WHAT I SMELL: Atacama opens with warmed saline infused earth that feels unmeasured in its vastness. It’s serene right from the beginning with just the perfect mix of dew and salt. Slowly, a mix of florals enters to add an additional measure of softness along with just a hint of caramel buttered creaminess. The perfume retains its salt of the earth feel as it begins to grow with an woodiness that can only be described as remnants left by a hard rain on the ocean mixed with the driftwood that has been swept up on the shore surrounded by flowers glistening in the sun. In the end, Atacama is soft and beautiful lightly salty and sweetened uniquely personal perfume.
From the Atlaia website:
True love waits: in South America lies Atacama, the highest desert on earth, a majestic extension of salt and sands which changes colour according to the seasons. Rain is scarce but it just takes a few drops to awaken the seeds which abide underground and turn it pink with flowers. A beautiful metaphor for Love patiently awaiting the kiss that kindles it.
Notes: Salt Grains, Freesia, Jasmine, Clary Sage, Tonka Bean, Cashmere Wood
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Sun kissed pink salty sand that’s been touched by the rain.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ATACAMA: fresh, personal, infinite
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ATACAMA: Colognoisseur
BOTTOM LINE: Atacama is a hard perfume for me to put into words. It changes and morphs depending on the heat and humidity of the day. At times it gravitates towards the sea and the salt and at other times is moves towards the light florals. But in any shape or form, Atacama is a beautifully executed perfume that is easy to wear. And as an added bonus, the bottle and packaging are gorgeous.
- Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
- Nose: Fabrice Pellegrin
- Classification: Unisex
- Expense: $230 for 100 ml eau de parfum at Beautyhabit.
Sample provided by Beautyhabit.
WHAT I SMELL: Lucienne’s opening is fresh with a light and airy citrus which moves quickly to a aqua magnolia that is framed by a starched and clean linen. The perfume starts off light and then seems to rapidly intensify while retaining its freshness. There’s a familiarity to the perfume that I can’t pinpoint, but there is something that reminds me of the way new clothes smell in an upscale store. Continuing on, the floral turn towards the “bathtastic” with all of the familiar scents that linger after a bubble bath has been taken…along with the slight humidity. Here the perfume is even more familiar as it takes me back to the 1970s and the smell of bathroom beads, bubble bath and shampoo. Lucienne is lovely in that it feels like an easy to wear old friend.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A well designed bathroom of yesteryear.
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.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Rose colored feathers.
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!
The Scented Hound 