1881 pour Femme (1995)
by Cerruti

Oh Lordy, how I love this one - I wear it to work a lot but it works just as well (for me) in the evening. Must be the violet/freesia/sandlewood/musk combo that just does it for me. To me, 1881 is strong but subtle if that makes any sense, it has a very defined personality, one that doesn't need to yell to be heard - and won't be pushed around, either. One to two sprays is enough on me, usually behind the ears which warms it up nicely and leaves a soft trail. A beautiful, underrated classic in my humble opinion, sexy!

12nd August, 2011.

Cerruti 1881 pour femme (edt) has an addictive quality, and the more I wear it, the more I like it. Clean and fresh without being aquatic (thank goodness...), this composition is lightly floral and woody with a touch of soapiness. Honestly, I just think that this stuff smells swell. Is it profound? No. Will it inspire the wearer to aspire to new creative heights? Probably not. Is it an eminently wearable all-occasion fragrance? Yes. Also holds up very well in the heat and is perfect for summertime: as it wafts off the body it smells even better than it does close to the skin.

In the interest of truth in reviewing, I should confess here that I am a certified violet-'ho', which may help to explain my enthusiasm for this creation. I also love ambrette, though I cannot claim to be able to tease it out here as an individual note. In its violet-woodiness, 1881 seems to me in some ways similar to Creed LOVE IN BLACK. My only complaint is that the longevity of 1881 is rather poor. In an attempt to address this problem, I acquired a bottle of Cerruti 1881 collection edp, thinking that it was a stronger version of 1881, but it is a completely different composition--also nice, but not the same.

6th July, 2011. (Last Edited: 10th July, 2011.)

I love 1881 for it's sharp Freesia, almost detergent beginning. The Freesia steps, ever so defiantly, into the background like a woman wearing vivid, vivacious red dress to a funeral. Freesia, of whom I am not, normally, a great fan, is joined in the middle by three equally intense friends, Geranium, Jasmine, and Chamomile. Surprisingly, they blend very well as the Rosewood, Sandalwood, and Musk keep them grounded. 1881 is not for the fragrance wearer who does not want to be noticed. I find it to be the perfect fragrance for a long summer evening. That is when I am most grateful for it's fresh sharp intensity and longevity.

6th April, 2010.

Citrus and green opening – quite sharp and not clear enough to be interesting. So I decide to wait… to pay attention to catch what it does as it develops. But it doesn’t really travel very far. The sharpness is reduced somewhat except for the violet note in the bouquet, but the fragrance retains its aggressive, sharp, unrefined character through its whole movement on my skin. The florals of the heart take over after the opening backs off a bit, but the fragrance hasn’t softened enough IMO. It never does soften to the point where I can respect it.

This doesn’t strike me as a very discriminating fragrance: it’s rather rough. The accords are sharply characterless.

21st October, 2009.

I can pick out the rose and musk most of all, possibly because I am most familiar with them. 1881 is very fresh and clean but with a "lightly scented laundry detergent" feel to it. Not that that notion is bad, mind you. Everyone loves to have fresh, clean sheets right out of the dryer. Instead of your skin, wear it on your clothes and1881 Femme will bolster your clean laundry into a vibrant freshness for the whole day.

24th April, 2009.

It's very clean, like line dried cotton, distictly floral and feminine, but not too sweet. My skin enhances she orage flower and the musk, making it even fresher and cleaner, almost evanescent. It shares the clean feeling with White Linen, but is lighter and more elegant. It's distinctive and recognizable, like sexy Chanel n°5 or aggressive Poison, but in a harmelss, quiet and ladylike way, that reminds me of L'air du temps, because of the geranium note. I used to wear it at work, expecially in the summer.

26th August, 2008.