of his old, rare Virginia (a raw, salty immortelle-infused tobacco) but with whole new elements added.

 

[the_good_life]

Villoresi himself described it as his favorite creation.

It's pretty stunning.

Is it worth choosing the EdP over the EdT?

 

[otterlake]

Is it worth choosing the EdP over the EdT?

If you want it denser and more amber-y, go EDP, but I prefer the EDT, which is a bit more aromatic.

 

[the_good_life]

If you want it denser and more amber-y, go EDP, but I prefer the EDT, which is a bit more aromatic.

Well, I found a good deal on the EdP and the Kamasurabhi EdT (€160 for both) so that's what it will be
It's been quite while since I've bought a flacon of high end perfume blind, but then Villoresi has never disappointed.

 

[IsoESuperman]

I've worn Atman Xaman EdT (thanks for the decant, Andy!) a few more times this past week and a bottle is starting to feel like an inevitability.

When I first tried it during the winter, there wasn't an immediate connection. I thought it was a well-rounded, classy, polished tobacco, but I like my tobaccos more rugged and more on the ambery/sweeter side - Tabac Aurea and Baque being two favorites, for reference. AX initially felt a bit spare and restrained/quiet for my tastes.

The last few wearings have shown much more nuance; aromatics, an ambery sweetness, and a really enjoyable axe of spices and resins. I think I just wasn't putting enough on. A generous application does this one favors. It also lasts quite a while, which I didn't notice in early wearings, but it's never loud or too much. I'm going to hunt down the EdP for comparison before pulling the trigger but it is for sure one of the nicest tobacco scents I've come across.

The more I familiarize myself with Villoresi's larger body of work, the more impressed I am. Etro has long sat in my top 5 favorite houses and LV might be heading that way too. I don't quite have a good way to describe Italian perfumery, but both houses certainly display the best parts of what I consider that aesthetic to be.

Below is a quote from Fragrantica user iris's review of Etro New Tradition that I find very applicable to LVs style of perfumery as well:

...I think the same for Italian sartorial craftmanship: those guys know everything about blazers, shirts and trousers. They choose the best fabrics and they do it by the book, because the most important is to feel comfortable and look good in these clothes. And then there are the small elements that make that blazer look modern after all: a colorful pocket, an unusual button, a camouflage pattern, an acid-green stripe. All these details that you can creatively play with, once you've mastered the craft. That combination of something familiar and something new, which is a staple in any information theory. This makes the suit ultra-modern, but also timeless, not belonging to a certain fashion period only. "Slow fashion"" is the term that some Italian brands use to describe their philosophy. That's why you can wear an Italian suit for decades.

I don't necessarily think LV perfumes are "ultra modern", no acid-green stripes, but the whole doing it by the book plus adding subtle modern nuances, especially in Theseus, AX, and Kamasurabhi, is what makes them feel both modern and timeless to me.

Great stuff, thanks for sharing IsoESuperman.

Slightly surprised you didn't get on with Uomo, especially considering how similar it is to Acqua di Colonia. Theseus is definitely one of the more understated fragrances in the line but could easily be a signature scent. It has an "old suede jacket" feel to it, something that just fits the right person without effort.

I think it's a solid perfume and smells nice enough, and is definitely an accomplishment in seamlessly melding fresh/bright Mediterranean style EdC elements with a warmer woody/vetiver/slightly ambery base. It just didn't click with me like Acqua di Colonia and the others did. Personal preference reigns supreme as usual.

Oh you lucky man. My daughter was in Florence for a week and I impressed on her to visit Villoresi and Santa Maria Novella, but as a sixteen-year old she's more in to Marc Jacobs Daisy, so it didn't happen. Atman Xaman is one I've been eyeing for a while. I suspect it's based on the template of his old, rare Virginia (a raw, salty immortelle-infused tobacco) but with whole new elements added.

I meant to bring your decant of Virginia with me! I thought it would be good fun for the shop folks to sniff but I forgot it stateside. I did bring up Virginia with both of the boutique staff (both conveniently named Chiara, for those like me who are bad with names) and I was met with tilted heads and disbelief that such a LV existed. The Parfumo directory entry lent me slightly more credibility but neither of them heard of it before I brought it up.

I'll give it a side-by-side wearing with the decant of Atman Xaman (EdT) that I have. From memory, Virginia is much bolder/rugged and a bit sweeter, although I didn't find it too sweet.

 

[slpfrsly]

I'll give it a side-by-side wearing with the decant of Atman Xaman (EdT) that I have. From memory, Virginia is much bolder/rugged and a bit sweeter, although I didn't find it too sweet.

A review of the two side by side would be good. If anyone in Europe has a decant/sample of Virgina, I'd very much like to try it.

I think Uomo has been reformulated recently and not in a good way.
I tried it from an in store tester a while ago now and liked it. But when I finally managed to get a sample of it, I was truly shocked. Didn't have a 'natural' feel at all and all the aromatics were toned right down, if not completely removed.

