Luxe Calme Volupte

Luxe Calme Volupte is inspired by a painting by Henri Matisse of the same name, conveying the idea of longing for a place of sensuous calmness and offering a suspension from human angst. It’s a beautifully balanced rendition of a green, aromatic floral, with the warmth of resins at its core. Galbanum is the primary note to my nose, which creates this intensely green and vegetal feel, whilst also remaining dry and slightly earthy. The bitterness of this gorgeous note is elevated by a bitter orange, alongside vetiver and soft woods. The balance comes from an array of gentle, powdered florals as is always Francesca’s style, backed up by an array of vaguely tropical fruits which gives the scent a much needed boost of sweetness. It’s hard to say how this scent makes me feel, as it does not remind me of a specific place or emotion. Instead it feels like purgatory, as though you are suspended between both your dreams and your fears; ethereal calm surrounds you and offers an escape from the mundane. Utterly beautiful.

Luxe calme Volupte is abither great Creation by Francesca Bianchi. It is a bit different than her creations before... Fresher and brighter and less dense and Deep. It is a fragrance to enjoy during the daytime and, above all, during the Warner months of the year. The opening is a bit harsher, but very pleasant, plenty of Orange and Green notes. Then It begins to dry down into a very powdery perfume lead by the iris and the vetiver, olaying together over a soft balsámic and Woody bed. The performance is very good, as most of bianchi's perfumes, lasting more than 12 hours on my Skin. The projection is, however, a bit softer, very moderate and most of time close to the Skin, givin the powdery, creamy and earthy addictive character which defines this scent. It is directly in my wishlist! Scent: 10 Longevity: 10 Sillage: 6 Versatility: 10 Originality: 10 Global: 10

Yess, thank you reviewers below, this does indeed resemble Must de Cartier somewhat, a perfume my mum wore in the 90s. It has that juxtaposition of greenery and amber that is unusual in modern perfumes, but I love the combination of classic galbanum/leather chypre stuff with the dusty iris amber sweetness of the drydown. The tropical fruit (pineapple, a bit like Sex and the Sea neroli, to me) elements add a touch of playfulness/humour that was lacking in Must, though, which makes this feel wearable and modern. It's not a perfume to imperss others, particularly, but I feel like myself, unfiltered, when I wear it. Also: Birmane by Van Cleef and Arpels! but modern, with better ingredients & less syrup

I love this house. I was able to be present at the launch of LCV. FB is an autodidact storyteller perfumer who doesn’t shy away from a bit of naughtiness in her perfumes. Her quality is top tier. All her scents evoke a buttery thick texture, and have amazing performance. No cheapish synthetic bases here. The quality/ price ratio is very good. LCV is inspired by Must de Cartier. It’s an elegantly radiant green galbanum-iris over light but sensual amber with a tropical touch, combining late 70ies-early 80ies esthetic with modern perfumery. Performance is off the charts. I pulled the trigger and got a full bottle after finishing my sample. I’m telling you, green makes a comeback.

First impression: Maybe I am very suggestible or maybe I love when there is a story behind fragrances, and in this case I see the attractive painting of Matisse and the poem of Baudelaire. Francesca creates an ethereal fragrance that comes and goes with every movement or little breeze that passes, creating gusts of a magical summer sunset near the lake, citrus and pineapple fruit trees with creamy and clean flowers create some kind of delicious and intoxicating dessert, and which in turn joins the scene to recreate the PERFECT DAY, with a mixture of a naked, clean and slightly sexual feminine skin ... In short, a trip to an olfactory work of art!

Tried in my FB discovery set and became obsessed. Bought a full bottle. I get something sweet tasting but with an fine-grained, slightly efforvescent texture, like Pixie Stix candy. Smells like green and orange. I haven't smelled Must de Cartier, though many here say this has reminiscent aspects, so I'll have to seek that out. What it reminds me of from my collection is a refined, sensual and contemporized Aromatics Elixir by Clinique. LCV is much softer, more damp and wears close to the skin. Like if all the green hay and herbs in AE were put in a blender, then pressed through a sieve and applied to pristine, damp skin.

I love this. This one really perplexes me. I don't get anything green.....maybe the very first initial blast but it's gone in like 60 secs. To my nose, it smells a lot like Angel's Dust and the morphs into Sticky Fingers despite there being no patch anywhere. My two most favorites of hers. Definitely has FB DNA, undeniably gorgeous. I've had a little more time to get to know this now after a few more wearings. It does have a minty green blast in Initial opening but gone or blends in smoothly. I still think it reminds me of Angel's Dust just less sweet and waxy. It's no where near SF, not sure what I was smelling.

