Illusione Bottega Veneta 2019 Eau de Toilette
1
That... Shouldn't Taste Good
Illusione is an odd duck. It's not really gourmand-y at all, but somehow the adjective that first leaps to my mind when I smell it is "delicious". But of course, that makes no sense at all, as it is, in essence, a slightly tart riff on Dior Eau Sauvage Parfum. It's missing that almost effervescent heaviness that E.S.P. has, but if you remove that, and add a bunch of bitter orange, Illusione is more-or-less where you end up. It's incredibly nice, weirdly kind of mouth-watering, and, in short, "delicious."
Unfortunately, though, it does have a near-fatal flaw: the longevity here is shameful. On my skin, I get **maybe** two hours, and up to 4 total on my clothes - for the price, that's pretty much clown shoes. And yes, it does also have a pretty limited sillage, but it *is* a warm weather frag, so that's kind of to be expected. But the longevity? I am tempted to call it "pathetic".
So, it leaves me with a bit of a quandary. If they made this concentration a little stronger - or just tweaked it so it lasted a bit longer - this would be a top 5 warm weather/office fragrance for me. But as it stands, the amount one has to overspray to get any sort of longevity out of it will have my 100mL bottle gone by the end of next summer, if I try to put it in the rotation, and I can't really justify it - nor can I encourage that.
In the end, then, I guess we have this: (1) the fragrance itself is fantastic (2) it's also got some of the worst longevity in my entire 100+ bottle collection, and (3) she costs a fair bit. Granted, I got it for a better-than-retail price, but still - it was too much to pay for this level of performance. And yet... I really, really like it, for the time that it lasts. Sooo...
5/10 for longevity
10/10 for the fragrance itself
= 7.5/10 overall. Basically, if you see it for a good price (sub $65/100mL), the profile sounds intriguing, and you're willing to put up with the shite longevity, maybe grab it. If you get annoyed when a frag only lasts half the day? Don't.
Unfortunately, though, it does have a near-fatal flaw: the longevity here is shameful. On my skin, I get **maybe** two hours, and up to 4 total on my clothes - for the price, that's pretty much clown shoes. And yes, it does also have a pretty limited sillage, but it *is* a warm weather frag, so that's kind of to be expected. But the longevity? I am tempted to call it "pathetic".
So, it leaves me with a bit of a quandary. If they made this concentration a little stronger - or just tweaked it so it lasted a bit longer - this would be a top 5 warm weather/office fragrance for me. But as it stands, the amount one has to overspray to get any sort of longevity out of it will have my 100mL bottle gone by the end of next summer, if I try to put it in the rotation, and I can't really justify it - nor can I encourage that.
In the end, then, I guess we have this: (1) the fragrance itself is fantastic (2) it's also got some of the worst longevity in my entire 100+ bottle collection, and (3) she costs a fair bit. Granted, I got it for a better-than-retail price, but still - it was too much to pay for this level of performance. And yet... I really, really like it, for the time that it lasts. Sooo...
5/10 for longevity
10/10 for the fragrance itself
= 7.5/10 overall. Basically, if you see it for a good price (sub $65/100mL), the profile sounds intriguing, and you're willing to put up with the shite longevity, maybe grab it. If you get annoyed when a frag only lasts half the day? Don't.
Dzarsos
