Porta del Cielo Linari 2012

Recently, I had the opportunity to test some fragrances from Ciro and Linari. This chance delighted me, as I want to try as many scents as possible. I test everything. Children's perfumes, the cheapest cheapies, drugstore scents, designer, niche, anything that comes my way.

As a conclusion to my Ciro/Linari journey, this will be a review.

The Gate of Heaven, as Linari envisions it, starts with a light fish note. Yes, I smell fish! Not as horrid as in "Kokain Seemann Reloaded | Rammstein," God or St. Peter forbid, but there is a subtle, light fish note present. At least in my nose.
I also noticed that at first, the perfume alcohol is quite strong. I have the impression that for some, this is an indication of inferior quality, but here it shows: even in high price ranges, this can occur.

When the fish and alcohol fade away, the actual scent character emerges. It reveals itself as a floral-sweet fragrance, lovely and pleasing. This is how I would prefer to be received. But those who thought that the expectations raised by the price (175 euros/100 ml) and artistically inspired bottle would be met will, of course, be brought back down to the hard ground of earthly realities: Not a quantum of transcendence.

You might accuse me of expecting too much from a fragrance and being naive for falling for marketing.
To that, I respond: Even earthly things can transcend themselves. Who hasn't been overwhelmed by a landscape? I was recently in the mountains, and I am always amazed at how my heart opens there and a pleasant wave of euphoria washes over me.
Another classic example is the starry sky. There is a wonderful video on YT about scale in the universe. When I saw it for the first time, I had tears in my eyes. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoW8Tf7hTGA) Actually, the word "overwhelmed" should be spelled with an "e": über-welt-igt. A feeling, a sense, an intuition that goes beyond the world.

Fragrances can achieve this too. We humans associate scents with feelings. We like vanilla because vanillin is present in breast milk.
And even without conscious associations, perfumes can evoke enthusiasm. I have two or three fragrances that have blown me away in the best sense on the spot and that, for me, at that moment, were more than just a scent that is nice.

After the philosophical digression, back to the Gate of Heaven: The scent is OK as a room fragrance for a hotel lobby. That's fine, but nothing more. Over time, a very light soapiness adds to the lovely-pleasing floral sweetness; put that in a chic bottle, and the concept is complete.
Call the same scent (any English adjective) Blossom, make a slightly less extravagant bottle, place it in the drugstore, and sell the 100 ml for 30 euros. And we have arrived at the banal immanence, which is much closer to the essence of this fragrance. (According to my personal, subjective feeling; I hope I have sufficiently disclaimed here:)

My suggestion would be Horny Blossom.