Garofano Lorenzo Villoresi 1995

definitely a magnificent work of art in the fragrance industry, it smells like no other perfumes i tested in these last years ,the beautiful and sensual carnation wave is sweetly combined with lavender,jasmine and musk ethereal notes ,a frag that couldnt be missed in any l.v fan collection

Let us begin by setting the record straight regarding the question of cloves in Lorenzo Villoresi GAROFANO. Luca's rib must have mixed up her samples of Caron BELLODGIA and Lorenzo Villoresi GAROFANO, which she decries as unwearable and clove heavy. Carnation contains naturally occurring eugenol, but as far I can tell, there is not extra clove note in GAROFANO, as there certainly is in BELLODGIA.

GAROFANO is my first foray into the house of Lorenzo Villoresi derisively dismissed in The Holey[sic] Book, along with the perfumes of Mona di Orio, as essentially a product of perfumic fraud. (Talk about the pot calling the kettle black...)

I had to see why in the world an entire set of haute niche perfumes should receive ratings on a par with those conferred upon the offerings of the illustrious "house" of Paris Hilton, so to satisfy my curiosity, I ordered several house-carded samples. I have discovered that a grave injustice was done to this house, along with Mona di Orio, I might add, and my best guess is that the reviewers have serious issues with expensive Italian perfumes. Perhaps there is some sort of family vendetta which goes back centuries? Who knows? All I know for sure is that these perfumes are rich elixirs which merit the discerning perfumista's consideration.

GAROFANO opens bitterly, and this may put some sniffers off. Added to the fact that the carnation is not rose or jasmine or iris or violet or any of the other more popular flowers featured in perfumes, and one may conclude upon application that this creation is "not for me". In fact, as the perfume develops, it becomes more and more enticing. This is not a "buy at the counter" or "review from a paper strip" perfume. GAROFANO requires a bit of patience in order to reap the beauty found within. By the drydown, I'm definitely a believer. Carnation perfumes are few and far between, and this one is a slightly woody and utterly gorgeous soliflore with big sillage and excellent longevity. GAROFANO is embellished with several other notes, none of which is clove, to which I am inordinately sensitive, and which makes BELLODGIA a tough wear for me.

If I did not already own Guerlain TERRACOTTA VOILE D'ETE, also a fine carnation creation, I might consider adding this one to my collection.

Clinic for Plastic Surgery Prof. Dr. Holtkötter-Hasenbichl, one Monday at a quarter past eight:

“I want to have a tumor removed. For the corners of my mouth.”

“What do you mean? Please open your mouth properly when you speak!”

“Doesn’t work, I can’t risk any reasons. I want to have a tumor removed. For the corners of my mouth.”

“Ah - uh… don’t risk a grin…. Yes. And you want an appointment for removing the corners of your mouth? Uhhh, but why? What medical reason could that have?”

“None. I just don’t want to grin anymore. I have such an earnest mouth!”

“Seriousness wish or not - we don’t do such nonsense. We are a serious establishment.”

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Authority for Resident Affairs, via Senzarisa, Rome, the following Tuesday around eleven.

“I would like to change my name.”

“Scusi, signore, do I understand correctly: You want to change your name?”

“Yes.”

“What is your name?”

“Lurunzu Vullurusu.”

“Aha. And what do you want to be called?”

“Lurunzu Vullurusu.”

“Uh… I don’t understand. Please show me your ID. … Aaaaaaha. Your name is Lorenzo Villoresi. And you want to be called…”

“Lurunzu Vullurusu.”

“You already said that. Are you being insulted or mocked because of your name? Confused with race car drivers?”

“No. My name is just too cheerful. I have such an earnest mouth!”

“Yes… uh… no, we can’t help people who find their names too cheerful and want to be more serious. Besides, it’s almost lunchtime anyway. Become a lifeguard! You can yell at half-wits all day long not to jump off the edge of the pool. Guaranteed bad mood. Buon giorno, signore!”

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The reported events explain, firstly, the seemingly occasional effort of Mr. Villoresi to somehow steer even the most carefree ingredients into something serious, if not downright grumpy (see, for example, the humorless “Aura Maris”) - the man is, after all, a serious man! Secondly, in light of the recommended side job, the tendency to conjure up a swimming pool ambiance from very different ingredients becomes understandable. Specifically: getting that chlorinated/pissy note into the air. In “Uomo” and “Piper Nigrum,” it was citrus and rosemary; here, it’s actually (apparently) lavender and clove(?). I am astonished!

