Hey Hey Perfume Posse, Portia from Australian Perfume Junkies to chat with you about a fragrance house I’ve long wished to spend some time with but for some reason always gets pushed to the do it later pile. While in Venice in early 2013 I very nearly plunged on one of the lovely bottles but it was a toss up between two and I went with the Sigilli Athunis which is a great choice, no regrets. So now I have a Surrender To Chance decant of a discontinued fragrance re-release that clients have been begging to have returned to the range, they have made a small batch and you can buy Tropicana while it lasts.
Tropicana by Lorenzo Villoresi
Vintage Collection (re-issue)
Photo Stolen First In Fragrance
Lorenzo Villoresi gives these featured accords:
Top: Peach, Pineapple, Magnolia, Osmanthus, tropical fruits
Heart: Rose, Passion fruit, Melon, Milk, Coconut, Jasmin
Base: Ylang Ylang, Tuberose, powdery notes, Vanilla, Chocolate, Musk
Tropicana, what a fun name for a fragrance, once you read the copy (below) you can see what a divine setting the Villoresi crew are trying to create with it.
From the Lorenzo Villoresi, Firenze site: Opulent trees, loaded with exotic and unknown fruits, touched by the warm rays of a tropical sun. Exuberant flowers of a thousand colours, beautiful to see and touch, sensual and enveloping, overflowing with intoxicating and mysterious fragrances. Countless palm trees bending in the wind, leaning towards the sea, cold juices and ice drinks, sweet and fruity, white like coconut and milk, under the infinite stars of the Southern Seas.
WOOOO fruit and osmanthus are bursting out the Tropicana gate and jasmine wends its way through all smelling much like the jasmine that used to grow on the fence at the side of the house, gorgeous!!! Ha Ha Ha! Fruit salad indeed and yummy. From all the fruits you would expect this to be a super sweet celebuscent-ish fragrance but it is remarkable cool and fruity with a dry back bite smoothed by lovely fat helpings of coconut and jasmine breathiness, wet melon freshly cut and a spicy rose that is more spice than rose really.
Photo Stolen Flickr
Ylang, musk and tuberose flow in under the rest and softly assert themselves in a VERY sensual way hefted up by vanilla, an amber-ish, honeycomb vanilla. Tropicana is very interesting and quite retro and the fruits stay well into dry down territory. There are shades of a flamboyant Femme by Rochas, a hint of the Bombay Bling by Neela Vermeire Creations and a “This is how you do it” to all the fruity frags that just aren’t as exotic, friendly, flirty, fun or ferocious as Tropicana. In fact there is a little of the Party In Manhattan madness prowling around in this fabulous frag.
I am loving Tropicana sick, what a stupendous fragrance. WOW!
Further reading: Now Smell This announces the line re-appearing Jan 2014
First In Fragrance has €100/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5/ml
Did you get to try these last time, or this time. What do you think of the Villoresi line? Is it you? Are there particular frags in the line I should go and try immediately?
Portia xx
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I wouldn’t say I’m a lover of fruity perfumes, but I do love HdP 1804 and Bombay Bling, so your review is fascinating me strangely. The only LV I’ve tried is Dilmun, which is absolutely lovely. If you like orange blossom in perfume, it’s well worth trying.
Thanks LaurelS,
One day I will sit down in a shop with the range and go through them all.
Portia xx
I’m not much into pineapple but the other notes are appealing and you make it sound interesting. It seems like a very bold fruity bomb but in a good way. This is probably a great summer scent.
Poodle,
I love pineapple. My family used to say, “Why put pineapple on Pizza?” and I always loved it there. I used to think, “Why put pineapple in perfume?” and now I know. Cause in this case it’s freaking delicious.
Portia xx
Pineapple on pizza is fabulous. Eating pineapple I’m totally into. I just don’t find it quite so appealing in perfume. I guess I haven’t sniffed the right ones.
YAY!! A pineapple on pizza fan. I am glad.
There has to be one note that troubles you. It might as well be pineapple.
What about Bombay Bling?
Portia xx
Howdy, Portia! I do love me some (well-done, high-quality) fruit, so must give this a whirl, It sounds divine — thanks!
Hi there Ann,
Surprisingly well done. I am quickly becoming a fruit in fragrance convert, after sneering for so long.
