Biennale

The inspiration for this fragrance was (apparently) the Biennale art exhibition in Venice... However, this is more like a stroll through the woods after the rain when the smells intensify. This is a green fragrance with evocative woody notes, but at the same time surprisingly light and fresh. Initially, the smell reminds me of a mix of lemon, parsley and pepper, but after a couple of minutes a note of clove buds (not listed) appears and becomes bolder, it adds a touch of sweetness and warmth. For once, lavender is not the tipically harsh, pungent lavender. It's actually more perceptible on paper, together with bergamot, which makes it fresher, cleaner; in the drydown it's reminiscent of wild berries. On skin, the combo of cloves and woody notes prevails. There are no florals in here, but there is a light fruit compote sweetness. I don't get a distinctive fig note, either on paper or skin. Projection is weak (it turns into a skin scent very quickly) and the longevity too. Edit: But can be amplified/extended if you layer it on top of another compatible fragrance with a similar profile (Calabria Cerulean* form Grandeur has bergamot and mandarin as top notes, lavender and freesia in the middle, cedar and musk in the base notes. It's (mostly) marketed for women, but I find it more unisex, and a bit flat on its own... with citruses and lavender as the most prominent notes, medium projection and longevity. But that makes it great for layering with this, it adds the (on my skin) missing bergamot and lavender, and even the woody notes get some additional boost, with clove buds still present. So, a much more rounded and contrasted aromatic blend, closer to the one suggested by the pyramid. *Not listed on Fragrantica, doesn't seem to be a direct clone of anything (familiar to me), maybe the closest to a very stripped down version of Chloe's Eau de fleurs Lavande from 2010 (discontinued). ** 8.7.2026: Performance has improved, since I left my review here, so I have adjusted my votes accordingly.