New Perfume Reviews: Tiziana Terenzi Laudano Nero, Casanova and Chimaera 2014 Limited Editions + Fumes of Love Draw

  christmas candles

In the Times of Dark   Silvia Travesio 

Candles are seemingly simple blends of waxes and oils, burning softly, radiating ambient fragrance into our personal atmospheres.  Yet the majority of scented candles are sickly concoctions of plasticised fruits, gourmand excess and air freshener violence. True chandlery is an art form, demanding tremendous skill from its practitioners, many of whom like Cire Trudon for example have historical ties with churches and royal courts.

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Paolo and Tiziana  of Tiziana Terenzi

Tiziana Terenzi are chandlers by trade, established in 1968 by Evolino Terenzi in Cattolica, Italy. His father had been involved in wax, making candles for the church. It was a family business, private and close, as it is today, run by brother and sister Tiziana and Paolo Terenzi. Tiziana designs and Paolo is the nose. The candles are extravagant and beautiful, created almost as fragrances with many levels and reveals. The rise and dispersion of aroma as candles burn is a frivolous and beautiful thing, where once the poor relied upon the flicker of flames to live by, we burn them purely for ambiance and aroma.

 

chimaera perfume cafleurebon tiziana terenzi

Chimeara Limited Edition 2014

Tiziana and Paolo Terenzi have carried this smoky family obsession into a small collection of intensely concentred perfumes. In 2014, there were three new scents – Laudano Nero, Chimaera and Casanova. The packaging floored me, the bottles expensively enclosed in leather, adorned and embossed with lavish attention to detail. Gold moulding on the boxes, pyrographical inscriptions and most astonishing of all on the limited edition Chimera and Casanova boxes, lights that came on when you opened the lids highlighting the medallion tops of the bottles. I actually applauded in my apartment, much to the bemusement of my cats.

All three are suitable for ladies and gentlemen, indeed I was impressed by the ambiguous fugues of all three. Laudano Nero as it name suggests was the darkest of the trio. A stormy palette of wormwood, tobacco, myrtle, oud, ash and slate is barely sweetened with honey and vanilla. Lashings of patchouli, grimy incense, vetiver and bleak iris float midway. There is a hint of rose, but this is buried in bittersweet fumes. An arresting scent says my friend Mr E, who smells incredible in it, like a shadow of a shrieking flame, it is one of the company's best sellers (and a personal favorite of Paulo’s).

 

cafleurebon casanova 2014  tiziana terenzi

Tiziana Tirenzi  Casanova 2014 art  CaFleureBon

Casanova is the dream of a masked woman glimpsed fleetingly amid the tantalising labyrinthine Venetian streets. This woody wonder is layered complexity, intercut with succulence and powered assignation. Casanova plays fast and loose with structure. Fig leaf and musks billow through dense guaiac, medicinal myrrh and leather pausing briefly to allow a rush of amber and vanillic orchid to run gleefully amok. Tonka renders the composition hypnotic and veiled. The mysterious masked woman leads a merry chase, but her voyage through the ambiguous streets of a decadent, convoluted city is anything but light, there is a glint of knife in the shadows.

tiziana terenzi chimera 2014

Tiziana Terenzi Chimera  (Christy Turlington)  art by TSF for ÇaFleureBon

My favourite of the three was Chimaera; I hoped it would be, as I loved the name. In mythology a chimera is a terrifying fire-breathing hybrid creature composed of different animals. I loved this thick, luscious scent; it wrapped around me and would not let go. The grab was soil tincture, it tumbles out of the notes, it’s an effect I love. Oddly, in Chimaera, it sits at the top of the scent, filtering its loamy influence downward as the scent develops. Some of my most treasured notes are checked: honey, saffron, leather, tolu, caramel and iris. Remaining faithful to his fumy roots, Paolo uses his precious oud, mixed with patchouli, benzoin and labdanum to reinforce the mulch precipitated above by soil and saffron. There is a lot of sweetness though, a sticky, glazed attar that works perfectly in counterbalancing the raven plumes of oriental smoke. Its chimeric nature implies difference, a sum of many parts and while this is true, each wearing revealing a yet un-glimpsed facet, the structure as a whole moves and settles with consummate fiery grace.

