Francesca Bianchi Etruscan Water Review +Spirit of Place Draw

Etruscan Sculpture, Ancient History Encyclopedia.

“The things they did, in their easy centuries, are as natural and as easy as breathing. They leave the breast breathing freely and pleasantly, with a certain fullness of life.”  D H Lawrence, Etruscan Places, 1932

Francesca Bianchi

In all her undertakings, there is a primal intensity concurrent with the work of Francesca Bianchi, the multi talented artisan perfuner from Italy.  Francesca Bianchi Etruscan Water which will be released early May 2019, (as part of the new line ‘Freefall’ collection) is no exception.  How often have you wandered in a place of calling, carrying an irrepressible urge that defies logic? The whisperings from afar of certain topography, comprised of all unseen and observed elements. Akin to Francesca, Etruscan culture has held in me an almost irrational fascination, remnants of a civilization unique that preceded Rome and yet laid immense foundations. Certain evocative places linger with vestiges, a trail of effleurage over the soft folds of the landscape. ‘Genius Loci” is contacted, the Spirit of place, in osmosis, permeates the blood, the tissue and fabric of our being.

 Dynamic Stillness, Christian Martin Weiss

In its ancient Roman origin, the concept of the genius loci originally referred to the spirit or deity that inhabited a place; later this genius was taken to refer figuratively to the associations or inspirations derived from a place. Francesca’s presence in this region is her inheritance, prevalent in the potent whispers of this new perfume.  It traverses cypress clad hills and forested pathways, down to the sea, unravelling a history strewn journey. Francesca Bianchi Etruscan Water gathers you in swathes of green, Mediterranean airs, an exhalation of content, where all is a progression, perfume unfolding as the trek within contours unfolds. Scents evocative of forest and bright citrus, Bergamot, Green Tangerine, Grapefruit a veritable entree, interspersed with herbal lays of Basil and Caraway, which rise as crushed underfoot in the cooler shade. Where each footstep resounds through History, bridging the firmament of time in each breath or footstep. time ceases to exist, and all is bathed in clear light of sensory delving.  I long to divest myself of cumbersome garments yet they too are a component, linen and cotton loose folds over delicately perfumed skin, Immortelle, Jasmin and Iris Root, white and creamy under a perfection of sky.

Mediterranean, Danu Seith-Fyr 2012©

All through is the faint, onshore scent of the sea, urging the heated body onward, a siren call, the culmination is the drenched embrace of the exudate of hot skin, in droplets subsumed by sea, cool and iridescent,  emerging from the sea, dripping and refreshed yet still in yearning for a heated palm to leave imprints on inner flesh.  Deeper chords of ambergris, labdanum and oakmoss are struck in a rooted ancestral continuity.  Francesca Bianchi Etruscan Water is a perfection of calm eroticism and abiding contentment, in the arriving of a place you have always belonged to, no words necessary just inhalation, still and fragile these moments rarely captured.

 Notes: Bergamot, Green Tangerine, Grapefruit, Petit Grain, Basil, Caraway, Immortelle, Jasmin, Iris Root, Musk, Ambergris, Labdanum, Vetiver, Oakmoss.

Danu Seith-Fyr, Senior Contributor

Warmest thanks to Francesca Bianchi for my sample, Nose my own.

Francesca Bianchi Etruscan Water ad poster and bottle collage  via Instagram

Thanks to the generosity of Francesca Bianchi we have a draw for an avant premiere 30ml Extrait de Parfum of Francesca Bianchi Etruscan Water, for one registered reader in the EU, USA or Australia. Please be sure to register. To be eligible please let us know what appeals to you about Danu’s review and where you live. Do you have a  favorite Francesca Bianchi Perfume? Draw closes  4/17/2019

Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebon @francesca_w  @danu_sf

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like ÇaFleureBon and use our Blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

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58 comments

  • damianachi says:

    This review perfectly describes the Etruscan inspiration of this fragrance and I enjoyed looking at the beautiful pictures, in particular the one of the clear Mediterranean water. I have tried of all Francesca's perfumes and my favorite is Under My Skin, which I recently purchased. Needless to say I would love to win this bottle and experience the citrus notes combined with the iris root. I live in the USA. Thank you!

