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!

Timeless classic. My roommate in university has been wearing this scent, she bought it in Great Britain, as it was not sold in my country back then. And back then, I did not like it. It was probably the matter of body chemistry, or the cigarettes plus the lack personal of hygiene of hers. But all together, she managed to kill this beautiful scent for me and annoy me all year long, that I had to spent with her. 27 years later I rediscovered this timeless fragrance and its stylish bottle and I have absolutely opposite feelings towards this fragrance. Suddenly I just love it! There is something soothing in this scent, the most probably the chamomille. Other reviewers mentioned that this perfume is very motherly and I hundred percent agree. It is motherly and calming, it is like herbal tea with honey for the nerves after a difficult day. It is freezing cold january, but when I close my eyes, I see myself walking barefoot through the meadow full of flowers in the late summer evening. Wearing a floatty boho dress and a flower wreath on my head. My long hair is flowing , I have straw basket full of herbs. Bees and butterflies, are returning home from the meadow in the setting sun. This perfume is giving me feeling of tranquilty and harmony. Woods and spices in this perfume are subtle for my nose, but flowers and herbs are beautifully prominent. This fragrance is so calming, that I started to wear it to bed. It is like warm blanket and tea with honey. It is not dated at all, it is classic.

I have dismissed 1881 for a long time because I found it boring when I was a teenager. Now that I'm older and more experienced with different scents I appreciate florals more, so I retried it and changed my mind 180°. It's a soft, fresh and clean scent, but it's actually quite distinctive and stands out from other perfumes. Chamomile is not a very common note in fragrances and it's certainly the main star in 1881. It's a powdery floral with a little herbal, tea-like edge. The second flower that really stands out to me is freesia with its light watery sweetness, which pairs so well with the chamomile. I can also sense some rose, mimosa and iris, but it really is such a blended, balanced composition that none of them stand out. It's one of those older scents with a long, long notes list that really feels like they added a droplet of this and a droplet of that to create something completely new. Even though it is not necessarily a warm scent, I find this very cozy and enveloping. The basenotes of musk, sandalwood and just a hint of vanilla are subtle, but they make the florals smell really rounded with no sharpness left. This is a beautiful daytime scent for any time of the year. I can't imagine that many would choose this for a party or a hot date, but I think that its calming aura would also work wonderfully as a bedtime scent, if you use perfume before you go to sleep. It's just so soft and soothing.

This is one of the most personal perfumes I own. I found it in high school and I have had at least one bottle ever since. I even have the old marbled cap version, which I guard like a relic, but the newer one holds up surprisingly well. Aside from the opening, they are really not that different. So someone clearly gave a damn. This is my number one comfort scent. It’s soft, gentle, and knows how to stay out of the way. I’ve worn it through breakups, interviews, family gatherings, mundane Tuesdays, and it always made sense. It’s the perfume equivalent of showing up on time and knowing when to shut up. It’s so universally appropriate, it’s almost unimaginable to think someone doesn’t like this. I picture it as a watercolor painting, soft edges, nothing too defined. The chamomile isn’t photorealistic, it’s more of a suggestion, blurred into mimosa until you can’t quite tell them apart. The drydown is powdery, but not in a makeupy way. It’s soft, intimate, and a little musky. Think of it as the favorite T-shirt you always reach for first because it feels like home. Nothing complicated, nothing cool, just the right kind of familiar. It’s soooo nice and soooo polite – this perfume could file your taxes if you asked nicely

One of my first ever proper perfumes that I got in a set of minis in the late 90s. It's totally not my usual type of perfume and easily the most floral one I own but I love it. I usually hate any described as herbal but with this it's balanced by the florals and a hit of sweetness, just a hint. I'm surprised there's no peach note, it reminds me of a peach body cream from the 90s or St Ives peach scrub. I don't know if it's just because of the nostalgia it gives me or what but I think it's beautiful. A soft, gentle, powdery, chamomile, classic. I've just realised I only have half of my 30ml bottle left and I rarely wear it but I still need to buy another bottle next time I'm in town. I heard it was discontinued a couple of years ago but it's still available in the shops and online. I could have got a 100ml bottle for the same price I paid for this and I will next time. Just so I've always got it. If this was much stronger and projected much more I'd wear it much more often. Perfect for people who don't want an extremely cloying perfume in summer though. It'll probably be worn at least once this summer now I've remembered how much I love it.

Absolutely amazing scent, I blind bought it (based on Gemini AI's recommendation 😅) and it quickly became a favourite. I never really cared about it, somehow I had the assumption that 1881 is some dated, old fashioned, old lady smell - I don't really know why. I didn't find the notes appealing either. Yet I'm sooo happy we found each other! Very nice, unique but inoffensive scent, I can't imagine anyone's hating it. It has a herbal vibe due to the chamomile, a bit like a cup of chamomile tea with beautiful florals. For me it has a bit of a "mom vibe" - grown up, polished, beautiful and also kind, comforting, warm, and emotionally available if that makes sense. It smells like someone I want to hug. Wearable all year, every occasion, dressing up or down. I can easily picture it as a signature scent. Sillage is great, longevity is even better: with three sprays it noticably radiates around me all day, lasts days on clothes leaving a beautiful, intoxicating trail. Absolute masterpiece.

This one holds a very special place in my heart with a deep memory attached to it. Picture your mum in the late 90s getting ready for a night out in the cold end of november, its the weekend and she’s getting glammed up to hit the town. She wears her favorite old faithful black dress, she gives you a kiss on the cheek before she leaves and says she won’t be back too late, she has her Clinique tender heart lipstick on and small gold hoops, her hair is scrunched curly with Paul Mitchell superscupt and her nails are french tipped. As she leans in to kiss you goodbye before leaving for the taxi THIS is what you smell. The warm embrace of this timeless scent enfolding you with straight up powdery notes with peach colored flowers, it’s cold but not in the way you think. It’s the perfect scent that latches on to a fur coat or long hair. Cerrutti 1801 is a mum who goes out but she’s one of a kind.

This is the most underrated perfumes ever! From the price to the scent and longevity on the skin. I have been wearing 1881 since I was 12. I am 26 years old now. It's been me and my mom's signature perfume ever since. Moved on from it 2 years ago. But my mom purchased it a week ago, gave it a sniff and tears just came down my face. This perfume holds all of my childhood memories. I don't normally go for floral powdery scents. But this perfume right here. Besides Marc Jacobs Daisy, this is the only floral perfume that I adore. I find 1881 to be a very classy/elegant/sophisticated perfume. I would say it's a great all year round perfume. Works for office, business, everyday wear, beach, going out. Lasts on my skin for about 8 hours. I just placed and order for 1881. And I think I need to have this perfume in my collection till the day I die. Such a classic! 11/10

I adore NICHE, expensive fragrances. I have spent my life searching for that one, unique scent that transcends all others. And yet, all along - this delicate, floral, beautiful scent was here....right under my nose! I first wore this in 1996. Back then everyone would comment on how delicious I smelt whenever I wore it. Day, or night. So, I thought I'd take a chance again - 20 years later. I am in love all over again. Perhaps it's the nostalgia? The memories of balmy nights spent dancing in Ibiza - or the carefree days when I was in my early twenties. But I really think it's more than that. This is a fabulous scent. Not quite Serges Lutens in complexity, or Les Exclusitifs in refinement - but it has excellent sillage and longevity - with a delicate, warm, floral explosion of soft romanticism. Highly underrated!