Search out these dark smoky scents from Tiziana Terenzi; they will surprise you I think and invade your senses with fumes of love.

Disclosure:Fragrance kindly supplied by Tiziana Terenzi. Thank you.

 –The Silver Fox, Senior Editor and Editor of The Silver Fox

tiziana terenzi  perfumes

Thanks to Tiziana Terenzi we have a draw for your choice of 100 ml Laudano Nero extrait de parfum,  100 ml Eau de Parfum Casanova and Chimaera for a reader any where in the world. They are  limited editions for 2014 and quite hard to find.There are just a few left,  and are sold in Barneys New York and Harvey Nichols to name a few prestigious stockists. To be eligible please leave a comment with which perfume appeals to you the most, why  and where you live. Draw closes December 26, 2014.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

 

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49 comments

  • Laudano Nero for me! Why? well, just read: ” A stormy palette of wormwood, tobacco, myrtle, oud, ash and slate is barely sweetened with honey and vanilla. Lashings of patchouli, grimy incense, vetiver and bleak iris float midway. There is a hint of rose, but this is buried in bittersweet fumes. An arresting scent says my friend Mr E, who smells incredible in it, like a shadow of a shrieking flame”
    Need to say more? sounds perfect, totally perfect! Tobacco, ash, iris, honey…

    I’m in Spain (EU)
    Thank you for the draw!

  • It’s the Laudano Nero that tugs at my heart strings. And it’s the slate note that appeals to me the most-I love mineral scents in a perfume. What a line this must be!
    And I live in Canada.
    Sincerely,
    Carole

  • Oh goodness, both Laudano Nero and Chimaera sound impossibly good! I love labdanum. . .I’m wavering between the two. . .your review makes me want to jump on the one you love the most, but oh! There’s a hint of rose in the Laudano? But then again. . .wow. I’m babbling! That’s how taken I am with merely the descriptions of these two!! Goodness me oh my how I wish I lived near Barneys!

    And my choice would be the Laudano Nero. In the US (still) and crossing all my fingers and toes that this will be the first fb draw I win! Selfish wish, that one, but there it is. Cheers and thanks for the ridiculously great review and the drawing! Happy Holidays!

  • Casanova will be my choice. “Fig leaf and musks billow through dense guaiac, medicinal myrrh and leather pausing briefly to allow a rush of amber and vanillic orchid to run gleefully amok. Tonka renders the composition hypnotic and veiled.” Sounds so delicious!
    I’m in Russia. Thanks for the opportunity)

  • I am just floored by your reviews and don’t have the words, really, to express my mystified amazement at what these must be like! Nero, would be my choice, please. Thank you!

  • Chimaera with its honey, leather and iris sounds beyond gorgeous. What a beautiful review. And thank you for the lovely draw! I am in the US.

  • Casanova sounds amazing – fig, musks, orchid, leather… I’d certainly love to try this one! Thanks for the draw, I’m in the US

  • These fragrances sound amazing and quite unusual…soil tincture? Wow!
    I think I would probably love Casanova, the notes are some of my favourites. And I love the description of the romance of Venice.
    I am in Australia.

  • Every perfume I’ve read about from this brand sounds fascinating, but if I had to choose one of the three, I’d pick Laudano Nero, “the darkest of the trio.” Tobacco, myrtle, oud, incense, iris, with a hint of rose and a little honey and vanilla–sounds amazing. I’m in the US.

  • Laudano Nero appeals to me the most because I love the tobacco note. I live in the U.S. Thank you!
    Have a fantastic Christmas!

  • Laudano Nero attracts me with its very promising and dared composition. I have too many fragrances that it requires something special and this one would be my choice. Merry Chrismas!!

  • Casanova would be my pick for the imagery of a mysterious masked Venetian woman, and the elements of leather, orchids, amber, and fig.
    I am in the US. Thanks for the draw!

  • Casanova is my pick. Out of the three, I think that is the one which captures best the smell of decadence, sensuality, opulence and courage of the persons who dare to break the limits of a strict society.

    I am in Europe. Thanks for the draw and Merry Christmas!