Oh how I adore Bianchi’s creations. This one isn’t her usual style. Lighter and airier, it has a freshness from the green notes and lacks the density some of her other fragrances bring. But LCV is so gorgeous and interesting. Opens with a lovely mixture of fruit, florals and aromatic green notes. In the drydown, I recognize some of the powder from Angel’s Dust coming through, and a buttery suede carrying through to the end. Incredible performance, as with all her fragrances. This makes me feel pretty and put together just by spraying this lovely juice twice before starting my day.

Unripe fruits that only give a juiciness and tropical feel (nothing shampoo like as fruit perfumes often smell that like to my nose) to a bitter green resinous fragrance with tons if hyacinth. This is an ideal summer fragrance for someone who doesnt want fresh and light perfumes but still wants to smell ‘the part’. It has the signature francesca ambery animalic powdery dna which i adore. Reminds me a bjt of a wilder and louder Chamade by Guerlain. That one is elegant while this one is a bit more outgoing if that makes sense. I’ll update as i discover more about thjs fragrance

Very nice. I admit I was not keen on the opening but it settles down to a fruity tropical paradise. Less wood than Fidji. I LOVE Fidji! Yes Galbanum greenness is evident along with the bitter citrus notes. The warmth of opopanax and tropical fruit. I've had to check the list of notes again. Yup, Hyacinth is the piercing note coming through. I don't note much ylang tbh. It's a classy, timeless scent (like Fidji). A feminine, business like scent. Great performance as you would expect from FB. OmG! I might end up owning loads of FB at this rate.

Truly if i want to describe this fragrance with 3 word, my words would be it’s name. The first 3 hours is one of the best and most interesting scents that i smelled. Very sophisticated sort of scent. it’s have vintage vibe and it’s truly artistic fragrance. If I didn't know its inspirations, I would still say it was inspired by a painting.This is what i called well made fragrance. It takes you to a beautiful journey full of interesting things. Performance is excellent. Overall: 9.5/10

Bit cranky that I keep coming back to this sample vial without knowing exactly why. I didn't even like it at first! But the dry down is so... comforting. Going to need to spring for Francesca's discovery set *angrily smashes "pay now" button directly after writing this* Update: ended up only liking a third of the FB sampler (Tyger Tyger smells like someone burped up a danish), and LCV is still my favorite. Just something special about this one! Getting myself a full bottle

This is very sharp on first sniff; very green and uplifting. It is like a more.potent version of Chanel No 19. The notes are exquisite. This is my first Francesca Bianchi perfume and a blind buy. I was both nervous and excited spraying it. Its perfect for me. Its been an hour since my spray and I'm loving it even more. The citrus notes have been moved aside now and florals are beginning to appear with creamy undertones. This is spectacular 🥰😍

At first I placed it in my FB B-list because I only sampled it on paper. After wearing many of her other fragrances, I tried this again on my skin and it is now moved to the A-list. Not as dense as some of her others, but like all of her fragrances, you can smell nice wafts coming off your skin throughout the day. You should check out "Wafts from the Loft" where Dan sings the ballad of LCV.

Luxe Calme Volupte is soft (for this house) and sensual. Reminiscent of Angelique from Papillon but more green, sweeter, and with greater sillage and longevity. The galbanum iris accord reminds me of no. 19, but while no 19 is brutal and austere, LCV exudes a come hither air. Distinct from her other offerings but with the signature warmth and sultriness. I might need this in my collection.

I have a bottle of this and I agree with the reviewer below who says the best description is in its name. Absolute calming luxury of the highest order! It transports me to another place instantly. Quite different to Francesca's other creations and if they are too challenging for you, I recommend trying this. Totally unique and in a class of it's own. It's a love 💕

As a newbie to niche perfumes, for me this is such a unique fragrance. It has a green opening which goes away fast, leaving a powdery, fruity, floral smell. Sensual, but innocent. I've order the discovery set from Francesca Bianchi and this is definitely a stand out imho.

This creation is absolutely gorgeous. Just don’t smell this directly on your skin cause it really smells pungent but what made me like this was the magic it gives when smelt in the air. Smells fruity floral. I really love it.

Francesca Bianchi's luxurious dna is such a big win for me. She has won my heart and nose. She went down a slightly different path with this one, as it's more green. The sillage will impress those around you....wow!

its very calming indeed but theres something in the far drydown that smells almost like body odour that makes u question is that me? (in the nicest body odourish smell there is)

Complex as usual!!! Sweet, tropical with an iris woody base. Longevity is very good, sillage a beast as usual! Spring, summer...even in autumn you can wear!

