Illusione for Him

Illusione is an odd duck. It's not really gourmand-y at all, but somehow the adjective that first leaps to my mind when I smell it is "delicious". But of course, that makes no sense at all, as it is, in essence, a slightly tart riff on Dior Eau Sauvage Parfum. It's missing that almost effervescent heaviness that E.S.P. has, but if you remove that, and add a bunch of bitter orange, Illusione is more-or-less where you end up. It's incredibly nice, weirdly kind of mouth-watering, and, in short, "delicious." Unfortunately, though, it does have a near-fatal flaw: the longevity here is shameful. On my skin, I get **maybe** two hours, and up to 4 total on my clothes - for the price, that's pretty much clown shoes. And yes, it does also have a pretty limited sillage, but it *is* a warm weather frag, so that's kind of to be expected. But the longevity? I am tempted to call it "pathetic". So, it leaves me with a bit of a quandary. If they made this in a stronger concentration - or just tweaked it so it lasted a bit longer - this would be a top 5 warm weather/office fragrance for me. But as it stands, the amount one has to overspray to get any sort of longevity out of it will have my 100mL bottle gone by the end of next summer, if I try to put it in the rotation, and I can't really justify it - nor can I encourage that. In the end, then, I guess we have this: (1) the fragrance itself is fantastic (2) it's also got some of the worst longevity in my entire 100+ bottle collection, and (3) she costs a fair bit. Granted, I got it for a better-than-retail price, but still - it was too much to pay for this level of performance. And yet... I really, really like it, for the time that it lasts. Sooo... 5/10 for longevity 10/10 for the fragrance itself = 7.5/10 overall. Basically, if you see it for a good price (sub $65/100mL), the profile sounds intriguing, and you're willing to put up with the shite longevity, maybe grab it. If you get annoyed when a frag only lasts half the day? Don't.

If I have to sum up every single thing about this fragrance in a single sentence it would be like this: Illusione for Him is a classic Italian-style fragrance that is safe and leaning towards being citrusy, with a letdown similar to other fragrances of the same type: performance. Illusione for Him is a really good fragrance. It has some kind of complexity to it, because the citrusy opening (from bitter orange and lemon) is then accompanied by cedar and fir resin to make this fragrance more woody and aromatic. I also got a bit of earthiness in the drydown because of the vetiver. I'm not sure if they're using mostly natural ingredients here, but it does smell quite natural and smooth. I got this fragrance for around $30 (converted from my currency) and that's what makes this fragrance so worth the money to me, especially with how pleasant it smells for daily usage in a hot, humid, tropical country like where I live. But this fragrance has the same problem as another citrus-based scent that I also really like, and it is Concentre d'Orange Verte by Hermes. They are both so good, especially in the opening. But the performance on both is below average, especially the Hermes. Illusione for Him lasts for around 4.5-6 hours on my skin, with around 30 minutes of average projection and it becomes a skin scent after the 3-hour mark. I'm not sure if it's too much to ask, but a better performance would've made this fragrance so much better as a whole.

This is a combo of 2 fragrances to me. Take TdH & Guerlain Homme L’eau Boisee in equal parts and you get Illusione for Him. Such an easy fragrance to wear and comfortable while giving a mellowed confidence. An excellent office/casual/after work hours fragrance that does not scream nor announce and neither begs for attention. It’s personal and stays close while giving out this subtle yet vibrant aura that is both assuring & relaxed. Just says well put together vibes without being pretentious or obnoxious. A nice burst of citrus up top that burns off in a few minutes leading right into a soft woods & vetiver combo. The citrus though never really does go away as a slight nuance of it will hit you from time to time. Longevity is not it’s forte but, I get a nice 6-7 hours of a light and clean woodsy vibe. Won’t blow your mind or set the world on fire but, it has a refined quality to it that works very well especially in the work environment. More mature than say for someone under 30. There hasn’t been a creation from this house that I have thought negative of. Worth the trouble picking up if it’s not too expensive. Quality scent, period.

Wearing this today for the first time this year. Bought it back in '19 right after having used a sample; i was so fascinated i got myself a full bottle (at full price). As others said, it's a lovely fragrance, optimal for spring summer and refreshing. Good for any occasion, as the frag is not loud nor offensive. Office or formal meetings as well. Basically a citrus/fir /cedar woody fragrance on a vanillic/Tonka base. I love it to bits... i think it's the cedar that entices me so much but it's really addictive, i also love its rounded creaminess in the drydown. To me this is totally genderless, i am a lady and i much prefer this Illusione than the women version. However I concur, this has no longevity at all (much to my regret). But i love it all the same, for that small hour I can smell it.