I think all his fragrances have probably been tweaked since the 90s but I can attest to the fact that the current formulations definitely get better with age. I know the whole maceration/maturation thing can be overdone, but the brand new Villoresi bottles I have improved after 12-18 months.

Is it worth choosing the EdP over the EdT?

Yes.

 

[HMan]

@slpfrsly how would you compare Atman Xaman EdP to EdT. I have the EdT, a love it, but haven't sampled the EdP.

 

[the_good_life]

My Villoresis just arrived and Atman is a keeper I will spend more time with in fall. Unfortunately Kamasurabhi reminds me too much of my ecological toilet cleaner and I'm pretty sure I will not be able to shake that association. Kudos to the functional perfumer who did that to me, though.

 

[otterlake]

how would you compare Atman Xaman EdP to EdT. I have the EdT, a love it, but haven't sampled the EdP.

The EDT is more aromatic and open, with more room for the shimmering immortelle and herbs. I think you could argue that Atman Xaman EDT is, first and foremost, an immortelle fragrance.

The immortelle is more of a supporting note in the EDP. The EDP is denser, darker, and smokier, with the rubbery tobacco-leather in the base right at the forefront.

 

[Andy the frenchy]

[...] Atman Xaman is one I've been eyeing for a while. I suspect it's based on the template of his old, rare Virginia (a raw, salty immortelle-infused tobacco) but with whole new elements added.

I meant to bring your decant of Virginia with me! I thought it would be good fun for the shop folks to sniff but I forgot it stateside. I did bring up Virginia with both of the boutique staff (both conveniently named Chiara, for those like me who are bad with names) and I was met with tilted heads and disbelief that such a LV existed.

According to LV's online CS (a woman called Selene), AX is totally different from Virginia. That said, the 'raw, salty immortelle-infused tobacco' could very well be a part of AX's description.

[...] When I first tried it during the winter, there wasn't an immediate connection. I thought it was a well-rounded, classy, polished tobacco, but I like my tobaccos more rugged and more on the ambery/sweeter side [...] I'm going to hunt down the EdP for comparison before pulling the trigger but it is for sure one of the nicest tobacco scents I've come across.[...]

Then the EdP might very well be the way to go, based on your preferences. Interestingly enough, LV's CS has confirmed that there's no difference in formulation between EdT and EdP, and that the perceived differences are only because of the difference in concentration.

I'll give it a side-by-side wearing with the decant of Atman Xaman (EdT) that I have. From memory, Virginia is much bolder/rugged and a bit sweeter, although I didn't find it too sweet.

A full review of Virginia (and comparison with AX) would be valuable public service. Thank you in advance for that

 

[slpfrsly]

@slpfrsly how would you compare Atman Xaman EdP to EdT. I have the EdT, a love it, but haven't sampled the EdP.

Hi HMan,

Overall, they're very similar fragrances. Disregard any reviews that say anything different, we are mostly talking about granular differences that would be irrelevant to your average shopper - but those minor differences can be all important to the fragrance ethusiast, so are well worth discussing. As you own the EDT I wouldn't recommend rushing out to buy the EDP...unless you want to, of course. The difference between the two is more along the lines of what you'd expect from traditional EDTs and EDPs, not this modern trend for completely different fragrances.

The EDP feels much thicker from the off, whereas the EDT has a more watery, less robust feel to it. The ambery base is more potent in the EDP - not to say it isn't immediately present in the EDT, of course it is, but it's just that + a little bit more. The EDP seems to perform slightly better as well, which is what you'd expect, although considering how strong the EDT is this shouldn't be a major concern in the first place (I get 24hr+ performance with both). They dry down to the same ambery-spicy aroma but the EDP feels richer, thicker before that happens. Basically that's the difference. And as such, I would think it makes sense to go the whole hog and go for the EDP.

However, perhaps the best reason for buying the EDP over the EDT is because presumably at some point the EDP will stop being produced/no longer be available. Unless Villoresi is going to keep selling different formulations of this for years to come - which I think is doubtful - then I'd recommend buying the EDP (and the EDT) while you still have the option of both.

 

[HMan]

Hi HMan,

Overall, they're very similar fragrances. Disregard any reviews that say anything different, we are mostly talking about granular differences that would be irrelevant to your average shopper - but those minor differences can be all important to the fragrance ethusiast, so are well worth discussing. As you own the EDT I wouldn't recommend rushing out to buy the EDP...unless you want to, of course. The difference between the two is more along the lines of what you'd expect from traditional EDTs and EDPs, not this modern trend for completely different fragrances.

The EDP feels much thicker from the off, whereas the EDT has a more watery, less robust feel to it. The ambery base is more potent in the EDP - not to say it isn't immediately present in the EDT, of course it is, but it's just that + a little bit more. The EDP seems to perform slightly better as well, which is what you'd expect, although considering how strong the EDT is this shouldn't be a major concern in the first place (I get 24hr+ performance with both). They dry down to the same ambery-spicy aroma but the EDP feels richer, thicker before that happens. Basically that's the difference. And as such, I would think it makes sense to go the whole hog and go for the EDP.