Beautiful, bitter and green. I have never smelled galbanum like this. Another win from FB.

Another stunner from this house. Pure love.

I am a fan of this house and of Francesca Bianchi's creative approach to perfumery. Heady yet refined, FB perfumes tend to be creative yet wearable compositions that appeal to my personal taste. Luxe Calme Volupte is no exception. A bold yet elevated take on a floral-fruity, it is sweetly tropical yet fresh and green, becoming dry and woody as it develops, with some indolic dirtiness thrown in. LCV opens with a sweet fruity accord, with juicy orange featuring alongside smooth, banana-like ylang ylang. The galbanum adds its typical vintage-style greenness to the background, grassy and lush up top. Hyacinth, typically waxy and intense, is prominent alongside the galbanum, forming the perfect springtime accord. The fruit accord that develops alongside it is tropical and ripe, giving a balsamic - even boozy - edge. As it develops, the sweet ripeness gives way to a dry woody accord, making for a nice counterpoint to the green fruity-florals. It becomes less sweet and increasingly dry, with the florals becoming very powdery. Grassy vetiver, slightly astringent, makes an appearance here. The musky amber base develops slowly in the background, sweet yet slightly animalic, giving an old-world quality to LCV. The woody notes are an inspired addition, tempering the heady, sweet components to perfection. The greenness lingers alongside the amber-woody accord for a little while, giving some freshness. It dries down to a dusty-yet-sweet skin scent with powdery florals and sweet amber lingering. Sillage is moderate and longevity is long-lasting. It is feminine-leaning in my opinion, and is a transeasonal scent. An unusual, compelling composition, LCV is old world in style, evocative of fading vintage glamour, like a priceless fur coat that has become shabby over time while retaining its beauty. Challenging yet wearable, LCV is another gem from this house. I say this a lot, but this is olfactory art. 4/5.

Going through my discovery kit. This is number three. (The Lover's Tale was beautifully dusty and leathery in the opening and mid, but became screeching, screeching bandaid on me for the rest of the ride, so ended up being a no for me. The Dark Side starts out sweet, spiced, and subtle, but sneaks up on you with complexity and allure and all out self-posession. Might be a full bottle. Now I'm at LCV.) The opening is very much, well, ... cut grass with fresh pee. Unmistakably. But after trying funky Lover's Tale, I wasn't shocked that this could happen, and I also realize that FB's fragrances really do develop and change more than other houses, so it just took some waiting out. The mid stays quite green (with no pee) and it's so refreshing — familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. The orange / citrus starts to poke through a little bit, and you can sense a hint of sweetish fruit. Now we're in the phase where the musk and moodiness rolls in. Wow. You still pick up a faintness of green to remember where you came from, but you've definitely crossed a border into the woods and resin and sharp florals. How cool. Yeah, this is witchcraft. I'm in.

I’m a fan of Francesca’s work, so was excited to try this out. It opens with the intensely green note of the galbanum, which persisted for about 40 minutes on my skin. There’s a bitterness which provides a pleasant little shock, a wake-up to the nose. The tangerine comes in after an hour so, a phase which I struggled with a little more - perhaps there is some powdery earthiness sitting behind it? The ylang ylang, maybe, which is a note I’m not keen on generally. There is an uneasy juxtaposition of notes at this point with the citrus lacking the juicy freshness I would hope for. When this recedes though, it settles on the skin and all the notes come together with a soft, comforting beauty that I find calming and quite lovely. Throughout, there’s the distinctive Bianchi signature which I personally really enjoy. Luxe Calme Volupte is original and has an interesting evolution - I enjoyed the journey! It’s a wet, humid day today so I’m looking forward to trying it when the weather has settled as I suspect the middle phase would work better on a fresher day.

I’ve got the Bianchi sampler set and I just don’t know if this house is for me. The first spray of this I found to be too green and bitter for my tastes. And then there was a shift and I caught a whiff of public toilet. And then, as I was considering scrubbing it off my hand, it shifted to a fruity amber that brought me calm and a vintage feeling of warmth - an echo of a perfume worn by someone in my life that I love or have loved. I don’t know - I think I’m too literal for these convoluted FB scents. Yes, maybe they are art, but if I need to tolerate an opening ten minutes of nose scrunching, is it ever something I’m going to love. My journey through the sample set continues.

