Since
Cerruti Image pour Homme Eau de Toilette blew my mind by exceeding my expectations, I didn't hesitate to buy Cerruti Image pour Femme in the dark based solely on the listed notes. I couldn't resist, and I sprayed it on the back of my hand as soon as I left the shop. Do you think the beginning is all roses and flowers? Well, you are as wrong as I am. Although it has probably been reformulated, the scent is still decent, modern, and pleasant. Worth buying, even blindly.
Cerruti Image pour Femme opens with an explosion of spices and acidity, something that displaces and you don't expect, very unusual compared to other summer women's colognes. I smell a freshly sliced bitter yellow grapefruit with a generous dusting of pepper, appearing more white than black to my nose. Together, these two give off such a fabulous aroma, underpinned by a rich greenish carpet of foliage. There are vetiver leaves because the scent of those greenish sword-shaped leaves is unquestionable. There's just enough citrus sharpness to keep it interesting and balanced, and no undertones that lean towards the feminine. This green, fresh, radiant opening is nearly as good as its male counterpart's. A few minutes after the fiery start has died down, I recognize some signature accords of the
L'Eau d'Issey pour Homme Eau de Toilette fragrance, that joint where tart citrus blends with warm spices. L'Eau d'Issey was my signature as soon as it came out, and I still love it.
What a wonderful surprise this perfume is! The warmer it gets on my skin, the more it enchants me. The sweet and sour of the gentian rules the heart without the earthy effect of the root, just a deep bitter, herbaceous note with a dry woody undertone. In the heart stands a light balsamic mentholated colouring with semi-metallic edges, thanks to the graphite, which brings a mineral side. I could stay like this forever to smell it and never get tired. The middle stage is fresh, watery, and captivating, without the floral, milky touch of pour Homme, courtesy of jasmine and fig. Instead, there is something delicately metallic, pleasant and dewy.
Pour Femme approaches the landing phase with slightly woody and salty accords on a carpet sprinkled with birch bark and tanned leather. My skin amps up the salty, leathery undertones. It is a smooth, thin suede with green hues, not too animalistic, intertwined with cedar wood shavings. What's left is a blend of glazed lemonade with some amber warmth and citron bitterness. Over time, the aroma loses its spicy and juicy component and becomes more elegant, balanced, slightly powdery, and warm. There is no excess of either ambroxan or Iso E Super.
Purchased in the summer, it is well suited to the warmer months, from April to October, when the air is crisp. With good longevity of about half a day and excellent moderate silage, it is genderless, suitable for the office and leisure, more for mornings and afternoons, and summer evenings outdoors. Image pour Femme carries a stamp of personal beauty and enjoyment. Still, no one can tell it's a perfume whose concentration helps it hold on for a while, so it's encouraged to use it around the house, and using it in intimate times is the more appropriate use of perfume.
I'm basing my impressions on a bottle I've owned since June 2023 (BC 0034B, PC 2020-02-03).
-Elysium
Top Notes 
Grapefruit
Leaves
Pimento
Heart Notes 
Gentian root
Water mint
Carbon
Base Notes 
Birch bark
Cedar
Leather
Amber
Unrulyjulie
