Villa Sorrento

Airy, fresh, lemonade (but not the super sweet kind of lemonade, though there is a sweetness. (This is more in the way I had hoped Bal d'Afrique was going to be which unfortunately for me is more candied lemons and the lemons are turning a little bit.) Lemon is harder than it seems to do well in fragrance and this one seems a bit unique among my collection and it doesn't disappear right away as lemon scents often do, though that is not to say it lasts forever. I did get a little mandarin mixed in, faint neroli, and the wood comes off like dust in charming old airy room (in a good way), but the other notes are otherwise quite quiet. I have a dabber which I found frustrating. This is a scent I want to experience and really go in with several sprays. It will go in my favorite Euro type fresh lemon category with Bois d'Hadrien, AdP, 4711, etc. The right kind of lemon scents are invaluable to me, as they really lighten my mood and the atmosphere, and I find I use them a lot or just spray a little on my shirt, even if I wear other scents on my skin. I just wish it were less expensive. It isn't my favorite of this line that I've tried, but only because My Day and Invisible Touch I loved so much more than I expected to. If I can find a good deal on a bottle, I will definitely add it to my collection. Update: I got a great deal on a full bottle and am seeing several other deals going around. The weather is warm where I live now and so the scent is coming alive. I tested today against Mandarino which I love and strangely it made me love VS more and the VS seemed to last longer too. Give it a chance in the heat and let it bloom, before dismissing.

Villa Sorrento is a predictable but pleasant summery citrus scent, cologne-like and radiantly fresh. Its Amalfi inspiration is obvious, being a citrus-led scent on a green, woody background. Lemon is the most dominant citrus note here - surprising, considering it's unlisted. Initially fresh and juicy, it becomes more candied as it progresses. Lemon can be a difficult note in perfumery, but the two-pronged approach to it here works well. There is a nice hint of orange in there too, complementing the lemon nicely and paving the way to the neroli note. There is a nice green undertone as it develops, enhancing the citrus to perfection. It becomes woody and cleanly musky as it dries down, with a whisper of animalic amber evident as it fades. Sillage and longevity are moderate - better than I expected for this scent profile, especially given the subtlety of other La Perlas I've tried. While it is well-composed and good quality, VS is still overpriced for what it is. I would invest in Matière Première Néroli Oranger or Tom Ford Neroli Portofino over this, as they have superior performance. Still, a very decent feminine-leaning citrus scent. 3/5.

Lemon Pez, Marseille Soap, Limoncelli, Limonato San Pellegrino... these are all products that come to mind when I smell Villa Sorrento. I get Blood Orange only in hindsight; this feels very lemon-forward to me. Indeed, it's a bougie vacation in Sorrento. It's the fancy soaps in your bathroom, it's the digestif after dinner, it's the little lemon candies you get at the market. Very good balance of [what perceive as] lemon, neroli, and soft aldehydes (that feels fizzy in the same way soda water makes Marseille soap fizzy). Would compare it to something like Dior Homme Cologne or Le Labo Cedrat 37 (think I'd go for either of those first)

I love the initial openings of this fragrance - a citrus scent perfect for summer. The dry down is lovely to white florals. I have the tester vial of this and fell in love, and went into a boutique to test this with a liberal dousing before purchase. But I have been very disappointed in the poor sillage and longevity. I found that after 4 hours this had completely disappeared from my skin. At this cost point I expect much better quality. This is one fragrance that won’t be joining my collection.

A spritz of pure refreshing happiness. The combo of citrus and neroli is always a winner to me. Unfortunately it lasted hardly more than 30 minutes, leaving behind mostly musky ambergris and only a hint of neroli. Strong TF Neroli Portofino vibes but low longevity and sillage.