  • Amy Leonhardt says:

    Reading Danu’s review, I’m breathless, and drawn to the sea! I can feel the coolness of the shade and the water. I too am fascinated by history and it’s effect on a locale. Would love to visit the Mediterranean Sea and would love to try this. I’m in CA, USA.

  • Great review. I’ve never had the chance to smell anything from Francesca Bianchi offerings yet, but i would love to try some, especially one like Etruscan Water with those kind of notes. I am in the EU, thanks for the chance.

  • I like the freshness plus the green of this fragrance – sounds beautifully mediteranean. I dont have a favorite so this may be my first! USA

  • I only tried Under My Skin and I loved it. Etruscan Water sounds wonderful to me. So many years since I was not been on the beautiful seaside. I would very love to try this perfume. I live in the EU.

  • I loved this review!  Danu described the top, middle, and bass notes of this fragrance so completely, I feel I have now experienced it.  Etruscan Water sounds beautiful.   I would love to try it.  I haven't had the opportunity to try any of Francesca's fragrances but I have heard good things about them.  In the USA.

  • I enjoyed the story behind the fragrance. The creative process, and the perfumeur, always is an interesting read. A pairing of forest and the sea – lovely. I'm a fan of oakmoss, basil and tangerine notes. I'd love to try this, thanks for opportunity. USA 

  • WaltherP99 says:

    Each and every Francesca Bianchi fragrance up until Etruscan Water is sexually oriented , so i’m not surprised one bit by this review. There is something lustful , naughty in all of her creations plus the usual slightly animalic feel. I presume that a must for Francesca Bianchi .Sex and the Sea to me smells like 2 new lovers bodies , after applying heavy dose of suntan lotion , and having a long sex marathon on the beach.
    Price is great – all of the her creations are with great longevity , projection and sillage.Interesting house – no doubt . Even though Etruscan Dream sounds like a bit more easy to swallow pill for new to artisinal perfums  buyers , still sampling first is a MUST ! Francesca Bianchi fragrances are artisanal with top performance , but you need to be either connoisseur , to love daring smells , or to wear fragrances for your own plesure.They are not meant to be crowd pleasers . Never blind buy .
    I do own imo the best one from the company – The Dark Side.
    Thank you for the opportunity and congrats to Danu for the nice job.
    Virginia USA or London UK/EU  … 97/100 times

     

  • Doni Light says:

    Absolutely love any scent that is evocative of the forest, especially when combined with a generous lapping of citruses.  Particularly intriguing was the preamble referencing the 'genius loci', a term I'm quite familiar with in ancient traditions.  I've heard some excellent reviews on Etruscan Water and am eager to explore the scent for myself.  Francesca's work is truly unique.  USA

  • fazalcheema says:

    Francesca Bianchi seems to have taken inspiration from both water and nature in creating Etruscan Water. Many aquatic fragrances seem to be inspired by sea and beach but this one seems inspired by a water body that is surrounded by a forest hence many floral and green notes. I am in US.

  • Citrus, herbals, plus jasmin, immortelle and iris sounds so unique and gorgeous. I would love to experience this, thank you for the opportunity. Live in the US.

  • I loved this review which is graphic in a nice sort of way and the Etruscan Water sure does sound sensual. I'd love to win this to have my first sniff of a Francesca Bianchi fragrance. I'm in TX USA

  • This is what appealed to me…” Francesca Bianchi Etruscan Water is a perfection of calm eroticism and abiding contentment, in the arriving of a place you have always belonged to, no words necessary just inhalation, still and fragile these moments rarely captured”

    I don’t have a favorite because I’m not familiar with this one. 

