Papavero Soave

Papavero Soave by L'Erbolario is now a classic of "green" Italian perfumery, a fragrance that manages to be simultaneously reassuring and magnetic. Although the name suggests extreme delicacy, we are faced with a perfume with a strong and enveloping personality. Even though the poppy in nature does not have a strong odor, L'Erbolario has created a creative and "red" interpretation of it. The peach and mandarin give a juicy start, but it is the Brunella that makes everything special. It's not your usual citrus explosion; it's a sweet and slightly herbaceous start. Here the fragrance becomes an opulent bouquet. The mix of Red Poppy and Artemisia creates an interesting contrast: on the one hand the sweetness of the flowers (Jasmine, Lilac), on the other a bitter and powdery nuance that prevents the perfume from becoming too cloying. The real magic happens after about an hour. The base of Amber and Vanilla transforms the perfume into a "velvet blanket". Patchouli and sandalwood give structure, making it deep and sensual. The "Dusty" effect: It is a powdery fragrance but not in the "baby powder" sense. It is an adult powdery, floral and spicy one. For a herbal perfume, it has a surprising duration. Just a few sprays are enough to feel it on you all day. Seasonality: It is at its best in autumn and winter. Its warmth makes it perfect for cold days, while in summer it could be a little too "heavy" or intrusive. It can result in an intense and very feminine sillage. The Artemisia note can be "strong" for those who love pure florals. Ingredients of vegetal origin and cruelty-free. It's not a subtle fragrance; gets noticed. Papavero Soave is the perfume for those who love fragrances that smell clean but with a warm and mysterious soul. It is often compared to Flower by Kenzo, but with a spicier and less sugary twist. It's perfect if you're looking for something romantic but with character.

After having tried it some weeks ago, at last I bought Papavero Soave and... wow! A very interesting and sexy combination of fruity and smoky accords that I never smelled in any other perfume before! As just said, it's hard to describe this scent, but every time I'm smelling Papavero Soave, it reminds me something delicious that belongs to my best memories... and then I realized: every years, on June, my mother prepares a simple dessert made of strawberries dipped in Porto (a delicious spanish red wine) and sugar, and it does stand in the refrigerator some hours before serving it. Then the strawberries have become liquorous, and the wine is more and more dense and aromatic: it's a real treat to eat and drink. Papavero Soave has the same beautiful scent, with the addition of floral and smoky accords and a warm, sensual base that make it very classy and charming! This is another good surprise from L'Erbolario, which recently is starting to make very good perfumes, more original and interesting than the earliest ones... Papavero Soave is so lovely, I think it's going to be my springtime signature scent!

I wrote an email to L'Erbolario asking for the detailed olfactory pyramid of Papavero Soave. They answered me very kindly and quickly. Here it is. TOP NOTES: Peach pulp, Red Mandarin pulp, Prunella MIDDLE NOTES: Rose petals, Indian Davana, Lily of the Valley, Ylang Ylang, Lilac, Neroli, Jasmine, Poppy petals BASE NOTES: Sandalwood, Musks, Amber, Vanilla, Patchouli That's why I find some similarities between Papavero Soave and J'Adore (2011): I find Papavero Soave more interesting and complex, with a liquorous note that in J'Adore is missing. J'Adore is a bit more mild and soapy, Papavero Soave has a smoky accord that makes it more intriguing (IMO). UPDATE: Now Papavero Soave is my absolute favorite perfume! If I put the perfume on "Papavero Soave body cream", its sillage is incredibly loud, and it lasts all the day... I'm definitely in love with it, and with every single note of it: from the sparkle of mandarin and peach to the deep sensuality of amber and musks, Papavero Soave has literally hooked my senses!!

One day, in childhood while playing in the garden my friend and i came across tiny poppy glade (in the back of the garden) Then for the first (and only one ) time in my life i saw huge silky-scarlet poppy flower. It stunning in beauty flower with a bitterly- tart distinct scent; it is without exaggeration hypnotic! Well now Paravero Soave by L'Erbolario perfume is not exactly sound as poppy, but rather sweet- herbally & at the same time powder- poppyly, i think. Thus would smell like petals and stamens with seeds of poppy in powdered sugar. The aroma of poppy flowers in the fragrance is more than recognizable to me; i have never smelled a fragrance with a really solo poppy, so for me this perfume is unique, as well as that childhood memory about magic poppies from the garden. It is sweet & some how soothing, dreamy and refined scent.

