La Perla

Very classy grown up Chypre. I have only just started to appreciate the classics , chypres and aldehyde's in the past couple of years. In fact i thought i detested Aldehyde's until i discovered Vivienne Westwood "boudoir" ( must review that too!) My tastes are changing and expanding to include the whole range of frag genres , which is a good thing! I chanced across La Perla in a dusty old box of samples at a local discount store ( My fave place for finding discontinued n unusual frag samples) . I new nothing of La Perla frags at all , but it looked quite expensive/classic/classy and worth trying out. I'm so glad i did! Its a very well behaved Chypre IMO. It doesn't overpower or burn my nostrils with aldehyde's! ( That's the problem i have with some Classic perfumes. . Aldehyde overdose..eeek!) Its very well balanced and no particular note dominates. If La Perla was a lady , she would be an Upper Class , well mannered lady = young or old , who wouldn't dream of swearing or smoking in company . You would find her having afternoon tea at the Ritz rather than drinking pints and ending up drunk with her knickers showing at the end of the night ..... But she is no prude and underneath her clothes , (Chanel tweed jacket n skirt , silk blouse ) she is wearing some Agent provocateur basque n stockings ;) . There's a sensual side to this perfume , certainly not "too respectable " or boring. I really like it , and its yet another addition to my "must buy full bottle" list It also lasts well. I got a few wearings out of my tester ,and when i sprayed some on before bed it was still there in the morn ...Lovely dry-down. Very cosy and soft as a scent to wear to bed too . Very good quality for the price. Id recommend this to fledgling perfumistas who want to test scents out of there usual comfort zone , but who are scared off by heavy Musks , Civets and nose stinging Aldehyde bombs !! This perfume contains musk n aldehydes , but those parts are subtle. It doesn't smell "old lady" or stinky and I think its a good choice to ease yourself into the realm of Chypres This is the kind of perfume id wear to a job interview , or to meet a new BFs parents for the first time...In the hope i will give off an aura of been more classy than i actually am ( Lol!)

For me...this is nostalgia in a bottle. And....not because I think it smells "old" or because I knew anyone who wore it in my past. On the contrary, it is simply a gorgeous blend of notes that somehow have the ability to evoke a gazillion fond memories yet still manages to smell timeless. La Perla is a thick, heady and even moist blend of Ylang Ylang,Honey,Carnation,Vanilla and Patchouli.Of course, there are many more notes listed but these are the particular ones that stand out for me. There's a heavenly sweetness to it but also a crisp soapiness that compliment each other so well that they keep things from being too much of one or the other. As it dries down it becomes even softer and more powdery and takes on a creamy, spice cake feel. When I wear this and close my eyes, I see myself outdoors at night, in the moonlight, either on a warm summer night or bundled up during the crispness of fall or winter.Gazing up at the stars, enveloped in fond memories and cocooned by a feeling of warmth and comfort. It does,indeed,smell so similar to Paloma Picasso ( I'm doing a sniff comparison right now on each arm.) I think that the first phase is where all of the similarities lie because as they dry down, La Perla becomes softer, warmer and more powdery than PP, which becomes more "dry", soapy "uplifting" equally as beautiful but in a slightly different way. I also think that K de Krizia shares similarities with La Perla in it's powdery softness. I'm so glad that I found this scent...thank you for all of your wonderful reviews!

High hopes- It's by La Perla, after all ! New (reformulated) La Perla La Perla (2012+): Flat, stale-peppered (cheap) wood. Now linear; Absent any discernible structure nor evolution of top/heart/base notes as in original (pre-reformulation)... Now, loud, crass, hard, sharp, & harsh upon initial spray; Settles quickly to low sillage, poor longevity, & a barely-there skin scent- Total duration +/- 3 hrs. Former (original) round, rich, deep, subtly sweet, full-bodied, fresh-ground peppered, smooth, complex, artfully blended/ layered "Pearl" of chypre perfumery, is now sadly stripped of its beauty; Reduced, instead, to the irritant shard of sand within; degraded further yet to a solidified, bottom layer, hardened lump of decade-old, stale, bone dry, residual fine silt of pre-ground pepper, in a tired diner, where the shakers have never been fully emptied nor cleaned. Tragic loss. This formerly smooth, complex, elegant, Italian classic (masterpiece!) reknowned for her heavenly dry-down, was an exquisite treasure! La Perla La Perla used to be a life-long, top shelf, HG woody floral Chypre- Under-rated, under-appreciated, under-priced. Thankfully, I stocked up on 30 bottles of pre-reformulation EdP (the 100 ml. Tall bottle). A timeless, priceless gem- Now lost to reformulation- A dusty, dry, linear, 2-note stale pepper-olfactory irritant.

