Venezia

I discovered this in the mid '90's at Neiman Marcus in Chicago during an annual trip my mom, my sister, and I used to take. Felicia is a legend, and not only did she always help me find the latest in Stendhal cosmetics and skin care, she knew me well enough to know what I liked. She sprayed it on a tester, and gave me a very generous sample, and I was completely hooked. I bought not just the 3.7 ounce, but the gift set with all of the goodies to layer and indulge in. I always received so many compliments when I wore it. It was my perfect Fall and Winter fragrance and my great aunts, who came here from Italy and Sicily liked it quite well, so for Christmas one year, I got them each the discovery sets. When Felicia told me they were going to discontinue the line, I bought as many bottles as I could. I still have a couple in my old milk chute where it is cool, dark, and dry. They are hermetically sealed in there so I won't ever run out. The crazy thing is, I am now 61, and my collection will now outlive me. I will, however, be able to enjoy this lovely fragrance for the rest of my life. Life is for pleasure and joy, and that is what I get when I use my treasures, be they fragrance, or cosmetics. I still have a stash of my favorites from Stendhal as well. Felicia was such a gem, and I miss her so much. My mom and sister are gone now, so I don't get to go on my annual trip to Chicago anymore, and my husband doesn't want to travel because he would have to get off the couch and put his phone down, so I bust out my treasures and enjoy my memories, and this fragrance brings me back to some of the loveliest times. If you can get the original fragrance, do it. If you like exotic fragrances, and your body chemistry blends with this, indulge yourself. It's lovely.

I was incredibly lucky to find a 5ml miniature and a 25 ml bottle of the original EDT on eBay. At first, without knowing that the original was available also in EDT strength, I thought I was buying the new reformulated EDT. Upon receiving the bottles though, there was no doubt these beauties came straight from the 90s, with their beautiful italian murano-shaped glass bottles and bell tower caps. As for the perfume... As a teenager in the 90s, I must admit Venezia wasn't one of the perfumes I owned. Nevertheless it was extremely popular back then, and I was flooded with memories from my youth upon first sniff. On my skin, Venezia EDT opens with a very spicy dried plum accord. It almost reminds me of dried plums stewed in spices-nutmeg, a bit of clove, allspice, mace- that my grandmother used to make as a dessert during Lent:) I also get a hint of an animalic, sort of 'dirty' undertone, but not unpleasant. This spicy opening lasts for a good hour on me, and after that the perfume indeed is that familiar smell from 20 years ago, with its warm ambery base wrapping me like a cozy blanket. I so love Venezia, its spicy opening isn't my favorite part in any way, but I still love it. Mostly because of everything it represents. Venezia and a couple more 90s scents (Tuscany Per Donna, Montana, Organza, Samsara) were hallmarks of an era -not very memorable or special fashion or lifestyle wize- that inherited us some gems of modern perfumery nonetheless

My all-time favourite perfume. I bought 5 ml of it in the 90s, when I was about 13. Had to choose among no less than 50 scents. My first perfume ever. Ever since I would remember of it knowing only its name, Venezia, and would try to find it, but without much result. It was not until last year when I finally discovered who produced it and bought a bottle. It's a great classic scent, men love it, women do too! Very exquisite and subtle. A real treat, a rare find. Adorable! PS Oh, and my Dad loves this one. He still does. He first gave me a compliment when I was a teen, and I still remember it to this very day. Men generally find this scent very feminine and are quite attracted by its sweetness. I think Venezia encompasses everything that men love in a woman. For days when I want to make a statement I would prefer more modern perfumes, that would smell much more bold, synthetic, bright, but this one... It's is a bottle that contains the essence of the Feminine Spirit. To me, it unveils how it is to be a Woman, or, rather, The Woman.

I finally know what all of the fuss is about! My mom's friend was giving away a bunch of her "old" perfumes to make room for her "new" babies and I managed to score 4 classics - one of them being a barely used 50ml bottle of LB Venezia. At first sniff I detected a dusty fruit, which I'm guessing is the sandalwood and plum, but that dusty quality disappeared pretty fast and the sandalwood turned creamier and smoother. What remained was a creamy fruitiness, but not the sickly-sweet type. More adult and well-rounded. If this perfume were a dessert it would be the classic Bahamian delicacy - stewed coco plums with sweet cream. I can definitely smell the honeyed prune, vanilla, benzoin and sandalwood. The flowers are virtually undetectable though. Overall a very pretty, feminine, fruity-sweet scent. I'm not in love, but definitely in strong like.

