Imperia La Divina

if i were to single out a scent that encompasses the DNA of marissa zappas' fragrances, that title would hands down go to La Divina. at the heart of this fragrance is this rose note that can also be found in both Annabel's Birthday Cake and the Pink Bedroom oil. it's characteristically feminine, powdery, and sweet. but what i think truly makes La Divina so special is its darker green notes that give this scent some bite. the hero-ing of the oakmoss note, for instance, is mirrored in the Tragedy oil. and there is no denying that both Tragedy and La Divina have a vintage quality to their composition, given that the former draws inspiration from Fracas and the latter Paris by YSL. with all that being said, La Divina is the quintessential date night scent.

starts off very rose-y and citrusy when u first spray it, and after a bit you get earthy/mossy smell along with the rose. it's a p dark rose scent, i think really suitable for the winter and fall. it says on the fragrance's description that divina was a courtesan and that's what this gives, like it's so elegant and romantic even. they're also a slight vintage-y powder vibe but it isn't too strong at least to me, and the perfume doesn't smell dated either. i think this would b so nice to wear for a night out but only with either rlly close friends or a date. after a few hours it smells more like hotel soap but none of the nuance of the perfume goes away. overally rlly gorgeous rose scent i wud love 2 have a bigger bottle of this <3

THE perfume for Valentine's Day. i am not the world's biggest rose fan, but i liked this so much i bought a small 7mL vial for when i want to feel like a princess..:') edit: a lot of people are saying this is super boudoir, and while that's true, it is so versatile and goes with pretty much any floral/woodsy/herbal/aromatic lotion, soap, etc. most of my lotions, candles, incense, etc are all very herbal and forest-smelling, and i found that on days where i don't know what to reach for but don't want it to clash with my palo santo deodorant or rosemary juniper body lotion (lol), this actually smells so good mixed into everything else.

One whiff and I am immediately transported back to the 90’s. Think expensive cashmere sweaters, ribbons billowing in the breeze, silk skirt caressing your skin as you walk and the comforting hug from your fancy aunt (the one with the fancy oil beads for the bath). It evokes a princess lounging on a velvet chaise, a delicate ballerina rehearsing in an empty studio with the morning light streaming in and an heiress strolling through her rose garden in France.

La Divina is equal parts sexy and genteel, nicely bridging the gap between pleasant floral and edgy musk. I so agree that it's an '80s boudoir: rose scented face powder, rose water in a tasseled atomizer, candied rose petals on a pink vanity, all in soft focus. Beneath this is a musk - behind the sheer canopy curtains, the bedsheets are tousled and sweated through. La Divina manages to be very hot and demure at the same time.

Imepria La Divina is ABC’s big sister. The Taurus to ABC’s Aries. It’s not her birthday but she’s still dressed up in satin slippers, the softest tulle and ready to celebrate. An ethereal and romantic powdery rose, with a touch of sweetness.

This shares a really pretty DNA with Annabel’s Birthday Cake. (Makes sense, given the talented perfumer behind them both.) Even though this has no obvious gourmand notes, this is mouth-watering and addictive.

This scent is plush and very old world. There’s nothing simple about it and the story of Imperia La Divina is woven all throughout it. The rose is pretty and velvety but the bitterness of the oak moss and poplar gives it bite! I’m also getting a small jolt from what smells like berries. As time goes on, the bitterness subsides and the emphasis is placed on the rose and musk. It becomes very *pretty*. But if you’re just looking for a rose perfume, I wouldn’t say this is it because the rose isn’t the most dominant to my nose. Beautiful storytelling in this one!

Vintage rose with powdery and metallic notes. Radiant musky base. Gives me strong 90s vibes with this mossy accord. It’s actually pretty good, just not for me. Follow me on IG: scent.guide

Hairspray, dirty ballet tights, a vintage makeup compact. Rose and musk and something a bit earthy and edgy. To me, the oakmoss is the highlight of this scent!

Exactly as I would expect the boudoir of a courtesan from yesteryear to have smelled. Truly pretty, a sexy rose, vintagesque, sparkling.

Beautiful sweet bright green. Saw this once described as smelling like ballet slippers (metaphorically). Too bad it lasts about 2 hours

A vintage smelling powdery rose, unbelievably sexy and a bit sinister

This is the most successful of the perfumes I’ve tried by MZ, as the notes are layered beautifully and I agree with reviewers below that the scent feels like the story. However, there are too many similarly powdery / lipstick-y sweet rose scents on the market with much better longevity.

“La Divina” smells like a rose made of plastic. On my skin, the musk note becomes overpowering.

I've been carrying around a tiny sample of this in my purse for almost half a year and finally bought a big bottle earlier this month. I'm so glad that I did and can now spray it more liberally! The scent is powdery-soft and fresh and full-bodied - my favourite thing about it is the sharpish cassis note that makes La Divina more darkly glamorous than other rose scents and luckily that's also the element that I've found lingers longest on my clothes after I've sprayed it. Interestingly the morning I started my period I could smell the greener notes (perhaps the oakmoss) more strongly, but it's consistently a sensual satiny berry-rose that (as with all the Marissa Zappas perfumes I've tried) makes me feel as wonderful as it smells.

Whatever Rose Marissa uses here is an absolute favorite. It perfectly teeters the line of juicy/syrupy/dewy/fresh. It’s seems every time I wear it the rose blooms in a new direction. And underneath the rose is a delicate powder tinged with just the slightest grit. Not dirty per se, but more in the throes of a love affair. Once the oak moss comes through it really is the backbone of this fragrance. Earthy and almost chewy, but if you took a bite, it would be a sweet confection. I am reminded slightly of Tabacco rose by Papillon, which is another naturalistic rose supported by oak moss. This is just sweeter, powered and plumped like slick lipgloss. Marissa’s fragrances don’t get enough hype imo. 9/10

Rose is very muted to me in this one - it's mostly musk and earthy tones, and something grainy, like there could be a wheat note in there. Not super vintage to me, the moss is light and earthy, not pungent like in the typical vintage rose perfumes that contain this note. (I love those too, I don't mean pungeint in a bad way it's just far more striking in an almost sour way in things like etienne aigner explosive) That said the beginning of this prefume is quite tart but it's mostly the rose and maybe poplar. Mellows out very quick to a powdery, subtly fresh earthy, grainy musk.

This is a gorgeous rose scent. Light natural lemony rose beginning, gentle powdery quality to it. Then, a subtle natural sun shining on moss on bark background scent. This is a rose with all it's pretty light accompaniments in an English garden. It really smells like a quaint bar of rose soap in an expensive hotel in the French countryside. I think this must be one of the nicest rose scents, maybe nicer than young rose by byredo.

She opens with a burst of natural, light pink rose that settles into musky, 80's glamorous powder. She evokes an image of an entire boudoir: fancy french soap, vintage makeup, roses on a vanity. A child imagining what a woman smells like. Wears close like a skin scent and dries down into a subtle cassis baby powder. Made with love for sure.