Venetian Belladonna
Parfums Quartana (2016)

After the olfactive disappointment Wolfsbane here for me a great wow factor from Perfums Quartana on its fruity/floral/spicy/musky Venetian Bella Donna. Dark and "poisonous" I have no words to describe beauty and the mystery of this witchy potion smelling in a first stage like a gorgeous niche mixture of Laura Biagiotti vintage Venezia (in common plums, blackcurrant, amber, iris, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, spices and further) and Tom Ford Black Orchid eau de toilette, overall in a more vivid and palatin form gradually evolving towards a soapier honeyed-chyprè in style with a classic dark spicy-musky-woody-furry touch. Further creations jumping on mind are vintage D&G for her (on the airy/aldehydic opening, the complex floral transition and the focused on musk and sandalwood dry down), Shiseido Fèminité du Bois (on its articulated gorgeous fruity-floral mélange) and Il Profvmo Black Dianthus (black dianthus, belladonna, spices, roots, vetiver) which is equally dark and mysterious but with no fruits in the blend. The infamous Atropa Belladonna (deadly nightshade) is a perennial toxic plant with thin branches. Atropa Belladonna has always been a sort of gothy apothecarian secret ingredient with a significant presence in medicine, perfume, cosmetics, and sinny recipes (witches, medieval rituals, poisonous potions etc) for over a millennium. The Belladonna touch is kind of rooty bitter and leafy with a sort of laurel-undertone. Quartana Venetian Belladonna opens with a plummy/boozy vaguely aldehydic yummy-spicy-musky blast (powerful on violets and plums). This stage is highly spicy, vaguely powdery/leafy (iris, violet, belladonna) and fruity with a minimally perceivable twist of booziness, honey/beeswax and a musky floral blooming up bouquet. Gradually the floral beat becomes more and more presenceful and redolent, even more subtle, dark, musky-lipstick and sophisticated. Dry down is a classically gorgeous "madame for" evoluzion of sandalwood, amber, musk/labdanum, leather and spices a la Van cleef & Arpels, Patou or Fendi. The final wake is simply stunning and a sort of grandeur in perfumery revival. Thumbs up.

Another nice floral offering from Parfums Quartana, Venetian Belladonna is among the more traditionally floral-intensive entries in the line, but nonetheless involves interesting nuances.

It opens a bit powdery (iris, violet) and boozy (plum, cognac) but dries down a little more mellow, with balance coming from the sandalwood, vetiver, suede, patchouli, and labdanum.

Overall, it's a reasonably smooth production, never screeching too loudly.

A bit on the feminine side, surely, but yet another provocative somewhat floral entry from the line, a great year-round option, in my estimation, as it's neither too heavy nor too fleeting to be off-putting in the summer or winter, respectively, though people can do as they please. Much like Poppy Soma, I'd much rather enjoy smelling this on a woman than on myself but that's not because I don't think a man can wear it.

Pricing is $165 for 50ml, in the middle of the price range of the line, and it can be found at Perfumology, among other shops. Another very interesting entry from this line

7 out of 10

Nasty synthetic uber fruity violet that shortly melds with a boozy honeyed tuberose just before the iris is noticeable. I've never liked leathers, so feel free to take this a grain of salt, but this is hateful, gagging stuff, a veritable vomit of notes best seen separately or at least in different company. I'm writing this review before the final dry down because it seems to be getting worse and worse with some kind of artificial fresh note competing with the booze and indoles. I'm afraid I may start to cry soon, so I cry RETREAT. Toss this blotter outside on the back deck, and live to fight another day. OMG, what a relief. It's all over now.