I have just received the Long Lost Perfume version of this old favorite of mine. Needless to say that I am ecstatic to have found something that resembles Venezia so closely, however, this one came across as stronger and sharper than what I remember. Maybe in my 'make up for lost time haste', I overdid it a little, so I will come back and edit once the elation of finding it calms down to allow reasonable application :) Edit: I have to say that I am a little disappointed because I thought the "original formula" remake would exactly be like Venezia. But the Long Lost version is very synthethic-like and sharp. The original Venezia developed beautifully to a warm, strong but soft heart and a divine dry down. This version somehow remains the same all the way until it fades without developing (or so it feels to me).

dear dianacreaole, you really impressed me. I am another great lover of this perfume, a pearson who cannot understand WHY is this perfume discontinued. I did not only "like" this perfume. I LOVED it !!! Happily - girls, don't hate me ;-) - I still have half of an old bottle. It expired a long time ago, I know, I am aware of it, but I love it so much, so I'm happy with the remains of it... So, dianacreole, it smells like... cherry (must be the plum, really, but I perceive it like cherry)and vanilla, rich and sophisticated. Someone said it smells like (Platinum?) Egoiste Chanel and I agree, even if this is for men. I sometimes believe that someone loved this perfume so much that it simply bought the receipt from Mrs. Biagiotti, in order to have it just for herself... Otherwise I cannot understand WHY...

I have the 2011 version of Venezia. I also had the original as a mini in the 1990's, which I loved back then and used every drop of. One thing about Venezia is its multidimensionality. Venezia is mysterious, rich, full of layers and secrets, like the city its name refers to. When I smelled the newer version, I instantly recognized it as Venezia. I can't do side by side comparison, but they are very similar. What I can do, is to compare the 2011 Venezia with Laura Biagiotti Forever Gold, which is said to be almost the reincarnation of the original Venezia. Forever Gold is a good substitute! And it has similarities, but it's NOT the same scent as Venezia. And out of the two, Venezia 2011 is closer to the original in my opinion.

I have a vintage mini of this gem and I'm using it very rarely and sparingly. It was a gift from an older lady, that brought it from Italy in the nineties, she gave it to me when I was 19 or 20 and at that time I couldn't appretiate it at at all. It seemed chokingly sweet and too mature for me. Only after geting into perfumes and being 26 years old I rediscovered this beauty and was glad I didn't give it up to anyone. To me it's sensual spicy plums in rum and many other beautiful things. I'm also glad it works great with my skin chemistry, creamy sexy beauty. I've sniffed the new version on the paper blotter too, but I still have to test it on my skin to know if it's as good as the old one.

Venezia was a very rich and complex parfum. Every next moment it was surprising me with new and new beautiful notes. The reformulated version is too flat and cloying and doesn't resemble much the original. I do not see anything in common between Venezia and Viva La Juicy, Venezia - Egoiste, neither Venezia and wine. very strange reviews, may be some of the bottles were either expired or fake. The only close (but not enough close for me) version is probably by Irma Shorell, Inc. I still do not understand why Laura Biagiotti had to discontinue Venezia. I can't understand what made them reformulate it in 2011 and actually kill the beautiful Venezia...

I bought it in Duty Free when travelling first time in Italy. I needed to take something with me from Venezia and this looked like a good idea. Never could understand the scent and never felt it on me. But the bottle was great. 2023 Reconstructing my life milestone perfume collection. Found 50ML vintage on E-Bay. It is absolutely awesome. Venezia. I don't like the perfume, I crave the memories of mid-nineties. Will be wearing this early fall with the first chilly crispy mornings, when the sky is blue and leaves just about to go yellow. Suede skirt, black turtle neck, knee-high boots. Pollini briefcase.

My nose must be dead to fruity notes, because what I get from Venezia is amber, sweet tobacco and spices. V. edt is a stunning beauty, sunny and rich. Comforting like a favorite soft shawl, stylish and flattering. I love Italian perfumes, they are special creations, imaginative and fashionable to the hilt. V. is a womens scent that should work well on men, too. The tobacco note is a killer - in the best way! - languid and elegant, never harsh. Sillage and lasting power are good. There's nothing dated or old fashioned about V., it's a timeless beauty. I wish I had a big bottle of this lovely perfume!

Venezia from 1992 was my very first perfume and I wore it for years. I haven't smelled it for decades and I read that LB Forever gold is similar so of course I had to buy it and, yes, it has the same vibe and DNA, the first whiff brought me right back to 1996, but, unfortunately it is sooooo weak, when I sniff my wrist it's not there, but then when I least expect it it hits me, just for a second, just to taunt me, and I hate it! I just came here to cry and beg Laura Biagiotti to bring my beloved Venezia back... Nothing can fill this Venezia shaped hole in my heart 😭😭😭

Venezia by Laura Biagiotti is one of my favorite perfumes. It reminds me of nights of the Swedish midnight sun on a cool June summer evening, sitting on my Swedish uncle's island in the Baltic Sea. I loved watching him prepare his smoking pipe with sweet aromatic tobacco. He would begin to puff, and then spicy, sweet smoke wafted and filled the air. I haven't found any other perfume that conjures up these magical memories like Venezia has done for me. No tobacco note is in this scent, yet the combination of all the notes is reminiscent of my uncle's tobacco pipe.