A perfume for life...To me it was love at first sniff, back in the Nineties (It was issued in the late Eighties, though). I was quite young at the time, but that fragrance was the hype of the moment and wearing that was a kind of status symbol. Today I would use it with more modesty, because it is a quite potent one, important, in the sense that you won't go unnoticed when wearing that (tons of compliments by men), it is easy to overdo. Or, it was. I am speaking about the original formulation, when the bottle was oyster shaped, pls see for reference the original ads posted above. La Perla is a spicy chypre with a strong, bold spicy carnation. And a hundred different notes. Animalic, deep, sexy. A powerhouse of the eighties, with a super intimate drydown, oriental with resins and a hot pachouli. It is wrapping you in a silk sheet. But the description of the notes alone does not do it justice. You should wear it for getting its real essence. It was unique, one of a kind. Gorgeous. Now, I got a new tall bottle of the edp, like the one pictured here. What a disappointment... the new formulation lacks all the depth and the animalic part. I find it soapy, loud and screechy. Very ordinary. Nothing like the real one. I never wear it, as i prefer remembering how great it was. Get the vintage one if you can.

I try out as many chypres as I can get my greedy little hands on (it's my favorite category of perfume), so stumbling upon this one last year (thanks, Sherapop!) was a special moment. I am enamored of this scent, to put it simply. Such a beautifully complex, well blended fragrance. So well blended that I have a hard time picking out the individual notes. The opening is only mildly citrusy to my nose; I pick out some sweet notes like orange blossom or jasmine almost immediately. Some spiciness from the cardomom and coriander adds a nice touch as well. The heart notes are sweet (rose, jasmine again, iris, lily of valley), but the peppercorns are also slightly noticable which seems to offset the sweetness of the florals. The honey doesn't seem to stand out as a distinct note, all accords flowing together in a soft way. The basenotes are wonderfully earthy. A musky incense seems to be buried in there among the woody elements of vetiver, patchouli, and oakmoss. Compared to many fragrances of this era, LP is soft and inviting; I never tire of it. Sillage is strong, use sparingly. Longevity is great as well, about 9 hours on me. I'd recommend this as a night time fragrance since it smells so sumptuous.

Sexy saxophone playing in the background as a lady with dark caramel brown hair and peaches and cream complexion walks languidly towards the room. Her clove colored eyes glowing with mischief as an ethereal gold and lace negligee cascades down her person. The smell of Lime and Honey Margaritas and the incense of Nag Champa on an iron wood nightstand lingering in the air... Hmm, hmm, hmm...I love this fragrance so much. Just reading the notes makes me uncomfortable. It is remarkably delicious. I get a beautiful lemonade smell, sweetened by honey, and kicked up a notch by a dash of woody spices. What you get is heady sensation and that makes you want to get more, more and more. And then shiver, and fall into the comforting smell of smoke. I can't describe it, there is so much to this fragrance I don't know where to begin. The only thing that could help you get what I see and understand why I love this fragrance is this: Careless Whisper by George Michael. Listen to that song with your eyes closed. Feel those words, listen to the notes, hear that saxophone snaking throughout. Then hear the end, that continues to linger in your head, long after the song is gone. Releeeease...