I bought this in Florence three years ago. Loved it then, love it even more now. I have no idea what poppies smell like (do they really have a fragrance?), so I can't decide where that note comes in. For me, it is rather sweet at first, with jasmine and deep fruit. Then, a few minutes later the sweetness becomes more woody, with a some peppery smoke. A tiny hint of green and bitter, but those are fleeting on me. So, it's not an ordinary sweet and heady floral, it's much more complex than that. Many reviews say that the notes are difficult to separate out and I completely agree. Cynicalwish used the term red velvet, a great description, because the notes blend so well that there are no sharp edges, nothing shouts. It's a plush whole.

At first spray it hits me with sugary fruit, almost red berry-like, but with some sourness to it that balances the sweetness out. Then, almost immediately, rose, peach, and herbs come to the front. To me, every breath of this is child-like happiness, it's warm and sweet - there's something nostalgic about it. I imagine it's great for a cool spring day, when the wind would pick the fragrance up and spread this warm feeling around. I have no idea what poppy smells like, so it's hard for me to discern individual notes. Perhaps it's also just a very well-mixed fragrance. The dry down lasts and lasts. All i can feel is amber and some vanilla, and the smell is so comforting, with good projection.

'What do red poppies smell like' was my first thought when I saw this perfume. I couldn't test it until the next time though, and wow, did it surprise me? I don't associate red poppies with anything sweet, but Papavero Soave smells VERY SWEET. It's also rather powerful, and it's hard to pinpoint all those individual notes in it. It's something different, something very special. An enigmatic symphony of (floral) sweetness! I could smell it for hours and hours on my skin - great longevity! And like all L'Erbolario perfumes, it's not spoiled with price or too many nasty chemicals. (If you try it and find it too sweet, then try the same brand's Ibisco!)

It is a lovely fragrance, albeit NOT poppy at all. It's not even floral!! The packaging, while extremely pretty (like everything that Erbolario does), conveys a completely wrong idea of something floral and innocent. The only flower I detect is a very strong and beautifully sweet jasmine. I love jasmine, but most of the time it's so frigid.... not here! Everything else in this scent is quite gourmand to me, with a strong patchouly note and plenty of vanilla. It is beautiful but do not get distracted or confused by the pretty flowers: it's not a spring floral!

I would label this scent as floral fruity gourmand. I mainly get delicious plum jam, preserved peach/apricot and jasmine. The fruitiness in Papavero is not the standard generic stuff, but has a real nice liquer quality. There is also spiciness that reminds me of heady poppies. In the drydown there is lots of sugary vanilla and amber. Very comforting and edible, a true feast. Beautifully composed as well, and to be taken seriously. Something about it reminds me of the original Mauboussin, but I have to say I much prefer Papavero Soave. Well done, L'erbolario!

I dont know how poppy flower actually smells, but I have another perfume from La Collina Toscana that uses poppy flower as a note, and they smell quite similar, and maybe that is how poppy flower smells. For menit smells intoxicating, especially for the first 3 hours, it's sweet but it feels as if there's rum in it (i know they dont have it), but i feel that the smell is sweet, dark and boozy, very nice indeed. The silage and longevity are moderate, but who cares when you can have a niche quality perfume with designer price.

Papavero projecting like crazy. Evolution goes for a 8 hours straight. It last and last and last and last till you can't take it no more. There is something that overpower the drydown and it's just working without stop. Maybe poppy, I guess. Do not overspray Papavero. It is fun and original scent with monster projection and a lot of surprises.

I buy it about 4 years ago with the body lotion (that is great so luxurious) it's sweet a bit dark sensual, super femenin, I remember it last 3 to 4 hrs in my skin ( my skin eat fragrances). For me it's not for summer days. It was a discovery. Erbolario has great fragrances. Love ❤️

<3 A quite retro, feminine floral-fruity amber with a sophisticated backbone but a playful and laid-back attitude simultaneously. I’d go for it in the evening, wearable any season. It’s nectary, slightly sweet and super femme!

