BDK
VILLA NÉROLI
2022
PERFUMER
Alexandra Carlin
Neroli
Petitgrain
Lemon
Orange Blossom
Bulgarian Rose
Ambroxan
Vetiver
Cashmeran
Bourbon Vanilla
Labdanum
Patchouli
Moss
Straight away I get an interesting experience with Villa Néroli. The first thing that hit my nose was vanilla and for a moment I was a bit afraid that this would go way too sweet for a Summer fragrance. However, within seconds a more floral tinge takes over. It’s lemony and a bit green, but mostly very floral, which I see as a plus. Compared to the standard style of the Tom Ford Neroli Portofino or my Bvlgari Wood Neroli, this feels simultaneously more floral and more vanillic; perhaps less citric.
The neroli itself has that nice soapy quality (that some people love and some people don’t). I think it’s probably the petitgrain that adds most of the green touches; it’s almost like a green woody stem more so than petals for that aspect. The floral aspect is heavily supported by orange blossom and in the drydown the orange blossom is about as prominent for me as the neroli is. As far as the quality of the neroli and the orange blossom, this feels up there with the best I’ve come across. It’s smooth and silky soft.
The base however, does retain that vanillic, ambery sweetness. It lends the performance a helping hand, but it makes for a rather sweet and thick wear in high heat. I don’t think Villa Néroli is necessarily a replacement for the cleanest, brightest neroli scents and more so a slightly more sensual, more versatile, more Summer night appropriate take on the DNA. I could also see more women gravitate towards this release.
Villa Néroli is up there with the best neroli fragrances, but you must like a dose of vanilla to fall in love with it. Although I still feel like cheaper options have a hard to beat value proposition in this style, BDK’s pricing is not bad.