Illusione for Her

I first became acquainted with this sent years ago when I bought a dupe from Zara called New York. I tried it because the name seemed intriguing at the time. I wondered how one would begin to bottle New York. There wasn't a drop left in less than a year, it smelled like a state of mind and I'm not a fan of photorealistic scents because I'm not that crazy about reality so I would prefer to escape it as much as possible. So let me share the story: imagine a rainy day in a major city, in November, you're in a hurry to get to work, to get to a bar to meet your friends, to go to an art gallery where someone you know organized their first ever exhibit. You have hundreds of options every day, your life is ahead of you and all you have to do is decide how to spend it. It's not New York necessarily, it's anywhere major where you have everything you could possibly want in your own city. And it's also the loneliness and isolation of the crowd, and nights of self reflection watching the lights of the city, when you have the luxury of being alone with others. It took me years to find the original, I had lost hope really, until one day I accidentally stumbled upon Illusione and it all came rushing back. I think the name does a disservice to this perfume. New York was better. On to the actual notes: (on me) it opens with a fine blend of bergamot and greenery, while the woody notes hang in the back and as it dries down, the wood moves to the forefront, blending with the green notes, mature leaves and tree bark, supported by the citrus and the slightest hint of bergamot. This scent is a light touch, it's slick and sophisticated, present but no intrusive, truly an urban animal. If you enjoy more insistent and overwhelming scents, you will be disappointed. It's fantastic if you live in an area where people prefer discreet perfumes. Performance: I tested Illusione on 1 wrist, Barenia on the other. Same performance, same sillange, 8 hours later, both there, same intensity, because I read people were worried.

Illusione is a beautiful chameleon of a scent. Every time I smell it, a different note dominates the fragrance: The fig leaf, black currant or orange blossom or a combination of them. It's fruity, floral, fresh, green, fluffy, slightly sweet and sometimes even woody. I think this is perfect when you want something summery that is neither a fruit cocktail, nor a simple cologne, but somewhere in between those. The black currant and bergamot are juicy and sparkling, and combined with the green fig leaf the whole scent also smells like fresh figs. I really enjoy fig scents that are more on the fruity side and not completely green and milky, just a little bit. The blend of orange blossom and tonka, which is soft, creamy and reminiscent of almonds here, makes me think of marshmallows without turning into gourmand territory. At first I found Illusione a little undefined and wasn't impressed, but after a few tries it grew on me so much. It changes dependent on the weather and developes from fresh to warm on my skin. The name is very fitting for this shimmering scent that shows you different facets so you can't be quite sure what it really is.

I get more of green ‘neroli blossom’ rather than orange blossom, then faint hazy fig, and a little bit of petitgrain. And I’m glad that black currant doesn’t make it too fruity in this one. Illusione is more aromatic floral than green. It’s quite cold and airy rather than warm, so it works all year round, not just in summer. A bit soapy and aquatic, I get very light jasmine and even lotus petal mixed in, in the drydown – this phase is so beautiful! Also, wouldn’t say it’s naturalistic, even though it’s not tarty, as it’s got a bit of designer edge like the upvoted Ange Ou Demon Le Secret. However, in terms of how it projects, I get a lot of cloudy and very airy sillage like Elie Saab; perhaps this quality is from IsoE not mentioned. I really enjoy wearing this (sample) – it gives that zen-ness and relaxation without being too meditative as though I'm sat in a serene oriental pavilion next to flower bushes near a lake covered with lotus flowers while watching a waterfall (holding a Bottega Veneta clutch, maybe??).

I just bought this perfume today. It's very fresh and on my skin it smells floral, fresh, orange blossom, a little bit like grass and woody after a while. I'm no expert but i would say it is quite unique and it smells expensive. I don't think it will give you headaches because it's very fresh. I think this one might be my main perfume for a while. It's nothing very special but I could see myself wearing it every day in this summer. I think it might be a compliment getter. The smell is definitely pleasant. However, I' not sure if it will last long or if people will smell it. It's not weak but I don't know how long it will last. I'm glad I bought it. Very elegant and fresh! My description for this perfume would be: dinner at a fancy terrace + near the ocean + there are some trees, plants nearby + in the summer - maybe in Greece Works perfectly on a younger person + it's for every gender (every perfume should actually be unisex:))

Unique, lovely and criminally underrated! This is a scent that is very true to the notes listed - what you read there is pretty much what you get! I can detect every note of the list in quite similar intensity - yet I find this to be masterfully blended and harmonious. Illusione is a semi-sweet juicy green fruity-floral without any harsh edges. It‘s a fresh perfume without pulling overly citrusy, aquatic or sharp - it does have a green-bitter aspect formed by the fig leaf and the olive tree, though. The tonkabean provides a little bit of sweetness and ties everything together to a beautiful fresh, but very feminine scent. The besaid juiciness from the bergamot and black currant is almost mouth-watering; combined with the tonka I feel like that‘s what draws people in. The bitter, sort of herbal notes create a nice refreshing twist. Illusione feels sophisticated and natural, fresh and put-together, happy and energetic. A keeper.