I know it's already become a cliche, but this perfume really feels like cashmere or angora on my skin. It's warm and enveloping. I also find it very luminous, athough the composition is definitely not light. It is soft indeed, but not in the sense that it fades easily or that it is transparent or watery. It's soft like quality wool. I imagine this one along with a refined angora blouse, sheer and discreetly luxurious, but with an off shoulder cut, giving the wearer a slightly neglige allure. I feel the floral side is more prominent that the chypre, but that is not an issue. It wouldn't have been so enchanting if it were formulated otherwise. Like other reviewers said, complexity is a key characteristic, but it does not make it demure or difficult, just respectable as a perfume with a personality of its own. Beautiful! Simply beautiful. Its femininity is radiant and, like it has been said before, embracing. And it's a "happy" scent, comforting, deep and softly sweet. It made a lasting impression on me from the very first time I tried it a few days ago. Love it!

How have I missed this beautiful perfume all these years? La Perla is such an amazing scent. I love chypres and already have so many (and have so many more in my Want list), but I know I'll be buying this one when my little decant is used up. (Thanks, Ms. Mary O, for sharing this gem with me!) I was a loyal Magie Noire (1980's version) and Paloma wearer for a number of years, and I do see some similarities to these scents. The soapiness of all three is similar. I find the older Magie and Paloma to be much darker (and slightly less wearable) scents than La Perla. I wore this one for an hour or so before I realized the lovely gingerbread-y smell was wafting up from my own cleavage, LOL! What sets La Perla apart from the others are the spices, the honey and the benzoin, which achieve a slightly sweet, almost foody aroma on me, tempered nicely by the flowers and patchouli. It has amazing longevity in addition to that wonderful sillage. Such a great price, too. If you're a chypre fan and haven't tried this one yet, do not hesitate to do so.

I don't know what I was expecting from La Perla LA PERLA, but this is fantastic! How they managed to create way back in 1987 a modern chypre that rivals the best of recent releases is beyond me. To my nose this is an oriental chypre with lots of patchouli and spices, incense and a very substantial base. The floral notes blend in perfectly with the oriental and chypre elements without asserting themselves individually. Yet it is the subtle florality which marks this as a truly feminine and exquisite perfume, leading me to suspect that Sophia G. may well have contributed her prodigious talents to this IFF launch. IMNSHO LA PERLA rivals 24 Faubourg in its richness and perfect blending of a multitude of notes to create a veritable symphony of scents with big sillage which is a pleasure to be ensconced within! (Excellent longevity, too.) Thank you so much, BronxBeauty for introducing me to this beauty! On my wish list!!!

This is not a review, rather: information relative to "La Perla" I hope some may find informative. I wanted to find the name(s) of the perfumer(s) of La Perla "La Perla." I am enamored of this fragrance and became curious about it's history. Mainly: I wished to find the perfumer to see what else s/he has created. According to what I found online: Pierre Wargyne is the actual perfumer. He is the creator of several well-known men's fragrances, but apparently has only created "La Perla" and had a hand in only one other fragrance for women besides this one. The other one is called "Mango Delirium," which he co-created with perfumers Rosendo Mateu and Elisabeth Vidal of the Mango line. (It's based in Spain, parent company is Puig). I don't think I'll be pursuing the "Mango Delirium," but I do wish he had--or will--create more perfumes just as outstanding as "La Perla."

Vintage La Perla is one of my favourite perfumes. I have been wearing this since I was 18 and I never get tired of it's warm, woody, sweet-sharp cloud that sings note perfect on skin. This is easily in my top 5 perfumes of all time. I have a stash of vintage that I use with abandon knowing that one day it will be gone but my addiction is so strong I HAVE to wear it. I highly recommend the pre-reform, it's a real treat. I love the oakmoss/rose/carnation notes very much. I should point out that I also have the new formulation and it's a shadow of the original glory. I am really unimpressed that yet another amazing perfume has bitten the reformulation dust. What an utter sin to take a beautiful, sexy, glorious perfume and rip the guts out of it, resulting in an entirely different perfume that shares only the name.