This is one of the few fragrances that I make as an exception. Normally, if I like a fragrance enough, I get a full bottle of it. And normally, 'mature' fragrances are a turnoff for me. I don't like them. With Illusione for Him, however, I like it quite a lot, despite it being 'mature', but I'm probably not going to get a bottle of it soon. That's because it smells so mature and sophisticated. I like it, but I don't think it suits my personality... or age... yet. There's something that smells like an upper-class 40 year-old man in here. Maybe the cedar or fir resin. Maybe I'll get it one day. Just not now. But I can confirm: this is one of Maisondieu's best creations. Don't hesitate to get it if you think it suits you. It's a serious fragrance for mature and sophisticated men.

A unique summer freshie that sits beautifully on my skin. The fir resin is quite prominent, giving this fragrance a beautiful herbal twist compared with other citrus scents. Reminds me of a day at the spa, inhaling essential oils, letting myself go and being massaged. Quite refreshing, yet simultaneously soothing and therapeutic. The fir resin remains in the heart and dry down. Look I didn’t have high expectations for this. It's an edt afterall. I think it will perform poorly in autumn/winter. But it’s spring here in Australia. Longevity and sillage for Illusione were increased by a few sprays on my clothes. I love it so much that nothing deterred me from this acquisition. I’ve got to say, no one captures the spirit of summer quite like Italians! Bravo!

It's been driving me crazy what this reminds me of, then it dawned on me - this is like a midpoint between two of my favorites: (1) Bvlgari Pour Homme Soir, and (2) Hermes Voyage Parfum (the one in the black bottle). Probably closer to the Hermes because their levels of "sweetness" (not in a gourmand way, but more similar to that in amber scents) are closer together than to the more dry Bvlgari, but I believe both are now discontinued so for anyone looking to replace either in their collection I would suggest they try this out. Update: yeah, the longevity on this is brutal; this relegates it to a weekender for me. I really like the scent but it will need reapplication if you want more than a couple of hours from it.

Bought this based on my love for Illusione Bois Nu, and I can see where the flanker got it's inspiration. I would say owning both would be redundant, but out of the two I prefer Bois Nu because it's more unique and has an airiness that the original is missing which to me makes it special. That being said this is still a good fragrance, more masculine and citrus based profile. I'd say as far as performance, this isn't the type of fragrance that projects heavy, it's more of a scent bubble. Not to be confused with a skin scent, the bubble extends around a foot, but is consistent. I get whaffs of it throughout the day and last around 5-7 hours which I would say is around average.

I also get the anise (or maybe carraway or fennel?) in the opening, which is why I like it so much. As mentioned this has that classic herbal-citrus combo on a woody foundation that make such a great combination. You'll find this reminiscent of many classic men's scents or even in some of the nicer soaps or shave creams you have encountered. That also means that there are a lot of fragrances that make this a little redundant, so sample before you buy if at all possible. It also doesn't have very long legs (at least on me), but I find it very refreshing - I love it as a casual "t-shirt" scent in warm/hot weather, it also makes a great post-shower spritz.

This is, without a doubt, my favourite summer scent I've found so far. This is an absolute delight in warm weather, the citrus and the woods combine to produce a great lemongrassy scent. In colder weather the citrus isn't very prominent and the woods come through much more. I haven't found anything else like it. Sadly, BV discontinued all of their fragrances in Australia and I haven't been able to get another bottle very easily, especially not for a good discount. Hopefully I'll get another bottle soon, or find something close enough to it that I like.

Very briefly on initial spray, the smell reminds me of orange flavored children's cough medicine, but quickly mellows into a pleasant citrusy soupy vibe. The middle and base notes is where this fragrance shines. The fir and ceder resins are FANTASTIC on the drydown. This really comes out on warm, humid summer evenings. Classy and mature. Yes, the longevity sucks. Maybe 2 hours tops then becomes an intimate scent. I don't like beastly scents so this is ok with me. I still get faint whiffs of this off of my clothes days later. Love this stuff.

At first spray Illusione for Him is very promising. It is a delicious splash of citruses and cedar. Unfortunately, one hour later it's gone. I can't smell a thing. The same thing as with other Bottega Veneta fragrances. They don't last at all. Fast Forward to 2021: I wore Illusione again today after more than one year and I must admit I really like it now. I can actually smell it on me and that is all that matters. It is unique and very masculine. Citrus and woody. I will be wearing it more often.