Elegant and sensual! I took a risk on a blind buy based on my love for the original BV for women. Not a Knot fan, though. Hope that helps if you're not sure about Illusione. I think the name is apt, as this is a light, transparent scent that goes on like a veil and implies (rather than shouts) beauty and good taste. I don't detect any single note, but in total I would agree with the listed components. The feel is lightly green and woody, with a subtle dark berry and fig. Absolutely captivating. Perfect for every day, especially as the weather gets warmer, destined to be a "go-to" everyday reach in the morning. Wish it lasted longer before becoming only a skin scent -- wish it were available in a purse spray so that I could re-apply at work in the afternoon. Just bought an extra, discounted bottle online since it looks like this isn't selling too well at the department stores in the U.S. and worried it may become hard to find.

I was immediately captured by this beautiful and unique fragrance, soft, sexy and sophisticated. It doesn’t remind me of anything I smelled in the past few years, certainly it’s very different from the trends of either green or oud or patchouly or rose fragrances I seem to smell a lot these days. It is also very different from the previous BV creations, which I had and loved very much. The opening is a sweet fig leaf, followed by the most amazing orange blossom and fresh sparks of bergamot, without being citrusy at all. The drydown is very soft and creamy, slightly aromatic, thanks to the sapient mix of olive tree and tonka beans. Sillage is not very strong, but this is understandable because of the ingredients used. It becomes a lovely skin scent, wished it had a better longevity. This will receive many compliments. I fell so in love with this scent that I bought the body lotion and an extra 75ml bottle.

Demi Rawling mentioned this scent few times in her videos and i decided to blind buy it, since it's not available anymore in stores to test it out. And im happy that i did! I love this perfume so much! Initial spray on my skin is green but after it settles down it becomes more warm and sweet and those green notes are not as strong. This is sophisticated but not too much. I can wear this anywhere. Very versatile scent. This is light scent, which i like. I got days when i dont need strong perfume. I just want to smell nice and fresh. Lasting power is not the greatest but i still got good 3 hours on my skin. It's mostly a skin scent, sillage is not huge. Edit. My coworker complimented me that i smelled good, after 7 hours of applying this scent. So i suppose i just got nose blind, this perfume lasts decent amount of time.

Oh wow! This is angelic, pure and uplifting. I knew I would like it by the description alone - but was surprised at how it caught me off guard, I was not expecting this. It's a summer day: sunshine and fresh air - delicate and bright and soaring through clouds but touching and skimming oceans. If this scent were a tune it would be Orbital 'Halcyon' (On and On). Part of me wanted a bit more depth - some balanced earthiness to ground it but then I reconsidered. This scent is sweet - in terms of innocence and playfulness but does have a warmth that brings longevity and a smile. It's a choral harmony. I'm in love. But wait - Bottega, where did it go? It dissipates too quickly. Please, please work on that. This is divine beauty. A must try. In a word: delightful.

I love this scent for the summer. I keep returning to it and I almost used up my bottle. It's quite generic, your run of the mill summer bergamot. BUT somehow my skin is an olive powerhouse and it rounds this scent up to something I really like on myself. I use this fragrance when I'm out and about and running errands or in the office and I don't want to hit people with some olfactory rollercoaster ride. Feminine and pretty, nonoffensive and good for day to day wear. Safe for a blind purchase if you like light scents, methinks. Funnily enough, it lasts on my skin for ages. Not on my clothes, from my clothes it disapears in 2-3 hours, but my skin just gets a really lovely synergy with this one. 9/10 I'll repurchase once I run out of it.

This is a really beautiful fragrance for spring and summer. I’m surprised that pink pepper isn’t one of the notes listed. I definitely get a slightly spicy “scratchy” note in the first few minutes, maybe it’s the olive tree note. I don’t think the black current is too syrupy sweet, it just nicely compliments the fig leaf note. I usually don’t like really fruity fragrances and this doesn’t come across as that at all. The dry down is woody and sweet and sits close to the skin. I sprayed a little on my hairline and really enjoyed picking up wafts of orange blossom through the day. Illusione is really nice for day or evening wear. It can be casual and sophisticated. If you would like to try a light modern chypre, this is a good candidate.