On first spray, it’s kind of like panicking at work when you realize you forgot to wear deodorant. But it’s not you, it’s the perfume. Initial blast is buttery iris and armpits. It quickly goes green. The pithy green skin of tropical fruit like papaya or guava takes center stage before the sweeter, ripe fruits appear. Keep in mind it stays green the entire ride while introducing more florals. It’s basically a trip from pungent, freshly picked tropical fruit all the way through ripening. For some reason, I actually don’t mind it. The creamy dry down is really nice once it arrives about a day later. Not my favorite from the house, but definitely fits Spring days.

At some point, when having 9 Bianchis in my collection, i was bound to run out of words to say about every single new one. This is featuring some tropical fruity freshness that sits on top of her signature musky, mossy balsamic core. But it does not go as bold as something like Sex and the Beach or Tyger Tyger, nor it is as dense as Etruscan Water or Under my Skin. If you own these, you can safely skip this one. Unless you are a curious collector and a fan of the house already, that is. At this point i can safely say Francesca Bianchi is my new Serge Lutens, given how disappointingly simplistic and one note the newer SL scents are, especially.

My brain is throbbing. My nose is searching for its own identity. There is too much happening at once. Normally I would call it a cacophony, but somehow it stays attractive, and the material quality leaves a positive impression on me. Soft powder, grassy greens, a sweet and warm benzoin, tropical and indolic florals, and citrus, all at the same time. Add to that chaos a cold, bitter, austere galbanum and a watery hyacinth feel. An artistic perfume. And the poem it draws inspiration from is deeply unsettling, so the scent is unsettling too. A morbid kind of beauty. Tag(s): unqiue, sweet, warm, green, tropical floral, unsettling, morbid

A well-named fragrance. The odd mixture of tropical notes (galbanum, fruits, iris, ylang-ylang) make for a very fancy sensory experience that is surprisingly calming--you want to stop and catch the scent. This would be a more of a special occasions fragrance than a daily one, and leans a little feminine. It's beautifully mixed, and new people make more sumptuous perfumes today than Franchesca Bianchi. I like a little better some of her scents that lean a bit more masculine (like Etruscan Water and Tyger, Tyger), but this is really fine stuff.

I got this in the mail yesterday. Had to have it, as I love most of Francescas scents. This one opens with a bitter blast of citrus, which fortunately fades away relatively fast. It becomes more powdery and sweet after a short while, but after half an hour I can barely smell it. So Sad, as I really like the way it develops. The way the scent almost disappears on me really caught me off guard, because all of her other scents are real sillage bombs.. I have tried to spray several times on the same spot, but the fragrance want perform.

Another wearable creation of Francesca Bianchi, this is green, pineapple, citrus pop, musk and a little floral/green. This is pretty, a level down fragrance for Francesca Bianchi, yes it is her, this is her DNA but done less animalic, less amber and this time... more green, aromatic, fruit and a bit of powder, musk actually without being animalic and noticeable. Calm luxurious, old money, lowkey millionaire cologne.

Something this fruity with a floral heart I often find too feminine a style for me but the green notes, the wood and the subtle smokiness in here pull this almost masculine and that light animalic touch kind of reminds me of a Zoologist sort of fragrance. If I had to pick an animal...maybe a tropical caterpillar. Doesn't hit as high a high as some of her others imho but this is very good, better than I expected.

Balsamic pineapples, unisex with long longevity, has smart casual vibes, I'm wearing my sample for a classical music concert in autumn, tropical chic.

Lovely fragrance that is a little green, a little sweet, a little powdery, and a little resinous. Sits close to the skin, but lasts fairly long.

im amazed with this one, 12 hr plus and its still there. excellent radiance with no invasion of anyone space. 8.5/10

The review below asks why is it rated so low when it’s good, and gives it a “hate” rating. What?

I suppose Francesca Bianchi thought she would try her hand at another green perfume after the success and lauding of Etruscan Water, which is fantastic. To that end, I believe Luxe is a halfway point: not as green as Etruscan Water for those that found it too green, but greener than the standard formula she uses on repetition. In that regard, Luxe is a success, and we get what is, in effect, the brand’s entry for the vetiver genre. The bitter green and underripe tree fruit opening certainly sticks to the brief. Bitter, very bitter, and quite sour - me likey. Then we get Bianchi’s standard heart and base that is very buttery orris, musk, and balsam heavy except that a vetiver note pushes through loud and clear to the foreground. The vetiver is superbly salty, green, fetid and swampy as vetiver often is. It’s the pushy side of vetiver thinly veiled, dusted, and cloaked by Bianchi’s orris, musks, lactonic woods. Here’s the thing: I like all of these accords; Bianchi’s repetitive base works quite well with the edgier vetiver in creating a pleasant yet creative tension. But it’s not quite enough. The blend is a bit off. There is too much of the edgy vetiver and not enough “Bianchi morass” to give it dimension, breadth and depth. Then, as if falling off of a cliff, the vetiver is gone and the skin scent is a quiet version of Bianchi’s base. If you’re a massive fan of the brand and a massive fan of vetiver in all of its forms, this perfume is for you and I can completely understand that. I’m not quite convinced; I love me some salty and swampy vetiver, but I need a bit more than that, and a bit more than a repetitive base.