I tried over 30 fragrances before this one, when I went fragrance shopping, and the moment I smelled it I knew this is THE ONE. It just felt right from the first spray, no overthinking. I love it, it smells amazing. It lasts around 4-6h on me, projection is not that bad (I'd say like arm lenght). It's a type of fragrance you'd smell on a bit older man basically, very masculine sour lemon note. It's easy to wear though, I definitely recommend this, my #1 spring fragrance.

I slowly came to realise that this was a lot more formal than I was expecting from the marketing, makes for a good office fragrance. It retains a citrusy vibe while the vetiver, fir and creamy tonka notes build up during the day. This is a fragrance you respect as opposed to a fragrance that is mass appealing. I smelled this on a colleague late in the day and it was filling up his space. Another quality release from BV.

To me this fragrance fulfills the same thing as Bleu De Chanel, it can be literally worn in any season and setting. However, its quite light on the projection, but i found that the longivity is not bad as alot of people say. But it does stay close to the skin. I personally enjoy those light scents, it dosent bother anyone and it dosent overtake your personality, which is nice.

Well, this one is the perfect perfume for office....very very pleasant, masculine and classy. All you need is the perfect suit! To my nose, maybe i'm wrong, goes very close to Hermes Eau Givree. Maybe the performance could be a little better, but it's ok. Blind buy? Of course, you can't go wrong with a citrusy spring/summer fragrance! For me it's an 8 / 10!

A subtle fragrance for a subtle gentleman. Nice Italian style cologne. Sits close to the skin and doesn't last all that long, like this scent should. It's performance is not a negative for me, its a bonus. A nice summer and spring time, clean, fresh, unique cologne. One that is discovered by others, not announced by the wearer.

This stuff is fantastic. Great spring and summer staple. Classy gentlemen fragrance with great citrus notes. Nice woody dry down. Moderate performance but this is a masterpiece. Hard to find now but as always sample first but IMO 5/5 fragrance.

A beautiful discovery, a sunny, fresh and versatile perfume! Remember a walk near the woods in summer, a beautiful and enveloping scent! Sillage: 7./10 Longevity: 7./10 Scent: 8./10 Overall: 8./10

I loved this perfume <3 I wish they hadn't discontinued this scent feels fresh clean and lived in. An intimate scent, sexy, clean, smooth & fresh.

Orangey cirtusy, woody semi spicy and not sweet. Still a nice modern fresh muscular scent and dna. It's quite mass Appealing and easy to wear

I wore this stuff 13 hours ago and I still smell it clearly. Amazing notes.

I LOVE this one. It may not be the most unique but to my nose it is something that is not so often seen in popular fragrances. This smells so Italian to me. It is definitely clean, soapy fragrance. Almost unisex. After the initial spray I get bitter orange sweetened and rounded with tonka. There’s a bit of the fir resin and vetiver coming through, and as the time passes those two notes are more prominent and there I finally smell white cedar extract. The sweetness is toned down after first 20-30 minutes and is more powdery/dusty with a sharp edge. This fragrance smells really natural and I love that. I wear Bottega Veneta Illusione casually, but can be worn for formal occasions as well. Oh. I would almost forget. As it dries down it reminds me of old books. I really love that. Overall this is nice modern take on Italian style cologne. Best suited for warmer weather, 16°C and higher. Clean, classy, uplifting, feel good fragrance. The bottle design is really really nice. So I would rate this one 8.5/10

Solid versatile fragrance, that lends to the fresher side but has decent longevity. Doesn't push massively to choke people out so well suited for the office. No petitgrain is noted but it has touch of a clean powdery cologne thing in the background, kind of like AdP Colonia but way more modern than that. It also reminds me a little of Terre D'Hermes but in place of the earthiness there are fir notes. But the airy+watery citrus aspects are similar. Someone mentioned "day at the spa" and I can see what they mean. I think this is an excellent all year, all occasions fragrance that I can't imagine many would dislike. It will probably garner compliments if that's what you enjoy. It's too "nice" to be a love for me, it's a solid like and an easy dumb reach.