Bottega Illusione is what I would call "a citrus perfume with substance". Without looking at the notes, I would guess that this perfume opens with citrus, sweetens with orange blossom then dries down to a nice, slightly spiced, leather/suede. It is mostly transparent but has a firm ground in the base. More resinous and "oily" than an EDT. Now that I see the olive tree note......yes, I can feel the essence of something related to olives. This perfume sticks to my skin for hours and hours (in 90F, mod. humidity weather). Feels like an EDP of a fragrance in the Jardin series by Hermes. If you like that unique type of transparent fragrance, you probably will like this as well. A great addition to my collection. Gorgeous.

This is STUNNING Perfume! Underrated GEM. Very cozy, very comforting, very Zen and very aromatic at the same times. The amount of tea use and the type of tea is close to Chinese tea leaves. Is so well balance and is a skin scents type of Zen perfume. The best part is clean and transparent. I love this one! but the only weakness is they don't last long. Lasting hours is about 3 hours when people can smell it. You will able to smell it after 6 hours but very very weak. I wish the perfumer can improve the lasting power but still stay the smell exactly the same balance. I know this is hard for a chemist as the type of notes use are mild scents. This is one of my favorite perfume. I wish they don't discontinue.

i'm so thankful i managed to buy this perfume after i heard it was discontinued, even tho i have never smelled it. so basically it was a very rash blind buy, but it was so worth it. illusione for her smells so clean and fresh, it's elegant and timeless. i love it so much, but yet again it's a perfume that doesn't last at all. it's becoming a rule for fragrances i'm obsessed with. 😃 this fragrance makes you feel so well put together and luxurious, non-offensive and mature. definitely office-friendly and fit for any type of occasion. it's surely more of a day and spring-summer scent. oh i wish illusione for her was not discontinued. 😔 i'm gonna cherish my bottle for as long as i can.

Background: I don't like sweet scents/ strong vanilla/ honey /strong florals. I prefer something that won't be worn by everyone, and I found it, This is my signature scent. But I am desperately trying to find a scent that is similar (among mainstream brands), because I can't ship it from anywhere, and it's not sold in my country. I CANNOT find anything that envelops me and makes me feel the way this does. Sillage is okay for me, longevity meh, unless I just got too used to it. But if I could, I would buy bottles of this and spray this every few hours, it's so worth it for me. If anyone knows of a mainstream dupe, please let me know!

Wow, I can't believe I almost returned this one! When I tested it out at first I had mixed emotions about it. It starts as a very green, then develops into a sweeter black currant berry type scent, and finally settles into its tonka and woody base. At first, I thought this was too green and too musky but the more I wear it the more I fall in love with it. It is nothing ordinary it is actually quite sophisticated smelling (not in a mature way at all though!), yet also not offensive. Very beautiful green, woody, berry scent for everyday use. On me, it lasts quite a few hours so I'm happy with the longevity.

When I tested Illusione on paper last year, I thought it was pretty but completely dismissed it. Last week I decided to give it a proper wear and I am IN LOVE! It's so incredibly well-blended. It has a backbone while also feeling airy and delicate. It's fresh, a little green, I little tart, a touch sweet, with just the right amount of woodiness from the olive tree note to ground it. It's one of those fragrances that you put your nose to and don't smell much but can feel it wafting around in your scent bubble throughout the entire day. It's mesmerizing and the bottle truly captures its unique dichotomy.

Sophisticated, understated, green aromatic goodness <3 To me this is Italian elegance in a bottle. It's fruity, green, Tuscan woodiness blended beautifully, not a single thing I'd change about this scent apart from the longevity, but for the price I don't mind respraying. It has quickly become a staple for me and I'm so heartbroken to know it is being discontinued. Bottega Veneta please reconsider! I will be a lifelong customer if this scent stays in production, I'm already halfway through my bottle and don't know what I'll do when I can't get my hands on another

This is honestly the best perfume I've ever smelled in my life. It's sophisticated, interesting, nuanced, classy yet edgy and frsh. This will suit a business setting, a dinner, a formal event, a day out running some errands - if I had to chose one perfume to use for the rest of my life, this would be it. I wish longevity was a bit better on me, but tbh it's probably my skin's fault seeing how most perfumes fade on me after 2-4 hours max. And the scent is worth reapplying. But don't get it, let me be the only one smelling so good ;)

I'm not a super fan of green/citrusy scents. But I love this one 😍! Got it as a gift from my boyfriend 🥰 it reminds me a lot of Dior Fahrenheit for men, but in a softer way, with a hint of sweetness to it. I can smell a bit almond there as well? It's fresh, light, bit woody and sweet. It's so well blended, no scent overpowers the other. I really like it. It suits for everyday. Both for work and date. It's a soft, intimate scent. I think this scent works best for spring and summer. The longevity isn't the best though.