The opening kills me 🤢. I definitely share sentiments with those who are reminded of a bathroom. However, that smell (thankfully) dies down quickly, and the drydown is a nice green, powdery, and somewhat bitter scent. It definitely gives off vintage vibes, which is not necessarily a bad thing; Angel’s Dust also gives off vintage vibes but I much prefer it to this fragrance. I’m glad that I sampled Luxe Calme Volupte, as it is pleasant and definitely is a journey due to the dynamic development that occurs during its wear time. I don’t think I’ll be adding it to my collection though.

I'm not going to say I dislike it, but I do not like it either. I'm sure there are many who would enjoy this, but for me I would interpret it as a fragrance from the past and not a modern creation. Unfortunately the weighty combination of notes translates into 'older lady' for me.

I mostly gravitate to unisex fragrances, but I find this to be more masculine than feminine. It's too woody for me It smells like freshly cut trees. For me it's a scrubber, sorry.

Excellent perfumery, no doubt-- this is an enhanced powdery vintage that trades aldehydes for green fruit, and douses the whole composition with honey. The underlying flavor is very bitter, pungent even, and the fermented aspect is not my style. It has that metallic soapy vetiver I’m not a fan of. The galbanum is lovely though, and I’m quite a fan of the powdery airiness this has. It feels natural and uplifting, bright even, which is weird given this perfumer's general style. Still very powerful, as every ingredient is present in full force, so you’ll only need a spray or even a dab of this one for it to bloom.

The opening of this is way too bitter and masculine leaning for me. All I get are bitter green leaves and woody stems. For someone who enjoys that profile, though, this would be a good choice! It gets easier as it dries down, with a powdery resinous ambery vibe, a little hint of vanilla that must be from the benzoin. The pendulum actually swings almost a little too far to the sweet side. Although it is not for me and I have trouble making sense of this fragrance, the quality of the ingredients is obvious and it's clear that it is thoughtfully, if somewhat inscrutably, composed.

Maximum powdery iris slash hyacinth. Its not pleasant, rather sharp. You can still find typical honey sweet Francesca DNA in the watered down middle of the fragrance, but beginning is like wet plaster in a freshly painted room - its scratchy in neck and strange. Drydown is more interesting, but not worth waiting for, sillage somewhere slightly below usual.

Just didn’t work for me. The bitter orange and galbanum fused and smelt almost burnt that might have worked but I got an incredibly sweet candied violet/hyacinth note at the same time that made everything off centre. Clearly my skin chemistry over amped something and it just doesn’t work for me. That’s ok, it’s not for everyone.

I really want to like this one but on first sniff this reminds me of scented bathroom, and that notes persists for quite a long time on my skin. Drydown is nice and floral but I just cannot tolerate the pro-longed opening. I have to pass it on. Msg me if you are interested for swap.

A mess of good ingredients. Incohesive, but in the drydown is pleasant enough.

I’ve blind bought 4 bianchi fragrances and loved every one, so when I read this one was intentionally inoffensive and “easy” for those uninitiated to bianchis usual in-your-face animalics, I figured it would be an easy favorite. Oh my god, it’s foul. It goes on like burning tires, then mellows very slightly to fresh asphalt and cheap/green/almost mentholated mall cologne. I wanted to scrub it off as soon as it was on but I gave it a full day (after all, I though the lovers tale reeked like a barnyard when I first bought it, now it’s a favorite) and it never stopped grabbing my attention and horrifying me. It didn’t get one degree less offensive until about 10 hours in, at which time it almost suddenly became a nursing home air freshener.

The opening is so challenging I cannot get past it - urine and rotting fruit. I know Francesca tends to be challenging in general - I count The Lover's Tale as one of my top 5, and Sticky Fingers is also in heavy rotation. But I can't imagine anyone wanting to smell like this. After the brutal opening this moves to heavy guava and passionfruit with a green undertone. Update: I read the review above mine which I respect, and I regret writing that I can't imagine anyone wanting to wear this (though I won't delete it now for context.) Some people feel this way about The Lover's Tale and I love it, so we're all on our own journey.