At once refined and rugged, La perla's perfect blend of sensuous and brisk notes indulge my senses like no other. Carnation, oak moss, honey, coriander...these are the notes that made me a believer in old school perfumery. This is the scent which most eloquently renders my feminine ideal. Dry,earthy, sexual, strong, not sweet or cheerful but intelligent and full of life. To me she is the perfect accompaniment to the indie goth look I've been partial to lately. She is an aristocrat who is at home in both bergdorfs and bathing nude in a secluded woodland stream. All fry boots and Pendleton blankets she takes her horse for a cold morning ride through the woods. When she is done with her horse, she puts the Hermes saddle on you. ;)

This is a very beautiful and elegant fragrance. Perfumes with heavy carnation notes are right up my alley. This scent is very sophisticated and imparts wave after wave of gorgeous crisp wafts of refined and delicate spicy bliss. I love it's woody comfort and stability. It's both airy and earthy and very interesting. It doesn't seem sultry to me, just womanly and confident. My bottle is the boat shaped vintage EDP with the word "Bodysilk" written under La Perla. The sillage is excellent, but not loud. I'm not getting the longevity that others report. On me the scent only lasts 4 hours but that could be due to the condition of my particular bottle. I like this one enough to search for another vintage bottle!

I discovered this gem thanks to one blogger YouTuber who reviewed it. The British guy, the owner of "Pulse of Perfumery" shop, his description is real treat, must watch. And when I tried it I asked myself exactly the same question that everyone else had. How come I have never heard about it before? For one thing, this particular company very rare in my country (which is sad). It took some time to find a person who would sell it but I got lucky. If you (like myself) really appreciate chypre fragrances this one is real gem. So spicy, so warm, gorgeous ladylike scent. I absolutely love it. Sublime pearl in the ocean of chypre fragrances. The formulation I reviewed is 8ml mini version ship-shaped bottle.

I already reviewed this some time ago, but thought I would tell you all a funny story. I was shopping one evening in a clothing store. Browsing and not really planning on buying, I was suddenly smitten by a glorious scent as a women walked past me. I am almost ashamed to say I followed (discreetly) around the shop, finally getting up the courage to stop her and ask her what perfume she was wearing. 'La Perla' was the reply, to which I confessed that this is one of my all time favourites. Funny how when you are inside a scent, you smell it differently. However, if I smell like that woman did when I wear La Perla, I will be happy. Gorgeous, ecstatic elixir.

I love La Perla and think I've reviewed this before but today I put it on and got a surprise - it smelled of VIOLETS! Mmmm! I can only think that it somehow mixed with the remnants of the Must de Cartier I had on the day before to make this strange but pleasant result.. Looking at the review below, I'm not sure if I've got the 'new' or 'old' one now, think it must be the 'old' one actually. They'd better not have messed with this masterpiece and it's such a shame if they have!! By the way - I LOVE Magie Noire and like Paloma P and I don't see the similarity with La Perla apart from maybe being relations and all beautiful masterpieces!

Just received La Perla from a blind swap less then an hour ago. As soon the first blast was over, it seemed strangely familiar, yet nothing like anything else on my shelf. Then I realised it reminds me a lot of the original Magie Noire that I got somtime around 1980! (I don't know its new formula at all) I'm actually not very good at detecting specific perfumes by name, not even if I had them myself long ago, but this time - no doubt! La Perla seems lighter and not as challenging as MN was (it wasn't wearable for everyone). I'm happy I got La Perla - a trip down memory lane, and yet not... A confident, sophisticated true perl!

Like every really good Chypre, this one is multi-faceted. It is a bit of a screamer when first it hits the skin, and the peppery jasmine mid notes are a bit on the heavy side for me. But......when it settles down for a good long snooze, is it glorious. It is one of the scents that when I am wearing it, I find myself constantly lifting my wrist to my nose to enjoy it up close. Since my mother stole Aromatics from me, this is one of my faves, very near the top of my list. Elegant, not too sweet, not too flowery, perfectly balanced, and very long lasting. I adore it.

