Romeo di Romeo Gigli

I received a mini bottle of Romeo Gigli as a freebie with a few other vintages I purchased in a lot. I hadn't ever heard of the brand prior to this, so I'm going in blind. My immediate reaction: 90s amber floral? 80s chypre fruity? Regardless, I am pleasantly surprised. This is a dynamic perfume that exceeds my expectations. I don't think Fragrantica lists all of the notes. To my nose Romeo Gigli starts off smelling dewy, intensely herbal, and green. Galbanum, violet leaf, marigolds, and the piquant rasp of hyacinth. The cassis buds marry these green elements to the fruity notes and floral bouquet. The base has deep, sweet ambers, incense, oakmoss, cosmetic powder. Romeo Gigli feels ahead of its time. It has the orchestral heft I associate with '80s fare, but it also incorporates some of the lighter, translucent qualities I associate with '90s perfumery. I normally prefer 70s chypres to 80s chypres, but this is a fantastic 80s chypre. The progression registers as balanced and sophisticated. A distinctive, unique perfume that stands out from others of this style.

This is a bitter green zing, breaking stems, crushing basil leaves, burying one's nose in tagetes marigolds, climbing through honeysuckle bushes on late spring days, on the cusp of summer. It is preparing fruit salad in an orange blossom hothouse slicing carambola and mango. It is bumblebee butts hanging out freesias, ants single file, carrying perfumed petals to the young as precious ambrosia. Lots of buzz-buzz, whirring and sunbeams. Then it sizzles into the balsam realm, as if to represent nightfall, while the nocturnal creatures stir in the grasses and hedges, strange moths feasting on privet blossoms, crunchy ivy on old church walls at dusk (crazy imagination renders an ivy-fragrance fabric softener!), glowing green town hall clock towers. I then imagine pondering old wooden artifacts, some with elaborate carvings, then I realize my hands are dusty, my whole body is dusty, and I bathe myself, using the coziest, absorbent towel imaginable to dry off. Ahhhhhh....relaxing.

Cassia freesia and mango to me are the prominent notes here. then lime, basil, orange blossoms, agrumes, and incense. those notes are "firms" into this masterpiece. Actually at the same time this is a very elegant and Sophisticated perfume, I can easily imagine a First Lady or a noble young woman in tailleur wearing this, and by the other side i sense a child-style scent. In the 90s a friend of mine was wearing this perfume, so while we were going to catch the bus for school she asked me a bit worried "do you think this fragrance is too sweet?" I said " no.. I have just the feeling to walk beside a giant candy". And I feel to say the same now, Romeo Gigli has that multi-berries/raspberry candy taste. Surely that face is softened by florals and soapy/cologne allure. So the fragrance itself is fresh and but not too sweet.. even if it was of me I would rate this composition as fruity floral. Repeat: a no-time masterpiece. For fairy women of high class.

it makes me so sad that this perfume is discontinued. a few years ago i found it in a small store but it wasn't the original formula. i have a small purse spray of the early 90s formula given to me by an aunt. i don't use it because i don't want to finish it. i take hits of it every now and then, with my eyes closed and probably a goofy expression on my face from the sheer pleasure that it is to smell this. i have never encountered another fragrance quite like this. both sharp and green but with traces of juicy fruits and at the same time dry and smokey. and freshly spicy from beginning to end. I think what I'll do is look for fragrances that have similar notes. This has basil in it and I know of many men's fragrances with basil not too many women's. Marigold seems to be a flower not used in today's perfumes but I know Eternity has it, and what is asafoetida? I want to smell as similar to Romeo as possible. I love this perfume!

I was rapidly hurtling toward my mid-twenties when this Romeo Gigli fragrance was launched, and it seemed a fittingly pretty-yet-assertive scent for that phase of my life. I tore through the first bottle and now the second bottle is mostly used, and I don't revisit it often, but it was very well-loved for the period in which I wore it. I adore bergamot and it really seemed to pop for me. This shared the quality of my favorite scents in that I never lost a sense of it even with daily use-- and I enjoyed it immensely. I love when other people are very complimentary of my fragrance and it's flattering and enticing to have that appeal with others, but for me, the fragrance I'm wearing is ultimately about self-pleasure. :)