Encounters Francesca Bianchi 2023

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6.8 / 10 97 Ratings

A perfume by Francesca Bianchi for women and men, released in 2023. The scent is powdery-sweet. The longevity is above-average. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Powdery

Sweet

Woody

Spicy

Animal

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Blackcurrant

Coriander

Orange

Lavender

Bergamot

Heart Notes

Orris butter Rose

Rose

Angelica

Cinnamon

Base Notes

Cedarwood

Oud

Castoreum

Peru balsam

Sandalwood

Ambergris

Benzoin

Perfumer

Francesca Bianchi

Ratings

Scent

6.897 Ratings

Longevity

8.180 Ratings

Sillage

7.581 Ratings

Bottle

7.376 Ratings

Value for money

6.653 Ratings

Submitted by Spl3xx, last update on 08/30/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Freefall - Luxe Calme Volupté

L'Insomnuit

Dior Homme Parfum (2014)

21 Felanilla

Divine Perversion

Sticky Lips

Reviews

8 in-depth fragrance descriptions

10/06/2023

8.5
Scent

Holscentbar
105 Reviews

Holscentbar

7

Perhaps one of the best of the brand

There are no fake praises or fake ideas, but what I really think.

This job is really well done and looks gorgeous on the skin.

It opens very buttery, with a light touch of citrus, lavender and slightly fruity.

After a very short time this warm and slightly dark oud note emerges, combined with some barely distinguishable spices.

The evolution is wonderful: creamy, buttery with a woody oud base and perhaps some animal notes.

I really find it like a pleasant meeting between two people who haven't seen each other for a while on an autumn day. Everything flows.

Commendable

06/07/2024

3
Pricing 10
Sillage 10
Longevity 6
Scent

LastWonder
484 Reviews

LastWonder

2

Avoidance

The website says this is the creator exploring the East meeting the West, the Oud and Iris being explored together. I couldn't get the Iris, it was overpowered by the fruity notes. The berry sweetness was too strong, it wouldn't mellow out and everyone could smell it on me. It starts fairly nice, a fruity note with a hint of creaminess and spice. It became more floral on the skin but I could skin smell the berries projecting off of me and my coworkers said I smelled fruity all day. They enjoyed it, I did not. I couldn't enjoy the other notes in the fragrance because the berry sweetness was so strong. On my skin I could get the dry down and it was honestly my favorite part, its a strong oud making for a dark woody scent with some animal notes in there. They offer €108 for 30ml and €235 for 100ml and the scent did last on my skin for over 7 hours. I think conceptually this could be really good, if they made another version without the fruity notes and that way you could focus on the Oud and Iris, this could have been great.

05/20/2025

ClaireV
958 Reviews

ClaireV

2

Orris-y and violetty oud

So called because of the meeting of East (oud) and West (iris), Encounters is one of the most original takes on oud and one of the least original Francesca Bianchi perfumes that I have smelled. And I mean both of those things in the most positive way possible. Original because applying the very violety ionones of orris butter to the heady, sour woody thickness of oud produces an effect of freeze dried particles of oud dispersed in cold air. Filled with light, air, and tiny touches of flowers, the normally turgid brick of oud turns into a puff of fairy glitter. I find this magical and strange, a lovely new look at a material that has been done to death. It also occurs to me that this may be a perfect entry level scent for women drawn to the idea of oud’s exoticism but not to its sometimes sour or animalic heaviness as presented in many commercial or niche fragrances. It smells like oud, yes, but also like cosmetics.

On the other hand, the base of the scent, once the boudoir-ish, mica-like veil of iris and spice draws back, is the typically warm, resinous and slightly dirty, leathery iris-amber to which Francesca Bianchi often reverts. If you love perfumes such as the Dark Side and Under My Skin, then you will also love the drydown of Encounters for its familiar Bianchi hug lurking in the drydown. I personally love that musky, acidulated iris accord that she does so well and think that there are few things better smelling that the scent of that sharp, funky calcified-pee-scraped-off-a-rock castoreum note she seems to always pair with iris. But if you’re not a fan, the drydown of Encounters isn’t going to convert you, and if you are a fan but looking for something a little different in the base, then you might be disappointed.

08/01/2024

6.5
Scent

JBirb
14 Reviews

JBirb

1

Fleeting orris and lacklustre oud

Rather than an actual encounter between orris and oud, we get the orris fleeing the scene minutes after application as soon as oud makes an appearance. I was looking forward to an innovative combination, but that is not allowed to happen here. The orris note, while it remains detectable, is nice, more convincing than in some other perfumes by this house. But the oud is highly synthetic. Not unpleasant, but it doesn't make me want to come back for more either. If you would have told me this was a Montale perfume, I could have easily believed it.

02/16/2025

Irisfauve
26 Reviews

Irisfauve

1

Lipsticky Iris Gem

Iris, my favorite floral note, derived from the orris root, is also the signature of Francesca Bianchi’s fragrances. What Francesca has achieved with orris butter is exceptional. Mysterious, sensual, and beautifully dark compositions.

Now, she brings us Encounters, a fragrance that perfectly reflects the eternal pull between East and West. From the first glance at its description and notes, I knew this was exactly my kind of scent.

In Encounters, iris meets a subtle oud that adds a delicate, woody nuance to the blend. Imagine Dior Homme Intense, but elevated, enhanced by fruity cassis that introduces a majestic purple hue. It’s smooth and sophisticated, with no harsh edges, and exudes a cozy yet enigmatic aura. The performance is truly outstanding, and if you’re someone who loves receiving compliments, this fragrance is a magnet.

If you appreciate opulent perfumes, this is a must-try.

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