My premise is that I love it, and I wear it daily. But I cannot distinguish different component, is like a creamy flower-spiced scent, well whipped toghether.

I love this perfume! the best of all Erbolario series, it's so unique and conforting, very long lasting and intense <3 perfect for the winter season

This is too beautiul to be true <3 Reminds me of a sweet cake with poppy seeds and honey, and the sandalwood makes it so complete, I adore it!

One of my favorite, an hidden gem that is original and long lasting.

One of my favorite L'Erbolario scent!!! But only for cold winter.

Very powerful and thick perfume, very sweet and cosy.

Official description: floral, amber fragrance. Notes of: Poppy Petals, Indian Davana, Water Jasmine, Prunella. From the perspective of my lower-intermediate level of experience, this one seemed unusual. Ordinarily, the patchouli serves to provide depth rather than an introduction. But this one opens up to me as a straight up patchouli (could this be davana/artemisia?). I bought it after sampling a shower gel, which won’t show you the perfume progression. Even though I already own plenty of patchoulies, I decided to get yet another one, out of curiosity as to where the perfume would go after the patch-like opening. When I wore it the first time, it was straight up patchouli for at least a couple of hours so that I began to reconcile myself that there would be no development. When I almost lost hope, it began to mutate into something like a powdery rose. On second wearing, the quasi-patchouli note showed backed by aromatic and amber nuances. But then the fragrance became faint. Today is a rainy day when perfumes radiate better, which leaves me to wonder if I may have become nose-blind to it. I sprayed four times by the way (which is heavy for me). No fruit in this to my nose.

The fragrance goes through an evolution over about three hours. When I smell this I think I’m picking up on patchouli, a candied patchouli, followed by an intoxicating and slightly boozy peach and a floral powdery cloud. On my skin, it eventually turns into a sugared vanilla with soft musky undertones. In warm weather, the opening has a slightly plastic and alcoholic scent that I find off-putting, but it eventually fades. So far, it blends okay with my skin. Even though I usually don’t go for floral fragrances, I like this one. The biggest downside for me qre thr inital plastic notr and the longevity: after the beautiful evolution, what’s left is a pleasant powdery vanilla scent (common to many frangrances from L'Erbolario), which feels a bit plain, and by the end of the day, the fragrance is gone. Still I'm happy to own this fragrance, don't think I'll repurchase though. I also want to add that this fragrance feels quite original. Erbolario often creates well-made dupes, sometimes better than the originals, but this is one of the perfumes that isn’t a dupe of anything else.

Upon the initial spray, Papavero Soave exudes a boozy chocolate and sugar scent with a herbaceous undertone. When I saw the notes listed on Fragrantica and the sample pack, I would never have thought that it smells like this. There is indeed a little jasmine mixed within but overall I wouldn't say it's a very floral scent. Papavero Soave doesn't evolve much on my skin. When it's more tamed down after about 4 hours, it smells like a concoction of amber, vanilla and patchouli, with a smoky touch. The sillage is moderate and the longevity is at least 8 hours. I find the notes listed quite deceiving. It's more like an oriental fragrance to my nose, and a very good one! It's sweet, and there is a slight gourmand touch. However, it's nothing superficial. Instead, it's rich, opulent, at the same time quite affordable. I'd recommend it to those who like oriental with a little gourmand/liquor touch.

I really, really like this, though I feel that it's "not me." I imagine a tall, beautiful, graceful redhead, dancing in a red dress and heels, lightly wafting her intoxicating fragrance as she weaves nearer... then leaving her would-be partners bereft as she dances on. It's a scent you want to follow and inhale, and that music that's playing is not chill-out electronica; it's a sexy hot beat. To me, this isn't a scent that sits on top of your skin carrying on its own affairs regardless of the wearer -- it definitely melds with your own body heat and skin scent once it has settled down a bit. It's bold but not overbearing, full-bodied, warm, sweet, lush, confident, seductive, and probably a little dangerous. It's not me, but I wish whoever is wearing it would come sit by me.

