WHAT I SMELL:   Desiria opens with a soft and beautifully haunting magnolia that’s sheer, light and airy.  It also feels as if it’s been infused with puffs of cotton as it’s warmed with a light ambered hue.  As the perfume slowly exhales like a deep breath off the skin, a rounded rose quietly comes to the forefront as if a magic wand had been handed over from the magnolia to the rose.  The rose is lightly sweetened, but for the most part, it stays mysteriously wrapped up in the sheer cotton just like the magnolia was.  Here the perfume remains, projecting nicely but with an ethereal persona.  Desiria isn’t complicated, but she’s sheer magic.

From the Bvlgari Mexican website (in Spanish):

A journey through the lush royal gardens of the Tang Empire The soul of this alluring fragrance is mauve jade, a unique and exuberant gemstone with luminous grace and seduction. Meaning desire, Desiria expresses eternal love and passion through mauve jade, a gem as vivid and sensual as the lush spring flowers of a Chinese imperial garden. A voluptuous and captivating Eau de Parfum, the scent of an imagined Chinese garden.

Notes: Magnolia Essential Oil, Rose Petal Absolute, Musks

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Rose colored feathers.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE DESIRIA:  soft, comforting, haunting

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT DESIRIA:  No reviews found.

BOTTOM LINE:  I ran into this little beauty in Cancun last week.  This very nice establishment had a rather large collection of perfumes by Bvlgari with many from the Le Gemme collection.  I picked up a perfume with a purple top that is part of their men’s line and spritzed on a card.  The sales assistant told me that it was Desiria.  I told her how nice it was but that I was surprised how soft it was for a perfume for men.   Of course, not needing another perfume in my collection, I did what every perfumista does…I asked for a sample.  When I got back home, I looked up the perfume on the Bvlgari website.  Interestingly, it can’t be found on the US site, but it is available on the Bvlgari Mexican site (for international sales only?).  I also found that there is Desiria for women (pictured up at top) and Desiria for men (see bottle to the left).  In looking at the website copy it appears to be the same, but the notes are slightly different (but I do think it’s the same perfume).  What is crazy is that the 100 ml for women is approximately $440 and the 100 ml for the men’s version is approximately $500.   In any case, if anyone knows if they are the same I would love to know.  And as much as this is a beautiful perfume, it does not justify anywhere near the price they are asking.  I am so confused!

• Bone Rating:  4 out of possible 5 bones
• Scent:  Floral Rose
• Classification: Unisex
• Expense: Approximately $440 for 100 ml eau de parfum.