Rome 1963

Now this one, thankfully, I meshed with instantaneously. That isn't to say the other one's aren't fun to get to know, but sometimes it's good to come to a party and quickly make a friend, avoiding all the small talk. I think, in this fragrance's case, that the year in the title is just as, if not more, important than the city itself. Having never been to Rome, I have no idea of what it smells like - much less, what it smelt like in the 60s. However, I do know about Italian bergamot and I do know what scents of the 1960s smell like and honey, this is a modern vintage. As I first tried this, I was unravelling my initial thoughts to a friend. I couldn't quite get bergamot which is weird, but once he mentioned sicilian bergamot it all clicked. The bergamot perists all the way throughout, mixing perfectly with the fresh tobacco leaves giving it a real classical feeling. That's where the magic begins ... right from the start. It's a blast of tobacco, chocolate and bergamot. The one thing that perplexes me is... the tuberose. I've never smelt a tuberose scent like this in my life. When Sarah mentioned this to me when I said I love tuberose scents, I pounced without an ounce of hesitation. I'm glad I didn't because it's beautiful, but this isn't what I expected. It seems I really need to try more tuberose scents because the closest tuberose aroma I've smelt even close to this was in Carnal Flower and that's bizarre because the two aren't in any way comparable. When I wear this, I remember a movie I watched during my free time in high school. It was called 'Le Orme', or Footsteps on the Moon. The film was a bizarre thriller about a woman who has sleeping problems and constant dreams about a film she saw when she was a child. As she wakes up after what she believes is a four day nap, she discovers she went to an island city. Based in Italy, the architecture was something to behold. Filmed in 1972-1973, this scent sort of reminds me of it. Buying expensive clothing from a super exclusive Italian boutique, wandering around strange city streets and eventually into the woods to investigate a burnt down hut. The outfits, the buildings, the ever so Italian city structure... Rome, 1963. All in all, this is a truly magnificent scent that I'll definitely be buying a 100mL bottle of - probably my favourite of the Vintage Cities collection, except perhaps Dark Heart or New York... truly marvelous.

It's interesting that the previous reviewers smelled old hymn books. I can completely related to that. Rome 1963 smells old. Not like old perfume, but old like antiquity. It smells like slightly dusty books, which cling to a faint trace of tobacco. Of carved wooden shelves which have been carefully polished for hundreds of years. When I closed my eyes, at first sniff, I could be curled on an armchair inside an library at Cambridge or Oxford. Or one of the many beautiful church libraries around the world, tying in with previous comments. I also noticed, during the dry down, a slight touch of vanilla and anise. Not in the notes but they added beautifully to the overall feel. If curling up with a book is your idea of bliss, you'll love this.

I get old hymn books to but only after a couple of hours or so. Im usually wary of that very potent note tuberose but there's nothing to fear here. Yes there is an initial bergamot and tuberose hit but this quickly settles down. I can easily imagine wearing this on a summers evening to a barbie perhaps. The chocolate, patch, ylang ylang and tobacco combine beautifully to create a rich, stimulating, not heavy or cloying perhaps unique "woody" fragrance. Its quite lovely. Moderate sillage and good longevity. Definitely a winner!

I'm wearing Rome 1963 today in warm weather and loving it! To me there's always this little bit of darkness mixed in with the light in Sarah's scents that is unlike anything else. A touch of strange otherworldliness that is very enchanting indeed. It's not innocent white flowers, it has a bit of a gothic spell mixed into it and that is just the way I like it best.

Classic,chic and romantic... a chypre scent of great impact, shy and sophisticated. There is a delicacy behind hidden behind this fragrance,a feeling of elegance and luxury. Sarah always surprises me, this is a very nice parfume...! Sillage: 7./10 Longevity: 7.5/10 Scent: 8.5/10 Overall: 8.5/10