    I live in USA 

  • Danu, we are carried along with your words as the water flows to the sea.  I do not own anything from this house, but this sounds beautiful and calm, although also erotic.  Thanks for a beautiful review and a very generous draw.  I'm in the USA  

  • Well, this review brought my English to its limits. But I'm able to tell I need to know this scent, which seems to be very different from the previous offerings. I own The Dark Side, which makes me wonder how a lighter water fragrances from the same nose works like. Would love to win this to Germany, thanks for the draw! 

  • This review was actually about a deja-vu within a deja-vu. I have experienced Rome’s “genius loci” when I was 14 and on my first school trip there. I was inside the less-than-remarkable tourist sightseeing bus and it was just driving through a long, narrow street with sand colored block walls on both sides, in the vicinities of San Pietro. I experienced a very strong feeling like I knew where I was, where I was going and how I would reach my arrival point. Even later on, when I moved to Florence and lived there for years, Rome left a special mark in my heart and in my gut, like a feeling of familiarity and safety. Based on that and of course, knowing Francesca’s great perfumery skills, i would love to get this one before its release. From Romania.

  • An excellent review by Danu! I enjoyed the history behind Etruscan Water as well as the parts about the perfumer. My favorite line was: "Francesca Bianchi Etruscan Water is a perfection of calm eroticism and abiding contentment, in the arriving of a place you have always belonged to, no words necessary just inhalation, still and fragile these moments rarely captured." Etruscan Water sounds amazing and I would love the chance to try it. Thanks for the giveaway and I live in the US!

  • Ι love scents that is remind me of the forest especially when they are combined with citruses.  I've read some very promising reviews related to Etruscan Water and I would love to experience it myself. 

    I live in EU.

  • All the notes in this sounds great. I have never tried this house but would love to!

     I live  in the United

  • All the notes in this sounds great. I have never tried this house but would love to!

     I live  in the United

  • I was lucky to travel to Italy in a sunny spring and this country remains in my heart forever. Everywhere there were flowers and they were coloring the air with their fresh and sweet flavors. Among the ruins, the cats were look at me with their immobile eyes, as real divinities of the places. 

    For me, Danu's review perfectly illustrates that journey through time, so Francesca Bianchi Etruscan Water will evoke that romantic atmosphere and will help me to remember the smells of a fascinating land full of history.

     I'd love to try this new perfume. Thank you for your generosity. EU

  • marcopietro says:

    It' could be a professional deformation, but if I hear about genius loci I raise the antennas. I am an architect and I'm very sensitive to the more or less explicit signals that the territory sends us. The sedimentation of natural history and human settlement that involves the territory is a phenomenon of great interest to me.
    I love the Etruscan culture and its influence on the Italian artistic and cultural heritage and the fragrances that tell fascinating stories capture me, so the trap for my senses is ready to shoot.

    I live in EU, thanks!

  • An interesting history lesson to accompany the review of this new fragrance. Very promising list of notes. I have yet to experience any of Francesca's creations. US

  • fleurdetilleul says:

    Reading this review felt like I was reading poetry <3 Also, reading it and some comments here was very informative. I live in EU. Thanks!

  • olleriksson says:

    I am in love with this description from the review: "a perfection of calm eroticism and abiding contentment", sound just like my cup of tea! I've tried all of Francesca's fumes up until the two new ones. My favorite so far is last year's The Lover's Tale. Agreed there is a primal intensity to all of her fumes to date. I'm in Florida, US. 

  • Danu I was transported by the whisperings of this review. Great insights crept into my soul from this vehicle of poetic transportation. My yearning for the Mediterranean airs fueled by your words. I am in the US Thanks to Francesca Bianchi for her creative and generous spirit.

  • I’ve been in Rome during summer and indeed, Danu’s description of this perfume sounds like a familiar experience. A refreshing citrus fragrance on a floral and bitter base which resonates with seawater is just what I need for the coming summer. Thanks for the giveaway! From Finland.

  • I do not know any of Francesca's creations unfortunately, but I liked the last part of the review where Etruscan Water is described as a fragrance of the sea and also as a warm body heaten by the sun.

    I am in EU. Thanks!

