Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.
A Florentine perfumer, Lorenzo Villoresi, officially opened his house in 1990, with the line currently including 15 fragrances. Created in 1995, Garofano contains lavender, green notes, floral notes, carnation, jasmine, rose, vanilla, heliotrope and musk. However, my initial impression of Garofano was of bright orange slices of melon dripping with honeyed juices. Soon the melon vision fades and the red rose blossoms out of the heart followed by jasmine and carnation. The rose is rather strong at first however it softens considerably and soon peppery carnation paired with exotic lushness of jasmine starts to sparkle. It remains clear and true carnation without powderiness until it is joined in the base by vanillic and buttery sweetness. Carnation becomes thickly overlaid by decadent musky notes. Heavy richness of the base clouds the wonderful sting of carnation, which is what I loved about this fragrance the most. If this fragrance had color and voice, it would be bright orange-red, and it would sing “La Donna Mobile” aria from Rigoletto.
12 Comments
mreenymo: Woman, you make me want to run out in the street and scream, “Where can I get a bottle of LV Garofano???…NOW!”
Your description of this fragrance (and most others that you have reviewed) are so powerful and well-written, if I had a dollar for every time I said to myself, “Hmmm…I need to buy that one,” I would be broke by now. :):)
Hugs and love! June 22, 2005 at 11:25am
Robin: Echoing L & M: lovely description, V, for a lovely fragrance. Like L, I haven’t tried it in some time and should do so again. June 22, 2005 at 11:33am
LaureAnne: I haven’t tried this in a couple of years, but I remember feeling overpowered by it. Of course, I was a tender, toddler nose back then. I’m quite the sophisticated nez now. Lovely writing, chere V. June 22, 2005 at 9:37am
Victoria: L,R and R, I am flattered by your comments. Garofano is something carnation lovers must sample, although I am not sure how well its musky base develops on my skin. I used to have a bottle and wore it during New Haven winters. It worked then. June 22, 2005 at 1:43pm
Diane: Hello dear! I must say that I thank the gods that I didn’t get the melon impression (although it is a lovely one) because I dislike melon in fragrance. But I can see what you mean — it’s some kind of fleshy fruit scent in the very top notes. Like you, what I most like about this is how peppery and spicy the carnation is rendered. It makes for a really zesty and alive floral. It gets a hint too rich and musky for me, which is why I had planned on retesting it come fall/winter. Definitely an interesting one though. xoxo~~~ June 22, 2005 at 4:18pm
Victoria: Dear D,
I think that when I say melon and what most people mean by melon are slightly different things. I should be careful. I know the melon you mean, and I tend to dislike it as well. The fruit in Garofano is just a rich honeyed sweetness, none of that ozonic/cucumbery element that most typical melon notes have. I would agree that Garofano is better for the cooler months, since summer does not agree with its sweetness for me. xoxo June 22, 2005 at 9:19pm
Susanna: This is my favorite scent of all time. That dewey-fruity scent you are picking up is indeed a honey and heliotrope. It is luscious, green and so earthy. I love it. Sexy, clean, feminine with a hint of mystery. That is how I want to smell. July 26, 2005 at 10:52pm
Paola: Beautiful…😃 I love Garofano, too. 🙂 January 26, 2019 at 10:23am
biagio: garofano is simply delightful ,i loved this scent since the first smell,congratulations for your reviews ,that are always embossed with a touch of love that characterize just the only ones who really love perfumery’s world January 30, 2006 at 9:13am
BoisdeJasmin: Biagio, thank you for your nice compliments on my writing. I am glad that you are enjoying my reviews. January 30, 2006 at 10:42pm
Lynne Tyson: Thank you so much. So many fragrances smell like a chemical mishmosh on me and give me a headache to boot. I read your review and gambled on a small bottle. It`s wonderful. May 9, 2006 at 12:28am
BoisdeJasmin: Lynne, I am glad to hear that this was a successful purchase! Enjoy it! May 9, 2006 at 2:03pm