The Italian perfume house Bois 1920 has released a new trio of fragrances under the name Le Voluttuose (The Voluptuous). The three fragrances in the collection Kimono Rose, La Vaniglia, and Notturno Fiorentina all live up to the billing given the collection name as they all have curves and beauty in abundance. Another artist known for his love of the voluptuous is Peter Paul Rubens. One of his most frequent subjects was the goddess Venus, very often accompanied by Cupid. Rubens’ version of Venus was a full figured woman also full of curves and his paintings are perfect companions for the three fragrances in this new Bois 1920 collection.

 

Notturno Fiorentina and “Venus Frigida” (1614)

 

Notturno Florentina is meant to evoke a Florentine evening redolent with strong floral notes in the heart over musk in the base. I found that like Venus in the painting I was left wanting for a little more warmth throughout, but especially in the base notes. The top of Notturno Fiorentina opens with bergamot and a hint of black pepper over black currant. This should be a piquant opening embellished by the currant but it stays much more restrained than you’d expect. The same holds true in the heart as jasmine and rose add a floral depth but I wanted it to go deeper. The base starts with a mix of vanilla and tonka before a too sheer white musk comes in. It is here where I really would have liked to have seen a fuller musk accord to add some more sensuality and heat to the composition. Notturno Fiorentina is a very closed-up fragrance on my skin and like Venus in the painting it feels as if it is huddled before a fire and never quite gets warm enough on my skin. If you like your florals reined in and subdued, Notturno Fiorentina would be a good choice.

La Vaniglia and “Venus, Cupid, Bacchus, and Ceres” (1612-1613)

If Notturno Fiorentina chilled me, La Vaniglia stokes the fire and brings it to roaring life. La Vaniglia takes a good long time to get to the titular note. The trip there is like a fine conversation among friends and contains three distinct phase of development. The early talking points center around a juicy tangerine note enhanced with a very tiny hint of mint and a more expressive pepper to add contrast and heat. The heart of the discussion is focused around resinous frankincense which would be too austere if it wasn’t joined by patchouli and a zesty ginger. I’ve found the use of ginger in so many masculine fragrances as an ‘energizing’ component to be overdone and forced. Leave it to a feminine fragrance to get the ‘energizing’ part right as in La Vaniglia the ginger adds energy to what could have been a too deep and rich core adding a needed contrast. The last words are left to the vanilla and by the end of La Vaniglia that is what we’re talking about as a not too sweet vanilla becomes the center of attention and stays until the end. La Vaniglia has some wonderful transitions as it develops and is enjoyable throughout the lengthy conversation between my nose and skin.

Kimono Rose and “Venus and Adonis” (1635)

The last of the three fragrances in La Voluttuose is Kimono Rose. The rose much like Venus is a symbol of love and beauty and the use of it is ubiquitous in perfumery. The interesting twist applied in Kimono Rose is, as the name portends, to add a distinctly Japanese note to each phase to give an Asian feel to what otherwise would be a very traditional rose construction. The top of Kimono Rose opens with the same juicy tangerine from La Vaniglia and a less restrained black currant than in Notturno Fiorentina these are combined with the musty sweetness of lychee. The lychee accord adds an unusual twist that takes a second to get used to but once the nature of the lychee interacts with the citrus and berry components it really adds something extra to what otherwise would have been a very pedestrian opening. Bulgarian and Turkish rose combine to give a deep rose accord which is leavened by a bit of greenery in lily of the valley and bamboo. It is the green woodiness of the bamboo that makes one think that you smell a vase of roses in a Japanese Tea House. The bamboo also allows for cedar to transition Kimono Rose into a base of beautifully composed ambergris and patchouli. Kimono Rose is such an interesting fragrance that much like Venus and Cupid I am reluctant to let the pretty Adonis that is Kimono Rose, go.

All of the La Voluttuose fragrances are eau de parfum strength and have excellent longevity. The sillage varies from Notturno Fiorentina having slightly less than average to Kimono Rose and La Vaniglia having slightly more than average.

I end where I began with Venus looking in her mirror and wondering which fragrance she should wear today. If it were me I would reach for Kimono Rose followed by La Vaniglia then Notturno Fiorentina. All are worth having your own private Cupid bring you some to try.

Disclosure: This review was based on samples provided by First In Fragrance.

All art courtesy of www.peterpaulrubens.org

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor