1881

I know this isn’t unique but sometimes when I smell a perfume, my mind instantly makes a connection to a movie, a piece of art, a book or as in this case, a song. When I smelled 1881, all I heard in my mind was Donna Summer’s I Feel Love. Ooooooooh... It’s so good, it’s so good, it’s so good, it’s so good, it’s SO good... That song always entrances me and makes me feel like I am falling. It’s a pure eargasm. Her honey vocals reverberating astrally and harmonizing perfectly with the synthesizers. To me, that is the exact sensation of this perfume! I was convinced from the reviews here to buy the original version of this perfume with the pink and white marble top rather than the newer rose gold version. Firstly, this bottle looks so chic and elegant in person. That alone would make it worth having. But the glory doesn’t end there. I received this perfume on a day that I was testing out two others and instantly, this one rose above and commanded attention. Not in the way that would be repugnant or annoying. It was a subtle, charismatic graceful beckoning. It’s very come hither. Soapy, yes. Timeless, yes. Fresh, yes. I am not getting what people could dub “old lady”. It definitely has an old-fashioned vibe but modern nuances are clearly here. I know that I have smelled this before which also gives it a comforting quality to me. Instantly, I was reminded of a bubble bath gel that I used to love as a kid. Judging by the notes and accords that were listed, I was thinking wow. This is going to smell like a lot. You would think almost too much. But no. It’s very simple. This has some powdery and green accords also. There’s a little bit of everything here but it manages not to be too much of any one thing. I think it’s the chamomile that’s grounding and sedating the fragrance. If over-sprayed, this most likely could be too much. I can’t believe how hard I have fallen for this. Longevity is superb and the way that it projects is fascinating. Again, when used in small doses, it’s not overwhelming but the right amount of ooomph. Every time I would make a movement, I could smell this lingering. People in close proximity could likely think this is your shampoo or your detergent. I feel like not too many people talk about this one. It would completely never even made a ping on my radar if not for this site and what a shame that would be! This easily takes the cake among a lot of the bland, derivative perfumes that are popular right now. I can’t believe how cheap this is. Even the vintage version was very moderately priced. There’s really something special here and it’s becoming something that I want to reach for every single day. It’s summer and yet the heat intensifies the tranquil, effervescent qualities of 1881. This reminds me a little bit of one of my favorites of all time, Love Chloe. I hate using it though because it’s so hard to come across now. 1881 is a good supplement and do I dare say that I actually prefer it? I do! This is signature and backup worthy. Whenever I have an important event or a special day, I think it’s Cerutti today! It just helps me feel my best. God, I really love this. Ahhhh, yes. A Frag-gasm 😍🥰 Edit: I recently got a newer bottle of 1881 with the gold cap. I have to agree with both opinions of the reformulation. Yes, there is something undeniably more special in the vintage. It’s more bubbly if that makes sense. As it dries down, it becomes basically the same. I’m not disappointed with the gold cap whatsoever. The newer version feels a tiny bit more diluted and powdery. Longevity and sillage perform very similarly. The vintage bottle is still way prettier in my opinion. Even though they are a little harder to come by, seek out a vintage UK bottle particularly if you are already familiar with this fragrance and want the best version possible. Vintage: A+, reformulation: B+

Cerruti 1881 stands before me as a vision from my childhood—familiar in silhouette and colouring, yet only now fully revealed in its nuanced architecture and quiet divinity. The floral opulence is arresting, as though an entire garden were to bloom in synchrony for a single observer. Each facet unfolds like silk—layered, tactile, increasingly sumptuous. It feels intimate, indulgent, as if this abundance were composed for me alone. How lavish those years were, and how little we understood them. In today’s landscape, compositions are often reduced to their barest framework, each material stretched thin. Against this, the luxuriant density of the 1990s feels almost mythical. The note pyramid reads as excessive, yet on skin it resolves into remarkable harmony—meticulously calibrated and fluid in execution. A simultaneous bloom of multiple florals enchants rather than overwhelms, delivering freshness and saturation in one seamless impression. The opening evokes Spring in radiant form—creamy, rosaceous, touched with a soft violet haze. There is luminosity: golden, airy, effervescent. Soon, the composition deepens into a more voluptuous register. The jasmine–tuberose accord unfurls with sensual depth, while geranium and rosewood lend aromatic spice and structure. By all logic, this perfume should verge on excess, yet it breathes effortlessly. I sense sunlit meadows, warm grasses, an inexhaustible vitality. Like the great masters, abundance here becomes harmony. Cerruti 1881 is rich yet composed, expansive yet serene. At its core lies a tender sweetness—enveloping, inescapable, almost like a beautifully constructed confinement. The transition from opening to heart is seamless, a choreography perceived as effortless. Its diffusion hovers just above the skin, softly radiant without insistence. One need not seek it—it accompanies, trailing gently. That such refinement exists in an eau de toilette enhances its charm: unassuming, fluid, and versatile. As it recedes, Cerruti 1881 offers a final gesture: golden vanilla on a cloud of soft musk and amber, warm and intimate, like a parting embrace. What remains is not merely scent, but imprint—enduring, unchanged by time. Cerruti 1881 persists as both presence and memory, singular then and now.

