Salvatore Ferragamo (1998)
by Salvatore Ferragamo

I really do enjoy wearing Salvatore Ferragamo. It's certainly a different type of fragrance, not your typical fruity scent. It is much more complex than most other perfumes I've tried.

Firstly, I will review this fragrance by describing how it smells on paper and on my skin, because they both differ considerably.

On paper Salvatore Ferragamo begins as a soft, almost soapy and refreshing blend of grapefruit, green notes, black currant and bergamot. However on my skin the spices are much more prominent and I can clearly smell the pepper, coconut and anise.

The middle notes are so beautiful, flowery and sweet on both skin and paper. The rose note is delicate and fresh, while the spices mantain that unique balance in the opening. At this point I much prefer the fragrance when worn on the skin because it has much more 'oomph' and character than on paper.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is a very classy scent, which is a truly hard to find characteristic in most fruity fragrances these days.

Salvatore Ferragamo is sure to impress, captivate and be complimented this Summer, so I urge anyone to try this amazing scent.

4th June, 2011.

While I was working as a teacher, I received this as a gift from one of my students' mothers. I might never have chosen it for myself, because I would probably have judged it too old, or too wealthy for my then-broke 23-year-old self...though after wearing it once, I loved it, and decided it was worth getting in character for. I haven't worn many scents that were so suggestive of setting, but a spray of this in the springtime took me straight to a humid summer afternoon in the sunshine. It's warm, fruity, slightly floral, rich, woody...My EDP was, sadly, nicked out of the side pocket of a suitcase during travels in Southeast Asia, so I suppose the lesson here is that what fragrance fate giveth, fate also taketh away...

27th April, 2011.

A sharp black pepper top note introduces a fruity floral composition with plenty of neroli and soapy rose at its heart. The pepper and rose briefly echo Caron’s earlier Parfum Sacré, but Salvatore Ferragamo never develops Parfum Sacré’s incense-laden depth, happy instead to skim the brighter berry and flower scented surface waters. The effect is superficially cheerful, but well-orchestrated woody base notes and an unusually natural smelling fruit accord keep Salvatore Ferragamo from succumbing to the hair care product crassness that plagues so many entries in the fruity floral genre.

This scent’s refreshing sense of poise benefits from carefully modulated projection. Even some of the best fruity floral fragrances – including Badgley Mischka and Calyx – can feel overwhelming in their potency. Not so this one, which always hovers at a polite remove. While it may not dazzle with originality, Salvatore Ferragamo offers a degree of finesse rare in its family and is a recommendable fragrance for daily wear.

26th April, 2011.

In the beginning all I smell is pepper!!!! Pepper, pepper, pepper !!! The pepper smell lasts about ten minutes and then the green floral opens with the spiciness of wood and pepper. The green notes really pull through leaving a nice fresh scent (the green notes make this a very mild fragrance). I just love the way the notes change on my skin starting from the middle notes of pepper and florals, to the base notes of a woodsy/ spicy floral, to the top notes of a lovely green floral. The peony really stands out after 20-30 minutes and plays lovely with the Iris and the Rose (I personally do not like strong or harsh rose scents, the rose is very mild in this one). The florals finally pull through with the green leaves and a hint of musk leaving a beautiful clean floral scent. I cannot detect any almond notes in this even though it is listed above. I have had many compliments with this one. To me this is a sophisticated/ classy but very sexy fragrance....it's a keeper in my collection.

12nd January, 2009.

Catchy opening with the coconut and pepper joining with the citrus: It is unique and fresh and enjoyable because of the liquid richness of the coconut and the energy of the spicy pepper. And the opening lasts nicely. I don’t get any florals from the middle except maybe some spiciness from the carnation note. The rosewood comes through and provides even more background richness and depth to the fragrance. I love rosewood, so I am liking what I’m smelling… The base is a soft wood with the cedar (helped by the rosewood) predominating to my nose. I catch very little sweetness in the base. The pepper / carnation spice from the top remain a bit and lend an almost incense note to the base. Salvatorre Ferragamo is an enjoyable fragrance but it is seriously lacking in longevity.

23rd August, 2008.

This really is a delicious scent and I will also wear this a long time as I wear it well. The first person I smelled who had it on I wanted to choke to tell me what he was wearing (instead I just asked and he told me). I love this one and it's certainly worth buying and I usually can't stand fragrances with anise in them (didn't know it until today.

13rd April, 2008.