Okay i am compelled to write another review on this perfume. I originally bought it because of the reviews I read here sometime ago. I knew I had to get it. This is a well refined classy perfume. It does not smell cheap. I think the price is very reasonable. It cost less than £40 for a 100ml. This is definitely a headturner. It embodies a woman (not a girl) that knows EXACTLY what she wants. Even though it reveals a bitter and a sweet scent, there is still something dark yet mysterious about this perfume which I find utterly sexy.

The best perfumes of all time Perfume for all times and all seasons perfume with personality notable was my signature for 11 years Every day with strangers ask me about my perfume Believed to be from the perfumes of life he chooses who will wear it as a signature We believe the nose behind the La Perla is the famous '' Russian witch '' Only she can play with so much variation Only this can make you be considered normal that the sun the moon and the stars to shine together in the same sky at the same time . This is the La Perla

This fragrance is divine. I find it more similar to Magie Noire than to Diva and Paloma Picasso. But the current version of Magie Noire is much blunter. La Perla is subtler and more sophisticated. I find it irresistible in a classical way, without being sweet or gourmand. The bottle I have is like the one pictured above, the original one, and it is edp. I think it has been reformulated after that, with the new bottle. I stopped seeing it in online shops, maybe it has been discontinued. It is a shame.

I just received the new limited edition of this perfume by the name 1986 - the year it was originally formulated. It is such a beautiful and elegant scent. It opens quite powerful, 10 minutes later I get more of a vintage soapy vibe. After an hour it turns into a sweet citrus scent but not overly sweet. More like the sweetness of a summer breeze where you can smell the flowers and fruits in the air. The dry down ends in a combination of sensual powdery notes and warm earthy notes.

I think La Perla is so so similar with Magie Noire !!! In fact if u compare the notes, 90% are the same ! Very nice , feminine and sophisticated ;))) Flowery and incensy, dark and sexy scent ! I gaved my sis a sample and when she used it , i loved it so much...i remember saying to her how beautiful she smelled !!! At first i didn't recognized it, but when i asked her and told me it was La Perla, i was...wow..this smells soooo good ! A must try ladies !

A recent purchase of one of my favourite scents I used to wear about 20 years ago. It still has the distinct warm aroma I remember. I agree it is quite similar to Magie Noire but with a few subtle differences, I think this is more floral. I own Avon's Perle Noire which bears an even more uncanny resemblance to it, in smell, name & similar bottle. I love all three anyhow, and am mighty glad to have it back in my collection after all these years.

I really love this! Bought as a blind buy after reading reviews here. Surpassed my expectations. On the hunt for a Fendi substitute, this is not like it at all! But its lovely ... Warm, feminine, assertive without being too in your face. A nice complex oriental, sillage and longevity are good enough for me. I could happily wear this every day and not miss my old favourites as much.

Subtle but sharp. Flowery but mossy. I love it and wear it to work. It's a great pick me up. Wish I could sample the vintage. This lasts very well on skin and fabric. I wore it today and it resurged at 4 pm. The patchouli really came out. There isn't much roundness to this one...it's sharp and faceted, clean. It inspires a sense of "being capable," it has that grown-up air.

I too have worn this on and off for a years. Need to use a light hand. I usually spray and walk into the mist. It is wonderfully complex and I love it from start to finish. I tried another perfume recently and my husband said I did not smell like 'me.'. This one ticks both of our boxes. Just bought a fresh bottle and it is surprisingly cheap, which is an added bonus.

a sophisticated chypre which dries down nicely to a cuddly vanilla incense. Discreet and lovely. cheap too! After much wearing I can recommend this heartily. It's NOT sweet though - it's in the vein of aromatics elixir mixed with paloma. As an aside, if you love magie noir but find the re-formulation too acrid, try La Perla, it's become one of my faves.

Fantastic cypre floral scent. Timeless femininity with very good projection and unbelievable staying power. I can see that many of you guys compare it to Paloma Picasso. To my nose, Paloma is more earthy animalic in its heart and therefore a bit heavier scent than Perla, which is really bright floral. Beautiful fragrance, I really like it.