  • bigscoundrel says:

    Danu did an excellent job describing Etruscan Water. It sounds like it will embrace its wearer in a sensual melody of  citrus, herbal, and floral notes. I have not tried a Francesca Bianchi fragrance, but I will now. I'm in the USA.

  • "Etruscan Water is a perfection of calm eroticism and abiding contentment" ….This sounds like an amazing scent. Would love to give it a try. Cheers from USA!

  • It appeals to me that this review was able to transport a bit the feeling of calm eroticism. I never tried any perfumes by Francesca Bianchi, sadly.

    I am living in the EU, Germany

     

  • steve.khoo says:

    Great review Danu! I think it perfectly captures the serene but sensual and “calmly erotic” aspects I come to expect from Francesca Bianchi’s creations. All the photographs also give a strong sense of this idea, I’m very keen for this release! 

     

    My favourite Francesca Bianchi perfume so far is Under my Skin. Erotic? Hell yes but so tasteful and intimately romantic. 

     

    Thank you for another amazing giveaway opportunity! I’m in Sydney, Australia 🙂

  • What a wondeful read. I have long been fascinated by the mysterious ancient Etruscans. Danu's description of linen falling in loose folds over perfumed skin evokes the perfect summer scent to me. I'd love to try this. I live in the USA. Thank you Danu for the review. Thank you CaFleureBon and Ms. Bianchi for the draw. 

  • Great review and well written. I have never tried hrr perfume before but this sounds nice. I liked the siren being mentioned with this perfume which makes the water aspect sound powerful. Love the notes and would like to try it. Live in the USA. Thanks for the draw.

  • Many thanks for the lovely review.

    Unfortunately I' ve never tried out any of Francesca Bianchi fragrances, but I would love to.

    I love this bit: Francesca Bianchi Etruscan Water is a perfection of calm eroticism and abiding contentment, in the arriving of a place you have always belonged to, no words necessary just inhalation, still and fragile these moments rarely captured.

    Thanks for the draw.

    I live in France, E.U. 

  • Wow! I miss very much the sea and this sounds like a sea holiday in a bottle. Sophisticate too. I never tried a Francesca Bianchi fragrance, but I would like to 🙂

    Danu's review sounds like poetry.

    I live in Romania, E.U.

  • Danu's review acts both as a history lesson and as cathartic read for me. 

    I would love to finally have the chance of smelling one of Francesca Bianchi's creations.

    I live in The Netherlands, Europe

  • doveskylark says:

    I just love to explore the world through fragrance. I love to discover how a perfumer uses notes to represent a city, a mountainuous region, a shore, or a forest. I appreciate this review very much because I learned the expression genius loci. I can see the notes here, especially the tangerine, basil, and jasmine sounding the siren call to the Mediterranean Sea. I have heard so many good things about the sensual Sex and the Sea. I'd love to try this new fragrance. 

    I live in the USA. 

  • History and perfume making go hand in hand.  Beautiful article with a beautiful fragrance.  I would be curious to try Eutruscan Water.  It sounds like forest and sea.  I have not tried any of her fragrances.  Thank you for the chance.  USA

  • What a wonderful review. This sounds so fresh with the bergamot and vetiver. I don't think I've ever tried any fragrances from her before. 

    I live in the USA.

  • DulciusExAsperis says:

    I'd love to enter – the description sounds perfectly in line with what I would like to wear for summer. Fresh, herbal, but complex and dignified. I haven't tried any Bianchi fragrances before but they've been on my list to try for a while! I am in the USA.

  • Herbal  , foresty  and bright citrus fragrance with hints of erotism – interesting . I guess it will be a great choice for the spring , and summer nights. 

    Know the name Francesca Bianchi , but never smelled her creations. 

    Quality review from Danu . Thank you 

    Back and forth between USA and Scotland (EU/UK). 1 week in US -> 1 week in Scotland…and so on.Basically both USA and Scotland 

  • Danu's review made this fragrance seem more personal to Francesca because of her heritage and I do love that this fragrance doesn't sound like normal run of the mile fragrance that is inspired by the mediterraean waters, it has more than just citrus and aquatic notes but also herbs and green notes. I live in the USA and I do  not have a fave Francesca Bianchi fragrance yet but I am hoping that this one will be it for me!

