Reviews of Cielo
by Napa Valley Perfumes

Wow! Strong and vital, especially the fig notes – the fig about overwhelms everything else for a while, but that’s all right – it’s a luscious note, a little more floral and a little sweeter than a solo fig leaf note. In fact, the floral notes never seem to show up except mixed into the fig accord. To me this is very much of a fig scent, and one of the better ones I’ve tried. I like this fig note better than the one in Philosykos, even though the Philosykos fig note is more true to nature. On my skin, the honey accord in Cielo performs the same way the florals do – they show up only through the fig note. I do smell the grape leaf note wafting in and out of the mix. The smell of grape leaves act as a gourmand scent to me – grape leaf is food: dolmas. Cielo dries down to a gentle wood accord, just of murmur of the former strength it exhibited, but beautiful and long lasting. Basenotes lists Cielo as a feminine fragrance; with what I get out of it, I’m not so sure it isn’t unisex. Regardless, it’s a beautiful fragrance.

I took my middle son to Vermont for his 10th birthday, and over our "weekend away" I tested Cielo Napa Valley and came away enchanted. I have tested a number of Dawn Smith Hurwitz's other fragrances (she co-created this with another parfumier), but all of the others have had a base that goes so powdery on me, I cannot wear them. Cielo, however, is a delight. Sweet pea, fig and cassis, without a trace of powder. There is also Daphne odora, which I'm told includes jasmine notes, although generally that is the one scent I cannot abide, and this works fine for me. I adore this scent for spring, especially just before the leaves and snowdrops bloom.

An obvious fig opening soon gives way to a long-lived soapy heart and drydown. By comparison, Mathias L'Eau de Figue (discontinued) presents a fruity fig; Carthusia Io offers an attractive and interesting tea/fig aura; and Ginestet Le Boise provides a more creative interpretation of what Napa Valley represents. I can recommend those products, but not this one.

Cielo is a beautiful fragrance that smells exactly like the fresh air in Napa Valley. It transports my imagination to sunny days surrounded by green smells of vineyards, figs, gardens, and a warm breeze. It's slightly sweet, and the fig is almost secretive. In my opinion, this is a terribly underrated fragrance that should not be missed. It gets compliments every time I wear it.