[unpaid/sample] This has to be my favourite drop of the week – I love the packaging embellished with multi-hued ribbons and the cylinder that opens up to reveal eight colourful fragrances.
La Perla fragrances can be heady and sweet – that’s how I think of them – but there truly are some surprises in this coffret that makes it a glorious experience. I have genuinely enjoyed going through each and every one and being shown that my preconceptions are both right and wrong. There is a sugared thread through all but it sits well – it’s not the overriding impression when the other notes kick through.
Each bottle is 12ml. I don’t know all the fragrances very well, but I’d say that My Day is the lightest of them all with powdery notes freshened by bergamot, while Just Give Me Roses is exactly as it sounds and absolutely full of joy. Villa Sorrento is an aromatic citrus infused with green mandarin oil, and Invisible Touch is a gentle ylang-ylang scent.
It seems that generally speaking, with the exception of Just Give Me Roses, the exterior of the bottles reflects the intensity of the notes – I don’t mean strength so much as intention. Let The Dance Begin is cardamom and tuberose and very evocative of a night time occasion – it’s got that heady touch and a sort of excitement about it .. perhaps I’m thinking of anticipation and getting ready but it’s pinging all sorts of brain activity without me able to settle on exactly what! Possibilities is freesia and vanilla – it’s warm and fresh at the same time – a very easy wear, particular in winter. About That Night is power-packed – you only need a dot of it to experience the orange blossom boosted by vanilla and lavender. Despite those notes, it’s got a masculine aspect to it. Once Upon A Garden is the most surprising to me – my nose is picking up tea notes across the sweet pea but that’s not listed so perhaps it’s the moss accent. To me it smells like having a cup of tea in the garden – that’s never not going to be gorgeous, is it?
I feel that this is an exceptional cross section of fragrances – there’s a general thread across them so they’re recognisable as a collection but stand well individually. It’s £219 so not a casual purchase, but delicious, decadent and beautiful to look at, too. Oh, I should point out that the fragrances don’t have atomisers – you dab them to your wrist (or wherever) which somehow feels decadent and an experience enhancer. Find it HERE at Harvey Nichols, non affiliate is HERE.
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