Lorenzo Villoresi Donna (1994)
by Lorenzo Villoresi

My life as a perfume aware person (though not yet an addict at that stage) started with the floral scents; since then i moved into incense/spices/leather/wood direction, however i still feel like good floral scents from time to time. to find a good floral scent is not that easy though; more often than not floral perfumes get spoiled by some ridiculous 'femininity-enhancing' godawful supersweet/cloying notes. this perfume is one of rare exceptions - on my skin it smells just as i want it, both floral and fresh. i get this 'green rose', natural scent of rose, not a rosejam. donna makes me think of may (though roses do not blossom then yet), just because it is already summery, but still fresh. love it! i am really happy with how it smells on me and i wouldn't mind having a bottle of that in my collection.

3rd December, 2011.

Lorenzo Villoresi’s scents often open in a state of disarray, with discordant top notes jostling one another in an awkward scramble toward a coherent central structure. Not so Donna, which launches on a simple arrangement of bright lemon and rose, and alters very little as it goes. Some sharp, waxy, aldehydes and mildly bitter green notes season Donna’s heart, but they are very much subordinate to the central rose. The rose in question is clean, crisp, and soapy, rather than fruity, liqueur-like, or indolic/animalic. Perhaps due to its stark presentation, its potency, and its aldehydic accompaniment, it’s unfortunately also a bit cold and chemical in character.

Villoresi’s Donna is indeed both potent and lasting, and offers generous sillage even with modest application. It stays its linear course hour upon hour, fading more than evolving, with a drydown that’s really just a quieter expression of soapy smelling rose. Rose-lovers, male or female, may find much to like here, but the competition in this particular vein is formidable. For a crisp, literal, and straightforward rose, I’d sooner turn to Serge Lutens’s Sa Majesté la Rose. At a similar price and more readily available, the Lutens feels more nuanced, rounded and alive than Donna.

3rd May, 2010.

I agree with jcasanov that this one really depends on chemistry. Donna smells like a refreshing floral-rose garden fragrance on me in the summertime when the weather is very hot and humid. It's a great womanly floral if it works. The dry down is a spectacularly soft and powdery. This one definitely should be tested before buying.

4th December, 2008.

Really enjoy the roses in the opening which are light and dewy with a hint of sweetness. The drydown does get powdery but not heavily so. Narcissus is apparent at the base, which is woooooonderful.

6th November, 2008.

This is the fourth Villoresi scent I have tried and it is the most impressive thus far. Although designed for women, it is an excellent rose scent for males in that it is not sweet, but rich, heavy, dark and romantic.

The top notes involve to roses, the rich Bulgarian Rose and the lighter Rose de Mai. Added to these are Coriander, Blackcurrant, Carnation and Rosewood.

Middle notes are jasmin, Iris Root, Ylang Ylang, Violet leaves, Cyclamen, Lilac and Geranium.

Base notes are Sandalwood, Musk and Narcissus.

For me the only scents I detect are the full, rich, dark and sensual Bulgarian Rose and a light carnation.

I am very impressed with this daring scent and recommend it to all men seeking a masculine rose scent.

10th December, 2007.

It really depends upon your chemistry. For some reason this is an absoultely amazing sent on me. This leaves a base note of powder, rose & sandalwood. I couldn't keep my husband away!

9th November, 2007.