Cologne à l'Italienne
by Institut Tres Bien

Institut Très Bien’s Cologne à L'Italienne is a wonderfully executed eau de cologne that comes in nearer the masculine end of the cologne spectrum. I am not sure if the petitgrain note was playing tricks on me but I could almost swear that I got a coffee note from it, in fact, the kind of the scent you get in Italy when your espresso comes with a peel of fresh lemon rind. Whatever it is, L'Italienne is unquestionably glamorous and conjured up thoughts of having my first cup of espresso at a cafe in Rome seated next to a well groomed, handsome Italian man. More seriously, if you like Parfums de Nicolai's Balle de Match or Patou’s Eau de Patou, you would like Italienne very much. As point of comparison, its sister Cologne à la Francaise is much more subtle and feminine.

Here are the notes courtesy of The Perfumed Court: lemon, bitter orange, citron, orange flowers, rosemary, neroli, iris, petitgrain and benzoin.