"Life has always poppies in her hands" Lord Henry, The Picture of Dorian Gray Ah, yes, the poppy. Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy, has been used for its painkilling and euphoriant properties for millennia and even today, we still use many narcotic painkillers that either are contained in the poppy or are based on compounds derived from it. Opium has inspired poets, musicians and artists and also been the cause of much grief historically due to its addictive nature. These days, "opioids" (opium-likes) are leading prescription drugs of abuse. I have always found poppies very joyful with their bright red petals. This fragrance sparks the same joy in me. Uplifting and very unique. I cannot tell the notes apart at all, but what I do know is that I love it.

first impression, sweet, burnt sugar, jammy without a well determined fruit (honey, no, more like mead...) Then it goes floral and slightly spicy/oriental. I have the roll/on version, and I like it as it is very discreet. I don't like perfumes with too big a sillage, as I dislike sitting next to people with a perfume I don't like, and it is the vast majority of perfumes, unfortunately, so I assume the rest of the population does the same. And I travel a lot by train...so I know how it feels.

I tried it today in a store. I have to be honest, I find difficult to describe it or discern the notes. What comes to my mind is pouring liquour on a sugar cube and red velvet (I find the packaging incredibly fitting). It's sweet, warm and aromatic at the same time. It's not "sticky" sweet like caramel, honey or vanilla can be, but a sweetness that I'd rather associate with sugar, almost powdery. I wish I was better at describing it because I really liked it a lot!

oooh this is really good. Not just in L'Erbolario terms but overall as well, in the floral genre. I'd personally re-categorise it as 'Oriental Floral'. This frag is on fire, it is definitely dark red association to me with regards to colour. While it is definitely on the sweet side, never turns unbearable (I detest overtly sweet frags) as Papavero is nicely grounded with some aromatic/patch notes and bit of spices. Lasts pretty long for a natural scent, very happy!

i just found it in a small permumerie shop that had the erbolario range. it reminds me of hermes rouge delicate, with a herbal twist. it is unique, and as all of erbolario perfumes, has a vintage vibe and a close to nature, feeling. almost like a skin scent but prominent and longlasting. i got the body cream and the soap too. layering all of them, feels heavenly. i love it.

I know that tastes about perfume are very personal, but this one is really worth a try, has a good sillage, very good longevity (8hrs on me!! which is a miracle) and it's cheap. I'm struggling not to buy it!

Red, hot, velvety, rounded, sweet, fruity, liqueur-ish. This is what comes to my mind when smelling this perfume. It is a strange perfume, a very original one. At the beginning, I clearly smell peach and other fruity notes, very sweet and liqueur-like. With time, it evolves in something more powdery-sweet (vanilla and musk). I can smell jasmin, poppy and artemisia, not much rose though. Patchouli and amber are there, but in the background. The vanilla-musk combo is sweet in a powdered-sugar-marshmallow kind of way - that is why it kind of reminds me of D&G Pour Femme, but this is better imo, much more complex and deep. It might be too sweet for summer, but it can be worn in cool spring days. Sidenote: if a good witch wore perfume, this would be it. It reminds me of Melisandre from Game of Thrones! Perfect color too... It smells magical in a way, I know that it sounds stupid, but really, this is not the typical scent you find around :)

Overpoweringly sweet and after a while it even smells like a gay man's fragrance..Not something that I would choose.

i dont know about the perfume,but the body cream is very long lasting

Underrated gem! This perfume is very special to me. First off, I'd like to say that I tend to get pretty emotionally attached and jealous of scents that evoke a specific scenario and feeling in my mind and this is one of them. I smelled Papavero Soave in the store last summer and didn't have to think twice before buying it. I remember I thought "This is it!!". Now, what does it evoke and remind me of? Well, PS smells like summer nights, fun times, eternal youth, summer flings, hormones going crazy, being tipsy and feeling so damn sexy! Whenever I smell it, I picture myself all dolled up, wearing my favorite glitter lotion, a cute top that shows my collarbones (my favorite feature on myself lol), black high waisted pants and long red nails. I envision myself entering a club and being stared by men. This makes me feel desired and it has a fizzy note that melts with your own body heat and feels like a second skin. It exudes joy, carefreeness, confidence, forbidden tempation. It's hard to explain but I can instantly recognize when a scent makes me feel like this because it hits me right in the stomach and my eyes roll back. I've had it happen also with JC Gold Couture and Gucci Rush. It's a scent that I feel mine, intimate, personal and I like the fact that pretty much nobody knows it or wears it. Too bad it doesn't last and project (more). 10/10 for how it makes me feel 4/10 for the overall performance (sadly!!)

A boozy peach syrup on top of lily-rose heart and a tart woody musk like the kind in Narciso Rodriguez fragrances. I love Papavero Soave because it's familiar but not a direct copy of anything I have, and it's very sweet, feminine and multidimensional but also light enough to be worn in the summer. A comforting sweet musk that smells reassuring and happy. If you enjoy Mon Parfum from Micallef, any Narciso Rodriguez scent, or scents that smell like bees would happily drink them, check this one out. Also smells like a honeyed version of Dance of Flowers (Danza di Fiori) also from L'erbolario. Edit: after owning this one for almost a year along with a bunch of other L'erbolario fragrances, I wanted to add that I can smell the distinctive L'erbolario base in this, which is like a soapy, face cream-type scent that reminds me of cool clay, fresh paint, shea butter, and luxury spa treatments and I love it here combined with the sweeter syrupy notes on top. It makes this scent distinct from the NR and Micallef scents of which it is reminiscent. So nice! I love L'erbolario with all my heart.

Very unique! This was a recent acquisition and I'm not disappointed. Floral, sweet, spicy and rich and just hard to describe. To be honest, it doesn't smell like anything I've smelled before. As I was reading the reviews, I have to agree with Cynicalwish when she says it's like "pouring liquor on a sugar cube and red velvet". It's boozy, even though there's no liquor in the notes. I do see some comparison with Queen Latifah, though this one isn't as spicy as QL, nor do I smell any powdery notes in the dry down like I do in QL. I think if red velvet had a smell, this would be it. The notes mesh very well together so there's no sharpness whatsoever. I do apologize for not describing this scent very well, but I just can't. It's something that you'd have to sniff to understand what I'm talking about. It's just so unusual! I haven't given it a proper wearing yet to comment on longevity and sillage, so I'll have to come back and edit. As for seasons, definitley late fall and winter, and possibly on cooler spring days. Another great perfume from L'erbolario!

Sweet, sensual and a bit dark perfume based on sweet poppy seeds and some flowers.Rose,jasmine or lilac are put in the background rather than to play main role.Opening is creamy,intriguing and doesn`t smell like anything known in perfumes.I can remember sweet poppy cake made for Christmas in my country- it`s similar to a scent of baking it.All the sweetness, coming from poppy seeds and vanilla is broken with a hint of patchouli.We have some powderiness in the heart created by ylang-ylang not heliotrope as it often happens.It it also `responsible for Papavero`s `vintage vibe.Composition is framed in ambery and musky tones, very subtle though. Very feminine, on a good side and well made as ingredients split with each other, join another one and eventually re-split. I would suggest it for a woman who is not decided to wear gourmand perfumes but doesn`t like flowers or fruits.It`s also deep and mysterious enough to wear with a red dress and the same nails in an evening party.

Tonight I attended a friends open house, all in - at her lovely little pedicure salon. As a model in Italy, she learned to know and love a lot of the Italian, fashion, as to handbags, scarfs and - L'erbolario ! She ones taught me that muschio was not musk but moss and just back from Rome ,she showed all her new stuff. I am now craving for this soave in its little cute red box. I want the whole serie, but the perfume will do.... ; ) lovely poppy, jasmine,patchoulie, roses and sandal, what a creamy instant love. Like a warm embrace this wet and chilly fall... Tonight I bought myself a beautiful scarf and whats rest of my new perfume encounter still is to be sniffed on my arm..... Do I need it - no . Do I need it - YES ! ! ! Thanks Maria for the nice get together !