The opening of Garofano is initially taken over - after a humorless hint of clove has retreated - by a light, dusty, unsweet lavender-wax mixture. If it were sweeter, I would think of lavender honey. Just a few minutes in, the scent presents the aforementioned swimming pool note. Alongside, of course, a watery noble rose is quickly conceivable, which after half an hour is joined by a floral soap, strong and masculine.

By noon, it becomes increasingly pungent. The clove can grumble away like a grumpy retiree. The gradual addition of vanilla reveals the ingredient heliotrope, but it changes the unwavering grumpiness just as little as the wife of a corresponding retiree can by patting her husband’s beige-jacketed arm. The swimming pool is by no means defeated (perhaps my synapses have been trained for this by now). Aha. Maybe an elderly retired senior teacher on a spa treatment?

In the afternoon, the wax becomes stronger; together with the vanilla, the aroma is at times damn close to those amber-vanilla notes that can sometimes annoy the wearer for hours with sticky persistence. However, this variant keeps a nose's breadth away from that - I still perceive a hint of lavender throughout. Directly on the skin, the rose remains present as well. By evening, we are dealing with acceptable vanilla, reliably free of dessert notes.

Conclusion: A certainly good scent, unfortunately not quite my cup of tea; I wouldn’t even know which faction among us I should recommend it to. Most likely to fans of 70s/80s greens.

I thank MisterE for the sample.

Lorenzo Villoresi - this brand belongs to the manufacturers of so-called niche fragrances. You won't find these perfumes at the usual retailers, and they are quite rare otherwise. I only know them from the well-known online shops Ausliebezumduft, Essenza Nobile, and The Different Scent. Other than that, I can only think of Brückner (Munich) as a source, maybe Schnitzler (Düsseldorf), but I'm not sure about that.

As rare as this brand is - its perfumes are noteworthy. Not everything will appeal to everyone, but nothing is bad. One such perfume is Garofano. To be honest, it impressed me because Lorenzo Villoresi manages a real balancing act here - on one hand, a very classic-conservative style, and on the other hand, an experimental courage that also explores the fringes of what is still wearable. Usually, a perfume only presents one of these two approaches.

In short - Garofano is spicy-floral. The spice, according to its own statement, comes from cinnamon, but I also smell something else, more allspice than clove. There is something camphor-like, especially in the top note. This scent note is familiar to me: I once had a very ethereal herbal ointment from a French monastery brand that did quite well for my legs on a bike tour.

That being said, Garofano is a rather robust scent, nothing really delicate - perhaps a perfume against colds and fatigue, as it has exactly that energizing ethereal spice. However, it has nothing to do with the well-known sharp ointments of this kind - from Vicks Vaporub to Voltaren.

The spice is accompanied by a complex, entirely unsweet floral note, whose backbone seems to be jasmine, with rose in second place. I find this very successful and a real highlight. Always present, yet not intrusive. Together with the spice, it creates a truly interesting combination. Classic, because this fragrance direction is not new, yet very unusual in its execution.

I already own a perfume in this direction, namely Touaregh by Il Profumo, but in terms of originality, it falls behind Garofano.

In the base, Garofano takes on a rather bright, slightly powdery character, likely from the musk. It hardly comes across as soapy. The cedarwood note might contribute a certain dry "dustiness"; on the other hand, the indicated vanilla is hardly noticeable - it seems to merely add some volume without intervening too much in a softening way.

Garofano is a perfume that appears "closed" and more coherent from a distance from the skin. Individual notes are harder to distinguish than directly at the sprayed spot. I believe this is also due to the lavender. In my observation, lavender notes in the projection of perfumes seem to transform scents, bind individual notes together, and contribute a kind of floating lightness. As a standalone note, the lavender certainly gets hopelessly lost in this spicy environment for my nose.

However, there is a downside: Garofano reaches its peak development very early - just a few minutes after spraying, the perfect interplay of floral and spicy notes emerges. Unfortunately, these have different lasting powers - a phenomenon I also observe with the mentioned Touaregh. Thus, in the drydown, there is increasingly sharp spice and fewer and fewer flowers, with musk taking on the role of the counterpart to a certain extent. Garofano loses balance during its development, becoming increasingly sharp-spicy and then also appearing one-dimensional. Not everyone will appreciate this; even I find it too much after a while.

Garofano is demanding, unusual, characterful, and intense. Like a particularly fine Bordeaux, you won't want to have it every day. Garofano is a great scent, but for my taste, it increasingly develops into the extreme. I probably won't be acquiring Garofano.

Here are the complete fragrance notes from Villoresi's website:

Top Note: Lavender, Floral notes, Green leaves
Middle Note: Carnation, Jasmine, Rose, Cinnamon, Cyclamen, Ylang Ylang, Geranium, Pepper
Base Note: Heliotrope, Vanilla, Musk, Cedarwood