FOR MEN, NOT BOYS ______________________________________________________ Summer is comming and Bottega Veneta brings yet another fresh fragrance on the market. But it is more than that, it isn't just a fresh fragrance. The Lemon and the cedar give you a sensation of freshness and the Vetiver and Fir Resin keep it refreshing for a long period. Is it a fresh summer fragrance? Yes, but it's a lot more than that. It's a mature fragrance and I don't think young customers will appreciate it's great formulation - however, man will probably love it in summer. Longevity: - 7/10 Sillage: - 7/10 All in all: 10 out of 10 subjective points -> because Bottega Veneta managed to put a twist on the fresh summer fragrances.

This is lovely but it just doesn't last. I've grown quite frustrated with Bottega Veneta. I quite like the DNA of their fragrances, also the bottle design... but can't get over the terrible performance. It's getting to a point that it's become their signature, one just expects a Bottega Veneta fragrance to have an underwhelming performance. Illusione for Him is a nice blend of citruses, with fir and cedar giving it a forest vibe that BV does so well. I'd love to tell you about what a wonderful drydown this fragrance has after the lovely opening, unfortunately I soon get some mild cedar and vetiver (elegant and quite enjoyable)... and that's it. Another ephemeral beauty by Bottega Veneta.

Got a sample of this. The opening is very bright, sharp, almost bitter citrus and wood that I find quite invigorating. Not long after application I do get whiffs of what I describe as licorice, which I am not a fan of. This licorice seems to dissipate during the dry down which is a very nice cedarwood scent to me. The notes listed seem to be very accurate to my nose. My problem with this scent is the performance... it simply does not last long enough. All phases of the scent seem to occur very quickly leaving it as a skin scent in less than 2 hours for me. Would be a very nice safe office scent IMO. I will not be buying a full bottle but would pick it up if I found a good sale.

Very nice opening, unfortunately that's all you'll get, as it settles as a subtle skin scent within 30 min of spraying and is undectable after an hour, an impression that seems to be shared by the vast majority here. The name "Illusione" is spot on: this is an illusion of a fragrance. A simple fragrance for warmer days that might be worth considering when - and only when - it will fall in the bargain bin, given the aftershave-level performance. Too bad, because even if not groundbreaking, the scent is very pleasant. Spring/Summer days, 20-50.

What a unique take on a citrus freshie. After reading the notes, I was a little concerned about the tonka in here. I thought it may be too sweet or cloying, but no. It’s hardly noticeable. This is a perfect office scent or can be worn on warm weekends. Just make sure you have a collared shirt like a polo. Illusione is an elegant fragrance but not stuffy. This EDT has a small scent bubble after 30mins. However, I can still detect it after 5-6 hrs. I like the scent. I know people complain about performance. I hope they make an edp.

I love it and it lasts a good amount of time on my skin. I can still smell it on my arm after 24 hours as a skin scent. An awesome fragrance that not many will be wearing. A simple fragrance done right, it smells mature and elegant at the same time. You do get the bitter orange note and it turns woodier at the dry down but the orange note is still there. I'd say longevity is average but it lasts a long time as a skin scent on me.

Bitter orange-lemon citrus spritzed on a green, dry woody base. That's all, it's a relatively simple and linear scent that smells exactly like the notes as listed. Smells like a coniferous forest. The bitter citrus and greens are reminiscent of JV Artisan, Artisan Pure, Xerjoff Nio. Soft projection for ~90min tops, longevity 5-6hr. Very pleasant scent for most occasions IMO. It's a shame the performance is absolutely terrible.

I get a toned down Paco Rabanne Pour Homme with a blast of citrus. I’ve pulled compliments with this fragrance, but I need to spray a liberal amount on my skin (or spray on clothing) because the longevity and sillage on me is moderate. I will likely not repurchase after going through my 50 ml bottle, but will explore trying something else from this house because it smells classy and high quality without being synthetic.

I'm testing it right now... Opening reminds me YSL M7 Fresh, very citrusy and mouth watering in heart I can smell vetiver, cedar and it's a little bit resinous and smooth, in the base Illusione reminds me Gucci Envy, it's smoky, woody smell, synthetic but not in off putting way. I think that this solid release from Bottega Veneta, safe, masculine perfume.

A nice unobjectionable light fragrance. I would find this best suited for warmer weather. On the opening I get the citrus, then as it dries down cedar and tonka. If I use my imagination I can get a bit of the fir. This frag is ever so slightly sweet. I would consider it completely unisex. Projection is pretty non-existent though.