Before I come to the floral fragrance "1881 pour Femme", a few words about Nino Cerruti, who passed away a few days ago at the age of 91: In 1950, at the age of 20, Cerruti inherited the family business in Biella, Piedmont. He founded his first menswear company near Milan in 1957. Armani began his career with this company in the mid-1960s. In 1967, Cerruti founded the luxury men's fashion house "Cerruti 1881" in Paris, but continued to have production in Italy. Cerruti was soon in demand in Hollywood, too, and his designs were worn in front of and behind the camera by stars such as Michael Douglas, Richard Gere, Jack Nicholson and Robert Redford. Cerruti also launched a women's line, as well as perfumes (including 1881 pour Femme), watches, accessories and leather goods. Cerruti sold the company in the early 2000s. He designed his last collection for spring/summer 2020. Armani recognized Cerruti as a creative entrepreneur with "a keen eye, a genuine curiosity, an ability to be daring". About the scent: In my opinion, "1881 pour Femme" is a fabulous, fresh, floral, woody and also spicy fragrance that is second to none. It's the oldest fragrance in my collection (and that's saying something, I'm always coming and going). It's a fragrance that makes me feel fresh and cared for all day long... I can't describe it any other way. The chamomile gives the fragrance its own character, bergamot and coriander add freshness and spice, and a colorful bouquet of jasmine, freesia, mimosa and iris brings powderiness into it. Finally, woods (among others) round off the work harmoniously. It really lasts a long time (it feels like forever), from morning to night, and is easy to hear, i.e. the sillage is also great. The fragrance has been around since 1995. IMO it has not been reformulated, only the bottle has been slightly changed (different cap). It's always well received - even my partner, who doesn't usually like flowery scents, likes it! The fragrance is inexpensive and therefore flies a bit under the radar, but completely wrongly. It looks elegant and noble, and some niche fragrances can hide in comparison. "1881 pour Femme" is timeless and simply has style, like Cerruti's fashion!

Fresh, best, and leave none for the rest! I got a small bottle of this perfume on the advice of GinCatsBooks (#superfan), and what I got was *not* what I was expecting. It took a hot minute, but this beauty grew on me. One first spray, I get coriander. Not even kidding. The most herbaceous whopper of a perfume I have EVER smelled! I may as well have been slicing and dicing coriander like a Master Chef after spraying this. For those who hate coriander...well, if you just hate the taste; no biggie, but if you hate the smell as well - steer well clear. Then the Almighty Universal Calmer, Chamomile, makes her entrance. Gently petting you on the head and whispering lullabies in your ear, she lulls you into an olfactory doze. It is true that mimosa is the most dominant floral note here, and it does smell yellow and optimistic. Whatever that means. I also get elegant iris (not in a cosmetic-scent kind of way, though), a little rose, and sweet freesia. Seeing as there's so many naturalistic notes in here; you could tell me I'm smelling poison ivy, and I'd believe you. This is super-calming, super-fresh, super-natural, super-herbaceous. A little "Mumsy" in a sense, but don't take that as an insult. I'm watching you. Don't do it. Let's take a moment to appreciate the bottle: That rose-gold lid and frosted bottle is quietly divine, and the small, palm-fitting oval shape makes me happeh! Overall, this is a scent I was initially overwhelmed by from the coriander and chamomile notes, yet it persuaded me to trust it. I am here for it. Non, je ne regrette rien. *** Kitty rating: 8/10.

Oooh! this stuff is the ultimate comfort scent for me, and I hope it never gets discontinued. My adventures with 1881 started during Christmas 2015 when both my mother and my sister in law got gifted bottles of 1881, I was obsessed with this scent on both of them, its warm, clean, soft, bit like a big comforting hug off of a best friend or a mother figure. I'd always sneak spritzes of it when I saw testers of it about, whenever I'd smell it, I'd always think of either my sister in law or my mother, I ended up purchasing a bottle of it and subsequently got a 30ml bottle for traveling, it always without fail gets compliments. Compliments range from "you smell so snuggly" to "you smell so clean", whenever I feel low, I always reach for it. Its hard for me to pull out the various notes, its so well blended that they all mesh together and become this gorgeous, powdery, herbal musk, it reminds me of when you step out of a cool shower on a warm morning, slip on a fresh cotton t-shirt, have a cup of herbal tea or coffee and you leave to go on a walk through a wild flower meadow, I will say though, that during intense summer heat, 1881 does become heavy and cloying, even with light application, but during cooler summer days and, actually, year round 1881 is perfect, its very much a "my best friend" type of scent. Longevity is amazing for an EdT, easily 12+ hours of wear with a moderate silage, very ageless and I've smelt it on people who are also the same age group as me (20-28) and it smells wonderful, appropriate and fresh, a total GEM of a fragrance!