  • “Chimera” for me! I LOVE the notes of saffron, leather, caramel. And moreover, the review of The Silver Fox is mouth-watering.
    I’m in the EU. Thanks for the draw!

    Merry Christmas! / Happy Hanukkah! or just… Happy Holidays! 😉

  • Casanova appeals to me because of the leather notes and the myrrh with a touch of feminity. I live in EU.
    Merry Christmas to everybody!

  • I’d like to try Laudano Nero becasuse it is an extrait and because it is black. I could use a darker frag. I’m in the EU, ty

  • Gorgeous review as always, silver fox. The Titziana Terenzi are hard to come by, so no wonder I hadn’t even heard of these fabulous sounding limited editions. Even if all three sound good, there’s no doubt in my mind that Chimaera with its saffron and Iris notes (possibly my favourites of all) is what appeals to me, and makes me want to hunt it down immediately. I’m in the EU. Happy holidays all

  • It is impossible don’t tremble by desire in front of similar precious gems.
    All three sound wonderful, but my favorite would be Chimera, it has the notes that I prefer, and their mix is irresistible to me.
    I’m in EU.
    Merry Christmas!

  • I’d like to try Laudano Nero, it has everything I’m attracted to. Let’s see if putting all the favourites in one perfume does a good trick. I’m in EU. Thank you!

  • Oh, Laudano Nero speaks to me the most! Merry Christmas and thank you for another lovely draw!
    Regards!
    I live in EU

  • My favourite would be Chimaera because of the name in the first place and in the second place, all the notes sound very good and together, I suppose, give out a very strange, but appealing combination. Honey with oud. I am quite curious about that duo.

    I live in Europe

    Thank you for the draw!

  • My choice will be Laudano Nero as it is one of the most complex creations in the line and has boozy elements which are suited to the current winter weather. thank you so much for the lovely draw. I am in the US. Merry Christmas to everyone

  • This is exciting news! This is a great, creative family and I like their scents so much. My bottle of Ecstasy has been in heavy rotation this winter. The Laudano Nero sounds right up my dark alley. Thanks for the draw!

  • I’d love to try all of these complex woodsy and resiny fragrances, but I am most drawn to Chimaera, both its mythology & its notes. My head swims (happily) at the thought of so many of my favorite notes together, which include; black pepper, lemon, saffron, tolu balsam, thyme, bay leaf, iris, red pepper, carnation, peony, honey, sage, patchouli, cashmere wood, labdanum, benzoin, caramel, agarwood (oud), tobacco, Canadian balsam, and pine tree.

    I love that these are for women and men both – most of my favorite scents eschew the marketing tradition of marking something as “women’s” or “men’s”, and are marketed for both.

    I live in West Hollywood, CA, USA.

  • Casanova would be my first choice – the woody, fig, musk notes appeal to me the most, and the dangerous chase through the dark Venetian streets reminds me of a wonderful movie – “Don’t Look Now”. Thank you for the draw, I’m in the US.

  • rivercitylizzy says:

    Oh, Chimeara with its shifting shapes sounds like the one for me (honestly, you had me at “saffron”)! Thank you for a rare and precious draw! I am in the US.

  • Chimaera appeals most by far, because of of the soil and saffron. One of my favorite scents is a dark earthy safron. Thank you for the reviews and draw! Happy Holidays everyone!
    USA

  • Difficult to choose: first, Chimaera had me at saffron (which I’m always addicted to in December), but then Casanova started beckoning with several notes I really like. And who can resist the image of “the dream of a masked woman glimpsed fleetingly amid the tantalising labyrinthine Venetian streets” and how she “leads a merry chase, but her voyage through the ambiguous streets of a decadent, convoluted city is anything but light, there is a glint of knife in the shadows.” Great review!
    I’m in the EU.

