08/27/2024

Musicandarts
192 Reviews

Musicandarts
2
I love this elegant sophisticated citrus floral from BDK
This review was written originally for a sample vial of Villa Neroli that I bought from BDK with the 4 for $24 deal. This is the only one I would consider buying from the four I bought. The losers were Citrus Riviera, Nuit de Sable and Creme de Cuir. I recently purchased a full bottle of Villa Neroli from Jomashop for $140.
Villa Neroli is a beautiful citrus floral that supposedly evokes summer days in Capri. I am always cautious when I deal with citrus accords. It is very easy to veer into a synthetic citrus that resembles dishwashing fluids. No such concern here. Villa Neroli layers various lemon and bitter orange notes judiciously to create a wonderful fresh citrus smell.
The opening notes are lemon, neroli and petit grain. The combined accord is a sophisticated and elegant citrus, with little fruitiness. The transition to the heart notes is smooth, almost like the change in light as the day progresses. These middle notes are orange blossom absolute and rose, the former responsible for adjusting the light to a warmer, sweeter honeyed citrus. For those who may have forgotten, neroli and orange blossom absolute come from bitter orange flowers, though they are produced by steam distillation and solvent extraction respectively. The rose in the middle note is clearly perceptible, but it feels like a minor note under the genteel citrus accords. The base notes listed by the perfumer are vanilla, labdanum, patchouli and vetiver. I get the vanilla and labdanum, but the other two are lost in the soft harmony that prevails. If you prefer a citrus with a more dominant rose, I suggest Xerjoff Mefisto, a favorite of mine.
Villa Neroli shows excellent performance for a citrus floral. On my clothes, the citrus notes last for more than ten hours. The citrus floral notes last about six hours on my skin and the dry down for a few hours more. Sillage is also good for a few hours.
I am happy with my purchase of Villa Neroli, as It checks a lot of boxes for me. To summarize, Villa Neroli is a lovely citrus floral with a suave, urbane personality. The citrus notes manage to stay sophisticated and avoid the cheap hand soap vibe, which was a major determinant for my decision to buy this.
Villa Neroli is a beautiful citrus floral that supposedly evokes summer days in Capri. I am always cautious when I deal with citrus accords. It is very easy to veer into a synthetic citrus that resembles dishwashing fluids. No such concern here. Villa Neroli layers various lemon and bitter orange notes judiciously to create a wonderful fresh citrus smell.
The opening notes are lemon, neroli and petit grain. The combined accord is a sophisticated and elegant citrus, with little fruitiness. The transition to the heart notes is smooth, almost like the change in light as the day progresses. These middle notes are orange blossom absolute and rose, the former responsible for adjusting the light to a warmer, sweeter honeyed citrus. For those who may have forgotten, neroli and orange blossom absolute come from bitter orange flowers, though they are produced by steam distillation and solvent extraction respectively. The rose in the middle note is clearly perceptible, but it feels like a minor note under the genteel citrus accords. The base notes listed by the perfumer are vanilla, labdanum, patchouli and vetiver. I get the vanilla and labdanum, but the other two are lost in the soft harmony that prevails. If you prefer a citrus with a more dominant rose, I suggest Xerjoff Mefisto, a favorite of mine.
Villa Neroli shows excellent performance for a citrus floral. On my clothes, the citrus notes last for more than ten hours. The citrus floral notes last about six hours on my skin and the dry down for a few hours more. Sillage is also good for a few hours.
I am happy with my purchase of Villa Neroli, as It checks a lot of boxes for me. To summarize, Villa Neroli is a lovely citrus floral with a suave, urbane personality. The citrus notes manage to stay sophisticated and avoid the cheap hand soap vibe, which was a major determinant for my decision to buy this.