  • Wow! It could be a great summer scent. The notes are great and a perfumer's name promises a lot. I heard a lot of good words about scents from this house, but I haven't opportunity to smell any of them. I live in Poland

  • Haven’t been able to try a Francesca Bianchi fragrance. Hear a lot of good about her fragrances. This one sounds nice too. It’ll go good with warm sunny days. Thanks for the giveaway, US

  • Because of Danu’s great review I have sampled, and bought “The Lovers Tale” , and now intrigued again. I see this time the approach is different, and the animalic feeling is in the background, but it’s still there. Judging by the review, and my personal affection for Mediterranean I do have high expectations for Etruscan Water. Thx to all involved in this giveaway.USA most of the year, and Germany from time to time 

  •  To be honest first time I'm hearing Francesca Bianchi , but I like both combination of notes , and the inspiration behind Etruscan Water. Both foresty , citrusy and herbal at the same time.  Don't know about calm eroticism,  and how I'll fell about it , but I'll be super happy to win a bottle .

    Appreciate the giveaway campaign,  and the review. 

    USA 

  • This sounds so fresh and summery, I‘d love to give it a try. I haven’t personally encountered this perfumer yet so I‘m very interested in how it holds up!

    love from Germany!

  • to all of you who take the time and understanding to see the Perfume through my words, thank you for all your kind comments.

  • IvanVelikov says:

    Bright citrus , herbal , ambergris, labdanum and oakmoss – that’s exactly how I feel about Mediterranean Italian beaches , and close to the sea cities . Etruscan Water sounds like realistic representation on those places .

    Thanks for the review and the generosity

    USA

  • Danu's review was an outstanding review and expressing of a perfume with the Etruscan water and a eroticism calming appeal. I can serious see my see on the shores of the Mediterranean with love in air and sun setting beauty of romance. I live in CA, USA. 

  • I presume Francesca Bianchi made Etruscan Wages to emulate the smell , vibes and overall feeling of Mediterranean coast. Judging by Danu positive feedback , I do believe she did a great job. 

    Because of Mr Jara now I'm proud owner of Sex and the Sea . Be aware Francesca Bianco fragrances are EXTREMELY potent. Personally I do like most of my fragrances to be almost offensively loud , but with 3 spays of Sex and the Sea you could knock someone out. A bottle will last you … for years and years. I hope Francesca Bianchi will continue making them super strong , an won't delude her frags like some other brands did unfortunately.

    Enjoyed your review Danu – thank you.

    USA

  • I've yet to try any Francesce Bianchi perfumes, but I've heard so many wonderful things about Under My Skin, and Etruscan Water sounds just as captivating, as Danu writes that "Etruscan Water gathers you in swathes of green, Mediterranean airs, an exhalation of content, where all is a progression, perfume unfolding as the trek within contours unfolds". It sounds meditative and gorgeous! I'm in the US and would love to wear this scent. Many thanks for the review and draw!

  • What a beautiful review of the fragrance. I'm loving the cool forest and aquatic imagery. It definitely evokes the Mediterranean, but not the sunny hot Amalfi coast, per see. I haven't tried anything from this house, but this one sounds like a good one!

    Thanks for the giveaway. I live in the USA.

  • saadfragrance says:

    White , creamy, watery like the sea yet floral, im so interested in this and this house now because i have never smelt anything from them before. Would love to win but i will be exploring this house no doubt in my mind , from the UK 

  • Ivan.napoleon says:

    I havent tried anything from.this house yet

     Like the see yet floral.liked this.

    Miami Florida Thanks 

    Id love to try this frag.

    Miami Florida Thanks 

  • The focus of this fragrance of the acuatics is what drives me the most. I have Sex and the Sea and really love that one for the artistical point of view. Plus my girlfriend also loves it so its a win win. Thanks Cafleurebon for the draw. Im at the usa