Portia xx
I may have the wrong house, but I their carnation scent is outstanding. I have it, but can’t recall the name at the moment. So very helpful, I know!
Not much into tropicals, but you do make this sound good.
HA HA HA! Best comment ever.
Portia xx
Garofano. Big scent. Capital big. Not for the meek. I like it and it has some loyals.
Bit of a scare as it was discontinued for a while.
Garofano is the carnation Elia?
Portia xx
I’ve never been a fan of fruity or citrus perfumes but have found that there are a few that do work for me. Most citrus offerings have the tendency to go sour on me. But I might have to give this one a go if the citrus smells candied because candied citrus does work for me.
Hi there Eldarwen22,
Lately I have discovered a till now unknown love for fruity frags. From citrus to stewed fruit, peach to fig and through to the berry section. Not too long ago I was all meh about that stuff. Interesting how tastes evolve, isn’t it?
Portia xx
Not tried this one, but I do like Villoresi, quite a lot.
Piper Nigrum is technically very good. Not personally my thing, but if I were looking for pepper centered it would be one on a short list.
Vetiver is awesome. I like the brutish open. It is a unique kick in the face!
Incensi is very nice because it’s dry. Spezie is one of the nicest herbal scents you’ll find.
Most wearable for me was the Musk. I used it as a date scent and I’d say it’s one of my very favourite musks. FBW list.
Hi Elia,
You have sampled the range. Thanks for the heads up. That’s 2 votes for the Musk, I think I definitely need to grab me some and get it on my skin.
Portia xx
I just got a sampler set of Villoresi scents! I’ve heard wonderful things about Musk, and I’m also getting samples of Sandalo, Vetiver, Yerbamatte, and Wild Lavender!
Hey ApolloC
Sounds like a great idea. I love trying whole lines together to get a real feel for the way a house perfumes. I hope you enjoy and come back to tell us which ones you loved.
Portia xx
I’m not much of a fruit scent gal, so Tropicana is not high on my “to-try-list”. But Villoresi scents are generally very well made. I have a love-hate relationship with Alamut which can be a bewitching floriental or a ghastly plastic scent, depending on stars, moon, hormones, weather and any active spellcasters in the neighborhood. But it’s Piper Nigrum I love. I love that searing, exhilarating opening blast of pepper and menthol, love the warmth that follows, the cozy drydown (bit like black pepper, actually, from searing blast to cozy warmth). In fact, I might just need a backup bottle of this extremely unusual scent!
Hey Dinazad.
Pepper and menthol, sounds amazing. I will seek it out.
Thanks for the tip
Portia xx
I keep wanting to love pineapple. I should love pineapple. But it’s a bit challenging for me. But you make this sound so yummy! xoxoxoA
HA! Musette,
I think you are allowed a note that you don’t like. This is yum but if you can’t stand pineapple you’ll probably chew your arms off.
Portia xx
Hi Poertia! This sounds wonderful – so exuberant and of course I want it now …….
Yes, exuberant is exactly the word JillieCat. Perfect.
Portia xx.
I have a bottle of Lorenzo Villoresi Teint de Neige on back order after trying a tester from Surrender to Chance some time ago – it’s a powder bomb for sure. I procrastinated about ordering a full bottle for about a year ….. finally took the plunge and now I am still waiting. Oh well.
I haven’t tried any of their other fragrances, and this one does sound yummy and almost edible.
LOL! Teinte de Neige actually ran me out of my own house!
HA HA HA! Musette, Why? Too much?
Portia xx
Heya Jennie,
All good things come to those who wait. Have you been in touch with the store? Could they have lost your order or misplaced it?
Portia xx
Good idea, thanks Portia.
this sounds amazing!! i wish to try it immediately.i was reading about colony by patou and something else i can’t remember and now i am wanting to smell pineapple notes..any suggestions for me?
Hope you don’t mind me butting in, but had to tell you that I love L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Ananas Fizz which is pineapple and pineapple and pineapple, with a smidgeon of a creamy sandalwood/coconut smelling base.
thanks for that jiLLiecat…feel free to suggest away…i will give it a smell in the city next week : )
Hey Flowergirlbee!
Try 1804 Histoires de Parfums and Creed Aventus. Both are very pineapple. Enjoy the search.
Portia xx