Top Notes 
Blackcurrant
Bergamot
Heart Notes 
Orange blossom
Fig leaf
Base Notes 
Olive wood
Tonka bean
05/22/2025
MrsGuerlain
463 Reviews
MrsGuerlain
1
The BV’s Distant Cousin
The newest addition to my BV family is Bottega Veneta Illusione. She must be a cousin, since at first sight both bottle and scent are different and you do not see the family bond between her and “the siblings” right away. Not before wearing a few times. Then suddenly you get it. The siblings are, by the way, Bottega Veneta EdP, Eau Sensuelle and Eau Légère.
I adore the original BV bottle design, the chubby and heavy bottle with the tag around the neck. It is quite delicate and looks great on the shelf. BVI comes in a cubic design with no metal details. Colour wise it is more to the feminine side whereas the siblings are significantly unisex. It fits the scent which I regard as feminine.
The scent is also far more feminine than the other three. The fragrance starts with berries, sweet and citric. Then the flowers appear and soften the edges, making the scent deeper and more faceted. During the next hours it slowly turns into an even deeper scent due to the tonka bean. When looking at notes, this is up a totally different alley than the siblings. But then something happens. A slightly dry note evolves and exposes the line between the cousin and her relatives.
I wore it a few times before noticing, mainly because I focused on how different it smelled. Perhaps I was surprised that it was so different, a bit embarrassing since I do not expect all my Diors or Chanels to smell the same, do I? It is a reminder to myself to keep my mind open.
So what do I think about the cousin? I really like her. She is a keeper like the others. She offers something totally different. More fruity and sweeter. And feminine. The bottle is nice, though it does not look as classy and expensive as the original design. I do admire when a House invents a great design and use it for all their bottles - but I do like to look at my bottles as well as sniffing the juice and wearing it. So I enjoy whenever I find a new interesting design.
Year 2, 8/365
I adore the original BV bottle design, the chubby and heavy bottle with the tag around the neck. It is quite delicate and looks great on the shelf. BVI comes in a cubic design with no metal details. Colour wise it is more to the feminine side whereas the siblings are significantly unisex. It fits the scent which I regard as feminine.
The scent is also far more feminine than the other three. The fragrance starts with berries, sweet and citric. Then the flowers appear and soften the edges, making the scent deeper and more faceted. During the next hours it slowly turns into an even deeper scent due to the tonka bean. When looking at notes, this is up a totally different alley than the siblings. But then something happens. A slightly dry note evolves and exposes the line between the cousin and her relatives.
I wore it a few times before noticing, mainly because I focused on how different it smelled. Perhaps I was surprised that it was so different, a bit embarrassing since I do not expect all my Diors or Chanels to smell the same, do I? It is a reminder to myself to keep my mind open.
So what do I think about the cousin? I really like her. She is a keeper like the others. She offers something totally different. More fruity and sweeter. And feminine. The bottle is nice, though it does not look as classy and expensive as the original design. I do admire when a House invents a great design and use it for all their bottles - but I do like to look at my bottles as well as sniffing the juice and wearing it. So I enjoy whenever I find a new interesting design.
Year 2, 8/365
Acanthea
FreshKatsu
Jazzy76
