Lorenzo Villoresi

Lorenzo Villoresi is a self taught artisan perfumer who in 1990 founded his perfume house in the family’s 15th century Florentine palazzo. His work began to gain traction when Fendi, the Italian fashion house commissioned a range of scented products. Villoresi then moved on to producing his perfume creations. This is the first Lorenzo Villoresi perfume I have tried although I have read a lot about his perfumes. My introduction to the scents was through the fragrance community boards. It was there that I encountered fans writing reviews  of his Patchouli and Sandalo perfumes in glowing terms.

Amrita Sher-Gil Nude, Oil on canvas

 The name of this perfume captured me.  Kamasurabhi means the “perfume of pleasure” in Sanskrit  and it is an exotic and beautiful sounding name that just rolls off the tongue.  Indian imagery in a  toned down “Kama Sutra” was already in my mind before I sprayed the perfume.

The Swing – Amrita Sher-Gil, 1940

The perfume is described thus: “Kamasurabhi is the gentle and deep Indian sensuality, an enveloping embrace of a unique, intense and mysterious universe. Like going through an infinite range of people wearing brightly coloured clothes, emotions and sensations arising from endless nuances of sounds, perfumes and colours.  Humanity without end. The tangible and spiritual fascination of a timeless world.”

Shringaar by Amrita Sher-Gil 1940

So many broad themes for this scent! So complex, that the first few times I smelt this perfume I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. There was something there that intrigued me but at first I could not get my head and nose around it.  But after wearing Kamasurabhi many times now I’ve come to the realisation that for me it’s a sensual scent that has two distinct moods for me.  It presents as a rich, opulent floral in the initial throes that is pure pleasure. As the fragrance wears, it has a more sensual style that soothes my senses in the latter stages of its journey. The perfume cocoons me in its silken cloud of meditative serenity.

Sumair by Amrita Shergil-Gil 1939

The opening is sonorous with droplets of rich petals falling on skin.  It’s full bodied and very warm. It harkens back to scents of old with a rich floriental touch. An abundance of florals weave in and out of the scent. The rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, rose, tuberose and narcissus are layered in generous fashion. The florals provide drama but it all feels very smooth.  This is one of those perfumes where you can actually smell the flowers mentioned in the notes. I can’t say this is always the case (for me anyway).

Amrita Sher-Gil  Landscape untitled

There are three ingredients in Kamasurabhi that I’m unfamiliar with, as part of the tropical mix of Indian flowers. Bakul tree buds, Kadamba and Pandanus flowers. Bakul tree buds are described as having a sweet and delicate scent.  The Kadamba tree’s yellow – orange flowers have a floral and woody fragrance that is released at night. And the final element in the tropical arrangement are the flowers of the Pandanus tree with their rich floral scent with touches of greenness and honey.

Amrita Sher-Gil  The Vinya Players

These Indian flowers definitely add an element of intrigue that lend the perfume an interesting dimension. The sandalwood and ambered base is very smooth and while it lacks the theatrics of the initial stages, this is when the perfume takes on a calming, almost mystical transition and I like it a lot.

Amrita Sher-Gil Group of Three Girls

I find it an unexpected fragrance by turns floral, woody and with a hint of greenery and candied orange.  It’s one of those mélanges that on first wearing feels like it shouldn’t work, but on following trials the myriad pieces of the puzzle come together and its beauty is revealed. Kamasurabhi is a floral perfume with a mystical oriental heart. It follows a path that once I found my bearings I was happy to follow.

Disclaimer: This review was for the Eau de Toilette concentration. Sample provided by Lorenzo Villoresi

Megan Paki, Editor at CaFleureBon and Editor of Megan In Sainte Maxime

Editor’s Note: I chose the art of Amrita Sher-Gil, (who is known as the Frida Kahlo of India) to bring Megan’s review alive visually. She was a  visionary painter of  Hungarian Jewish and Punjab Indian heritage, who studied in Paris and was influenced by late impressionist  painters such as Paul Gaugin and Paul Cezanne. She applied these techniques to her paintings that captured the  colors and soul of India. She is considered the most influential contemporary Indian female painter and tragically died at the age of 28.  I felt that the Indian inspiration for Kamsurabhi, which is created by a European perfumer was a wondrous metaphor for this perfume. -Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief

Thanks to the kindness of Lorenzo Villoresi we have a 50 ml EDT of Kamasurabhi for a registered reader in the USA, EU or Canada. To be eligible please leave a comment with what you enjoyed about Megan’s review, where you live and if you have a favorite Lorenzo Villoresi perfume. Draw closes 7/23/2015

We announce the winner’s only onsite and on our Facebook page, so Like CaFleureBon and use our RSS option…..or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume