ALTAIA — and a Giveaway

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Anita and I are co-reviewing the ALTAIA line today (stands for A Long Time Ago In Argentina).  The samples came from Paula at Beautyhabit (full disclosure); a quick perusal of their literature indicates that they’re the folks behind Eau d’Italie. There’s also some charming backstory about how the current perfumers (husband and wife) met and married, and then found out their families had been connected several generations before.

By Any Other Name – bergamot, litchi, rose, peony, osmanthus, cedarwood, musk.

March says: speaking of charming. It’s a zesty, slightly fruity rose that reminds me a bit of Ines de La Fressange (the original). It feels very diffuse and young to me, so I feel a bit silly wearing it. I’m also not the queen o’ roses as you know, and/but this is very pretty. It makes me think of pale pink silk.

Anita says: the drydown on this is adorable – and I mean that in the absolutely nicest way. March hit the nail right on the head with the reference to pale pink silk. This is a garden party in a formal rose garden – and two young people have just met …and are thinking about falling in love.

Don’t Cry for Me – jasmine tea, freesia, cherry flower, heliotrope, vegetal amber, cashmere wood, ambrette seeds.

Anita says: of the three, this is my heartsong. It’s a cozy-ish scent, with a bit of a zing – the heliotrope is crisp enough to keep you intrigued while the cashmere woods and ambrette seeds wrap you in a cozy nest.

March says: a powdery vegetal musk kinda along the lines of Kiehl’s Musk EDT, and I think I’d like this a lot better if it weren’t 85 degrees right now.

Yu Son – mandarine, green tea, orange blossom absolute, iris, vegetal amber, gaiac wood.

March says: unsurprisingly, this is the winner for me. I love the tea-and-citrus top notes, which you’d think is going to turn into a cologne but is instead followed by a smooth, slightly bready essence of iris and amber. It’s the quietest whisper of a woody drydown but there’s something complex and complete about it, even at that stage, that I love. I would wear this happily during the summer months.

Anita says: I love the crispness of the citrus and tea top notes and would happily keep it there because I haz a Lazy Nose – but the iris and amber force me to grow the hell up and allow it to develop into a more complex and interesting scent – and, Lazy Nose aside, I am glad of it. The top notes don’t entirely fade away, with the tea providing a lovely, cool platform for that iris.

The ALTAIA line is available from Beautyhabit ($210 for 100 ml) or the Eau d’Italie website itself for 175 euros.

Today – a giveaway! We have two sample sets; please put your name in comments and say you’d like to be in the draw, and Anita will pick two winners.

 

  • Claudia says:

    Thank you for the draw!

  • Nic says:

    Sounds lovely.please enter me in the giveaway

  • LynneMarie says:

    I would love to be in the draw as I enjoy trying new scents. Thanks!

  • Nemo says:

    I’d love to be included in the drawing. These sound lovely 🙂 Thank you!

  • Solntse says:

    Yu Son sounds really interesting. Does it have the zesty bitter citrus note ?

    Hoping I am not too late to enter the draw, I would like to be a part of it.

  • samberg says:

    These sound right up my alley, please include me in the sample set drawing. Thanks!

  • tomate farcie says:

    Hope I’m not too late, count me in please

  • Yu Son sounds like something I must try. or buy. Try first. Please count me in on the drawing.

  • greennote2 says:

    the Yu Son does sound rather delectable. I’m lusting after some Eau d’Italie, so I may have to add these Altaia to the to smell list.

  • Anything with iris in it grabs my attention! I’d love to be included in the draw 🙂

  • jackie b says:

    Something new! Please enter me in the draw, thanks!

  • Cecilia says:

    What a wonderful giveaway. Please enter me in the drawing. Thanks.

  • civet says:

    I’d love to be in the draw. Thanks!

  • pats133 says:

    Thank you for the chance, i would love to be entered into the draw. Cheers!

  • Please enter me in the draw. Thank you!

  • Ellen says:

    Please enter me in the draw.

  • maggiecat says:

    Oh, pick me, pick me! Love Eau d’Italie, can’t wait to get my hands on these!

  • Marianna says:

    This sounds interesting. Please sign me up

  • Ingeborg says:

    I would like to be entered in the draw. Yu Son sounds lovely and I wonder if Don’t Cry for Me would work on my skin. The bottle has a good design too, always a plus! I wonder if these perfumes are easily available in some of the major cities in Europe?

  • PJ says:

    Please put my name in the drawing. These sound wonderful. Thank you.

  • Sun Mi says:

    Ooh, I’d love to try these! I’m particularly interested in Yu Son – always love a good tea scent. Thanks for the reviews!

  • Maureen says:

    The Yu Son sounds lovely, and I would love to try all of these fragrances. Please enter me into the drawing…Thanks.

  • Erika says:

    Please enter me into the drawing. Thank you!

  • Audrey H. says:

    I’d love to be in the drawing, thanks.

  • Josephine says:

    I’d like to be in the drawing

  • I would love to be in the drawing!

  • Rosana Menez says:

    Loved it, amazing!

  • HeidiC says:

    Yes, ma’am! Thank you, Anita & March!

  • Queen Cupcake says:

    I like the Eau d’Italie fragrances so much! I would like to be in this draw. March: 85 degrees!? I am not ready for that kind of warmth yet. Today our New England Spring is going to do rain and temps in the low 40s…where oh where is that happy medium?

  • AnnieA says:

    Pretty bottles! Ah, one day maybe I can get the faintest idea of what a perfume smells like when reading the notes.

  • Sapphire. says:

    By Any Other Name and Yu Son sound charming. Please enter me!

  • Kandice says:

    The second two sound lovely. Please enter me in the draw, and thanks for the opportunity to try them!

  • Ann says:

    Woo-hoo — we get March AND Anita today — yay!! These all sound great, especially the tea one. Thanks for the nice reviews, lovely ladies! Of course, DNEM.

  • Patty Pong says:

    In plz 🙂

  • Lemoncake says:

    Love the unique perspectives each of you had in the review….would love to try them out myself. Thank you for the draw!

  • Bridget Boyd says:

    Ohhhh, the Yu Son sounds so beautiful! Thank you for your wonderful descriptions and the draw!

  • Dina C. says:

    Yu Son sounds so good, and I’ve always enjoyed Eau D’Italie’s line, so I’m eager to try these newbies out. Thanks for the drawing March and Anita!

  • bevfred says:

    This sounds very interesting. I’d like to be in the drawing as well.

  • Peggy says:

    So love the name of the line! Please enter me in the drawing. Thanks

  • Seb says:

    These sound nice. I’d like to be in the draw. Sebastian

  • poodle says:

    Who doesn’t want o try something new? I’d love to be in this draw. Thanks.

  • Koyel says:

    Please enter me in the drawing! All three sound marvelous. It’s hard to pick a favorite without sniffing them. Also, that story is super-cute. Thanks for the review!

  • Sarah says:

    Just awakened by a nightmare about one of my sons and here you two have “Yu Son” pictured front and center on my “posse”!
    Must be fate???? Please enter me in the draw.

  • Theash says:

    I would like to be in the draw. Thank you 🙂

  • Neva says:

    Thanks for the lovely review. I’d really love to be in the draw.

  • Tiffanie says:

    ALTAIA and their story are utterly charming. It warms my heart. Thank you for the reviews and for the draw. Please count me in.

  • flowergirlbee! says:

    these notes sounds really nice..i would like to be in the draw..thanks : )

  • Alica says:

    please enter me in the drawing, many thanks!

  • tandaina says:

    Would love to be in the drawing, they sound really intriguing!

  • lena says:

    Please enter me, too! Thank you 🙂

  • 1) I love Eau de Italie!
    2) I wanna be in the drawing! 🙂

  • Das says:

    It’s been a while since I tried a great niche line (my hobby funds have been going to skincare and makeup lately), so I’d love the chance to win. Thank you for the opportunity!

  • eldarwen22 says:

    I would love to be in the drawing.

  • Jessica says:

    I’m Jessica and I would love to be entered in the drawing for one of these lovely sample sets!

  • Troy Bradbery says:

    I’d like to be in the drawing.