K de Krizia

Smelling and wearing K de Krizia, one wonders if Maurice Roucel looked for inspiration in Dioressence and Miss Dior. While all 3 perfumes are a beauty on their own, K has that beautifull herbal-ness of Dioressence that makes it stand out, even among vintage Christian Dior fragrances. K came out in 1980 (or 1981, depending on the source) as the debut fragrance of Mariuccia Mandelli, and has always been considered an aldehydic floral. But K is so complex, so intriguing, so much more that this title doesn’t do it justice. K is floral, leathery, animalic, powdery, chypre, aldehydic, herbal...it’s an elixir on its own! The aldehydes are there in the opening, hushed and mellow unlike other aldehydic fragrances. Neroli provides an even fresher sensation with its mellow sweetness, before the floral heart takes over. And here is where the magic happens! Hyacinth is the star; a rich, oily, leathery hyacinth that for a moment, briefly reminds me of the original Trussardi for women. Delicate and whimsical in appearance, hyacinth looks far more innocent than it really is. The rough edges are put upfront, surrounded by narcissus (another killer flower with animalic nuances) and carnation, which adds a spicy and piquant touch. After all, these flowers are anything but demure and innocent. Among them, orris engulfs the flower orgy in one of the most beautiful powder clouds I have ever encountered; you haven’t smelled powdery until you’ve smelt K. Floral powder, leather, oiliness...here is where I’m reminded of Miss Dior (the real one) and see (smell) the imprint it has left and the impact it has made in perfumery. But the base notes aren’t far behind. Oakmoss, animalic musk (nitromusks more likely), civet, sandalwood...it all somehow combines and brings to mind the herbal beauty of Dioressence. The notes are different, the arrangement is more modern, but yet, the classics inspire the new, and the ghost of it lingers on skin like a nymph. Somewhere, deep in the heart of an emerald green forest, a witches brew surrounds me. A beautiful full force chypre. K has average sillage, and lasts around 16 hours on my skin, hovering above and sending fragrant tendrils to my nose with temperature variations. Krizia chose a classically composed fragrance for her debut, and while probably a big seller in its day, it seems overlooked and underrated. It’s a vintage treasure that hardly gets mentioned, and it’s a shame because it’s a beauty on its own, quite cheap on eBay, and seems to keep very well. I have a large 100ml edp from 1981, and even though it brings to mind many fragrances, it can hold its own. It might start innocent and ethereal, but it has a big and bold heart, that was made more evident in the following Teatro Alla Scala. If you enjoy green/floral animalic chypres, leathery and powdery herbal green perfumes, or simply love old fashioned quality perfumery, seek it out. Krizia was a helluva designer, and her perfumes were even better. Italian at its best!

The initial blast and my first impression was the dreaded hyacinths... but it mellowed out and brought other notes forward to support it thankfully. It's got a strong vintage feel to it, it by no means smells modern. My mother said it reminded her of Chanel No. 5, I'm assuming it was the aldehydes she could smell. Now, several months later this holds a strange place in my heart. I never expected love, the set was cheap and frankly I was just on a desperate perfume binge (you know how the stages develop, this was the buy everything point). Despite being wary of hyacinths, the aldehydes and peach are just so crisp up top, it's beautiful. Yes, then there is a soapy smell and yes, it's vintage. Still pretty thoughard. Floral yet spicy but also green. It dries down with a surprisingly deep tone, oakmoss and leather I feel. I'd love to have smelt the original. Lasts rather a while (rare for me) and projects well. One of the few I would definitely replace. It just reminds me of a strong, well scrubbed woman, someone respectable that you could admire; this is no girly girl or femme fatale. I wear it when I need determination!

This is one of those UNFORGETTABLE fragrances that I first discovered while in college. A sorority friend introduce me to this - it is mesmerizing with certain chemistries. It oooooozes.. GODDESS Energy! This has an iconic blend of some of my very favorite notes - all rolled into ONE! This is enchanting, spellbinding, luscious,,, GODDESS! ----------- They have apparently discontinued this, It is much harder to find now. If I were a perfume designer - I would be hard pressed to make something very similar to THIS ONE! Oh my heavens - All of the cotton candy, super sweet -- "everything smells basically the same" fragrances that are lining the walls of Victoria's Secret, and the other stores that have copied this approach... and there is NOTHING LIKE THIS? I'd be ON THIS! Trying to make a whole collection that smells as GOOD AS THIS! Folks - What are you waiting for? They pulled THIS OFF THE MARKET? Why? It's time to start tinkering around with these notes - and create a whole assortment of other fragrances that are in this same RANGE! I LOVE THIS STUFF! AWESOME-NESS...(if that's a word!)!!!!

Another winner from the house of Krizia! This is the third Krizia fragrance I've bought, and like the others it's beautiful. K opens with strong florals and dries down quickly to a deep, honeyed smoothness. K doesn't have the strong melon notes of Moods by Krizia, nor is it as lively as Krazy Krizia. All three have honey notes which lend delicious smoothness and sweetness and a touch of spice. All are well formulated and feminine. K doesn't have a lot of sillage, it sinks into my skin and waits there patiently to be discovered. K reminds me the older Weil fragrances, like Antilope and Weil de Weil. There aren't any fresh or ozonic notes in these fragrances, they are powerful aldehyde perfumes from the past. That doesn't mean that K or the Weil frags are dated or old fashioned. They may not appeal to a younger wearer unused to big scents. K de Krizia is a lovely Italian perfume and it deserves to be better known.

WOW A pungent opening gives way to a spicy green heart.... with narcissus and civet? What more could you desire?! I have been searching without success for vintage Safari, and though there are significant differences in these top notes, in particular the heart of K is very close to the SPIRIT of Ralph Lauren's gorgeous green floral. Both are naturally sweet, gorgeously grassy, and seductively full of Narcissus. I rest my case. :D For value, longevity, and complexity - absolutely 5+ stars! Update - I have also purchased a 'new' bottle ( circa 2014 ) which is considerably lighter than the ( 90's? ) bottle I was so kindly gifted. The opening impression is more alcohol than pungent aroma, yet the flavor remains the same soon after, as heart and dry down are very well done. Less lasting, but still very nice. This is like an edt, and the vintage is the edp. Full marks for a good reformulation, Krizia. :D