This perfume brings back so many good memories and makes me super nostalgic. The fragrance itself is a timeless masterpiece. It's incredibly complex. I've never smelled anything alike and I doubt there's anything similar on the market. Once you smell Cerruti 1881 it will get tattooed into your olfactory database. It's warm creamy fruity flowery layers will keep unfolding beautifully on your skin throughout the day until there's only delicate creamy powdery comfort left and you begin to miss it. It can be worn close to skin, subtle and discrete yet intriguing and intimate. But it absolutely has the potential of becoming signature scent. It's a warm hug in a bottle and it's ridiculously inexpensive for the aura it projects. I totally recommend it as a blind buy.

Cerruti 1881 smells of fresh laundry, sunlight, and chamomile tea. Have you ever sat outside in summer, next to a wall of white sheets hanging on the line? As the breeze blows through the sheets it picks up moisture, cooling the air. My grandmother and I used to sit outside in the shade created by the sheets, taking a break after hanging the wash. Just add chamomile tea, and you have the exact sensory experience! Cozy, bright, cheerful, clean white linen and softly sweet chamomile. Linear, strong, but energizing and fresh. This is perfect for those days when you feel a little wilted, but need to smell crisp and cool. I think that this would be a safe blind buy- it does contain quite a bit of white musk, but it is pleasant and uplifting in this scent.

My heart scent. Its feminine, its classy, its clean, its crisp and fresh like a sharp frosty winter morning yet musky powdery warm and comforting at the same time. You can wear it any time, any weather, any place and it always makes sense. Its in a class on its own and since discovering it in the 90s when I was a teen I have owned many many perfumes and nothing is as unforgettable and forgivable as this, and because i am in my 40s now, the memories evoked from this makes my heart so happy. This is the only perfume I have ever owned that is constantly replaced when ran out. Its also the fragrance with the most compliments, from both men and women, old or young, its completely timeless, unique and it could never go out of fashion.

Someone in the comments said it is a spring perfume - it’s true! Very suitable for that season, but also could be used all year long, IMO. It was also said it’s perfume for moms 😄 Funny to say like this, but also could be true. It has freshness, maturity, and is not annoying at all. For me it is such a beautiful and cosy scent, I never get bored of it. I wore it gladly in my 20’s, even to parties, I also wear it now, being a mom. I believe this perfume might be too old-schoolish for some people. But for me it is just beautiful, a perfume that could be worn whole life, in your young and older days, in your best moments, and worse ones. It’s like an old friend, a classic, a comfort. Also, it has good longevity and sillage.

This is a delightful, office-friendly fragrance that’s subtle and non-intrusive. While it carries a touch of a 90s vibe, it avoids feeling dated or overly mature. 1881 has a distinct herbal note that adds character without veering into a medicinal or hippie direction. Combined with floral and powdery elements, it offers a unique twist on a classic scent. There's a gentle floral, but not gourmand sweetness that becomes more pronounced in warm weather. I own both an older bottle with a marble cap and a sample of the newer version. In my experience, the older formulation is richer and has better longevity. It’s still available on platforms like Mercari and EBay and definitely worth seeking out.

At first spray, it is very delicate and a little aquatic. Not offensive and very office friendly... After a couple of minutes it really changes to a powdery smell with prominent delicate roses . Quite pleasant and elegant, bur stronger than its initial smell. It has a 90s vibe, minimalist in a certain way. Although it shouts feminine, there is something a little masculine in its dry down - maybe the combo woods/musk/amber goes that path. But do not get me wrong: it is quite soft and lovely, not a macho lumberjack smell. It may not suit teenagers but it surely suits someone looking for something sophisticated. If you like powdery fragrances it is a must have.

I have no idea why I have never tried this before. At my age, having gone through the powerhouse eighties, you would have thought so. I treated myself to a bottle and, well, I love it!!!!!! It is fresh, powdery, clean and sits by itself. I never like to compare perfumes with others as each reacts individually to the wearer, not to mention personal preference. This is amazing. I love the verbally mix in the drydown and yet there is the muskiness once the floral die down. Unique. I think, if this suits you, it is an issue offensive, comforting, clean scent which you could wear any time, anywhere. For me, it's a keeper and great size for my handbag!!!!!!!