Parco Palladiano V: Lauro

What a beauty this was! Another discontinued gem(!) I was making my way through the airport, anxious to catch my flight when a sales lady called out to "the gentleman in the crisp white shirt, who looks so stylish." "Daddy, I think that lady is trying to get your attention," my young daughter said. The next minute, she was standing between us, our arms locked and being gently pulled towards the Bottega Veneta counter. "What are your favourite fragrances and please don't say Aventus?" she asked. I mentioned a couple, then she correctly observed that I was wearing Terre d'Hermès and asked if I was familiar with the Parco Palladiano line, of which there were many. I thanked her for her time and insisted that we really ought to catch our flight. She grabbed a bottle, asked if she could have my daughter's wrist and sprayed a fair amount on her. "If you like how she smells on the flight, come back and see me, I'm the manager and will give you a big discount." With so many perfumes lingering in the air, I could barely make out the scent...until well into the flight when my daughter leaned in for a cuddle. I asked what she had just sprayed on herself and she said she wasn't wearing perfume, "only what the perfume shop woman sprayed" on her. Neither of us could remember what the fragrance was or who it was by; and my internet research left me none the wiser. 6 months later, I was back at the same airport terminal and made my way to the vast 2nd perfume section and asked the bewildered sales assistant for her manager and a few minutes later, a voice behind me exclaimed, "I knew you'd be back!" I found out the fragrance was Lauro (V) and true to her word, the manager gave me a nice discount. (Many thanks to Leslie @Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5, who introduced me to this fragrance. In hindsight, I should have listened to you and bought many more bottles).

Have a #1-6 discovery set of 10ml each, trying one a day this week... Really nice one this. Again, natural smell as expected from this line by now. Gives a real nice herbal tea like smell, sage and rosemary is quite obviously there quite strongly at the beginning and it gets warmer and spiced as it continues, where there is a touch of crossover with CdG Monocle series Laurel for a brief time. A light minty tea underneath all this (lighter than it was in Pera) gives a bright airy aspect to stop it being a turkey seasoning type gourmand :) and it gets warmer from the vetiver I expect the further it dries. Probably leans a touch more masculine over unisex imho. This one is bottle worthy for sure for my tastes, with the knowledge that this lasts a while but sits pretty close to the skin.

As I showed interest in this series of stunningly beautifull gemlike bottles, the saleswoman, enthousiastic about this range of excellency, kindly let me try all six Parco Palladiano scents. Wow.. These scents are exquisite and refined. They do exactly what they claim. They take you on a walk through an Italian spring garden. Every part of the garden in a different theme. Number V Is the herbal part of the garden. Briefly let your fingers slide along a rosemary twig. The scent lingers. Balanced with the many plants aroung you. This is amazing. Save up and buy any of the Parco Palladiano series. You won't be disappointed!

I obtained a decant of this after it was discontinued, and now I'm sad, because this is a really beautiful green aromatic fragrance! The notes are well blended, without any one dominating. The mint/bay/rosemary/sage combo is amazing, and is supported at first by something that smells a little woody (probably the labdanum, tea, and pepper). After some time the woodiness gives way to the vetiver, which lends the dry-down a juicier character than the initial spray, but it's never overpowering. Wish I could find more!

I love love love this fragrance. It is clean, fresh, buttery, very green, and elegant. I got compliments every time I wear it. People cant tell what I am wearing, and that makes me love it even more. It can be worn by women and men, though the masculine facet only makes it more interesting and unexpected on a woman, if you get what I mean. I adore this from the first sniffing and I was sad to leave the bottle at home in my previous trip due to its weight. Now I carry it with me in this trip, and that says a lot!!