Very pleasant surprise. The combination of bitter citrus and the dry down make this a very distinguished masculine fragrance. I’d say is very pleasantly and a safe bet. No headache trigger which is a must for me. Also like the fact that not EVERYONE is wearing this. I’d say is for an understated clean cut crowd.

Has the same citrus/fir/spice central accord as Memo's Sicilian leather, but with more of an Acqua Di Parma classic Italian gentlemanly feel. Bergamot, petitgrain and orange over spiced (nutmeg?) cedar and fir with a slightly soapy barbershop chord resonating throughout. Great stuff.

I find this to be a marvellous scent. It reminds me a bit of Spice Bomb by V&R but has a distinct barber-like cleanliness to it and is less gourmand than Spice Bomb, which makes Illuzione perfect for work, out or date.

Woody, masculine. Pleasant but uncomplex - a department store version of Jubilation XXV or Histories de Parfums’ 1740. Which isn’t a bad thing at half the price of those.

Blind bought this yesterday on discounters for 60€, it has a very spicy citrusy scent, I like it, but the performance is quite weak, even after moisturizing 😢

Eau Sauvage with a slightly spicy/peppery opening and a woodier / coniferous undertone. Masculine, mature, classy-ish... I dig it.

@House Adams can definitely see similarities to Eau Sauvage, nice call out!

Nice but nothing special. A lot like Prada's luna Rossa.

Would be good to use in office with its woody scent

Extremely pleasant, slightly mature, fresh scent.

Inoffensive and soft Citrus-Coumarin with a shaving foam heart of fir and cedar. To my nose the fir balsam overpowers the rest of the composition after the top, and paired with the coumarin makes the scent sweet and soapy. I happen to smell lavender here as well and in so, it reminds me of a sort of Sergio Tacchini Uomo or Moschino Uomo?. Now, meant to be worn as a spring summer cologne for 2-3hs this is very fine. Unlike others I find nothing delicious or gourmand here but an aromatic soapy -not fresh or airy- classic italian-style cologne that I’d use more as an aftershave than as perfume. I paid near to 50€ the big heavy 90ml bottle. The top isn't the beautiful marmorized brown plastic as in the pic but black with less marmor pattern, and the atomizer is copper colored and it wobbles. Nothing offensive so blind buy safe but only heavily discounted.

certainly a very interesting italian scent. I wasn't fond of the opening which is more soapy than citrusy but then its because im so used to pineapple or bergamot. and i realised this is blood orange and i get cedar and vetiver. This makes the scent refreshingly original, but not blowaway, so its more for the connisseurs amongst us. I like this smell is light and probably the projection isn't that good but the longevity is. You can't smell this much after 30-40 minutes but its still around so its a really good office scent for the start of spring. It reminds me a bit of very old school splash on aftershave like Ralph Lauren's Romance. I think this scent is ok rather than one i personally like. and im a big fan of sweet gourmand scents. but im wondering if its a compliment getter. i'd probably wear this in non-romantic formal settings.

The opening of this is stunning. The citrus is a perfect blend of the lemon and orange notes, so it doesn't feel specifically like either fruit. There's also a green woodiness that kicks in closely after. The "woodiness" feels kind of synthetic but not in a bad way, it's appealing. Its like a super clean cedar. The Tonka is my least favourite part of this fragrance. It starts off in combination with the other notes but gradually takes over. This is a simple but beautiful scent at the beginning. You experience all 6 notes listed and in a very direct and uncomplicated way. I just hate the dry down. It becomes overly sweet and all the other notes get suffocated by the Tonka. 8.5/10 opening 4/10 after 10 mins The projection seems to be very low.

Interesting, not quite like most designer frags out there. The notes listed here are pretty accurate I would say. It's a little bit like TdH but 3x more bitter. The fir is very prominent, like smelling fir tree with a little bit of orange mixed in. If you want a nice "bitter" frag, this is a good choice.

Hhhmmm confused: It has an opening smell just like my NSAID (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). After a few minutes the scent becomes just woody. Longevity and sillages are 2/10.

First Pass - Anise. Sweet. A little citrus 2 Hours Later - Sweeter. Soapy. A little floral. A little feminine 4 Hours Later - Not much difference. A touch of powder now Overall - I’ve never smelled anise in a fragrance. It was surprising, and not altogether unpleasant. Over the next few hours it unfolds into a warm, soapy, floral, sweetness. Not overtly feminine, nothing discernibly off-putting, but not masculine either ***Scents, like tastes, are subjective. Wear what you like***