Venezia del 92 è stato un profumo originale e piacevole,lunare,sognante e malinconico eppure molto affascinante. E per chi lo possiede ancora nella sua formula originale, resta ancora oggi un profumo molto bello. Nell'apertura sboccia una gardenia bianca e cerosa unica nel suo genere,lunare,che non viene mai riconosciuta ne descritta nelle varie piramidi che vedo. Il bouquet poi prosegue ricco e umido,spezie varie,fiori esotici e benzoino,vaniglia. Ricordo che lo indossavo a dicembre 92 a Parigi,nelle sere gelide ma romantiche.. Un sogno..

I read the opinions and decided to add a second review or, rather a note. I am a happy owner of two big bottles of Venezia, not to mention various 5ml vials. One of the big ones is a splash-on, it smells like a peach-mango explosion and is flatter than the other scent. The other one, a spray, smells like your regular Venezia. They have obviously been produced at different factories and stored in different ways. That's how it is with vintage perfumes (and even with some of the modern ones), so make sure you smell different bottles.

Laura Biagiotti is now owned by Procter & Gamble ... they should be asked about it ... But it's a shame and a very stupid idea to remove this perfect scent from the market. Lots of women would buy it, even a little changed if they have to... I own 2 bottles, one full and one almost finished and I treasure every litle spritz ... When it was fully available everywhere I was a very young student and couldn't afford it ! :) Now that the price wouldn't make any difference it is not available...What a shame and wrong sales decision!

I have the newer edp and the vintage edt. I can’t tell them apart. The edp might be a tad more tart but barely noticeable at all. My mom wore this when I was a child in the 90’s and I first bought the current version and it took me back as soon as I smelled it, my sister too. So I don’t know what people are talking about when they say the new stuff is nothing like the old. Not every reformulation strays from the original if they are aiming for the same thing during reformulation.

To all Venezia lovers, you can still purchase the SCENT (but not in the original and unique bottle though) from Irma Shorell /Long lost perfumes (US)I can tell you it is fantastic, as according to their site, it is original receipe version of LB. I have it, and love it. Venezia used to be my one and only signature scent back in 1992-95, and I was devistated to find it to be discontinued later. It took me so many years to find it again :) I'll never stop wearing it!

Michel Almairac did not create this masterpiece, master perfumer Maurice Roucel did. Why did this site suddenly change the name of its creator? Michel Almairac created the new 2011 version which is a poor rendition of the original, lacking in all its magic of richness, beauty, and depth. For years this site listed Maurice Roucel as the creator of the original. But now that the new version is out this site decided to change the designer's name on the original? Why?

Thanks to a very kind and generous fragrantica member I finally have a sample of this fabulous fume! I am an oriental lover so I knew I would like this, but OMG, this is possibly the most beautiful fragrance I've ever experienced. A perfect blend of floral, fruit and spice, it's warm and very intimate. You will want to snuggle up to the love of your life when you wear this. I will treasure my sample and use it only for very special occasions...so so beautiful.

Venezia by Laura Biagiotti emblematic fragrance, now very rare, created in the 90s. Triumphant olfactory pyramid, with an exotic fruity opening, in a magical accord with variegated floral notes that make it incredibly graceful, feminine, sensual. At the dry down all the base notes emerge: amber, animalic, enveloping, sweet, woody, reassuring, talc. A very rich, complete blend. A very rare pity to find, I keep a vintage bottle like a very precious simulacrum.

Tested this today and this is very, very beautiful. It opens like something I've never experienced before. I feel rich fruits, must be from plums. Venezia is so seductive, sophisticated, rich and dark. At the heart I feel bulgarian rose I'm usually not fund off, but here it's so shy and well blended with all the other notes that it is impossible not to love this. Why do they stopped making this? I saw the price on ebay for the EDP and my heart brakes :(

I got my first bottle back in 1996. I was intern student in small office and my boss had this gorgeous smell. so i bought it for me but I was probably too young for this smell. But this is one of the smells I remembered for long. I like combination of the notes here with little vanilla and bergamot what together give this oriental feeling but not too much. its still Venice (very right name) with its colors and smells. one of my favourite for ever...

I too loved this and wore it all the time and like many others I was angry when they stopped making it! Like others I have emailed Biagiotti and never once received a reply, how rude! I always look for this when abroad and never ever find it either, I lived in Italy for 5 years and still did not have any luck. They should seriously reconsider and put this back on the market in the original formulation, they could not lose, so what's stopping them?

