WHAT I SMELL: Victoria opens with a sparkling and warmed pettigrain which is quickly met with a bubblegummed pink lychee that becomes a bit chewy with the addition of a rich and rounded tuberose. The perfume radiates wonderfully in this semi-sweet fashion with the thickened and creamy tuberose at the forefront along with a soft rose which helps to even out any of the strong facets associated with tuberose. After some time, the perfume begins to quiet and the florals seem to float above your skin. Underneath, there’s a slight projection that smells rather like cocoa, but only in the faintest of ways. The perfume continues to slowly soften with a quiet and seemingly powdered oud settling underneath the creamy florals adding for a lightly earthy dimension. What I really love about Victoria is that it’s rather tropical in nature without succumbing to being loud or garish and it wears wonderfully smooth without any sharp edges. Victoria is a beauty that is secure in its femininity without having to overcompensate on being girlish.
From the Frassaï website:
Victoria is inspired by Argentine essayist and editor Victoria Ocampo. Victoria was a patron of the arts and the first woman to be admitted to the Argentine Academy of Letters (1976). She was “the quintessential Argentine woman” according to famed Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges. Her circle included some of the most relevant artists and intellectuals of the twentieth century.
VICTORIA is a fragrance of depth and sophisticated strength, a bold contrast between creamy tuberose and opulent oud.
Notes:
Top: Petitgrain, Litsea Cubeba, Pink Lychee Jungle EssenceTM
Heart: Tuberose Absolute, Styrax, Morning Rose
Base: Oud, Patchouli, Olibanum, Castoreum
Victoria Ocampo (Anselmo Miguel Nieto, 1922)
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: I’ll stick with the perfumer’s inspiration, Victoria Ocampo. The following is a link to a Vogue Mexico overview on the life of Victoria Ocampo (article in Spanish).
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE VICTORIA: serene, sublime, secure
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT VICTORIA: None found.
BOTTOM LINE: I would say that Victoria is one of the best perfumes in the Frassaï collection; and that’s saying a lot since they are all fantastic in their own right. Here, Victoria is wonderfully feminine without being overtly so and the tuberose is perfectly controlled and contained. There’s also tropical feel to the perfume that manages to live on the edge of the tropics which makes it more approachable. To me, Victoria is absolutely divine.
- Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Floral Woody Musk
- Nose: Irina Burlakova
- Classification: Leans feminine, but easily unisex.
- Expense: $190 for 50 ml. eau de parfum. Also available in 7.5 ml travel size for $47. Pre-orders available on a limited run of 500 bottles via the Frassaï website.
Sample courtesy of Frassaï. Opinion my own.
The Scented Hound 