This is utterly glorious, I'm glad to see a bit of a resurgence of this fragrance, I don't really see it as a floral, it's too complex, I see it more warm vanilla and woody, with a stunning hit of Patchouli. Surprised a little by the references to Paloma Pacasso, both are wonderfully distinctive and unique, this is nicer though :-)

I simple feel comfortable & cozy when I wear La Perla by La Perla for women. It's not overly sweet, nor overly spicy on my skin, and thank heavens it doesn't smell musky! Dry so is so soft and pleasantly gently complexe, that I'm elated. 3 words always come to me mind Comfortable Soft Long Lasting A true favorite of mine.

It's the same olfactive group as Paloma, and they have a lot in common, yes. Anyway, it's more than beautiful, it's bottleworthy but not the least cheap or simple or boring. It's vibrant, bright, feminine, dark and complex, one of the most perfect perfumes I've ever had! Longevity is perfect, too.

Very, very similar to Clinique's Aromatics Elixir. They share Oakmoss, Patchouli, and incense. Differ in that the Sweet Honey takes center stage in La Perla. This needs to be sprayed with a "light hand" or sprayed and walked through, as it is strong. This scent is classic, refined, and memorable.

I cannot believe they’ve discontinued this beautiful perfume. One of the best chypre frags ever made imho. The best from La Perla. Nothing comes close in comparison, why did they stop this? Utter madness. If you ever see it, particularly vintage, buy it - it’s insanely good.

i agree with halva - it is a perfect perfume - it is multi seasonal and so sophisticated, just polished, really special. Very ladylike. It seems all the perfumes from the 80's really float my boat and this is another hit from that era but is certainly not dated in any way.

I like "La Perla", a lot. One day I was in a department store in Madrid, and saw La Perla's tester and I tasted it. I love the fragrance. After this happened, I bought the Eau de toilette in Fragrancex, and is now one of my favorite perfumes. I feel very good with him.

If you are a fan of big shypres like First and Diva, you will be in bliss wearing La Perla. But most of all it reminds me of Joy by Patou. A true Femme Fatale scent: bold, elegant, sexy. I have EDP and it lasts for hours. Love it!

Strange, that I hardly smell it on myself, it seems so clean, transparent and gentle, in a "second skin" way. But others do and I get compliments - especially men go after this perfect chypre like bees after the honey!

Oh, I only have a drop of the vintage left and I'm already missing it. The deep soapy, complex-floral feminine incense of it. I miss it so much. It's beyond me how this got discontinued.

I was about to buy magie noir when i stumbled upon La perla. After reading the reviews I bought a small bottle and I love it. It's just like magie only sweeter.

I absolutely adore this perfume and it has became one of my favourite's, I would never have discovered this gem if it hadn't been for Fragrantica, Thank you!

Just received a little bottle of this today. Not sure of age etc - the box and bottle both look a little bit old and worn, but the packaging has a list of ingredients with no oak moss or tree moss listed, so I am not sure. When I first sprayed, I got a hint of something very similar to Paloma Picasso Paloma Picasso. Which worried me, as PPPP REALLY doesn't work well on my skin. But within just a few minutes this softened, and my gosh it reminds me of something else so much but I cannot place what! It is driving me a little insane trying to work it out! After about 30 mins this has settled to a powdery creamy sweet floral, with a slightly naughty heavy musk base with a tiny hint of dirtiness. Rose, Ylang, Honey, Coriander, Musk and Vetiver are the main notes to me, although I also detect patchouli and pepper. And something, something else I just cannot put my finger on. I will update later when this has chance to develop, in the meantine I am going to be switching between scratching my head and sniffing my arm! Impression after 1 hour = Nice, I like it. The initial dirty opening has softened into something surprisingly floral, powdery and classy. I am reminded a little of Nantucket Briar, Loulou and PPPP...but something else, argh, what is it??! Good sillage at this stage. I like. update - ok so from hours 0-1 this is like a cleaner PPPP, or a slightly dirty nantucket briar - powdery, floral, musky, with the prickle of pepper, coriander and carnation. Hours 1-5 this becomes so very similar to nantucker briar and montheme black oud (which I find somewhat similar once they settle). Without either of the others on my skin as reference at the time I would say I would have a hard time saying which it was. After about 5-6 hours it changes a little, that hint of dirtiness creeps back in, albeit very lightly, a small hint rather than anything big or obvious, and the rose and carnation become more defined. Overall longevity is good, about 10-11 hours on me, although from 6-7 hours in this worse quite close to the skin. I like this perfume, I reminds me of nantucket briar which is a current favourite of mine, but with a little more naughtiness. That said I would probably pick nantucket briar over this owing to price, longevity, versatility and the range of accompanying produts.