  • Laudano Nero and Chimaera sound amazingly wonderful.
    I love Laudano strong character notes tobacco, myrtle, oud, patchouli, incense, vetiver, iris and then all merely sweetend by honey and vanilla.
    And then I read your note dear Silver Fox about Chimaera
    I love the word Chimaera, there is a book by M. Karagatsis a famous greek writer, who wrote “The Big Chimaera” and I love this book.
    Thick perfume with precious oud, mixed with patchouli, benzoin and labdanum to reinforce the mulch precipitated above by soil and saffron. There is a lot of sweetness though, a sticky, glazed attar that works perfectly in counterbalancing the raven plumes of oriental smoke. The notes of Chimarea are exceptional.
    And last but not least Chimarea is my choice because you say the following “its chimeric nature implies difference, a sum of many parts and while this is true, each wearing revealing a yet un-glimpsed facet, the structure as a whole moves and settles with consummate fiery grace” I trust your taste dear Silver Fox and I wish to you and to all people in Cafleurebon happy holidays and all the best for a happy & prosperous New Year.
    I live in EU and I thank you for this one of the kind review and draw.

  • All 3 sound amazing, and I love The Silver Fox descriptions. “The mysterious masked woman leads a merry chase, but her voyage through the ambiguous streets of a decadent, convoluted city is anything but light, there is a glint of knife in the shadows” That alone is my reason for choosing Casanova.
    Happy Holidays to all

  • I think these two perfume are really wonderful. My choice would be Chimaera, because from the review it sounds very special, and I suppose I would love it.
    I live in Europe.

  • My choice would be the Cazanova, it’s descrbed as woody with musk and guaiac and myrrh. – USA 🙂

  • Great article as I have not heard of this company. I will be interested to check out the candles. I am drawn to Laudano Nero as it contains many of my favorite scents. I am interested too because of the Myrtle note mixed with the Oud and Wormwood notes. Sounds dark and devine.
    Bab,
    USA

  • The sold out Chimaera sounds fantastic! Some of my favorite notes are found in this bottle including carnation, patchouli, leather, and caramel. Thank you for your great articles and chances to try new fragrances. I reside in the U.S.

  • I am curious about the ‘fiery grace’ of Chimaera , and how that much of ingredients are blended so well, that they excite Mr. Fox! As well, the soil effect is something I love in real life, especially wet soil. I am intrigued how it pairs with the sticky sweet notes.
    Thank you for the chance!
    I am in Bulgaria (EU)

  • Guided by the exquisite taste of M. Fox I choose Chimaera. The note list is wonderful & and the effect of soil with the other notes sounds fantastic.
    I am in Australia.

  • Laudano Nero would be my pick. When the perfumer himself adores his creation deeply then I definetly want to experience that. Besides dark theme in perfumes excite me.
    Thanks USA

  • Cynthia Richardson says:

    Chimaera appeals to you the most with its black pepper, white leather and black magnolia. It sounds sweet and warm for winter. I live in the US.

  • Thank you for the great review! I would love to sample all three now. I am most drawn to Chimaera because of the mix of notes. I love leather, saffron, benzoin, and labdanum.

    Thank you for the draw, I am in the US.

  • I like the idea of Chimaera. Mixing sweet notes like caramel and honey with strong, wild notes like oud and leather is really like putting snow on fire, very unusual and daring.

    Thanks for this wonderful draw! I live in Europe.

  • Chimaera wounds really wonderful! Honey, saffron, leather, and caramel are some of my favorite notes, too. I’m in the U.S. Thanks for the draw!

  • Dark and smoky fragrances are always very appealing to me. These three perfumes sound perfect with all the raw materials and their combinations. Maybe I should choose Laudano Nero, described as the darkest one. On the other hand, I have not forgotten the article published in ÇaFleureBon Behind The Bottle series, so I would love to choose Casanova for the same reason as earlier: Old carnival in Venice with all the masks, mysterious women and old tradition is for sure something that is Casanova’s field. I love the idea of limited edition, with the same recipe but with emphasis on the nature’s impact to the properties of raw materials. List of the ingredients used in Casanova is interesting. It seems that Casanova perfume could be gorgeous and mysterious scent of Venezia during the carnival. I’m in the EU, Croatia. Thank you.

  • This is an amazing draw! Chimaera would be my choice, and this is why: “There is a lot of sweetness though, a sticky, glazed attar that works perfectly in counterbalancing the raven plumes of oriental smoke.” Oh, that sounds just about perfect! I would love this. Thanks for the opportunity! I’m in the U.S.