Roberto Cavalli Oro

Cavalli Oro is one of those perfume Rorschach blots, where what you smell says a lot about what you want, what you expect, and what you already like or dislike. I came to it because I’m a girl from the American South who was looking for an interesting magnolia scent that didn’t smell watery or insipid, and that’s what I get from Oro: a long-lived, properly wavy and lemony magnolia accord buttressed by a classical Oriental base, with an appropriately Souttern peach note in the mix, and a thread of slightly boozy vanilla. I find it charming and easy to wear in relatively warm weather, which coincides with spring and magnolia season, so it does exactly what I want it to do. I don’t find Oro to be particularly spicy or regal; it’s not a heavy hitter like a lot of Oriental perfumes from other Italian fashion houses. It doesn’t feature the powerful Mediterranean orange and aromatic herbs that I associate with Italian classics from houses like Krizia, and it’s not as busy or as commanding as the classic Valentinos like the first, eponymous Parfum (a crazy Roman Empire-era fruit salad stuffed with all the treasures of the East) or (the very aptly named) Diva. The early Gucci perfumes also have similar, sunny, almost outdoorsy profile, suggestive of citrus groves and rosemary plants, fig trees and sage—gloriously evocative perfumes with a distinctive style that has carried over into the newer niche houses like Masque Milano, whose perfumes seem to come from a place closer to the earth or at least to the garden, rather than the dedicated floral plantation or especially the laboratory. Oro is softer than these, sweeter, and perhaps a tad more confected—but it is also lighthearted, a little flirty, easy to wear, conventionally pretty without being boring, and—particularly virtuous in these days of increasingly outrageous pricing—very inexpensive. So if you have a serious yen to bring the ephemeral scent of magnolia (they sadly lose their aroma within seconds of being picked), Oro is a fantastic choice. It’s also just an easygoing warm weather Oriental for times when more powerful scents might be overwhelming, or when a more serious-minded perfume doesn’t suit your mood or your ensemble. Mini sizes are particularly generous and easy to find all over the aftermarket. It’s not thebperfume I would have expected from a designer as exuberant as Roberto Cavalli, but it has a perky personality all its own, and right now—late March through late May—is the perfect time to enjoy its carefree company.

I remember a time when sweet, spicy, cinnamon(y) type fragrances were considered orientals- and, gourmand elements were said to be "spicy". Gourmands were an olfactory sensation within the spicy/oriental category and not a category unto themselves. Oro falls into this slot, as being a spicy/oriental fragrance with some quasi-gourmand notes that is not an official gourmand fragrance. The heart of this fragrance contains pepper, which sets the stage for an acrobatic act of spicy accords. You have the sensation of sweet and spicy nutmeg, with a vanillic kick- thanks to pepper. It's warm and sightly pungent and certainly sexy. But it's not all about the spices. There are lilting top notes and a soft woody base that rounds out the composition. This fragrance claims to last a full 11 hours, and does if you use the entire line. But, for the EDP by itself-expect about 4 to 6 good hours of scent. The bottle gets a little bad reviewing for several factors. It is assumed that the pattern on the bottle is snakeskin. But, it's not. It's actually a wave pattern designed to represent sand ripples in a hot desert. The snake covering the top of the bottle is a sidewinder- a common desert snake. However, I think it would have done better to be made of metal or glass and include more detailing...and perhaps be affixed to the bottle. This is not a gourmand fragrance that reminds us of holiday desserts. It's intention is to bring us to the world of the exotic with sultry warmth and forbidden spice accords. Instead of thinking cookies and parties, imagine yourself on a desert safari. Opulent, silk tents furnished with tapestried carpets-incense burning, hot winds and drifting dunes turning to gold in the evening sun. That's the message of Oro. Exotic. Sensual. Hot. Sultry.

Maurice Roucel is one of my fave noses, because he does really rich and sexy scents, and almost unconventional ones! cavalli oro is really not a shy perfume - it's sultry and sexy in a 'romantic' way, not nasty! starts juicy with delicious apple and mandarin, cinnamon kicks in very exiting, the magnolia is creamy and soft and gives this woody-spicy oriental a very feminine touch in the heart. soft patchouli, woody spicy cedar and quaiac wood are calming down the sweetness, but the juiciness of the top will still pop up sparkly from the background. heart settles well down to that wonderful and tempting oriental bottomnotes of sandalwood, amber, musk and a hint of vanilla. all notes are nice blendet to a very rich, honeylike composition, bold but comfortable to wear. a scent that make people remembering you because it's very attractive and distinguish, feminine and for good - not very popular. this juice is shurely not offending but it's remarkable: sweet flowery oriental trails will surround you for some hours without having to reaply. put it on your hair too! sillage very good, staying power very good. the bottle is really cute, i like this feminine and elegant design and the plastic snake suits it very well without making it cheap-looking. well done cavalli! thumbs up! btw. the pink one is delicious too! not at all to compare with this one but very pink in a elegant way, sweet and very distinguable. not girlish, but feminine and romantic. love both of them!

Oro is a Super Strong SPICY powerhouse ! SWEET, very very feminine, lively, exotic, very oriental ! Oro is POWERFUL, like the classic oriental perfumes of the late 1970's and '80's. Like those classic fragrances, Oro is unique, memorable, well blended, and definitely a classic oriental. ORO emphasizes SPICES, and these spices STAY with you......they don't fade away. One quick spray in your hair will last until your next shampoo. ORO lasts incredibly long on clothing fabrics, too. On skin, the scent calms down a bit after an hour or so, but clings until your next shower. For those whose skin "eats" perfume, you might want to use ORO Body Lotion, then spray the perfume on top of that. ORO will last on dry skin if you use the body lotion first. Another way to make perfumes last is to add just a very thin layer of mineral oil or Vaseline to skin, then spray perfume over it. If you like the Original formula of Yves St Laurent Opium, you will probably like ORO. Oro seems a bit sweeter than Opium, and more "sparkly and lively." ORO is strong , so very little goes a long long way.

I am gradually adding to my Roberto Cavalli fragrance collection; I have yet to discover one I don't at least like! I made what I now know to be the - bad - decision to buy this last year. It has been discontinued and is now hard to find - so naturally, I've fallen passionately in love with it. Oro opens with a peppery, savoury-spicy punch. This calms down within about 15 minutes to a warm and creamy, slightly sweet and powdery, woody-cinnamon fragrance. I can't detect apple or any citrus at all, but there is a persistent hint of apricot throughout. I think I would describe this as a spicy oriental/borderline gourmand. I think it would be a good perfume to wear if I need to channel my inner bitch. This is one of my favourite perfumes and I am SO cross with myself for falling in love with it; it's already expensive on eBay but I have to get a back up bottle before it's too late. Moderate longevity and sillage. Definitely not a safe blind buy.