Mine is a batch from 1999 (of which I have an additional unopened bottle from the same time). Back in the late 90s and early millennium much of my attention was focused on La Perla (especially) and Gucci. And this was central to my day-to-day attire for several years. Not sure why, but La Perla has escaped my notice for some time. It caught my eye this morning, and it just had to be! The rich and dense spray immediately calls to mind Rochas Femme and Jean Patou Joy. Carnation and rose linger noticeably for the first hour, then I think it is the jasmine and lily-of-the-valley that emerge. Then, pepper, cardamom and incense, and finally patchouli, amber and a really 'good' musk vis à vis Grès Cabochard and Madame Rochas. La Perla projects well and lasts all day. If you drop on any of this pre-2010 don't pass it by. It is so worth seeking out. Complex and multi-faceted, La Perla is very feminine and exudes classiness: real perfume for true perfume lovers. An 'anytime' scent. Makes me feel warm and cosy, and it gets a lot of attention when I wear this – men as well as women. It feels expensive (and in its day, it was). I'm thankful having had the sense to keep back a bottle, knowing it'll last out my days. Sophisticated. Sumptuous. A fusion of Italy and womanhood in a bottle. No wonder it's been a keeper. Bellissimo La Perla 💚🤍❤️

I started wearing La Perla when I was in my mid 20’s. I didn’t really put much thought into what or why I liked it back then, other than that the bottle I found was cheap and I thought la Perla lingerie was cool. The bottle eventually got put in a box - I think I felt too young at the time for something that was classified as an “80’s powerhouse”. Fast forward to 2026 and I am now turning 40. The other night I was going through my old perfume box and came across this one. I have the version with the boat shaped bottle - it is hideous (not gonna lie). The lid is broken. But, my god, smelling the sprayer is a dream and really brought me back. Around Christmas, I now usually wear Chanel Coco EDT. While Coco is an oriental and La Perla a Chypre, my mind likes to put these two in a similar category. While La Perla doesn’t give me that cloves fix, it does however really give me patchouli. And wow, this patchouli is done right. There were so many years where “fruitchoulis” were a hit, I just couldn’t get into them (with the exception of Britney’s Believe). This patchouli is a natural one and combines so well with the oakmoss, florals and spice. If you are looking for a nice patch, don’t be afraid of the initial 80s blast, the dry-down is worth it.

OMG! This is perfume! I tested this again after so many years and even if it seems a little watered-down (EdT) it still has that kicking vibration of... Femme! I know that many compared La Perla to Magie Noire. I can see that, but IMO it is much softer and sweeter, especially after some time on my skin. Magie Noire never worked fine on my skin. Much harsher. La Perla manages to be an important modern chypre with some gentleness. I think it's an extremely feminine fragrance, the kind of complex multi-layered scents you don't find around these days. That's why I compared it to Rochas Femme (another glory of perfumery!). That's even more mellow but also more complex. It smells elegant and it smells like a lady but not like a frosted one! I find it very sexy in a refined and secret way. I'm not sure that everyone perceive this sensual aura. Coming from the '80s when women wanted to look like women and not like teenagers, I think it could be felt as "old" by some. For me it says: "I'm here and I'm sensual, I'm a woman" but it doesn't scream "sex" on global broadcast! Go light hand anyway. The "lady" is powerful. And not so cheap where I live.