I asked the SA to spray this on my arm instead of a paper strip because I really wanted it to be accenti or the next accenti for me as accenti is the best Dominique Ropion creation ever. And my favorite perfume ever besides champagne/ yvresse. However, my heart sank to the floor as soon as the smell of papavero hits my nose. I thought to myself maybe I read it wrong, how could this even be compared to accenti they don’t even smell vaguely similar let alone be suggested as an alternative for the discontinued accenti. Papavero is sweet and not powdery or light or fruity, and I just want to say that to my nose it has no similarities whatsoever to accenti. Looks like I will really need to save accenti for very special occasions and continue the search...

To my nose, this is smells very, very similar to Chapstick brand strawberry flavored lip balm! When my husband sniffed my wrist, he initially had a different take and thought it smelled like church incense. I think it might be the jasmine he's picking up and associating with incense, because I think of incense fragrances as heavy in an earth-y sort of way and this isn't that. TBH, if I didn't know any of the notes, this would just be Strawberry Chapstick to me. But, knowing the notes what I can tease out is jasmine and L'Erbolario's patchouli note, which is nothing like the soil-smelling patchouli in US made perfumes. It's sweet!

It is not similar to any perfume I know. Overly sweet, very-very red, deep fragrance. I thought it would be more soapy but it's not a clean soap, but a strong, flowery one. Well, it's just like hot sugar syrup made for jams with the touch of red fruits, but it's not the typical girly-fruity line, as the flowers balance them. Occasionaly I feel it too much, but I can't resist it, there is an addictive effect. Not a light summer frag, also suitable for winters.

This smells like a boozy caramel, very much so like Queen Latifa's scent. Gourmand type, reminiscent of autumn, warm, soft musk, amber and vanilla come thru. Ylang ylang is the only floral I detect that adds that thickness and creamines to the scent. Think Caramel Pralines. Wears close to the skin, light to moderate silage. At first seems strong but totally safe for daytime.

What a gorgeous little treasure this is! My skin seems to do very well with white florals and this is no exception. It smells delicious and warm like drizzled honey onto the skin. It's almost got a fruit jam scent and if velvet had a perfume, this would be it. I love this perfume and will keep it in my rotation for years to come! For me, this is a springtime scent.

Yosa already wrote down my thoughts. I was very curious about Papavero, but it turned out way too sweet for my taste. Nevertheless, I think it is a really interesting and unique fragrance, which stands out from the crowd. If you love sweet perfumes, you should give it a try! Sidenote: Ibisco is heavenly for autumn/winter, went on my want list immediately.

Happy to add this amazing perfume to my collection. It's rich, sweet, sexy, feminine and very italian to me ;-) In the best meaning of those words ;-) And the red box it comes with is just pretty!! Thanks, l'Erbolario. I was waiting for a long time for a perfume like Papavero. Not to mention that i LOVE poppy's.. Beauty!

What in the world does this remind me of? I mean, it's smooth patchouli when it goes on but then it morphs into something warm happy and liqueurish. Maybe it reminds me of something from Histoires de Parfums?? Maybe? It's like chocolate but not chocolate. Musk but not musk. Vanilla but not vanilla. Smoke but not smoke.

Thanks Cynical ! Looking at then notes, I would never have guessed this one could have this "sweet-caramel-honey-vanilla-sugar" note. I'm CRAVING for this note, so ... ^^ Plus, perfumes need to have both strong sillage and great longevity according to me (otherwise, they are not really worth it).

i simply adore & love this perfume. this perfume somewhat reminds me of burberry brit for men. one note that i am crazy about this perfume is the sarsaparilla (sarsi)-like.. plumy-liqourish. I am a male & this scent last long... very long.. fantastic creation & value buy! must have for all!

The large number of ingredients makes this scent unique and interesting! At the first moment I feel a poppy, but for example, my husband feels the first note of a peach. The scent reveals itself differently after 3 hours, I like this game:)

I didn't know there were colognes for gay men and that these are different from the colognes for straight men. Is there a special label on them? Sorry, this is not a review of the perfume but the one below is not one either.

This one just isn't my cup of tea. It's too sweet and the only note that I can smell after I spray it on my skin is vanilla. And that is not a good thing because I don't like the scent of vanilla.