However, perhaps the best reason for buying the EDP over the EDT is because presumably at some point the EDP will stop being produced/no longer be available. Unless Villoresi is going to keep selling different formulations of this for years to come - which I think is doubtful - then I'd recommend buying the EDP (and the EDT) while you still have the option of both.

I'm pretty sure I started with the right one for my tastes based on my tastes, but seeing as its one of my most regarded fragrances, I can imagine picking up the EDP as well. I also get fabulous longevity from the EDT, and don't like overly strong fragrances anyway, so no complaints from me either.

Great point about the possibility of it being discontinued, I fear the same for Garofano, and hope to pick it up before it's too late.

 

[slpfrsly]

I'm pretty sure I started with the right one for my tastes based on my tastes, but seeing as its one of my most regarded fragrances, I can imagine picking up the EDP as well. I also get fabulous longevity from the EDT, and don't like overly strong fragrances anyway, so no complaints from me either.

Great point about the possibility of it being discontinued, I fear the same for Garofano, and hope to pick it up before it's too late.

I don't think it will be discontinued as such, more the fact that the EDP (and additional products, like aftershave balm, body lotion, soaps, shower gels etc) are probably only going to be available as long as it is a relatively new fragrance (which it still is, especialy considering covid took out the best part of a good 2 years of normal commerce). These additional grooming products only seem to be available for the best sellers (so Teint de Neige, which much be his biggest seller by some distance, and Uomo on the men's side) and I think Atman Xaman is such a niche fragrance that, once the novelty wears off, these extra products will slowly disappear. So that's why I'd recommend buying the EDP now, when it's still available. I doubt Atman Xaman will be discontinued, but eventually (unless AX is an exception, or Villoresi is copying what other brands are doing) the EDT/EDP choice will likely disappear and have just one formulation available to buy.

I should add that this is only really applicable advice to people who love the fragrance. I myself do not, and find it an unwearable perfume (but interesting and evocative fragrance) regardless of the formulation. But, still, I would recommend trying/owning both to anyone who really likes it. As for Atman Xaman in relation to the rest of the house, there are several I would recommend over it. I would place it as a mid-tier fragrance, alongside Yerbamate as something having a really enticing and evocative opening/main note, that fades in to a disappointing base.

In the video I linked in to this thread a while ago, Villoresi himself says he wears Uomo on the days he wears fragrance, so from that we can take Uomo to be his favourite fragrance, not Atman Xaman (just that the latter is his most recent achievement).

 

[rum]

Not meaning to hijack the thread here, but since this is a recent and active thread on Villoresi, are any members aware of why Villoresi is launching versions of his current line up with the word "Extra" next to the original names? For example, I can see one retailer that lists:

• Acqua di Colonia Extra
• Alamut Extra
• Donna Extra
• Mare Nostrum Aura Maris Extra
• Musk Extra
• Uomo Extra
• Wild Lavender Extra

These are just some examples to name but a few and they are all listed as "NEW".

Are these a relaunch? A complete re-brand (and hence a reformulation)? Or just a different strength of the same scents?
Can anyone shed some light?

 

[UESNYC]

Interesting but since there is no distribution in the US with the exception of a pharmacy in NYC, gonna be hard to get these items without paying outrageous shipping.

 

[slpfrsly]

Not meaning to hijack the thread here, but since this is a recent and active thread on Villoresi, are any members aware of why Villoresi is launching versions of his current line up with the word "Extra" next to the original names? For example, I can see one retailer that lists:

• Acqua di Colonia Extra
• Alamut Extra
• Donna Extra
• Mare Nostrum Aura Maris Extra
• Musk Extra
• Uomo Extra
• Wild Lavender Extra

These are just some examples to name but a few and they are all listed as "NEW".

Are these a relaunch? A complete re-brand (and hence a reformulation)? Or just a different strength of the same scents?
Can anyone shed some light?

I hope he doesn't mind me tagging him in, but a few weeks ago I noticed @Andyjreid was wearing Uomo Extra as his SOTD. He mentioned there were differences between the original and the Extra version that went beyond the bottle.

My assumption would be that this is just stronger oil %s of the original fragrances. That would be enough to account for differences in wearing/smelling the fragrance, without being a huge departure from the originals. It's interesting that most of the fragrances - Uomo, Wild Lavender, Colonia, Donna - are include some of his weakest fragranaces (although I found Aura Maris and Musk to be fairly strong, so maybe this isn't what connects them together).

If you drop an email to Villoresi, I'm sure they'd shed some light on the decision.

 

[Andyjreid]

Yep, there have always been "Extra" versions of the fragrances. Higher fragrance concentration and a nicer bottle too.

 

[rum]

Yep, there have always been "Extra" versions of the fragrances. Higher fragrance concentration and a nicer bottle too.

Do you mean those with the metallic label on the bottle? I did see them on LV website, but I was under the impression they were called another name. LV does not ship to the UK from their official website.