This was my first signature scent from the time it first came out until it disappeared. I was so heartbroken that when I could no longer find it, i did an complete 180 and when to white florals as I knew I could never replace it. I'm finally back to wearing Orientals and have fallen in love with Thierry Mugler but, will always remember this fondly. I was trying to think of what smells like this today and have no idea. Anyone?

hmmmm, Finally I got my big bottle of Venezia Original. All the juice is worth of its money, definitely. This brings huge much good feeling from memories *back then* when used this while being my 20 ́s. This is one of the worlds greatest scents. Eaven if I have not tested them all.... smiling, still I dare to say that ! ;D Just have that kinda feel. ;) Definitely thumbs up for this scent.

The reformulated version--SUCKS!! I hate this company for ripping me off and I have the big bottle. When I smelled this, I almost cried because it is nothing like the original. Give me 1992 PLEASE!!! There's NOTHING like it. Smokey cherry (black currant) mango floral liquor! I do not drink but smelling like liquor is MY signature.

I have a small vintage bottle that is a smooth and silky blend of ripe, honeyed plum with vanilla, cinnamon, sandalwood and a hint of civet. Venezia is warm, sensuous and sophitocated yet approachable at the same time. Such a beautiful perfume, I'm loving on Venezia.

i wore this at college too and how i loved it! what a shame it is no longer around. i remember it's warmth, the iris, carnation and how 'italian' it was. just beautiful. it lasted ages on me. just thinking about it makes me wish i still had my bottle :(

This is my all-time favorite perfume. It was my signature scent in the early 90s in high school. There's nothing quite like it's tobacco Plum sensual scent. The version released in 2011 doesn't hold a candle to it and doesn't last nearly as long.

My absolute favorite of all time! My sweet hubby's too! He always makes sure I have it. Been wearing it since it first launched. The bottle is exquisite and dreamy just like the contents. Lasts forever and is very memorable, haunting, addictive.

When oh when will they bring this back? There truly isn't anything like Venezia. The flower notes and base sandalwood are ridiculously sultry. This multifaceted perfume unfurls throughout the day and literally lasts for hours and hours.

I wore this parfume as a sample when i was very young. I was 13 years old and to me wear this perfume was show my inner femminine in point to explode. I was frightening and even fascinated like a jump in the dark hole of my adolescence.

This is how I envision the merchants of Venice—wearing thick burgundy velvet, carrying exotic dry fruits, oils and spices, resins and incense: the very scent of Silk Road opulence. This perfume is a true masterpiece, pure poetry.

To everyone wishing this back like I used to, LB Forever Gold is very close to the original Venezia. It's a bit softer and less complex, but still satisfies my craving for the masterpiece that Venezia was.

Thank you, brandybasisty, for mentioning two notes that I have always smelled in my vintage edt but which are not listed above - leather and tobacco!! I love this perfume, it is complex and wonderful!

Anybody having any contacts with the Biagiotti company. Please explain to these people, that this perfume has to come back. It does not make any sense that they discontinued it in the first place..

Adore this. It was my signature scent throughout some of jr. high and high school. Wish I could find it again for a reasonable price or something like it. I must look around on the site...

Very special a little retro fragrance. You can feel special energy wearing this perfume. It could be wearable during winter,fall or early spring it spicy scent gives special warm.

This is a 90's beauty I never get tired of. Opulent, mysterious, well blended, it captures the heart of Venice. I am so glad to have this fragrance back in my collection!

Amaretto! Found a vintage 90s bottle in the attic. Miraculously survived It’s amaretto and something animalic. Must be the civet. It’s absolutely lovely. It’s so warm

This was my favorite go to scent in the '90s. I miss it. It's sweet and spicy. My mother always said that it smelled like cherry pie.

I totally agree with you , WHY discontinue this? This has to be one of the most comforting orientals ever made. So rich,and creamy!

So Italian, so wonderful ! A unique scent ,warm oriental-woody-musky - a very warm ,pleasing scent . Spicy but not overwhealming .

OOOOH LA LA !! This AMAZING scent is one of a kind and is partly responsible for my perfume addiction !!!

Oh, another memory! I used to love this! I remember this to be both floral and have a hint of musk.

Oh YES, I love this. Tuscany, Samsara, Dolce Vita... and now Venezia. My guilty 90's addictions <3

Amarilia, You are just fantastic letting us know, us broken hearted!!! Thank you so much!! Action

This was my first perfum. I've bought it when I was a teen about 12 years! I loved it so much.

I have a bottle of this famous fragrance (50 ml)...new, never used, is anyone interested ?