I bought La Perla to try as an affordable alternative to Magie Noire. It is similar but not too much so. It starts out bright and fresh and after a few minutes it becomes this, creamy, spicy, carnation concoction. It is not however as spicy as some carnations. It is softer, more refined, more elegant,like cashmere verses wool. The heart is certainly floral, carnation followed by rose and jasmine, lovely. The dry down is perfection, a warm woody incense that lasts forever. I love wearing a perfume to bed and waking up the next morning and still able to catch a whiff of it. Magie Noire is more carnal, more of an evening fragrance. I would wear La Perla night and day, it is elegant enough for both. It certainly would work for day if the weather is cool and crisp, with low humidity. I have to admit it, I am smitten, La Perla is a soft refined floral chypre that is class with just a kick of sass. Some of the reviews said it is loud, but on my skin it is very soft and caressing. It can be bought for a very good price and the lasting power is one of the best, at least eight hours. So yes,I am certainly smitten with my latest EDP.

Wow! La Perla is definitely an 80's fragrance. It's loud and strong and vaguely reminds me of the old Halston Classic I wore back then. Not due to any of the notes, just it's general "loudness". Apply with a light hand, for sure. I spritzed a "tiny" amount on my wrist at about 5 pm yesterday and am still enjoying it this morning at almost 8:00, 15 hours later. THAT is some serious longevity, boys and girls. La Perla opens with a big biting blast of citrus, something slightly herbal and spicy carnation. I get carnation almost from beginning to end with this. The heart warms up with smooth rose and jasmine. The first 2 hours are pretty strong, then it maintains that spicy carnation, rose, jasmine mix for about, well, just forEVER. And of course, everyone in the immediate vicinity is going to smell it on you, too. Sillage is killer for the first few hours. It eventually calms down to a nice spicy floral chypre dry down. It's a smooth (but definitely not a sweet) vanilla in the base. La Perla is one seriously big classy perfume. I LOVE it! It's BIG, I'm serious.

Je l'ai reçu il y a qlq jours et je l'ai essayé hier. Très très beau chypre. Vous êtes noyée de suite sous une avalanche de mousse de chênes. J'adore mais qui peut déranger pour celles qui n'en sont pas habituées. Ensuite vient une note d'agrumes, le citron et de la feuille d'orange. Puis viennent les autres notes mais j'ai du mal à les discerner et les identifier. Désolé mais préfère ne rien dire sur les autres notes que d'écrire des bêtises. Par contre je ne trouve pas que sur ma peau, La Perla ressemble à Paloma Picasso. Paloma est beaucoup moins citronné en ce qui concerne ma peau. Chez Paloma la mousse de chêne est travaillée de façon plus boisée, plus opulente, la civette est nettement plus présente aussi. La Perla est plus hespéridé. Sur ma peau La Perla me fait plus penser à un Soir de LUne de Sisley par la façon de travailler la mousse de chéne, le patchouli et la coriandre. Très beau chypre que l'on peut porter par temps chaud je pense (ce qui n'est pas donné à tous les chypres). Très belle découverte. Je ne connaissais pas La Perla.

I bought this perfume today, a 30ml bottle costed 9,99£! Its a great fragrance, its sweet and warm, perfect to put before going to bed, to a romantic night! Its a true classic, not boring at all. It suits the ad perfectly, when I use it, I feel sexy because its a smell than say "come closer". Is not a fragrance for young girls, probrably for at least a 25 years old women. Imagine a very sexy women, a femme fatalle in its classic way, dressed in a silk lingerie, on a very warm bedroom, with cashmere sheets and candles. I think its this imaginary wich this perfume brings you to. Its great, I love it. Dont use it as a casual perfume so it will lost his magic. Great, my favorite!

To me this is almost a parody of a 1980s powerhouse chypre it is so stinky and deep, as if you grew Ungaro on a bed of manure. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE chypres. I have an old miniature where the citrusy topnotes have for the most part left and it gets right to the flowers growing on a bed of perfectly fresh compost. I believe I also smell asafoetida mixed in with the spice. This is not an unpleasant perfume if dabbed carefully, but it is funny that this was once the signature perfume for a lingerie house associated with the most delicate and lacy feminine concoctions. When did feminism end and women get so sirupy-sweet and brazilian-waxed?