Patchouli
Lorenzo Villoresi (1996)

More of a hardcore patchouli rather than flirting with the note. Comes on really strong for the first 15 or 20 minutes and then settles down. I really like this juice but I still prefer my much loved Patchouli Nobile. PN is cleaner while the Villoresi leans slightly dirty.

7/10

View of Honfleur, one summer morning by Félix Vallotton 1910

When I was growing up, my Chinese grandmother used to make something that must have had a proper name, but that we all called "Chinese medicine", a mix of Asian herbs and whatnot steeped in some sort of Chinese liquor. It was put on bruises and aches and it had a weird smell I'll never forget. Villoresi's Vetiver reminds me of that smell, boozy and herbal, mentholated to the point that it smells vaguely moldy, and also weirdly grassy. I find it a all bit more challenging than necessary, though it dries down into a fairly nice standard patchouli. It's too interesting to be "bad", but I just don't really like that moldy quality, so I'm going with a neutral rating.

Genre: Woods

Lorenzo Villoresi's Patchouli is a pretty straightforward interpretation of its title note, expressing more of the herb's minty, astringent aspect than its earthy, quasi-animalic qualities. I don't find much to analyze here, nor to I perceive much development as the scent wears. The patchouli becomes suggestive of pipe tobacco after an hour or so, but otherwise Villoresi's Patchouli runs a linear course before it fades away. It's appeal will depend entirely upon how you feel toward simple, relatively isolated patchouli. My own preference is for more complex treatments of this note, whether in the animalic vein of Parfumerie Générale's Intrigant Patchouli or Parfums de Nicolaï's crisp, aromatic Patchouli Homme.

Like other Villoresi scents, an "old school" perfume I quite enjoy. Simple, relaxed, nostalgic elegance, a honest and straightforward rendition of patchouli. Rounded and restrained enough to smell refined and wearable, with the right amount of earthiness and "organic" feel. Nothing else to either enhance or "disturb" the patchouli accord, which is free to express its several facets, from earthy/mossy to dusty tobacco. A subtle balsamic breeze with a floral touch enlightens and softens the rooty "severity" of patchouli. Mellow base of sandalwood with a balanced cedar wood touch. Simple, sophisticated, with the perfect amount of rawness without smelling excessive. Great persistence. Old school, in a totally good way, and Villoresi is one of the best when it comes to that. Speaking as patchouli lover, I'd rate this as one of the nicest, safest and most "honest" on the market. Not exactly a distinctive signature scent, more a cozy fragrance to "treat yourself" on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

7,5-8/10

In my perennial quest for the perfect patchouli, the first minutes after spraying this fragrance fill me with hope: dry, bitter,herbaceous, earthy, camphoraceus- all I ask from a patchouli! But- in Villoresi fragrances there always seems to be a big BUT for me- too quickly, and for too long a time, the fragrance insists too much on the boozy and sweetish facets of patchouli, at the point I feel like I've bathed in "amaro" (an alcoholic infusion of various herbs, popular in Italy as an after dinner drink). Not pleasant at all to wear on my skin, especially in hot weather. In the drydown- the longevity of the fragrance is quite good, eight hours at least- the medicinal bitterness of cedarwood is quite beautiful, but it comes too late, when I'm already exhausted by the sticky sweetness...