I Profumi di Firenze - Dolce Amaro

What makes a perfume romantic? Is it all about the notes? Are roses more tender than jasmine? Or maybe it's all about vanilla? I don't know. Perfumes that I consider romantic are those that have special memories tied into them, such as Tiffany by Tiffany that I wore on the first date with The Blond, or my wedding and honeymoon fragrance, Panthere de Cartier. Basically, these are full-bodied florientals, a style which in my mind has become synonymous with romance.

It took me a while to figure out what Dolce Amaro by Il Profumi di Firenze is all about. The name was a bit misleading because Dolce Amaro means bittersweet, just like Douce Amere by Serge Lutens, a bigger and bolder spicy oriental. I had to sniff and resniff, lay my expectations aside and just go where the tender white flowers of Dolce Amaro were leading me. That place is an Italian garden, elegant and romantic as Firenze itself. There, in the hidden corner you can sit on a carved stone bench next to the blooming jasmine and feel the chill of the approaching storm. The day is fading and the shadows are longer. You're waiting; will he comes while there's still time?

Dolce Amaro dries down into a sweet musk.This 2008 I Profumi di Firenze fragrance is opaque and a bit milky. It goes from white flowers to a white musk, reminding me of a delicate white lace shawl. The crocheted material doesn't keep the chill away, but it's so pretty and offers comforts exactly when you need it most.

Notes: Neroli, Bergamot, Damascus rose, Passion Flower, Lily of the Valley, Jasmine, Vetiver, Vanilla, White Musk.

I Profumi di Firenze - Dolce Amaro ($99, 50ml EDP) is available from beautyhabit.com.

Photo:  Early Spring on a misty afternoon at the Giardino dei Semplici, Florence, by Rita Crane, 2007.