Page 29 Francesca Dell'Oro 2015

“I also packed you three samples of Francesca Dell'Oro; they are the most masculine...,” says the sales expert I trust as I purchase Heeley's “Verveine d’Eugene.” At home, the (rather decoratively packaged in boxes) samples quickly find their way into the drawer...

Unjustly, I want to state at the outset - even though “Page 29” indeed starts quite femininely; the juicy mandarin doesn’t help much. In the opening, a floral variety dominates for a moment, whose somewhat cloying sweetness does not please me - and which leaves little room for the citrus notes to unfold. My perception finds no correspondence in the company’s own description, which claims a clear sequence of citrus and floral notes...

The heart note of “Page 29” shows an exciting and fragrant development: Labdanum gives it a warm, soft, androgynous hue. In a mysterious way, a majestic incense note emerges, which stylishly refines the bouquet, frames the floral splendor, and allows the vanilla aromas to unfold. A hint of “Carbone de Balmain” hovers as an idea in the scent - the question of gender becomes (not only for this reason) secondary.

By the way, my girlfriend Iris plays at best a supporting role here. One might sense her in the bright scent peaks of the incense-laden floral notes - but above all, she dresses the fragrance in a noble silver-gray. Whether it is she who gives the Madagascar vanilla its enchantingly powdery quality remains speculation - in any case, “Page 29” introduces me to one of the most convincing vanilla aromas I have ever sniffed. There is no false sweetness sticking in the pod, and no Dr. Oetker threatens from the packet; this vanilla is cool and, despite its presence, discreet; moreover, it thrillingly shifts between bitter and sweet. Free from all gourmand tendencies, it establishes itself as an abstraction: no croissant, no pudding, but an almost sacred staging. Wow!

At this stage, the floral notes are merely decorative embellishments. Thanks to a very elegantly used vetiver, the flowers have left some petals behind and now smell greener than at the beginning. Sparingly and thus rather femininely dosed, the vanilla has adopted some leathery nuances; they equally ground the still present incense-like elegance of the fragrance, but make no fuss about their presence: The event remains noble and distinguished. Even the slight sweetness of “Page 29” changes nothing, as it does not appear forced and, thanks to its naturalness, does not have to fight for attention.

The skin-caressing, scent-adequate soft musk ensures good longevity; however, I find it difficult to assess the sillage - also because I have not yet worn “Page 29” in the wild.

Conclusion: Thanks to a friendly perfumer from my neighborhood, I have now had the pleasure of encountering some outstanding women's fragrances; however, these encounters were too brief for a comment. Therefore, “Page 29” is the first fragrance I have commented on that was composed for ladies. Compared to Amouage's “Silver,” this gender assignment is almost a joke: Since the latter is launched as a men’s fragrance, “Page 29” must have actually been created for lumberjack super macho types. Aside from this brutal comparison, both genders are welcome to indulge: Francesca dell’Oro's perfume is too interesting to be left solely to the ladies!